Ottawas been doing great drafting in the past 5 years, Philly hasn't done terribly, I think they stole Couturier, and tampa has not done well at all drafting ever since feaster was there...any idiot would have taken stamkos...drouin was the right pick for their team though, but again, at that point, it was between him and seth jones...they needed to replace st louis before anyone else...they've done that now
- annoyance_101

Really? I'd say the guys drafted ahead of him are pretty dang good players.

Really? I'd say the guys drafted ahead of him are pretty dang good players.
- j.henderson

ok fine, i'll put it another way, columbus was screwed in the carter deal that sent him to columbus, 1st (couturier) voracek and 3rd for carter (hence why I said they stole him), not because he was a better player than the ones drafted before him, it seems like one of the deepest top 8 i've seen in a very long time, but because they didn't deserve what they got for carter, carters good but not THAT good

If janko doesn't pan out...seiloff is what made trade worth it
- numbear

no kidding they got Janko and Seiloff in exchange for the 14th overall pick. time will tell but that is looking pretty good

Porier was "off the board" but a month later he is one of the better players at the team canada camp.

There were other teams who have said they would have taken Janko in the first round off the record

I love how in this day and age we decided the winners and losers of drafting a month later.

no kidding they got Janko and Seiloff in exchange for the 14th overall pick. time will tell but that is looking pretty good

Porier was "off the board" but a month later he is one of the better players at the team canada camp.

There were other teams who have said they would have taken Janko in the first round off the record

I love how in this day and age we decided the winners and losers of drafting a month later.
- flashfire

I don't think anyone's decided anything. Drafts are always a craps shoot, and I've never said "Mark my words, player X will be a bust.". But we can say that with all the prospect reviews and video that's available to the common fan "It's my opinion player X was the wrong pick when players A and B were still available." I could be wrong about Jankowski and Poirier, you could be wrong. Part of the fun of being a fan. However, I believe there were more prudent choices for a team that's clearly headed for a wholesale rebuild.

why isn't this guy in your projected line up? he'd easily be your best player
- annoyance_101

Cabbie???

Imo...Feaster went into last year in preperation for a tear down. He wasnt blind to what was inevitably coming and I am sure he made phone calls to GM's long before things started to get worse. Its certainly debatable, but for me - this is the 2nd year of rebuild.....well...1.5 year
- Colin Dambrauskas

wtf
who cares if he went into last year in prep for a tear down...you're just trying to read people's minds...sure they can always be in preparation for disaster for that inevitable tear down but that only happened last year...making this the first year of a rebuild

this is our first year with a REBUILT team....no iggy, no jaybo and no kipper
and left with mostly young players
not sure why this is hard to get...even the Oilers fans seem to be in agreement on this one. When last year still saw Iggy, Jaybo and Kipper as cornerstones of the team, that CANNOT be considered a year of rebuilding...and like I said, the expectations was to make the playoffs, that's why the offer sheet on ROR (to make that final push into playoffs as we were still in the hunt at that point)

wtf
who cares if he went into last year in prep for a tear down...you're just trying to read people's minds...sure they can always be in preparation for disaster for that inevitable tear down but that only happened last year...making this the first year of a rebuild

this is our first year with a REBUILT team....no iggy, no jaybo and no kipper
and left with mostly young players
not sure why this is hard to get...even the Oilers fans seem to be in agreement on this one. When last year still saw Iggy, Jaybo and Kipper as cornerstones of the team, that CANNOT be considered a year of rebuilding...and like I said, the expectations was to make the playoffs, that's why the offer sheet on ROR (to make that final push into playoffs as we were still in the hunt at that point)
- cpltanto

Year one or year two...its negligible really. As I said, its of my opinion that this would be considered year two of their rebuild...you dont have to agree

Year one or year two...its negligible really. As I said, its of my opinion that this would be considered year two of their rebuild...you dont have to agree
- Colin Dambrauskas

I disagree that we can disagree damnit!

I disagree that we can disagree damnit!
- cpltanto

The way I see it - Flames were struggling to make the playoffs with the core they had 3 years ago and made minimal changes to the team to improve...team gets 3 years older and still show the same struggles in addition to certain players being at the tail end of their careers.

Feaster and Co. have players like Iginla, Jbo, Kipper still on his roster and would like to move them, however most teams are not comfortable in taking such players until they can ensure it would make sense for their current roster...something most GMs require a few months of hockey to decide upon.

Now take it a step further and you would realize that, despite making it known to most GMs that Feaster has a few players he'd like to move (and soon), he simply cant and must hold on to them until other GMs are ready. So what he can do in the mean time is tweak certain roles, move deadweight, bring in small trades and be patient.

Last year was year one of this rebuild...there is no doubt in my mind. Just because they brough in Wideman and Hudler to help insulate their young team did not mean they were pushing for the playoffs...I am sure that Feaster would have moved Iginla et al had the chance been there early in the summer or the offseason. But players like these on the last years of the contracts are not typically moved until it becomes apparent that its a rental player.

So like I said, Denis and Jiri were shortterm and longterm insulation players for this club and Feaster continues to look to tweak his roster and move players he does not need until the right deal comes up (Cammy). Rebuild doesnt mean dump all older players for the best current deal and wash away the season completely...Feaster has said time and time again he wants to remain competitive to a certain degree while this rebuild continues.

Year one or year two...its negligible really. As I said, its of my opinion that this would be considered year two of their rebuild...you dont have to agree
- Colin Dambrauskas

Flames had an older veteran team last year...got rid of older higher priced guys at the deadline/over the summer and is going with a totally new look and a very young team this year. Its year one

Year one or year two...its negligible really. As I said, its of my opinion that this would be considered year two of their rebuild...you dont have to agree
- Colin Dambrauskas

they had vets on their team hoping to make the playoffs until the deadline, this is year 1 of the rebuild...starting at the draft...in no way can it be considered year 2 of a rebuild, they did no rebuilding last year...they hoped to make the playoffs with a vet team, thats the opposite to rebuilding...

they had vets on their team hoping to make the playoffs until the deadline, this is year 1 of the rebuild...starting at the draft...in no way can it be considered year 2 of a rebuild, they did no rebuilding last year...they hoped to make the playoffs with a vet team, thats the opposite to rebuilding...
- annoyance_101

exactly...in no way shape or form could you justify it as year 2 lol
it doesn't matter how much you theorize what you think was INSIDE the mind of feaster that he WANTED to rebuild and trade Iggy earlier (which by the way there was no indication of like I said before...the team postured towards wanting to resign and keep Iggy and push for the playoffs last year and continue to do so in years to come)

sure, i guess one could argue the rebuild started at the trade deadline, but by no means could you say that this is the second year of a rebuild

Your top 6 isn't great, but it can probably compete without embarassing itself. Same goes for your top pairing on the blueline. Not among the league's best, but could probably get it done on a deep team.

The problem is that your bottom 6 and your 4-7 defensemen are probably the worst in the NHL at this point.

They are going to get destroyed out there, especially on the road where opposing coaches get the matchups they want.

And the goaltending? Goddamn, you better hope for a breakout season.
- TommyDeVito

Was just about to say that about the D. After Brodie it get bad fast. Especially with Butler. How does he continue to fool the Flames brass that he is an NHL calibre talent? He is terrible.

Was just about to say that about the D. After Brodie it get bad fast. Especially with Butler. How does he continue to fool the Flames brass that he is an NHL calibre talent? He is terrible.
- cdnhash

I've dished out way too much money in the last two years for good seats, just to see Butler have two screw-ups in his own end and essentially throw the game out. It's really not fair to the fans how much of a shot he got. Anyone could tell he's not strong enough to be an NHL defenseman. The entire season would've played out differently if he hadnt been screwing up so frequently in tight, bob hartley style, defensive games.

The omenous poor start we had this year; about 8 of the first ten games saw Butler get manhandled in his own zone and get a goal scored on him. Who knows how the Flames would've done had we gotten off to a good start and didnt have Butler as a liability all year? He had a much shorter leash by the end of the year and wasnt in over his head in a 5th defenseman role.

From the looks of it, Feaster gave him a Comeau-style contract with intentions of dealing him at the deadline. I don't blame him for wanting to salvage the assets in the regehr trade so he can atleast cover his own as$. But that's the only reason I can figure when we re-signed such a train wreck. I honestly doubt any GM would give more than a 6th for him though..

Emile Poirier? Hunter Shinkaruk shouldnt have been there for the canucks to pick that late in the draft...Glad he was, but none the less
- annoyance_101

I just watched the three Canadian games at the US development camp and if selections were held today based on the camp, Poirier would have made the team way before Shinkaruk. Skinkaruk was being manhandled on the forecheck and cycle. When he didn't have open ice and time he was pretty much ineffective because he doesn't have a lot of dimensions to his game.

If things don't change in main camp, Shinkaruk will be watching Poirier on TV during the WJC.

I just watched the three Canadian games at the US development camp and if selections were held today based on the camp, Poirier would have made the team way before Shinkaruk. Skinkaruk was being manhandled on the forecheck and cycle. When he didn't have open ice and time he was pretty much ineffective because he doesn't have a lot of dimensions to his game.

If things don't change in main camp, Shinkaruk will be watching Poirier on TV during the WJC.
- Ice_Hawk

What a coincidence, you believe a flames prospect is better...yet they haven't proven that virtually in their existence...they have always lacked good drafting...the main reason the flames were competitive in the early 2000's was because of trades...the only good player that comes to mind is phaneuf that was drafted by the flames, and they got sick of him pretty quick...baertschi and monahan may be pretty good, they have yet to prove anything over the long term though so i'll reserve that judgement until i see something on the ice...until then...have fun with your prospects that haven't been doing anything for a good decade