The Calgary Flames addressed their no. 1 priority this summer by acquiring goalie Mike Smith from Arizona on Saturday.
That leaves the Flames with minor additions this summer, including a No. 4 defenceman and some depth up front.
It’s unlikely they’ll go the trade route at the draft, unless they want to replace the second and third round picks they’re missing.
After decades of poor drafting, the Flames have done well to stock their cupboards with prospects the last four drafts, which includes nabbing Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Sean Monahan with their last three first rounders.
They’ll simply take the best player available at 16th overall this year, knowing he’ll be a year or two away from the NHL.
2017 draft picks
16
109
140
171
202
Top 3 prospects currently in the system
1. Mark Jankowski, C – Five years after being Flames first round pick the six-foot-four, 205-pound centre appears poised to push for an NHL job in camp after a solid AHL debut.
2. Tyler Parsons, G – What more can you do to bolster your resume than win a Memorial Cup and a world junior championship?
3. Rasmus Andersson, D – Fitness has long been the knock on the Swedish playmaker. If he can keep improving that he’ll crack Flames lineup soon.
Two players who may be available in Round 1
Cal Foote, D, Kelowna (WHL) – The six-foot-four, 210-pound, two-way defenceman has it all, including bloodlines. His father, Adam, won two Stanley Cups and has clearly shown his son how to keep improving as part of Kelowna’s blue-line factory. The Flames turnaround two years ago revolved around its defence, making it a priority.
Michael Rasmussen, C, Tri-City (WHL) – At six foot six, 215 pounds there’s lots to like about the Surrey, B.C., native who scored 32 goals in 50 games. The Flames seem to be solid down the middle for a while but you can never have enough centres, especially big ones.
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Best 16th overall picks in NHL history
Dave Andreychuk (Buffalo, 1982) – Only six players have played more NHL games than Andreychuk, who retired 24 years later with a Stanley Cup ring and 1,639 games played. He’s the all-time power-play goal scoring leader with 274.
Markus Naslund (Pittsburgh, 1991) – The Swedish sniper captained the Vancouver Canucks for eight years, including 2003 when he finished second in Hart Trophy voting. He scored 35 or more goals in five seasons.
Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis, 2010) – His father was a Russian league scoring champ, which explains how the Blues’ alternate captain has been one of the NHL’s top-ten scorers the last three years.
Other notable picks at 16th overall
• Minnesota selected Nick Leddy with the 16th pick in 2009.
• Philadelphia selected Steve Smith with the 16th pick in 1981.
• Boston selected Al Secord with the 16th pick in 1978.
Worst 16th overall picks in NHL history
Nick Stajduhar (Edmonton, 1993) – Picked one spot ahead of London teammate Jason Allison, six ahead of Saku Koivu and eight ahead of Todd Bertuzzi, the big defenceman only played two NHL games.
Mario Larocque (Tampa Bay, 1996) – The hulking winger played five games for the Bolts two years after the draft and was never recalled from the minors where he racked up plenty of PIM until two years ago.
Clayton Pachal (Boston, 1976) – After scoring 41 goals in 65 games with New Westminster, the Yorkton, Sask., centre was only able to muster up 35 NHL starts between the Bruins and Colorado, scoring just twice.
History of picking 16nd overall
The Flames took George Pelawa 16th overall in 1986. A high school phenom from Bemidji, Minn., he was named the state’s Mr. Hockey before the draft. A three-sport star who was anticipated to be the heaviest player in NHL lore at 245 pounds, he never got that chance as he died in a car accident three months later.
The Atlanta Flames took Vic Mercredi 16th overall in 1973 and the undersized Yellowknife native only played two NHL games.
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