FN Mailbag – 2016 Draft Edition

The big day is here and there’s lots to talk about. Goalie trade rumours! Move up! Move down! Sixth overall! Nylander, Dubois, Puljujarvi, oh my! As of this writing, the Flames still had all of their top 60 picks and were still picking sixth overall. There’s talk of a Ben Bishop pursuit, P.K. Subban being available and all sorts of wackiness.

Of course, the days leading up to every entry draft are replete with big talk and misinformation. A lot of time it turns out to be smoke. Every so often, though, a big name or two trades hands. Treliving pulled of Dougie Hamilton at this time last year… maybe he can do it again?

There’s a chance he’ll get close, but I doubt he’ll make it to the Flames. If the folks down in Florida really are listening to ex-Canucks Army analysts Josh Weissbock and Moneypuck, then DeBrincat won’t get by them at 33. Their model won’t allow it given his results. But cheer up! This mock draft has the Flames grabbing Cam Morrison, also a really good selection in the second round.

Only PL Dubois, if he falls to six, has any chance of making the leap as a teenager. Otherwise, no.

Though Bishop’s contract status makes me nervous, I’ll assume Treliving won’t make a deal unless there’s an informal agreement forwards an extension.

For Bishop I wouldn’t offer the sixth overall pick or any of the Flames core (the kids, Brodie, Giordano and Backlund) but almost anything else would be fair game. A package including multiple second round picks and any of the other prospects would be fair game.

Obviously a starting goalie is the more important piece for the Flames moving forward, but I don’t think they absolutely have to come out of the draft with one. As I’ve mentioned, they can always approach James Reimer if other options fail or prove too expensive.

As such, I’d like to see the Flames come out of this weekend with at least one scoring winger prospect. 

I’ll go with Scott Hartnell – part of the price the Flames pay for moving up to third overall! (But then wouldn’t Puljujarvi be the first line RW? Great prospect, but that’s a lot to ask of an 18 year old 😉 ). 

I’d say it’s pretty high. With three second rounders, the team is a good bet to move at least one of them given their various needs. Seconds seem to be the most common draft asset that get moved.

Ehh, I’m not sanguine about Yakupov as a player. A third rounder isn’t worth much, but Yakupov’s ceiling seems to be a defensively suspect third line winger who can score 15 goals at best. There’s a chance he won’t even be in the league in five years.

Alex Nylander is my pick for the Flames at six if everything goes as expected. The organization is in dire need of scoring depth on the wings and none of the defenders available appear to be good enough to force the Flames to pick against need.

I’d say four years X $4M is the top end. Reimer needs a starting job almost as much as the Flames need a starting goalie and there aren’t a lot of those out there. No need to go crazy.