Your right, I don't know a lot about the Flames roster and system but who is top young talent? Baertshi is awesome, no doubt about that, but I still don't think you guys have a very good future.
I mean guys like gaudreau and granlund are skilled but I dont think their play/size will transition that well into the nhl. Someone like Sieloff i would question his upside.
Brodie and backlund are young and show potential but I just don't see a lot of hope for the future unless you start trading guys like iggy, kipper and jbo for youth/pics.
Correct me if I'm wrong but am i missing top prospects or high potential youth?
- pbrsimps

I would argue they are 2 good drafts away from re-stocking .
In the meantime, Karri Ramo is a 'prospect' acquired on the cheap, killing it in the KHL and appears to be Kipper's successor in a year or two. So, can trade Irving for another pick or prospect needed.
Also, going the unconventional route (Cervenka) and signing a 25-goal scorer (Hudler) allows the kids to come up one at a time (Baert, Backlund, Horak, Brodie) while playing in a competitive environment for several years. Unlike the Oilers.
Flames are re-tooling, but people don't seem to understand this much. The future is much better than ppl think.

Tambellini steers the S.S. Oil Tanker.

He is steering it so far South for so long that it will eventually come out on top of the world!

Here we are folks.... 2013 and we are still going with the "lets continue to lose for draft picks blog" and lets trade away the only players with sandpaper at the deadline for draft picks.... draft picks.....draft picks....draft picks.....

Oil Change season 7 coming to the Giant tiger discount bin near you....

Signed,

A hockey fan

THIS is the funniest thing I have heard all year. Thank you for that. Much better coach and drafting. Trading down, to draft a guy ya could have taken in the final round because no other team had even heard of him playing in the Ontario single A highschool league is better drafting?
You trolls make this fun. Thanks.
- ruttager17

Funny- doesn't seem like much of a reach to me.

http://boston.sbnation.co...ton-bruins-mark-jankowski

http://www.hockeywilderne...-prospects-mark-jankowski

"With the lack of high potential forwards in this year's draft, some team picking near the end of the first might like to take the gamble. Jankowski has great upside with great tools that would make magic on an NHL team, the question is whether he can adapt to tougher competition appropriately. Seeing as he is just coming out of Canadian prep, he will need tons of time to slowly develop."

And since the soonest he would suit up for Calgary is 2015-16, seems like a better draft than picking another Tzachuk.

The draft last year was not strong. I was/am fine with it. We need a future #1 C anyways.

Here we are folks.... 2013 and we are still going with the "lets continue to lose for draft picks blog" and lets trade away the only players with sandpaper at the deadline for draft picks.... draft picks.....draft picks....draft picks.....

Oil Change season 7 coming to the Giant tiger discount bin near you....

Signed,

A hockey fan
- jetsfan6

U live in winnipeg???!

Here we are folks.... 2013 and we are still going with the "lets continue to lose for draft picks blog" and lets trade away the only players with sandpaper at the deadline for draft picks.... draft picks.....draft picks....draft picks.....

Oil Change season 7 coming to the Giant tiger discount bin near you....

Signed,

A hockey fan
- jetsfan6

Your mom works at Giant Tiger, well technically she works behind a Giant Tiger next to a dumpster.

U live in winnipeg???!
- hugefemale dog77

Winnipeg is the best hockey town in Canada!

That is hilarious- noted.

Well, I don't think they will need to worry about trading since they will (hopefully) be in a playoff position by the deadline. The Flames are in a decent position, and with a much better coach + drafting, it looks like the sky is the limit.
Difference being, no pie in the sky mentality that the Oil fans have taken before the puck has being dropped.
To paraphrase Obummer, Hope and Change for the 2013 Flames, except the inverse:
Change, then, Hope.
- FLflames34

Hope for the best prepare for the worst. I hope you guys are in the play off chase just like us in the end of March. Should be a good 48 games to say the least (for us?) LOL. As always GL Flamers. But we are going to murder you for the first time in forever this year. I hope

Winnipeg is the best hockey town in Canada!
- Coburns_Nose

That's because it is too cold to do anything other than watch hockey in a rink or in front of a tv

Hoping the Jets make the playoffs this year, going to be tough, but anything short of the Jackets making the playoffs is possible

Um Im not a flames fan, read the profile.
- ruttager17

Sorry fellow oIL FAN. I meant to quote the Flamer fan, not you. My bad.

Although I would rather have the Oiler's roster than the Leaf's, I disagree with you comparing us to Calgary. I would compare present day flames to the days of JFJ, old veterans, no young real talent and trading away picks and prospects for aging rentals to try to make the playoffs. I know our roster isn't great but let's be honest, before Burke came in it was a mess. Now at least we have a pretty decent prospect pool, and some actual youthful talent.

So I don't think Toronto and Calgary are a good comparison. I would have rather gone full rebuild like you guys when Burke came in but I think we are better off than Calgary.
- pbrsimps

I agree with your assessment pbrsimps.

Here is my thought. I understand that Eberle, RNH, Hall, Schultz and virtually half the Oiler team has been playing but when you look at the AHL standing they are just on the cusp of a playoff spot. Edmonton's issue is goals against and defensive hockey. Has that been solved? Can that be solved in a short training camp and little time to tinker with line ups.

Hope for the best prepare for the worst. I hope you guys are in the play off chase just like us in the end of March. Should be a good 48 games to say the least (for us?) LOL. As always GL Flamers. But we are going to murder you for the first time in forever this year. I hope

- al3535

Much appreciated. For what it's worth, my NW div predictions were/are:
1. Edmonton
2. Calgary
3. Minn
4. Vancouver
5. Colorado
undecided where to slot Minn/Vanc, but I think if they keep Luongo, they reside in 4th

I agree with your assessment pbrsimps.

Here is my thought. I understand that Eberle, RNH, Hall, Schultz and virtually half the Oiler team has been playing but when you look at the AHL standing they are just on the cusp of a playoff spot. Edmonton's issue is goals against and defensive hockey. Has that been solved? Can that be solved in a short training camp and little time to tinker with line ups.
- bcoop

Is it the Hockey News that is picking the Oilers for 3rd overall in 2013? Ahhh what do they know. Let's go for a 4th 1st overall pick!!! Go Leafs!!! On a side note take MacKinnon with your lottery pick if you win the lottery.

Tambelini does what he's told, end of story! Lowe runs that mess still and nothing will change till he's gone.

Much appreciated. For what it's worth, my NW div predictions were/are:
1. Edmonton
2. Calgary
3. Minn
4. Vancouver
5. Colorado
undecided where to slot Minn/Vanc, but I think if they keep Luongo, they reside in 4th
- FLflames34

That would be UNREAL to see that result! I hope you are right. God I HATE Vancouver.

Is it the Hockey News that is picking the Oilers for 3rd overall in 2013? Ahhh what do they know. Let's go for a 4th 1st overall pick!!!

- al3535

I was surprised when I saw that too. Don't get me wrong I think that the Oilers have the brightest future out of any team in the league. I just think that this year they will fight for a playoff spot in the 8-11 range and next year I will crack out the old 99 jersey.

Much appreciated. For what it's worth, my NW div predictions were/are:
1. Edmonton
2. Calgary
3. Minn
4. Vancouver
5. Colorado
undecided where to slot Minn/Vanc, but I think if they keep Luongo, they reside in 4th
- FLflames34

Edmonton 1st... Vancouver 4th...

you're a funny guy!

I was surprised when I saw that too. Don't get me wrong I think that the Oilers have the brightest future out of any team in the league. I just think that this year they will fight for a playoff spot in the 8-11 range and next year I will crack out the old 99 jersey.
- bcoop

If the guys in LV say 25 - 1 odds I would have to say 3 rd in the NHL is a very real possibility. They are going to hit the ground running and a 48 game sprint isn't the same as an 82 game marathon. Look out for the Oil for the first time since before I had pubes.

If the guys in LV say 25 - 1 odds I would have to say 3 rd in the NHL is a very real possibility. They are going to hit the ground running and a 48 game sprint isn't the same as an 82 game marathon. Look out for the Oil for the first time since before I had pubes.
- al3535

They hit the ground running last year, how did that work out?

That would be UNREAL to see that result! I hope you are right. God I HATE Vancouver.
- al3535

I think they have sifted to a middle of the pack, 5th-12th type team, no different than Calgary.
Also not sold on Schneider, just not enough history yet. The Sedins are now 32, and Kesler is the wild card. Coupled with the poison pill Luongo, who does not want to be a backup but can't get traded (and the contract handcuffing future flexibility), I think they will finish 10th or so.

Edmonton 1st... Vancouver 4th...

you're a funny guy!
- Coburns_Nose

Ya cause Vancouver always starts so strong and Edmonton so weak. And 60% of Edmonton's players have been playing compared to maybe 20% of Van's. A 48 game season (sprint) isn't the same as a 82 game war of attrition. Youth will beat experience this year...

They hit the ground running last year, how did that work out?
- Coburns_Nose

82 game marathon versus a 48 game sprint. I love our chances. We have a lot of our guys active maybe the most in the NHL and I think we will do just fine this year. But I may be wrong. Time will tell.

I think they have sifted to a middle of the pack, 5th-12th type team, no different than Calgary.
Also not sold on Schneider, just not enough history yet. The Sedins are now 32, and Kesler is the wild card. Coupled with the poison pill Luongo, who does not want to be a backup but can't get traded (and the contract handcuffing future flexibility), I think they will finish 10th or so.
- FLflames34

Oh man I hope so!

Edmonton 1st... Vancouver 4th...

you're a funny guy!
- Coburns_Nose

I look forward to revisiting this in 3 months with you.
It is hilarious how many ppl inflate the Canucks, and how it is akin to blasphemy to say they will struggle.
It will happen this year though, they will struggle and have a very real chance to finish 4th.

I look forward to revisiting this in 3 months with you.
It is hilarious how many ppl inflate the Canucks, and how it is akin to blasphemy to say they will struggle.
It will happen this year though, they will struggle and have a very real chance to finish 4th.
- FLflames34

Me also. THe only good part about the Vancouver Canucks ran down their mothers leg.