Team Board Mock Draft

[Hasbro]

A series of 1 day polls for the forthcoming draft. Picks will be decided by vote.*


*not polling for #1 since we know who it will be and Sharks fans get to vote on their other 1st

Please Only Vote if you are a Flames fan

Links to the individual threads on the player names.

Mother Thread on Prospect Board

1. Macklin Celebrini, c, Boston University (NCAA)


2. Ivan Demidov, RW/C, SKA (KHL)


3. Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State (NCAA)


4. Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)


5. Tij Iginla, F, Kelowna (WHL)
6.

Zeev Buium, D, Denver (NCAA)

7. Anton Silayev, D, Torpedo Nizhny Novogorod (KHL)


8. Sam Dickinson, D, London (OHL)

9. ?????

Click to read more...

 

[User1996]

I like Helenius or Catton here. Leaning Helenius because it’s hard for me to project Catton as a C in the NHL. Hard to be mad with him here though.

I’d argue those two are the end of the 3rd tier for me.

 

[Anglesmith]

This poll is invalid because Iginla has been taken by some asshole team. Best to try again.

 

[Janks]

Prefer Catton’s dynamic ability, but can’t be mad with him or Helenius in my mind

 

[SquidNasty]

Silayev is going way higher than people are expecting, Montreal won't pick Iginla. One of Lindstrom, Demidov or Levshunov should be on the board for them.

 

[Flames Fanatic]

Catton all day every day if this is how it goes.

Not particularly interested in Helenius when the consensus seems to be he's gonna be an NHL'er, but the ceiling is questionable.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Very close with both Catton & Helenius...but went Catton hoping we hit a home run.

 

[Sleestak Nation]

Catton.

 

[Bounces R Way]

I wouldn't mind Catton at all but I don't think his offense will translate quite as well as a lot of people think. Great hands and edges but I dunno, hard to beat guys 1 on 1 at the NHL level with consistency. Great for scoring in Junior though. Like the way he attacks the middle and carries the puck, which the Flames no doubt sorely need in a forward. Still a lot of development needed IMO before he's going to fit into a NHL top 6, especially physically. Gets out muscled in the corners and in the defensive zone easily even in Junior.

Helenius I get the concerns on ceiling but I like how he gets inside body position and makes a lot of small smart plays. Really plays within a 5 man unit extremely well and that's a good sign for NHL success. Maybe a little too safe a pick for the top 10, you gotta swing sometimes but I wouldn't hate it. Firmly in the 'whelmed' category for me, I think you can find players like this elsewhere in the draft.

Yakemchuk is the player I think would be a big swing, love his hands, love his size, love his physicality, love his shot. Flames have had some good defenseman no doubt in the last 10 years but not really the consistent gamebreaker type. That's what I see with Yakemchuk. One big shot or big hit or big fight can change a game quickly. Offense from the backend is one of the few things this team does well and personally would like to see them go with what they're good at to kick off a rebuild.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I'd go with Yakemchuk, but I'd be thinking of Catton.

 

[User1996]

I wouldn't mind Catton at all but I don't think his offense will translate quite as well as a lot of people think. Great hands and edges but I dunno, hard to beat guys 1 on 1 at the NHL level with consistency. Great for scoring in Junior though. Like the way he attacks the middle and carries the puck, which the Flames no doubt sorely need in a forward. Still a lot of development needed IMO before he's going to fit into a NHL top 6, especially physically. Gets out muscled in the corners and in the defensive zone easily even in Junior.

Helenius I get the concerns on ceiling but I like how he gets inside body position and makes a lot of small smart plays. Really plays within a 5 man unit extremely well and that's a good sign for NHL success. Maybe a little too safe a pick for the top 10, you gotta swing sometimes but I wouldn't hate it. Firmly in the 'whelmed' category for me, I think you can find players like this elsewhere in the draft.

Yakemchuk is the player I think would be a big swing, love his hands, love his size, love his physicality, love his shot. Flames have had some good defenseman no doubt in the last 10 years but not really the consistent gamebreaker type. That's what I see with Yakemchuk. One big shot or big hit or big fight can change a game quickly. Offense from the backend is one of the few things this team does well and personally would like to see them go with what they're good at to kick off a rebuild.

I really don’t disagree with what’s been said here about Catton or Helenius.

My biggest concern about Catton is not his size, but just how many low percentage plays he tends to make. We’ve seen small guys be successful in the NHL without being particularly strong in corners. I see lots of soft area passes and cute plays that tend not to work out. That, and, as you say, beating guys 1 on 1 or 1 on 2. I think he’s worth a gamble on skill alone, as I also think the general lack of supporting cast in Spokane could have played a role in making him try to do too much - every time I watched them the whole team seemed so disconnected.

In the same breath for discussions sake though, if we want to question how Catton’s offence will translate I think we need to ask the same about Yakemchuk’s. A lot of his offence comes from attacking 1 on 1 or 1 on 2, as well. To me, that’s going to be even harder for him to do in the NHL than Catton. To expose NHL players from up top you need an elite combination of skating and puck skills, which I don’t think he has. Like, you don’t see many guys create offence in the NHL like that besides Makar and Hughes. A strong shot is another way Yakemchuk creates his offence which is completely translatable, though. To me, he’s a guy you look at if you move Markstrom for the Flyers pick.

 

[Hasbro]

Berkly Catton it is.

Thanks everyone!

See you for Wankouver's pick.