2023 Calgary Flames NHL Draft

[jjgallow]

1 hour ago, Thebrewcrew said:

The Flames are likely picking 15-17th.

 

Out of those 5 names, I think they’d have a chance at Perreault and Willander.

 

Cristall is likely a top 10 pick. Probably one of the best playmakers in the draft on a Kelowna team that wasn’t all that good.

 

Sale, is a tougher one to evaluate, it’s always hard to compare the European kids vs NA kids.  But he seems like a player to go anywhere from 7-14.

 

It’s not a great D class at the top,  but I still think three D will be gone by the time the Flames pick, Sandin Pellikka likely being one of them.

 

I'm just getting warmed up here, i have a lot to learn about this range, thanks for your assessment.

 

Never hurts to look a few spots up because someone will fall, you just don't know who.

 

The bigger question is if you want to catch a falling knife, or a shooting star, or someone who is steady in the rankings.  that can be hard.   The rankings are fickle.

 

Cristall:  Could fall due to his size.   I am sure he ranks high but he is far from a prototype.

 

Perreault I initially like.  On paper he's Coronato-like.  Would have no problems with two of them lol, there's room.

 

Willander, I don't see it.    I always like D picks but not seeing this initially.   

 

Sale is okay but I'm also not fully sold on him initially.

 

 

 

.....

 

 

Ho-hum.    Not loving the Button favourites.   Not hating them all either, Perreault's okay.  Interested to learn more in spare time.    

[jjgallow]

 

Someone call BT ( I lost his number ) and have him pick this over-age Calgarian up with a late pick please, thanks.

 

 

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/505754/kai-uchacz

[travel_dude]

3 hours ago, jjgallow said:

 

Someone call BT ( I lost his number ) and have him pick this over-age Calgarian up with a late pick please, thanks.

 

 

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/505754/kai-uchacz

 

May be a reason why few teams will touch him:

 

Kai Uchacz sits in a category of NHL prospects that teams should avoid, but often don’t. With diversity, equity, and inclusion under the watchful eye of hockey critics and advocates, Uchacz belongs to an NHL prospect pool alongside players like Logan Mailloux and Mitchell Miller.

His off-ice behaviour, notably, racist comments Uchacz made directed at a Black teammate while playing for the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Seattle Thunderbirds, should be more than a red flag, they should be a stop sign.

 

Who Is Going To Grab The F

Uchacz’s Racist Remarks

In March of 2021, Kai Uchacz was removed from the Seattle Thunderbirds after the organization discovered the racist comments he used toward Black teammate Mekai Sanders.

Uchacz made racist slurs toward Sanders, the lone Black player on the Thunderbirds, and a banana was waved in front of the player according to a report from the Seattle Times. 

 

As hockey often does, however, Uchacz’s racism is being overlooked in favour of his on-ice skill. The Red Deer Rebels of the WHL were the first to make this choice when they traded for Uchacz in exchange for a second-round pick. NHL Central Scouting was next, ranking Uchacz 95th among North American Skaters in their Midterm Rankings.

 

Where Does Character Come In?

The problem with NHL Central Scouting’s process is it takes no account of character. It’s a single-layered evaluation of skill-based qualities. A successful career in the NHL, as we’re currently witnessing with a player like Evander Kane, involves more than skill; it also involves character.

 

Comment

Following his dismissal from the Seattle Thunderbirds, Uchacz was forced to complete training on diversity and anti-racism. But that doesn’t mean he has automatically changed. It also doesn’t mean he’s the type of prospect a team should draft.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and I deeply regret my decision making in the past,” Uchacz said in a Red Deer Rebels news release. “I have taken this time away from hockey to learn and grow as a person and have expanded my knowledge about this topic and how impactful it is. I thank the WHL for taking the time to work with me and believe in me as a person. I am thankful for the opportunity to play again.”

The problem with Uchacz’s statement is that it focused on his “decision making.” It did not focus on his beliefs and values, or a fundamental change to the type of person he is, a person who took repeated racist actions toward a teammate. All his statement signifies is that he was willing to do anything it took to return to hockey. As well that he will do better at concealing his anti-Black racist ideology in the future.

Should an NHL Team Draft Kai Uchacz?

No. Just as the Montreal Canadiens should not have drafted sexual offender Logan Mailloux, and just like the Arizona Coyotes shouldn’t have drafted a racist like Mitchell Miller. While the Coyotes quickly renounced their draft pick, which was the correct move, the Montreal Canadiens have done no-such-thing with Mailloux.

Uchacz’s presence on the NHL Central Scouting list demonstrates that at a league level, racism is acceptable and that being an overt racist does not disqualify you from playing in the NHL. Recently, the NHL’s refusal to partner with the Hockey Diversity Alliance has also come under deserved criticism.

The National Hockey League has left the decision of whether Kai Uchacz and his racism belongs in the NHL up to their 32 member teams. Unfortunately, if history is any indication, there is a chance an NHL team will make the wrong decision and select Uchacz in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Has There Been Change?

The agent of Mekei Sanders, the victim of Uchacz’s racist attacks made it clear that nothing has been done. All the WHL and hockey world mandated was that Uchacz complete training, and that he finds a new place to play. But for the WHL and hockey world to claim that there is “zero tolerance” for racism, is false. If there was zero tolerance, Uchacz wouldn’t be playing at all. He absolutely would not appear on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings.

 

As Scott Norton, the agent of victim Mekei Sanders stated, “What is the point of having a zero-tolerance policy if you do not hold your players to that standard? This was not a 1-time isolated, incident! How many chances does the victim get to live his life and chase his dreams?”

As long as prospects are evaluated exclusively on their skill, and their actions, whether they be tied to racism or any other attack on a human have no consequence, hockey’s culture will continue to foster divisive and unsafe spaces.

As Norton stated, “Enough is enough. Time for things to change in hockey and society.”

 

 

[jjgallow]

1 hour ago, travel_dude said:

 

May be a reason why few teams will touch him:

 

Kai Uchacz sits in a category of NHL prospects that teams should avoid, but often don’t. With diversity, equity, and inclusion under the watchful eye of hockey critics and advocates, Uchacz belongs to an NHL prospect pool alongside players like Logan Mailloux and Mitchell Miller.

His off-ice behaviour, notably, racist comments Uchacz made directed at a Black teammate while playing for the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Seattle Thunderbirds, should be more than a red flag, they should be a stop sign.

 

Who Is Going To Grab The F

Uchacz’s Racist Remarks

In March of 2021, Kai Uchacz was removed from the Seattle Thunderbirds after the organization discovered the racist comments he used toward Black teammate Mekai Sanders.

Uchacz made racist slurs toward Sanders, the lone Black player on the Thunderbirds, and a banana was waved in front of the player according to a report from the Seattle Times. 

 

As hockey often does, however, Uchacz’s racism is being overlooked in favour of his on-ice skill. The Red Deer Rebels of the WHL were the first to make this choice when they traded for Uchacz in exchange for a second-round pick. NHL Central Scouting was next, ranking Uchacz 95th among North American Skaters in their Midterm Rankings.

 

Where Does Character Come In?

The problem with NHL Central Scouting’s process is it takes no account of character. It’s a single-layered evaluation of skill-based qualities. A successful career in the NHL, as we’re currently witnessing with a player like Evander Kane, involves more than skill; it also involves character.

 

Comment

Following his dismissal from the Seattle Thunderbirds, Uchacz was forced to complete training on diversity and anti-racism. But that doesn’t mean he has automatically changed. It also doesn’t mean he’s the type of prospect a team should draft.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and I deeply regret my decision making in the past,” Uchacz said in a Red Deer Rebels news release. “I have taken this time away from hockey to learn and grow as a person and have expanded my knowledge about this topic and how impactful it is. I thank the WHL for taking the time to work with me and believe in me as a person. I am thankful for the opportunity to play again.”

The problem with Uchacz’s statement is that it focused on his “decision making.” It did not focus on his beliefs and values, or a fundamental change to the type of person he is, a person who took repeated racist actions toward a teammate. All his statement signifies is that he was willing to do anything it took to return to hockey. As well that he will do better at concealing his anti-Black racist ideology in the future.

Should an NHL Team Draft Kai Uchacz?

No. Just as the Montreal Canadiens should not have drafted sexual offender Logan Mailloux, and just like the Arizona Coyotes shouldn’t have drafted a racist like Mitchell Miller. While the Coyotes quickly renounced their draft pick, which was the correct move, the Montreal Canadiens have done no-such-thing with Mailloux.

Uchacz’s presence on the NHL Central Scouting list demonstrates that at a league level, racism is acceptable and that being an overt racist does not disqualify you from playing in the NHL. Recently, the NHL’s refusal to partner with the Hockey Diversity Alliance has also come under deserved criticism.

The National Hockey League has left the decision of whether Kai Uchacz and his racism belongs in the NHL up to their 32 member teams. Unfortunately, if history is any indication, there is a chance an NHL team will make the wrong decision and select Uchacz in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Has There Been Change?

The agent of Mekei Sanders, the victim of Uchacz’s racist attacks made it clear that nothing has been done. All the WHL and hockey world mandated was that Uchacz complete training, and that he finds a new place to play. But for the WHL and hockey world to claim that there is “zero tolerance” for racism, is false. If there was zero tolerance, Uchacz wouldn’t be playing at all. He absolutely would not appear on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings.

 

As Scott Norton, the agent of victim Mekei Sanders stated, “What is the point of having a zero-tolerance policy if you do not hold your players to that standard? This was not a 1-time isolated, incident! How many chances does the victim get to live his life and chase his dreams?”

As long as prospects are evaluated exclusively on their skill, and their actions, whether they be tied to racism or any other attack on a human have no consequence, hockey’s culture will continue to foster divisive and unsafe spaces.

As Norton stated, “Enough is enough. Time for things to change in hockey and society.”

 

 

 

Yup, bye.

[travel_dude]

1 hour ago, jjgallow said:

 

Yup, bye.

 

Some team will pick him up and he will become an adult.

Maybe he will be elected PM.

[travel_dude]

Not a pending draft kid, but Jay O'Brien is not signing with Philly.

Will be a free agent.

Not high scoring but a RHS C.

[jjgallow]

22 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Some team will pick him up and he will become an adult.

Maybe he will be elected PM.

 

ok so he's not the next Wyatt Johnson.

 

Maybe Nick Lardis is?

 

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/603122/nick-lardis

[travel_dude]

2 minutes ago, jjgallow said:

 

ok so he's not the next Wyatt Johnson.

 

Maybe Nick Lardis is?

 

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/603122/nick-lardis

 

Maybe the next Matty Phillips?

154 pounds at 5'10".

Was that dripping wet?

 

I don't know if you are scouting these guys or stats watching teams in the playoffs.

There's a big divergence from Button/Bobby Mac to NHL Central Scounting (NA skater rank at that).

[jjgallow]

49 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Maybe the next Matty Phillips?

154 pounds at 5'10".

Was that dripping wet?

 

I don't know if you are scouting these guys or stats watching teams in the playoffs.

There's a big divergence from Button/Bobby Mac to NHL Central Scounting (NA skater rank at that).

 

I scout and meet them all personally as well as their families before any suggestions.

 

Yeah he's got the size issue.   17 though.  Tall enough.  Players can fill in a lot easier than grow taller lol

[Thebrewcrew]

12 hours ago, jjgallow said:

 

I'm just getting warmed up here, i have a lot to learn about this range, thanks for your assessment.

 

Never hurts to look a few spots up because someone will fall, you just don't know who.

 

The bigger question is if you want to catch a falling knife, or a shooting star, or someone who is steady in the rankings.  that can be hard.   The rankings are fickle.

 

Cristall:  Could fall due to his size.   I am sure he ranks high but he is far from a prototype.

 

Perreault I initially like.  On paper he's Coronato-like.  Would have no problems with two of them lol, there's room.

 

Willander, I don't see it.    I always like D picks but not seeing this initially.   

 

Sale is okay but I'm also not fully sold on him initially.

 

 

 

.....

 

 

Ho-hum.    Not loving the Button favourites.   Not hating them all either, Perreault's okay.  Interested to learn more in spare time.    

I really feel like Danielson will be the pick.

 

Maybe BT is the GM, maybe he’s not, but they won’t have time to do a complete overhaul of the scouting staff. He feels like someone they’d take. Interesting pick, but he is an older player in this draft 

[The_People1]

1 hour ago, Thebrewcrew said:

I really feel like Danielson will be the pick.

 

Maybe BT is the GM, maybe he’s not, but they won’t have time to do a complete overhaul of the scouting staff. He feels like someone they’d take. Interesting pick, but he is an older player in this draft 

 

Will we win our way out of drafting him?  Ownership would love to get 2 rounds of playoffs in instead of drafting the next franchise Center.

[conundrumed]

5 hours ago, The_People1 said:

 

Will we win our way out of drafting him?  Ownership would love to get 2 rounds of playoffs in instead of drafting the next franchise Center.

No we won't. We just spent 80 games proving that we're about the 18th best team in the league.

[jjgallow]

7 hours ago, Thebrewcrew said:

I really feel like Danielson will be the pick.

 

Maybe BT is the GM, maybe he’s not, but they won’t have time to do a complete overhaul of the scouting staff. He feels like someone they’d take. Interesting pick, but he is an older player in this draft 

 

I can see your angle on that and he's not an aweful pick.   RH Center, captain.    Best on his team.

 

Seems reasonable since the Flames tend to believe in most drafts that their top need is a C and their strategy seems to be keep drafting them until one turns out.

 

Only thing is it might be a bit too obvious.  Button has him ranked a smidge lower than Bob.   Maybe because of his age.  He might be right.    I don't personally see this as a great pick.  Just, an okay pick.   But I think some other team will jump on him.    I'm expecting something  a bit more unexpected.

[jjgallow]

13 hours ago, travel_dude said:

 

I don't know if you are scouting these guys or stats watching teams in the playoffs.

There's a big divergence from Button/Bobby Mac to NHL Central Scounting (NA skater rank at that).

 

Hey so after further in-person scouting and interviews with players and families, I've come up with this kid too:

 

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/709064/yaroslav-tsulygin

 

I decided to spend more of my free time looking at Russia / Ukraine cause guess what's under-scouted right now?

 

Yeah.

 

So we knew about Michkov before the war, really.   Imho we don't know about anyone else since the war broke out.

 

When's the last time there was a RHS 18 year old Point-per-game defenceman in the MHL?

 

Or a defencemen promoted full-time to the KHL at age 18?

 

His Dad was an NHLer.

 

Crickets.

 

As far as I can tell, dude is Unranked.  lol.

 

 

He's got the frame, he doesn't have the weight you want.  I care a lot less about this.  Keep in mind Russia doesn't have the same level of fast food joints we have.

 

I had a quick look at comparables in the MHL.  There aren't any.  But players producing about half of what he is are ranked for the 3rd round.

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/619368/daniil-karpovich

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/526247/magomed-sharakanov

 

They a little bigger but not enough to matter imho, especially given my trust level for the height/weight stats we're getting from there right now.   Obviously if the kid's the only one of the 3 playing in the KHL he can hold his own.

[travel_dude]

11 minutes ago, jjgallow said:

 

Hey so after further in-person scouting and interviews with players and families, I've come up with this kid too:

 

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/709064/yaroslav-tsulygin

 

I decided to spend more of my free time looking at Russia / Ukraine cause guess what's under-scouted right now?

 

Yeah.

 

So we knew about Michkov before the war, really.   Imho we don't know about anyone else since the war broke out.

 

When's the last time there was a RHS 18 year old Point-per-game defenceman in the MHL?

 

Or a defencemen promoted full-time to the KHL at age 18?

 

His Dad was an NHLer.

 

Crickets.

 

As far as I can tell, dude is Unranked.  lol.

 

 

He's got the frame, he doesn't have the weight you want.  I care a lot less about this.  Keep in mind Russia doesn't have the same level of fast food joints we have.

 

You crack me up.

 

Am I missing something though?

Where did he have a point per game in the MHL?

 

Still waiting for tha last Russian we drafted (while in Russia) to come over.

 

[Thebrewcrew]

1 hour ago, jjgallow said:

 

I can see your angle on that and he's not an aweful pick.   RH Center, captain.    Best on his team.

 

Seems reasonable since the Flames tend to believe in most drafts that their top need is a C and their strategy seems to be keep drafting them until one turns out.

 

Only thing is it might be a bit too obvious.  Button has him ranked a smidge lower than Bob.   Maybe because of his age.  He might be right.    I don't personally see this as a great pick.  Just, an okay pick.   But I think some other team will jump on him.    I'm expecting something  a bit more unexpected.

Pal of mine works for a WHL team. It’s not the Wheat Kings lol,  but he raved about this character of this kid going through the scouting and draft process. That’s evidenced by him being a young captain by jr standards. It also makes it possible he goes much earlier than projected.

 

The trend for the Flames the past decade has been players playing in North America in the first round. It feels like that will be the case again.

[jjgallow]

12 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

You crack me up.

 

Am I missing something though?

Where did he have a point per game in the MHL?

 

Still waiting for tha last Russian we drafted (while in Russia) to come over.

 

 

Hopefully you're not waiting for all the US College defencemen we drafted too.

 

He had it in the playoffs, which is what I put the most weight on.   Limited sample size but a very good sample size from the previous year, showing that he's basically 1 year ahead of his peers that are getting ranked in the 3rd round.

[jjgallow]

3 minutes ago, Thebrewcrew said:

Pal of mine works for a WHL team. It’s not the Wheat Kings lol,  but he raved about this character of this kid going through the scouting and draft process. That’s evidenced by him being a young captain by jr standards. It also makes it possible he goes much earlier than projected.

 

The trend for the Flames the past decade has been players playing in North America in the first round. It feels like that will be the case again.

 

Cool.   I think they're onto something.   It's a tricky one..the old "displaying poise and maturity beyond his....  oh wait he's a  year older"  thing.   He does fit the Flames typical drafting profile yeah.  I am guessing he gets picked up sooner for same reason.   Always a tough one with the older kids.

[travel_dude]

6 minutes ago, jjgallow said:

 

Hopefully you're not waiting for all the US College defencemen we drafted too.

 

He had it in the playoffs, which is what I put the most weight on.   Limited sample size but a very good sample size from the previous year, showing that he's basically 1 year ahead of his peers that are getting ranked in the 3rd round.

 

Oh, I get you.  He has 3 playoff games in the MHL this year, after playing in the VHL and KHL.

What did this kid's parents and coaches say about him?

 

The reason why I talked about Russians coming over is that we don't have the big draw that some US teams have.  Panarin only ever heard about maybe one or two cities in NA.  Come to Canada and play in a play almost as cold as Siberia.  Sounds good.  Not saying the kid isn't worth a pick or that he would never come here, just that we haven't had much luck getting them signed.  I would have thought that Rafikov would come over, since we needed D.  Maybe the rep we have is stck foreign players in the AHL.  

[jjgallow]

14 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Oh, I get you.  He has 3 playoff games in the MHL this year, after playing in the VHL and KHL.

What did this kid's parents and coaches say about him?

 

The reason why I talked about Russians coming over is that we don't have the big draw that some US teams have.  Panarin only ever heard about maybe one or two cities in NA.  Come to Canada and play in a play almost as cold as Siberia.  Sounds good.  Not saying the kid isn't worth a pick or that he would never come here, just that we haven't had much luck getting them signed.  I would have thought that Rafikov would come over, since we needed D.  Maybe the rep we have is stck foreign players in the AHL.  

 

I spoke to his parents extensively.  They hate him.  They absolutely hate him.  Can't wait for him to leave.  That's why I think he's such a good draft candidate to come over to NA.   

 

Sure he's probably full-time KHL cause he couldn't hack it in the MHL, and the PPG playoff performance was just an outlier, even though he was close to that all of last year as a 16-17 year old     That's usually how kids end up in the KHL full time.

 

You have a point with risk with Russians.   However, they're a lot less risky than US College.   The better player they are, the more likely they are to sign.   With US College it's the opposite.

 

On Rafikov, imho you can let that one go because:  He's not very good.   IMHO if he did come over here he would have been chewed up and spit out.  He doesn't care about our climate, he's not playing in the bahamas right now.   He's just...not...that good.  Honestly.  I don't see him having any meaningful impact and he probably gets paid okay there.

 

On Russians:  We were leaders, starting with Makarov.    Dave King set us back a couple decades there.  And, I love Dave King.  I do.   But he screwed that up big time.   Those guys don't care about the weather and they don't need the largest paycheck, yeah they want to get paid.   But most of them just want to make something of themselves.

 

Bottom line:   teams have won cups taking risks with Russians, and pretty good chance this is the year to do it in terms of finding unscouted gems.

[conundrumed]

Any love for Calum Ritchie, Quentin Musty or Gavin Brindley?

[travel_dude]

1 minute ago, jjgallow said:

 

I spoke to his parents extensively.  They hate him.  They absolutely hate him.  Can't wait for him to leave.  That's why I think he's such a good draft candidate to come over to NA.   

 

He he's probably full-time KHL cause he couldn't hack it in the MHL, and the PPG playoff performance was just an outlier, even though he was close to that all of last year as a 16-17 year old     That's usually how kids end up in the KHL full time.

 

You have a point with risk with Russians.   However, they're a lot less risky that US College.

 

On Rafikov, imho you can let that one go because:  He's not very good.   IMHO if he did come over here he would have been chewed up and spit out.  He doesn't care about our climate, he's not playing in the bahamas right now.   He's just...not...that good.  Honestly.  I don't see him having any meaningful impact and he probably gets paid okay there.

 

On Russians:  We were leaders, starting with Makarov.    Dave King set us back a couple decades there.  And, I love Dave King.  I do.   But he screwed that up big time.   Those guys don't care about the weather and they don't need the largest paycheck, yeah they want to get paid.   But most of them just want to make something of themselves.

 

Bottom line:   teams have won cups taking risks with Russians, and pretty good chance this is the year to do it in terms of finding unscouted gems.

 

Last time a Canadian team with Russian(s) won a cup?

Look, I am all for unscouted gems, but if we aren't scouting them, how do we find the gems?  We can't all travel to Russia and talk with parents and coaches.  

[jjgallow]

4 minutes ago, conundrumed said:

Any love for Calum Ritchie, Quentin Musty or Gavin Brindley?

 

Can't not  like Gavin Brindley.  The rest ho-hum.

 

Don't like our chances of getting him though.  Ranked 43 by Button and 23 by Bob lol.

 

I'd pick him in the 2nd round in a heartbeat, but I assume you're talking about 1st round?   I fee like he'll be available but it is a nail-biter to take  a 5'9 kid in the first.     Especially at our spot.

 

You know what I want....unload some vets and get more picks.  Then yes.  Blink on this guy.

 

But if he becomes the next Gaudreau and scores 100+ points, I would seriously trade him.   Same reasons.   He'll wanna live in Florida and, well, he's already showing signs of playoff struggles.

[zima]

Why in Hell would we draft any russian right now that is in Russia they are blocked from leaving there coun try right now and perhaps forever

 

[jjgallow]

7 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Last time a Canadian team with Russian(s) won a cup?

Look, I am all for unscouted gems, but if we aren't scouting them, how do we find the gems?  We can't all travel to Russia and talk with parents and coaches.  

 

Seriously you gonna blame Canadian team issues on Russians?  lol.

 

I'm gonna say this in the most respectful way I can to Michkov,  but I mean, his Dad was murdered last week.  So nobody gonna pick him now?

 

You do your best on the background checks.  For sure you do.    But the draft isn't necessarily about finding the perfect players.   That's what trades are for later.   Gaudreau is the classic example.