After another loss, the Calgary Flames find themselves below the 500. mark and 26th overall in the league. While there is still many hoping for play-off hockey in Calgary, every loss seems less likely for that to happen.
With the 2016 NHL Entry Draft shaping up to be a good one, here are some exciting prospects that might wear a Calgary Flames jersey next season:
Auston Matthews
After making the unusual choice to skip College and Major Junior hockey, and instead play in Switzerland, Matthews has shown his elite skill that makes him a generational talent with 32 points in 29 games playing against men.
Speed, size, skill, and a wicked shot have many scouts drooling over the Arizona product. One knock on Matthews is however that he is an older prospect.
If he had been born a few days earlier you would have heard his name being called in last year’s draft. He also doesn’t seem to play with the consistency and tenacity as say a Sam Bennett would, but he is nonetheless a terrific prospect who I have no doubt will be a future number one center.
We all know the Flames haven’t been very good this year, but they just aren’t bad enough to finish last overall, so unless Calgary can learn from Edmonton how to win draft lotteries, expect Matthews to be too far out of Calgary’s reach on draft day.
Sabre Noise
Patrik Laine
This Finn product has played well in Finland’s top league scoring 18 points in 27 games. After a dominant performance at the World Juniors which saw him and his line mates crush the competition en route to winning gold, Laine has seen his draft stock soar.
Laine (pronounced LA-NEY) has a unique blend of speed and skill all in a 6 foot 4 frame, and is known for having a really good shot, making him more of a scorer than a play-maker, and Calgary Flames fans he shoots right!
Imagine him playing alongside Gaudreau, but like Matthews he probably will go before the Calgary Flames reach the podium; likely at the 2 or 3 spot.
Jesse Puljujarvi
The other player on Finland’s dominant top-line would be Jesse Puljujarvi. Like Laine, Puljujarvi (pronounced PULL-U-YARVI) has also done pretty well in Finland’s top league scoring 14 points in 34 games.
Puljujarvi has more play-making skills the Laine, but lacks the elite shot of his Finnish counterpart. Puljujarvi has speed, and skill wrapped in ( you guessed it) a 6 foot 3 frame that shoots right! Very similar to Laine (what are these guys, twins?) he probably will go in the top 3 just outside of the range of the Calgary Flames.
I am a biased towards these two Finns, as I believe the Calgary Flames have lacked size, and a right shooting winger in their top six since Jarome Iginla left. These two Finns would look great on the Calgary Flames top-line, and obviously every team would love Matthews, but there is still more quality players available in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Matthew Tkachuk
Son of ex-NHLer Keith, Matthew has lit-up the OHL with 63 points in 33 games. Tkachuk plays a power game despite not being overly big at 6 foot 1, but he manages to wins puck battles in the corners and is not afraid to mix it up, similar to Sam Bennett. Tkachuk obviously has high skill, but the fact that he plays with Mitch Marner, an offensive catalyst, makes his point totals somewhat less impressive.
Alexander Nylander
The son of ex-NHLer Michael and brother of Leafs pick William, Alexander might just prove to be the best of them of them all. With 51 points in 36 games in the OHL, Alex has shown lots of high-end skill.
His play-making and vision are about as good as anyone else’s in the draft, complemented by his good hands and speed. Not overly big at just 6 feet tall, but he is a right-handed shot, and not afraid to go the high-traffic areas.
Jakob Chychrun
Not a great draft for Canadians, as Jakob is the first one to show up on our list, (and he was actually born in Florida). Jakob is a prototypical two-way defence-man with the size and offence that teams crave, 26 points in 38 games in the OHL. His stock has taken a bit of a hit after an underwhelming camp for Team Canada, which saw him as one of the first cuts.
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Julien Gauthier
One of the older players in the draft, Gauthier has scored at close to a goal per game, with 32 goals in 33 games in the QMJHL. He has lots of size at 6 foot 4 and needs time to fill in his frame. His skating is good for a big man, but could get quicker.
While showing the promise of a future right-handed power-forward, some are concerned with the fact that Gauthier’s high goal totals are due to the fact that he is simply too strong to contain against weaker opponents, couple that with the Q being a really high-scoring league, and Gauthier being older than some of his peers, it might be easy to see why some think he is over-rated.
Still a 6 foot 4 right shot that can score and skate is something you don’t find very often, and the Calgary Flames need.
Olli Juolevi
Juolevi reminds a lot of people of Pens defence-man Olli Maatta, as he is quietly exceptional in his own end and also good with the puck on his stick in the offensive end 26 points in 31 games in the OHL. His rapid ascension on the draft leaderboard I think will continue and expect him to go early in the 2016 NHL draft.
Other notables
Pierre-Luc Dubois
Two-way centre-man with 67 points in 44 games. Good size at 6 foot 3 and all around solid player.
Clayton Keller
Small skilled forward player averaging almost 2 points per game in the USHL.
Jake Bean
Local Calgary defence-man who plays for the Calgary Hitmen has the offensive tools, 41 points in 44 games, but needs to sharpen his all-around game.
This year’s draft features a lot of high-end talent, but lacks the Canadian content so familiar in recent years. With Calgary probably picking in the top-ten, but not in the top-3, expect to hear a lot about Nylander, Gauthier, and Juolevi, and less about Auston Matthews.
This is however a very awkward situation, one that Calgary Flames fans remember from years ago, being too good to get a high draft pick, but not good enough to make the play-offs.
I, for one, am hoping the Calgary Flames become sellers at the deadline and are able to get one of the big right-handed shot available at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
Next: Calgary Flames Rookie Named NHL 2nd Star Of The Week
Do you think the Calgary Flames are going to be picking in the top-ten this year at the draft? Which player do you think is the best fit for Calgary? Let us know in the comments section below.