Calgary Puck

Always love when I get a chance to put a story up on draft day.

Its raw. The player is 10 minutes old as a Calgary Flame. Things are sinking in slowly. You had your own list going into the draft and you hope it goes your way.

Then you see the selection, and you can take a deep breath.

Last year I felt elated when Lindholm was taken a pick ahead of Calgary. I jumped out of my seat. I didn’t envision such an immediate entry into Flames lore, a 20 goal season, and rising to my feet many more times during the season but I was pumped.

Similar feeling this year with the Flames getting Sam Bennett, after the Oilers take Draisaitl at #3.

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A general team building rule of thumb is the aim to put three bodies in your NHL jersey in each and every NHL draft, a feat not always met by NHL clubs.

The first round, especially after a morbid season of missing the playoffs is crucial to getting a franchise back on its feet and moving up the standings, the second round is where you add depth to your roster and become a contender. Then further down the list you need to be lucky and/or brilliant in finding diamonds in the rough, thrusting the organization forward.

The Flames had many a wash out draft in the past ten years; have a look at 2006 and a hockey fan almost comes to tears … 8 players chosen, and 13 games played, all by first rounder Leland Irving. Players selected in 2006 would be entering year 8 or 9 in development and should form the nucleaus of your hockey team. Not in this case.

More recent years have had way more success including the 2011 draft where all 5 players have either played for the Flames or been used to acquire a player currently playing Calgary. That’s 5 for 5 folks.

With that said Calgarypuck takes a look back at previous drafts in a two part series, looking at success round by round.

Today we look at rounds 1 through 6.
– Full Article –

A general team building rule of thumb is the aim to put three bodies in your NHL jersey in each and every NHL draft, a feat not always met by NHL clubs.

The first round, especially after a morbid season of missing the playoffs is crucial to getting a franchise back on its feet and moving up the standings, the second round is where you add depth to your roster and become a contender. Then further down the list you need to be lucky and/or brilliant in finding diamonds in the rough, thrusting the organization forward.

The Flames had many a wash out draft in the past ten years; have a look at 2006 and a hockey fan almost comes to tears … 8 players chosen, and 13 games played, all by first rounder Leland Irving. Players selected in 2006 would be entering year 8 or 9 in development and should form the nucleus of your hockey team. Not in this case.

More recent years have had way more success including the 2011 draft where all 5 players have either played for the Flames or been used to acquire a player currently playing Calgary. That’s 5 for 5 folks.

With that said Calgarypuck takes a look back at previous drafts in a two part series, looking at success round by round.

Today we look at rounds 7 through 12.
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While I’ll be the first to admit that Glam Band lyrics shouldn’t be the first thing you see in a story about a hockey play by play legend retiring, they had it right in the late 80s when they waled “Don’t Know What You Got Til it’s Gone”

Amen.
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A hockey fan in a Canadian city is around for the long haul.

They may threaten to give up their season tickets, they may tell everyone at the water cooler that they’re not tuning in next year, they may in the case of Edmontonians toss their jerseys on the ice in disgust and walk out.

But they haven’t. The won’t.

They just want hope, and a chance. The record on the ice, the placement in the standings, the banners in the rafters all matter, but when things aren’t going well, a rabid hockey fan just wants to know things will get better.

They want hope.
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