Busy Flames Improve Their Depth At 2015 NHL Draft

8 years ago

The Calgary Flames were a busy bunch this weekend! They were involved in a big trade that brought in a top-four defender, and then swapped picks around to select twice in the second round, then once each in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.

Overall, six players joined the Flames organization this weekend.

THE RUNDOWN

The Flames came into Sunrise, Florida with nine picks. Here’s what they did with them.

~~15th overall~~ – traded to Boston Bruins for D Dougie Hamilton
~~45th overall~~ – also traded to Boston Bruins for D Dougie Hamilton
~~52nd overall (from Washington in the Curtis Glencross deal)~~ – also traded to Boston Bruins for D Dougie Hamilton
53rd overall (from Vancouver in the Sven Baertschi deal) – selected D Rasmus Andersson

60th overall (from Arizona in trade for 76th and 83rd) – selected D Oliver Kylington
~~76th overall~~ – traded to Arizona Coyotes for 60th overall
~~83rd overall (from Washington in the Curtis Glencross deal)~~ – also traded to Arizona Coyotes for 60th overall
136th overall – selected F Pavel Karnaukhov

166th overall – selected F Andrew Mangiapane

196th overall – selected D Riley Bruce

So instead of making nine picks, the Flames made five and a trade for a roster player. Considering they probably wouldn’t have been able to add a roster player otherwise (or without taking a player from their roster), that’s a pretty decent value.

The Flames still managed to pick twice in the second round, and added three pretty good defensemen with the six picks they came in with over the first three rounds. One of them is 22 and could prove to be a future Norris contender in a couple years (Hamilton), while both Andersson and Kylington have a couple years of pro hockey under their belts in Sweden.

MEETING THEIR NEEDS

Calgary needed to add to their defensive depth and add some right-handers to their organization. The Flames also felt that they weren’t big enough, and that they were pushed around by Anaheim at times in the second round.

Well, Calgary added four defensemen in the form of Dougie Hamilton, Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington and Riley Bruce. Hamilton is big and a puck-mover. Andersson and Kylington are average-sized and good puck-movers. Bruce is big. And the two forwards they added are rugged two-way center Pavel Karnaukhov and skilled (but small) OHLer sniper Andrew Mangiapane. Of the six players they acquired, three of them (Hamilton, Andersson and Bruce) are right-handed shots – something the team has sorely lacked until recent moves have brought a few into the system.

If you judge a draft by how a team identifies and fixes the holes in their organization, I don’t think you can judge this draft too harshly. I probably would’ve preferred going into this weekend if the Flames added a couple skilled wingers to add to that depth, but given the team probably feels like they have more guys on the cusp of the NHL on the forward side rather than on defense, the moves and picks they made make a lot of sense.

THE VERDICT

If Dougie Hamilton turns out to be even a fraction of what he was in Boston over the next few years, this draft is immediately at last a “decent” one. If either Andersson or Kylington turn into productive NHLers at some point, I don’t know how you can’t call this draft a win for the Flames.

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Busy Flames Improve Their Depth At 2015 NHL Draft

THE RUNDOWN

MEETING THEIR NEEDS

THE VERDICT

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