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Calgary Flames Second Round NHL Draft Picks Will Bring Top Prospects

By Ken MacMillan

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The NHL Draft is one week away and the Calgary Flames will first march to the podium with the 15th overall selection in the annual event. You will hear and read all kinds of commentary on who the team will get in the first round, and what they may do with the pick, but this draft will get interesting for Flames fans on day two.

The Flames looked ahead to this year’s draft a few months ago and liked the depth that they saw. Many experts are saying this crop of teenaged hockey player’s could be even better than the famous 2003 group that saw star players going in every round, and many teams around the league building their core through that one draft.

Flames management wisely decided that they would like to acquire more picks and made a pair of trades before the trade deadline that accomplished that goal. First, they sent inconsistent winger Curtis Glencross to the Washington Capitals for second and third round picks in this year’s draft.

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They then sent Sven Baertschi, who quickly went from potential top six winger to possible first year bust in a matter of a few short years, to the Vancouver Canucks and received their second round draft choice in return for the Swiss winger.

With the Stanley Cup Playoffs complete, the final draft order is finally set in stone, and the Flames will pick 15th, 45th, 52nd, 53rd, 76th, 83rd, 136th, 166th and 196th. They will surely get an exceptional talent with the 15th pick, but in such a deep draft, the Flames will have a chance to add additional first round talent with their trio of second round picks.

Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A general view of the complete draft board after the completion of the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

One such player that could be a second round steal is Zach Senyshyn of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. The 6’2″ 194 pound right winger played a depth role on an exceptional Greyhounds team that was ranked first in all of Canada for much of the season. Though he barely received power play time, and was often on the fourth line thanks to the talent pool in front of him, Senyshyn scored 26 goals and 45 points in 66 games.

Though Senyshyn’s numbers are impressive, he ranked 11th on the team in points. He scored 23 of his 26 goals at even strength since he barely received any time on the power play. His goal scoring numbers are impressive when you consider he scored them all from a bottom six role and he looks poised for a huge breakout with the Greyhounds next season. Even though people can see this, he is ranked by everyone in the middle of the second round, and could become a great goal scoring winger for whoever takes a chance on him.

Another high octane offensive player who will not be selected until the middle of the second round in Anthony Beauvillier. The 5’10” 181 pound center for the Shawinigan Cataractes scored an incredible 94 points in 67 games this season. He will drop in the draft due to his size, but a team that benefitted from grabbing Johnny Gaudreau in the 4th round can see the value of a highly skilled, undersized forward.

Jordan Greenway is a huge right winger who will be heading to Boston College next season. At 6’5″ and 225 pounds, Greenway is exactly what the Flames are targeting this offseason. He has skill to go with his size but isn’t quite as consistent enough to go in the first round. Greenway is basically the American version of Hunter Smith and I can’t imagine Brian Burke passing up on this guy.

Oct 13, 2014; Buffalo, NY, USA; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announces that the Buffalo Sabres will host the 2016 NHL Entry Draft at First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Rasmus Andersson is a highly skilled defenseman from Sweden who played for the Barrie Colts this season. He is known by scouts as a smart player who makes a great pass and has great vision. He scored 64 points in 67 games with the Colts in his first season in North America and projects as a power play defenseman who needs some work on his defensive game.

Nicolas Meloche is a much less flashy player, but plays a solid defensive game for the Baie Comeau Drakkar. At 6’2″ and a shade under 200 pounds he is a good sized defender who uses his size well and plays a very physical defensive style. He’s a very Brian Burke type player and though I know Burke isn’t necessarily calling the shots, this is the type of player that the Flames want to add to the organization right now.

Christian Fischer is a 6’1″ 212 pound right winger that plays a very solid two way game. He scored 30 points in 25 games in the USHL this season, but projects as a middle of the lineup player that works his tail off and wins battles against the boards and protects the puck well in the offensive zone. He could become a solid second round power forward and make the team that finds him in the second round look very smart.

Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Even deeper in the draft there are intriguing picks that will go in the third round or later. Jeremy Bracco scored 32 points in 24 games but at 5’9″ will fall out of the top two rounds. Steady but unflashy defenders Gustav Bouramman, Travis Dermott, Ryan Pilon and Seth Jones’ brother Caleb could be great finds in the third round, just like hulking power forwards with skill Gabriel Gagne and Filip Ahl.

Whoever the Flames take in the first round of the draft will get most of the ink and all the attention once the draft has wrapped up. However, don’t sleep on the plethora of picks that the Flames will make after day one of the draft ends, as this deep draft could see them unearth a few gems in the second and third rounds as the Flames have a great chance to set themselves up for many years to come thanks to their added draft picks.

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