Post by Calgary Flames on Aug 11, 2024 10:00:25 GMT -6
The Flames had a busy draft day making a total of 9 picks consisting of 3 centers, 1 leftwing, 1 rightwing, 3 defensemen, and 1 goalie. Here is a look at the picks.
#9 OV - Zeev Buium (D): Buium is an elite offensive defenseman setting NCAA scoring records for a freshman defender while leading the University of Denver to an unlikely National Championship. His offensive arsenal is impressive. Few defenders can navigate pressure in the neutral zone and maintain pressure in the defensive and neutral zones to control entry to the offensive zone. His skating and puck handling allow him to operate low in the zone and his shot is accurate and hard. However, he is not a one dimensional player and uses high end hockey IQ, excellent gap control, his 4 way mobility, and active stick to disrupt plays and move the puck up the ice. Buium has all of the makings of a modern franchise defenseman.
#44 OV - Lucas Pettersson(C): Pettersson is a gifted play maker and puck handler with good size and compete. He can routinely make gifted offensive plays to set up opportunities for himself or for his teams. He has good offensive and defensive awareness, coupled with decent size, which means he should stick at center. His skating is technically sound and shows up very well against peers and will only get more impressive as he adds strength. He dominated the J20 Swedish league and should get some good time in the SHL next season to test his skills against higher competition.
#48 OV - Max Plante (LW): Plante is a dynamic playmaking winger known for his passing and offensive creativity. He is currently somewhat one dimensional as he will often pass up the shot to make a pass which needs to improve to round out his offensive game. His compete levels at both end of the ice are high making him a solid forechecker and recoverer of pucks and make positive impact in the defensive zone.
#51 OV - Dominik Badinka (D): Badinka is a 6'3 mobile right shot defenseman with good puck handling and composure. His defensive game is really solid when he uses his reach, size, and mobility to solid effect. He competes well and shows good effort in front of the net and in board battles. He is expected to be an all situations player and capable of leading a PP2 and being a premium defender on the PK. He already has a full season for Malmo of the SHL and will look to refine his craft prior to coming to North America.
#69 OV (teehee) - Hiroki Gojsic (RW): Gojsic is a physically gifted 6'3, 200lbs winger who really came into his own in the second half of last year's season. His offensive and defensive awareness have really improved allowing him to be much more effective at both ends of the rink. He is more of a shooter than a playmaker but he does show the ability to team well with linemates and adapt well to their style. His skill is evident when you watch him and if he continues to put things together for Kelowna in the WHL he could be a steal.
#71 OV - Alexandre Blaise (C/LW): Blaise is an exceptional skater and uses it to maximum effect in the offensive zone. He is a "blazer" and has terrific edgework making him frightening off the rush and in tight spaces in the offensive zone. His stickhandling, vision, and passing make him a premium offensive threat helping amass 84 points in the Q. He has good defensive awareness and effort but he has a light frame making it easy for him to get muscled off the puck. However, he has reasonable height at 5'10 so if he can put on some muscle he should improve in puck battles.
#176 OV - Petr Sikora (C): Sikora plays in the professional Czech league where he blends play making ability with power forward tendencies. He is equally adept control zone entries with nifty moves or using his power to rush wide and dislodge defenders on his way to the net. In the defensive zone he uses good positioning and the ability to read plays to be effective. He does need some refinement to his tools over the next few years of development.
#191 OV - Harrisson Meneghin (G): Meneghin is a second year goalie with good size at 6'3. He is very athletic and technically sound showing the ability to calmly move across the crease with power. He squares up well to shooters and tracks the puck well. He took on a significant workload in the WHL starting 53 games and improving his states across the board. He needs to work on rebound control and consistency as he let's in the occasional bad goal.
#196 OV - Ty Henry (D): Henry is a 6'2 left shot defenseman known for his play in his own end. He is physically mature and can over power forwards in his own end in front of the net and along the boards. He is a solid skater despite not having a high top speed but he does have good edgework and mobility. While he will never be an offensive defender, there is enough to his defensive game to be intriguing.
When asked about the draft, GM McAndrews had this to say: "Overall we are very happy with our draft. Landing Buium at #9 was really good for us and we are excited to bring him into the fold. He will likely return to U Denver next season to defend its National Title but we are excited to seem him in camp nonetheless. We were pleasantly surprised to find Pettersson fall to us at #44. We had a first round grade on him and really think he has the ability to be a premium center in the league. With Plante we think we could have a very well rounded play maker and with Badinka we get the size and skill we covet on the blueline. With him and Buium, and our existing young defensemen we think we have something really special on the back end. We like the rest of the draft class as well where we ended up with a nice blend of size, skill, offensive ability and defensive ability with many of our picks. We like where we got to"
McAndrews also commented on his decision to pass on Zane Parekh who was drafted by Calgary in real life. "I just already had too much invested emotionally in Parekh in real life. Plus we think Buium has the better rounded game and has the ability to be an impact player at both ends of the ice."
With the addition of Buium, the Flames finally have their first blue chip prospect that could join Dahlin and Heiskanen on the blue line in the next few years which will surely be exciting to Flames fans everywhere.
#9 OV - Zeev Buium (D): Buium is an elite offensive defenseman setting NCAA scoring records for a freshman defender while leading the University of Denver to an unlikely National Championship. His offensive arsenal is impressive. Few defenders can navigate pressure in the neutral zone and maintain pressure in the defensive and neutral zones to control entry to the offensive zone. His skating and puck handling allow him to operate low in the zone and his shot is accurate and hard. However, he is not a one dimensional player and uses high end hockey IQ, excellent gap control, his 4 way mobility, and active stick to disrupt plays and move the puck up the ice. Buium has all of the makings of a modern franchise defenseman.
#44 OV - Lucas Pettersson(C): Pettersson is a gifted play maker and puck handler with good size and compete. He can routinely make gifted offensive plays to set up opportunities for himself or for his teams. He has good offensive and defensive awareness, coupled with decent size, which means he should stick at center. His skating is technically sound and shows up very well against peers and will only get more impressive as he adds strength. He dominated the J20 Swedish league and should get some good time in the SHL next season to test his skills against higher competition.
#48 OV - Max Plante (LW): Plante is a dynamic playmaking winger known for his passing and offensive creativity. He is currently somewhat one dimensional as he will often pass up the shot to make a pass which needs to improve to round out his offensive game. His compete levels at both end of the ice are high making him a solid forechecker and recoverer of pucks and make positive impact in the defensive zone.
#51 OV - Dominik Badinka (D): Badinka is a 6'3 mobile right shot defenseman with good puck handling and composure. His defensive game is really solid when he uses his reach, size, and mobility to solid effect. He competes well and shows good effort in front of the net and in board battles. He is expected to be an all situations player and capable of leading a PP2 and being a premium defender on the PK. He already has a full season for Malmo of the SHL and will look to refine his craft prior to coming to North America.
#69 OV (teehee) - Hiroki Gojsic (RW): Gojsic is a physically gifted 6'3, 200lbs winger who really came into his own in the second half of last year's season. His offensive and defensive awareness have really improved allowing him to be much more effective at both ends of the rink. He is more of a shooter than a playmaker but he does show the ability to team well with linemates and adapt well to their style. His skill is evident when you watch him and if he continues to put things together for Kelowna in the WHL he could be a steal.
#71 OV - Alexandre Blaise (C/LW): Blaise is an exceptional skater and uses it to maximum effect in the offensive zone. He is a "blazer" and has terrific edgework making him frightening off the rush and in tight spaces in the offensive zone. His stickhandling, vision, and passing make him a premium offensive threat helping amass 84 points in the Q. He has good defensive awareness and effort but he has a light frame making it easy for him to get muscled off the puck. However, he has reasonable height at 5'10 so if he can put on some muscle he should improve in puck battles.
#176 OV - Petr Sikora (C): Sikora plays in the professional Czech league where he blends play making ability with power forward tendencies. He is equally adept control zone entries with nifty moves or using his power to rush wide and dislodge defenders on his way to the net. In the defensive zone he uses good positioning and the ability to read plays to be effective. He does need some refinement to his tools over the next few years of development.
#191 OV - Harrisson Meneghin (G): Meneghin is a second year goalie with good size at 6'3. He is very athletic and technically sound showing the ability to calmly move across the crease with power. He squares up well to shooters and tracks the puck well. He took on a significant workload in the WHL starting 53 games and improving his states across the board. He needs to work on rebound control and consistency as he let's in the occasional bad goal.
#196 OV - Ty Henry (D): Henry is a 6'2 left shot defenseman known for his play in his own end. He is physically mature and can over power forwards in his own end in front of the net and along the boards. He is a solid skater despite not having a high top speed but he does have good edgework and mobility. While he will never be an offensive defender, there is enough to his defensive game to be intriguing.
When asked about the draft, GM McAndrews had this to say: "Overall we are very happy with our draft. Landing Buium at #9 was really good for us and we are excited to bring him into the fold. He will likely return to U Denver next season to defend its National Title but we are excited to seem him in camp nonetheless. We were pleasantly surprised to find Pettersson fall to us at #44. We had a first round grade on him and really think he has the ability to be a premium center in the league. With Plante we think we could have a very well rounded play maker and with Badinka we get the size and skill we covet on the blueline. With him and Buium, and our existing young defensemen we think we have something really special on the back end. We like the rest of the draft class as well where we ended up with a nice blend of size, skill, offensive ability and defensive ability with many of our picks. We like where we got to"
McAndrews also commented on his decision to pass on Zane Parekh who was drafted by Calgary in real life. "I just already had too much invested emotionally in Parekh in real life. Plus we think Buium has the better rounded game and has the ability to be an impact player at both ends of the ice."
With the addition of Buium, the Flames finally have their first blue chip prospect that could join Dahlin and Heiskanen on the blue line in the next few years which will surely be exciting to Flames fans everywhere.
