14 drafts of Tod Button: a trip down memory lane
By Ryan Pike
7 years agoThe Calgary Flames promoted Tod Button to the role of head scout in the fall of 2001, replacing Ian McKenzie. He had been with the organization since 1997 and was promoted to the top job by his brother, Craig.
This will be Button’s 15th draft as the Flames’ top dog in the scouting department. How’s he done over his previous 14 kicks at the can?
BY THE NUMBERS
Drafts: 14, Picks: 102
By Round:
- First: 14
- Second: 10
- Third: 16
- Fourth: 14
- Fifth: 14
- Sixth: 13
- Seventh: 17
- Later: 4
By Position:
- Goalie: 9
- Defense: 29
- Forwards: 64
By League:
- WHL: 35
- OHL: 17
- USHL: 8
- Sweden: 7
- QMJHL: 7
- NCAA: 6
- Finland: 4
- BCHL: 3
- Russia: 3
- High School (US): 3
- Switzerland: 2
- AJHL: 1
- Czech Republic: 1
- High School (Canada): 1
- OPJRA: 1
Most common teams:
- Kootenay Ice (WHL): 5
- Farjestads BK (SHL/SEL/Jr.): 4
- Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL): 3
- Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL): 3
- U.S. National Development Team (USHL): 3
- Windsor Spitfires (OHL): 3
YEAR BY YEAR
2002
GM: Craig Button
Notable NHLers: Nystrom, Lombardi, McElhinney, van der Gulik
A lot of reaches in the later rounds, including five players not ranked by Central Scouting. Nystrom was a slight reach at 10th overall (13th-ranked North American skater) and Lombardi was a re-entry from a previous draft.
2003
GM: Darryl Sutter
Notable NHLers: Phaneuf
Darryl Sutter’s first draft as GM was a big whiff aside from Phaneuf. The draft ranking archives only have Top 30 rankings for 2003, but Ramholt was a pretty big reach as the 17th-ranked European skater (at 39th overall) and it only got worse from there. But hey, lots of tall and/or big guys.
2004
GM: Darryl Sutter
Notable NHLers: Prust, Boyd, Pardy, Cracknell
Chucko was 29th-ranked North American skater and Boyd was the 68th-ranked North American skater, so respectively they were both semi-reaches. But this was generally one of the better drafts, with a few whiffs here and there but a few good finds in later rounds. Aside from Hogg, lots of big guys again.
2005
GM: Darryl Sutter
Notable NHLers: none
The Flames reached a lot with their first two picks, going with Pelech (the 41st-ranked North American skater) and Baldwin (241st) with their first two picks. This was one of the weakest drafts in Flames franchise history, though a lot of it can probably be traced back to those early reaches.
2006
GM: Darryl Sutter
Notable NHLers: none
Irving was the second-ranked North American goaltender, so his selection wasn’t a huge reach. Nor were Armstrong (51st-ranked North American skater), Marvin (50th) or Carpentier (95th), really. This was basically just an unlucky draft, with guys getting selected roughly in line with Central Scouting’s rankings and them just not working out.
2007
GM: Darryl Sutter
Notable NHLers: Backlund
This was a rare draft where they didn’t reach all that much (aside from Negrin, who was the 85th-ranked North American skater). Backlund was the second European skater and went roughly where he should have, and the Flames managed to get Aulie (108th NA), Renaud (105th NA) and Severyn (110th NA) at decent value.
2008
GM: Darryl Sutter
Notable NHLers: Bouma, Brodie
This was a mixed bag. They selected Nemisz (22nd-ranked North American skater) about where he should’ve gone. They reached on Wahl (64th) and Brodie (154th), but got Bouma (68th) and Larson (52nd) at decent value. And no, I’m not sure what universe had Larson ranked 102 spots ahead of Brodie.
2009
GM: Darryl Sutter
Notable NHLers: none (Ortio and Erixon are both borderline)
Relative to his Central Scouting ranking (fifth among European skaters) Erixon was taken a wee bit early, but not amazingly so. For whatever reason the 37th-ranked North American skater Howse was available at 74th overall (perhaps a bad sign), but the Flames reached hugely on Bjorklund, the 23rd-ranked European. Bennett and Ortio were appropriately-ranked late round picks.
2010
GM: Darryl Sutter
Notable NHLers: Ferland
Would it be unfair to call this the last gasp of Sutter? Reinhart (79th-ranked North American skater) taken a bit early, Leach (120th) taken really early, Ramage (131st) taken roughly where you’d expect. Arnold (36th) fell to them and was arguably great value at 108th overall. Ferland and Holland were perfectly acceptable late-round picks, both going roughly where their Central Scouting standing suggested they should.
2011
GM: Jay Feaster
Notable NHLers: Baertschi, Gaudreau
Baertschi was the seventh-ranked North American skater in a European-heavy first couple of rounds, so he went basically where you’d expect (as did Granlund, ranked ninth among Europeans). Wotherspoon was 40th in North America and went where you’d expect, as did Brossoit (the seventh-ranked netminder in North America). Gaudreau, ranked 193rd among North Americans, was the big outlier here.
And thank goodness for that.
2012
GM: Jay Feaster
Notable NHLers: none
Feaster’s second draft was a bit all over the place. Their second round pick (Sieloff, 31st in North America) was ranked ahead of their first rounder (Jankowski, ranked 43rd). They arguably reached on Gillies (the sixth-ranked goalie in North America) and then got value the rest of the way as Kulak, Culkin, Gordon and DeBlouw were all ranked between 51st and 66th in North America. DeBlouw was the highest ranked of the foursome.
2013
GM: Jay Feaster
Notable NHLers: Monahan
Monahan (fifth North American) and Klimchuk (25th) went about where you’d expect, but Poirier (39th) was perceived as a reach on draft day. If you flip the draft positions of Kanzig (112th) and Roy (41st), their selections look a lot more favourable relative to where they were picked (particularly Kanzig). The late round is the usual glut of unranked/overaged guys and low rankings.
2014
GM: Brad Treliving
Notable NHLer: Bennett
This is basically what you’d expect to see if teams paid Central Scouting any attention. The Flames drafted the top North American skater and the second-best goalie, and everyone else went basically where you would expect them to go.
2015
GM: Brad Treliving
Notable NHLers: none (so far)
Andersson (93rd-ranked North American skater) was a reach according to Central Scouting, and Mangiapane (85th) somehow fell to Calgary. Beyond them, Kylington (sixth among European skaters) went a bit earlier than projected by Central Scouting, but Karnaukhov and Bruce went about where you’d expect.
THE HIGHEST-DRAFTED TEAM
The lineup made up of the highest-drafted goalies, defensemen, and forwards:
- G: Leland Irving (2006), Mason McDonald (2014)
- D: Dion Phaneuf (2003), Tim Erixon (2009), Matt Pelech (2005), Tim Ramholt (2003), Patrick Sieloff (2012), Rasmus Andersson (2015)
- F: Sam Bennett (2014), Sean Monahan (2013), Eric Nystrom (2002), Sven Baertschi (2011), Mark Jankowski (2012), Emile Poirier (2013), Kris Chucko (2004), Mikael Backlund (2007), Greg Nemisz (2008), Morgan Klimchuk (2013), Brian McConnell (2002), Markus Granlund (2011)
THE BEST-DRAFTED TEAM
The line-up made up of the goalies, defensemen, and forwards with the most NHL games played.
- G: Curtis McElhinney (2002) & Joni Ortio (2009)
- D: Dion Phaneuf (2003), Adam Pardy (2004), T.J. Brodie (2008), Keith Aulie (2007), Tim Erixon (2009), Tyler Wotherspoon (2011)
- F: Eric Nystrom (2002), Matthew Lombardi (2002), Brandon Prust (2004), Mikael Backlund (2007), Lance Bouma (2008), Sean Monahan (2013), Dustin Boyd (2004), Johnny Gaudreau (2011), Sven Baertschi (2011), Adam Cracknell (2004), Markus Granlund (2011), Micheal Ferland (2010)
OBSERVATIONS & TENDENCIES
Generally-speaking, Button’s crew tends to draft players in the first half of the first round more or less in the spot Central Scouting suggested they would go (examples: Bennett in 2014, Monahan in 2013 and Baertschi in 2011). As the Flames’ picks have crept into the later part of the first and into the second, they’re much more likely to diverge from Central Scouting’s list (as seen with Andersson in 2015, Poirier in 2013 and Jankowski in 2012).
And once you get into the third and fourth round, they’re just as likely to grab players that have slipped through the cracks in earlier rounds as they are to reach on a player – though this usually seems to be based on a treasured attribute. Examples of this include Mangiapane in 2015 (speed), Kanzig in 2013 (size), Gaudreau (speed/offensive ability) in 2011 and Brodie (skating in 2008).
The Flames scouting staff seems to take big swings in later rounds, often taking players who aren’t ranked or are in their second or third draft due to specific attributes that make them attractive. The team’s big swings during the Sutter years seemed to veer towards big guys and Europeans, while in recent years the club seems to grab a mixture of college players, Europeans and big kids in the late rounds.
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