Calgary Flames Drafting in the Top 10

[420since1974]

The Flames have been in Calgary since 1980.

 

Their first Top 10 draft pick wasn't until 12 years later.

 

Since then, they have only picked in the Top 10 eight more times.

 

So over 36 years, Calgary has picked in the Top 10 only 25% of the time.

 

1992 - Corey Stillman - #6

1997 - Daniel Tkaczuk - # 6

1998 - Rico Fata - #6

2000 - Brent Krahn - # 9

2002 - Eric Nystrom - #10

2003 - Dion Phaneuf - # 9

2013 - Sean Monahan - # 6

2014 - Sam Bennett - # 4

2016 - Matthew Tkachuk - # 6

 

That's 5 of the 9 Top 10 picks at # 6.

 

I'm somewhat amazed that with some of the truly poor teams we've had, that the Flames have never picked in the Top 3.

 

Edmonton we are definitely not.

[Cowtownguy]

Wow, that is actually rather depressing. I cannot fathom why the NHL just doesn't move to a completely randomized draw. It would be highly unlikely that any team would make out like the Oilers have. They used to reward the teams that played well with a high draft pick, then they gave it to the worst team, then they make the bottom five picks somewhat randomized. It makes you wonder if they know what they are doing.

 

I really liked Rico Fata. Now that boy was fast. Unfortunately, he seemed to go faster than the puck.

[travel_dude]

The Flames have been in Calgary since 1980.

 

Their first Top 10 draft pick wasn't until 12 years later.

 

Since then, they have only picked in the Top 10 eight more times.

 

So over 36 years, Calgary has picked in the Top 10 only 25% of the time.

 

1992 - Corey Stillman - #6

1997 - Daniel Tkaczuk - # 6

1998 - Rico Fata - #6

2000 - Brent Krahn - # 9

2002 - Eric Nystrom - #10

2003 - Dion Phaneuf - # 9

2013 - Sean Monahan - # 6

2014 - Sam Bennett - # 4

2016 - Matthew Tkachuk - # 6

 

That's 5 of the 9 Top 10 picks at # 6.

 

I'm somewhat amazed that with some of the truly poor teams we've had, that the Flames have never picked in the Top 3.

 

Edmonton we are definitely not.

 

Before Monahan, we were a bubble playoff team or an early playoff exit team, so there's that.  We also never embraced the "sell anything and everything to make us a basement feeder" like EDM, TML or PITTS.  The other thing is the lottery giving some teams the opportunity to move up a bunch.

 

I would have been more upset if we had first overall and drafted Yak, only to see him be basically a bust.  Suck it Oils.

[robrob74]

Before Monahan, we were a bubble playoff team or an early playoff exit team, so there's that. We also never embraced the "sell anything and everything to make us a basement feeder" like EDM, TML or PITTS. The other thing is the lottery giving some teams the opportunity to move up a bunch.

I would have been more upset if we had first overall and drafted Yak, only to see him be basically a bust. Suck it Oils.

To be fair, this is a first for the TML and we did sell half of our team off over the years. When we traded Iginla and Bouwmeester that seemed like half the team there. But we kept vets to teach the kids.

You can add Buffalo to the team's who fire sold their players. Did Chicago do it! LA was really bad for awhile TOO. Oops caps

[The_People1]

Wow, that is actually rather depressing. I cannot fathom why the NHL just doesn't move to a completely randomized draw.

 

Totally agreed man.

[rickross]

It's actually quite impressive Flames have never drafted lower than 4th. Shows the team has remained fairly competitive over the years. Besides who wants to gloat at bottom feeding accomplishments?? Oh yeah...the Edmonton Oilers!!

[robrob74]

I started liking the Flames in round 1 against the Canucks in 89. All of my uncles, aunts and cousins were going for the Nucks. I went for the Flames the whole way. Since then they always had a never die attitude and worked to never be last place. It's what I liked about them. But it was hard times being a lowly team.

We have hope now. Monahan is like a 1st or 2nd overall, so far, in his draft year. Gaudreau the same. Sometimes you need to be lucky to be good.

[jjgallow]

I really liked Rico Fata. Now that boy was fast. Unfortunately, he seemed to go faster than the puck.

 

I did NOT like Rico Fata, I felt he personified off the board drafting, in the worst way...he had a Horrible playoff performance and direclty exposed the lack of effectiveness of his play and size in high intensity situations.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=24144

 

He was ranked lower for All the right reasons, but the Flames felt the "knew better".

 

Anyway, I'm Over it now, and I think we've done much better with some of our more recent drafts.  Very impressed with the 2016 draft selections, actually.

 

But Fata was NOT ranked for the top 10.

http://www.angelfire.com/ca/mirosatan/csb.html

 

And he shouldn't have been.  I'm not saying, go strictly by central scouting.  Heavens no.  But don't go miles off the board on the most heavily scouted prospects in the game.

 

Of the 6 players ranked higher than him, only one didn't end up becoming a Useful NHLer, at worst (and Edmonton picked them up of course, lol).

Dmitri Kalinin

Malhotra, Manny

Chubarov, Artem

Biron, Mathieu

Henrich, Michael

Skoula, Martin

Fischer, Jiri

[StarkRaving]

I remember the pick very well.  They flashed "Lacks hockey sense" on the Jumbotron when the Flames announced the selection.  I was pretty angry about that.

 

Come to think of it, I was pretty angry about most drafts up until Monahan came along.

[jjgallow]

I remember the pick very well.  They flashed "Lacks hockey sense" on the Jumbotron when the Flames announced the selection.  I was pretty angry about that.

 

Come to think of it, I was pretty angry about most drafts up until Monahan came along.

 

Agreed.  

 

For sure, being locked out of the top 5 picks has hurt the club.  No denying that.   But I don't always believe it's because other teams are tanking, as much as they aren't willing to pay for the short term fixes that the Flames sometimes have.   Not sure, really, who has the moral high road there.

 

 

The far greater issue, however, has been What we've done with out picks.   Up until recently, we have drafted very poorly.  Extremely poorly at times.   The last few years have been better.  And we should start to see the fruits of that soon, hopefully.

[travel_dude]

Agreed.  

 

For sure, being locked out of the top 5 picks has hurt the club.  No denying that.   But I don't always believe it's because other teams are tanking, as much as they aren't willing to pay for the short term fixes that the Flames sometimes have.   Not sure, really, who has the moral high road there.

 

 

The far greater issue, however, has been What we've done with out picks.   Up until recently, we have drafted very poorly.  Extremely poorly at times.   The last few years have been better.  And we should start to see the fruits of that soon, hopefully.

 

The teams on the ice do not support tanking, as they strive to be better, make more money, and frankly hate losing.  

 

The management groups behind a team are a different story.  Tanking is an art (EDM is like Rembrant).  You have to be able to ice a team that barely passes the sniff test.  You have to sell the team to your fans.  You have to try to explain why you are trading away players that have value for a pick that is at best and NHL player 2 years down the road.  You have to weigh the benefits of not icing a competitive team for all the new toys you have gotten the the drafts.  

 

Calgary has a number of players that were assembled through the draft that are already pretty good - Brodie, Backlund, Bennett, Gaudreau, Monahan.  They have a few that are poised for good careers - Ferland, Tkachuk.  They have some prospects that look like they will be NHL players someday - Gillies, a bunch of defenders, Mangiapane, Janko.  Keep drafting players and turning over the ones that are lesser talents.

[MAC331]

The teams on the ice do not support tanking, as they strive to be better, make more money, and frankly hate losing.  

 

The management groups behind a team are a different story.  Tanking is an art (EDM is like Rembrant).  You have to be able to ice a team that barely passes the sniff test.  You have to sell the team to your fans.  You have to try to explain why you are trading away players that have value for a pick that is at best and NHL player 2 years down the road.  You have to weigh the benefits of not icing a competitive team for all the new toys you have gotten the the drafts.  

 

Calgary has a number of players that were assembled through the draft that are already pretty good - Brodie, Backlund, Bennett, Gaudreau, Monahan.  They have a few that are poised for good careers - Ferland, Tkachuk.  They have some prospects that look like they will be NHL players someday - Gillies, a bunch of defenders, Mangiapane, Janko.  Keep drafting players and turning over the ones that are lesser talents.

Our pipeline has definitely seen a boost in quality over the last 3 drafts. The one aspect that is becoming more important as the game changes away from the thumpers are scouting and picking hockey players that can help you roll with 4 productive lines on the forward level.

[jjgallow]

 

The management groups behind a team are a different story.  Tanking is an art (EDM is like Rembrant).  You have to be able to ice a team that barely passes the sniff test.  You have to sell the team to your fans.  You have to try to explain why you are trading away players that have value for a pick that is at best and NHL player 2 years down the road.  You have to weigh the benefits of not icing a competitive team for all the new toys you have gotten the the drafts.  

 

Calgary has a number of players that were assembled through the draft that are already pretty good - Brodie, Backlund, Bennett, Gaudreau, Monahan.  They have a few that are poised for good careers - Ferland, Tkachuk.  They have some prospects that look like they will be NHL players someday - Gillies, a bunch of defenders, Mangiapane, Janko.  Keep drafting players and turning over the ones that are lesser talents.

 

 

Agree with all of this....with one possible addition/objection:

 

The Flames have, in the Past, gone to extraordinary lengths to be mediocre.  Giving up a first for Jokinen comes to mind off the top of my head.   Whether by intention or not, the Flames made trades that only contenders were making.  That would only make sense to a contender.   

 

I will never know if this was because they truly thought they were a contender, or if they truly had an unbreakable mandate to be mediocre.

 

Either way, I never found these moves to be any more respectable than teams who "tanked".

 

 

Anyway, perhaps off topic.   We have Not done well with our top 10 picks in the past but I do believe we've drafted them appropriately, as of Monahan.  And that is nice to see.   It's  a massive relief, actually.

[travel_dude]

Agree with all of this....with one possible addition/objection:

 

The Flames have, in the Past, gone to extraordinary lengths to be mediocre.  Giving up a first for Jokinen comes to mind off the top of my head.   Whether by intention or not, the Flames made trades that only contenders were making.  That would only make sense to a contender.   

 

I will never know if this was because they truly thought they were a contender, or if they truly had an unbreakable mandate to be mediocre.

 

Either way, I never found these moves to be any more respectable than teams who "tanked".

 

 

Anyway, perhaps off topic.   We have Not done well with our top 10 picks in the past but I do believe we've drafted them appropriately, as of Monahan.  And that is nice to see.   It's  a massive relief, actually.

 

The trade for Jokinen was exactly what the Flames (thought that they) needed.  No #1C to play with Iggy.  

 

The trades that weren't thought out were bad, but not tanking bad.  Phaneuf was not a tank trade, but one of the worst, like the Gilmour trade.  The GM was trying to add talent ever since the cup run.  They believed that a hardhat style team could not compete with teams that had more than one blue chip player.