Players and their impact in the next 3 years IMO:
1. Jankowski
2. Kylington
3. Gilles
4. Pribyl
5. Tkachuk
6. Poirier
7. Shinkaruk
8. Wotherspoon (Most likely to be Hamilton's partner)
9. Andersson
10. E2
Pribyl above Tkachuk??
Kylington for the third time. I can't decide between shink and janko though.
In defense of Kylington he grew a great deal through last year and the holes aren't nearly as bad as they were made out to be. It's also prudent to remember that he was probably (I'm 99% sure he was) the youngest player in the AHL and one of just a small handful of players under the age of 20. His skating and hockey sense are off the charts, the biggest questions around him were coachabilty and attitude; neither of which were a problem. 12 points from an 18 year old defenseman in the AHL is nothing to sneeze at.I said it last year, and I'll say it again... I don't understand the Kylington hype. What do we know that NHL scouts don't? Through two rounds, NHL organizations didn't want him, and we know he's got some pretty massive holes in his defensive game. With 12 points in 47 games last year, it's not like we've got some rare-talent offensive scoring machine, either.
Bizarre authoritarian way of looking at it. Through almost three rounds, no wanted Gillies either. Shinkaruk was given up by an organization desperate for offensive talent. And so on.
Read Burke, Treliving's and Flames' scouts opinions on Kylington. They really do nothing but rave about his ability. And Kylington held his own as an 18 year old in the AHL; that's not exactly a common feat.
Was he a difference maker? At times he was actually. Not all the time or consistently, but his play as an 18 year old was pretty admirable. He made his share of mistakes for sure, but he grew defensively and did everything asked of him.He did hold his own in the AHL, yeah, but I think I'd have to question whether he stuck there as a result of management's promise to have him play there. Did he just survive the season, or was he a difference maker?
I'm not saying to use draft position as the be-all and end-all, but it's a starting point for large sample-size professional opinions on a player on his draft day. After that point, a player can raise or lower his stock through his play (like Gillies has since being drafted). Management talking up a prospect is pretty common.
I'm just not sure that Kylington's one year has really changed much. His holes are still holes. In dev camp, you still had people noticing him get out of position and run around in his own end. But really, my comments stem from the fact that the hype was equally over-the-top last season, and has carried over now to this season.
We'll see, though. I do hope he's the next Karlsson.
He did hold his own in the AHL, yeah, but I think I'd have to question whether he stuck there as a result of management's promise to have him play there. Did he just survive the season, or was he a difference maker?
I'm not saying to use draft position as the be-all and end-all, but it's a starting point for large sample-size professional opinions on a player on his draft day. After that point, a player can raise or lower his stock through his play (like Gillies has since being drafted). Management talking up a prospect is pretty common.
I'm just not sure that Kylington's one year has really changed much. His holes are still holes. In dev camp, you still had people noticing him get out of position and run around in his own end. But really, my comments stem from the fact that the hype was equally over-the-top last season, and has carried over now to this season.
We'll see, though. I do hope he's the next Karlsson.