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I checked out the Calgary Flames' scrimmage today, and just felt it necessary to post a few thoughts, going over who impressed, and who didn't. It's going to be a quick blog. For those who don't follow me on twitter, I run my own scouting service, and cover the Flames for a few sites - just starting to post here as well.

Mark Jankowski - The kid has skill, but overall very raw. He was almost invisible throughout the scrimmage, but you could see that the skill was there. He needs to continue bulking up.

Markus Granlund - Granlund has improved by leaps and bounds this past year. He looked like one of most dominant players on the ice, and scored in the third with a pro-level shot. Quick release, and accurate. He is definitely able to challenge for a spot, but still needs to improve his skating a bit.

Emile Poirier - Rather unimpressed with him, and didn't really stand out. Had a few good chances, but nothing spectacular.

Sean Monohan - Great showing from Monohan. Won most of the draws, slick passes, back-checked and showed good composure. Issue with him, like Granlund, was his skating. He has already said himself that he wants to work on this.

Sven Baertschi - Throughout the first period, he looked very weak, but in the second and third, he took over. He was creative, set up two goals, and was all over the ice. He's looking like a player ready to contribute consistently in the NHL.

Roman Horak - Same with Baertschi, he was rather quiet in the first. He picked it up afterwards, but I would've liked to see a bit more from him as well.

Keegan Kanzig - Kanzig was the biggest surprise for me. He was great defensively, and even rushed with the puck a few times, showcasing his puck handling. He's also huge, in case you've missed that. 6'7, 230 pounds and still growing. Not to mention he had the lowest body-fast % out of all the Flames at 7%.

Bill Arnold - Arnold really impressed as well, and has shown a massive improvement. He was protecting the puck well, and had several good chances. I'm really excited to see how he fares this season.

Ben Hanowski - Wasn't impressed with Hanowski. Felt he had more to give, but his skating has improved a bit, and he's cut some weight.

Coda Gordon - Another very impressive performance. Had a goal, and didn't look out of place.

Linden Penner - Penner is at camp on a tryout basis, and he impressed by scoring 2 goals. He was in the right place at the right time, and was constantly getting in other players' faces. I'm looking forward to watching him on Monday, and seeing if he can continue this.

Patrick Sieloff - Huge fan of this kid. Big hits, solid defensively, and a great character. He's so close to pro ready.

Johnny Gaudreau - Another kid I'm high on. I've always said, and still stand by it - if this kid was 6'0, he would have gone top-10 for sure. He has silky smooth hands, elite vision, and is just an offensive dynamo. He didn't look out of place at all, even with 6'7 Kanzig. He's finishing his year at BC, but will definitely earn pre season games next year.

Goaltending - No one really stood out for me because it was such a limited viewing. Gillies had an excellent showing, as did most goalies however. I'll need to watch them some more to completely give my thoughts.

To sum it up:

Impressive Players:

Sven Baertschi
Markus Granlund
Keegan Kanzig
Sean Monohan
Linden Penner
Bill Arnold
Johnny Gaudreau

Underwhelming:

Roman Horak
Ben Hanowski
Mark Jankowski
Morgan Klimchuk
Emile Poirier




Filed Under:   Flames   Prospects   2013 NHL Draft   Calgary  
July 13, 2013 3:17 PM ET | Delete
Interesting. Thanks for the review. Small sample so cant make conclusions but a good read. Thx!
July 13, 2013 3:39 PM ET | Delete
I keep forgetting about Arnold. Is he going to back to Boston College?
July 14, 2013 12:51 PM ET | Delete
Jankoswki is the best player of the 2012 draft, lol.
July 17, 2013 7:23 PM ET | Delete
^HEHE ya, but feaster did say in ten years. but def should never have said that
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