Drafting in the middle can produce results if the people assessing the talent know what they are doing.  Look at Al MacInnis.  They just hoisted his jersey to the rafters as one of the all-time greats and he was taken 15th overall.  Another great, Mike Bossy was also taken at that position I believe. And look at all the great players taken outside the first round, Luc Robitaille, Doug Gilmour, Bryan Trottier, you just need management who knows how to both assess and develop talent.

True...Calgary's track record with forwards they have drafted is basically TERRIBLE.  Now whether it's the assessing the potential or in the development aspect hard to say. I tend to think it's both. LIke I said the pressure to produce when they are called up is a lot. 

Face it, this team doesn't have a lot of depth in it's ability to put the puck in the net. It's not like they don't get their share of chances. More to the point it's a lack of the ability to finish (putting the puck IN the net).  Again their track record here speaks for itself.  How many games this season has Calgary had far more SOG than their opponents AND lost?   When this happens everybody says, "they were up against a hot goalie" (or something to that effect).  Now consider how many times over the past several season that excuse has been used!  Sure it does happen BUT this often???  I'd say a lot of the time it ain't the goalie but Calgary's overall lack of scoring touch among the forwards. So when a young prospect joins the team..the pressure is on to produce goals NOW. Patience in this area is not something the Flames management has shown over the past several seasons.

Flames biggest problem this season though:

Their PP% is in the middle of the pack and their PK% is in the top 10, so it's safe to say these pretty much balance out. Where the Flames are getting killed is 5 on 5!  They own 5th worse 5 on 5 GF/GA ratio in the league (.86).  This is where the Flames lose games, they are being outplayed 5 on 5.  

Bump..we need to revive this thread cause I think are things we can talk about now...

good luck to that 14 yr old first rd pick of yours Holer !...high school kid ... what are the odds?  his first NHL point ?  or his first BJ?   :  >     hows the health buds?  Holer can tell me to F -off  any time ..I respect the old coot !

Jankowski was not that bad of a pick.  I will put money on it that he makes the Flames within 3 seasons.  He is a bit of a project, but he will make the NHL.

The best move the Flames made was getting the second round pick for free because they knew they were going to pick the Jankowski kid anyway