Calgary Flames

So as many of the regular readers here probably know, OilersNation has a collection of gear, including stickers, hoodies and t-shirts. We want to get something like that going here at FlamesNation, but with a twist - we want FN readers help in designing them.As you can see from the links, ON gear ranges from cool and clean (hoodies) to comedic (Squee shirts). We'll take both and everything in between if the design works. Feel free to incorporate the FN logo, inside jokes from the site (keep your feet moving) and maybe even prior photoshop contests.So the floor is wide open. The focus is t-shirts right now with an view to expanding to other stuff down the road, so keep that in mind. The owners A team of highly trained monkeys and FN contributors will determine some finalists and we'll likely put the contest to a vote here on FN to determine a winner*.Send your entries kent.wilson@gmail.com.*The winner will get 5 free FN shirts with the winning design on them as soon as they come off the assembly line**. The Nations will give credit to the designer but will own the design in perpetuity from then on. If you enter the contest, you agree to these conditions.**That's how shirts are made, right?

Not that they had to prove their value as top prospects for the 2013 NHL Draft, but Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks and Nathan MacKinnon of the Halifax Mooseheads have spent the duration of the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup wowing the NHL sc...

Ty Rattie led the Western Hockey League in scoring in the playoffs, and he's kept that hot streak going in the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup. Rattie's goal at 8:32 of the third period snapped a 1-1 tie and sent the Portland Winterhawks to a 2-1...

- pic via Resolute, wikimedia commons Mikael Granlund's little brother takes a small step back in our rankings this year, moving from 9th to 11th. After his draft+1 season our praise for Markus was fairly effusive, mostly because he was the second highest scoring teen in the SM-Liiga after his older brother. That's nice company to keep.The biggest question with Granlund heading into this season was how he would fare without older bro Mikael around (he made the jump to the AHL/NHL) and the results from this past year were...somewhat ambiguous but not terribly encouraging. After scoring 15 goals and 34 points in 47 games for HIFK last year (0.72 PPG) he fell back to just 10 goals and 30 points in 50 games this year (0.6 PPG).That's not a terribly big difference, but one of the key, indicative arrows for prospects is whether they meaningfully improve and develop as they age. Running in place or taking a step back in subsequent years sometimes indicates a guy has already peaked or that his prior results were dependent on idiosyncratic circumstances.  table.tableizer-table { border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: ; font-size: 12px; } .tableizer-table td { padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #ccc; } .tableizer-table th { background-color: #8C1010; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold; }   Justin Ryan Kent Hayley BoL Granlund 9 NR 7 8 9 [HockeyDB] [EliteProspects] [Hockey's Future]All that said, Granlund's underwhelming season in Finland was punctuated by an outstanding World Junior Championships where he finished as one of the tournaments leading scorers (5g-7a-12pts in 6 games). Only Canada's Ryan Nugent Hopkins scored more (15 points in 6 games). Of course, one should never get too excited about point totals in very small sample tournaments like the WJC since weird things can happen in only a few games, but it's worth noting that Granlund nevertheless excelled against some of the best players of his age in the world.In terms of skills, Granlund is a smallish center/winger who tends to pass more than shoot. His vision and playmaking are usually listed as strengths whereas his size, defensive game and strength are his most obvious obstacles. His production from this past season translates roughly to an NHLE of 27, which falls outside where you'd expect to see future scorers in their draft+2 year. Typically you want to see potential top-6 guys managing a 35+ NHLE at this point in their development.ConclusionGranlund is one of the better offensive prospects in the Flames system currently, but he will need to start scoring at a greater pace if he is to seriously contend for a spot on the team a few years down the road. Markus isn't built to play a checking or grinding role, so his ticket to the show will be punched with goals and assists, or else he'll probably wash out completely.Next season we'll see if his step back this year was a blip or if Markus really was riding his brother's coattails during his noteworthy rookie season in Helsinki.Flames top 15 Prospects #11 - Markus Granlund #12 - Tyler Wotherspoon #13 - Kenny Agostino #14 - Michael Ferland #15 - Mark Jankowski

pic via Mika Kylmaniemi  Although guys like Jonathan Drouin, Nathan MacKinnon and Seth Jones are probably out of reach for the Flames, there is an outside possibility a probable elite talent in Aleksandr Barkov falls to Calgary at 6th in June.The native Fin with a Russian name has been on hockey's radar for a long time and it became especially apparent he was a special player last year when he was one of the highest scoring teens in the Finnish Elite League (SM-Liiga) at just 16 years old. Most kids are just learning to drive at that age, but Barkov scored at 0.5 PPG pace in one of the best pro leagues on the planet.To put that achievement in perspective, Barkov's pace was the fifth best amongst teens in the league that year, behind only Mikael Granlund, Markus Granlund, Joel Armia and Teemu Pulkkinen and all of those guys were at least 2-3 years older.Of course, we wouldn't be talking too much about his rookie year if the 6'2" center didn't follow it up with his remarkable sophomore effort. This year Barkov scored 48 points in 53 games for Tappara Tampere, good for second on the team behind for Flame Ville Nieminen who had 50 points - albeit in 4 more games played. Barkov also placed 9th overall in the league in both goals (21) and overall scoring. Keep in mind Barkov is actually one of the youngest available draftees this summer, with a September 2, 1995 birthday. He's almost a full year younger than Mark Jankowski (Sept. 13, 1994) and Janko was the youngest guy drafted last June.So yeah...the kid is good.The Scouting ReportsBarkov has had a lot of eyeballs watching him the last few years, so the scouting reports tend to be in sync much of the time. Corey Pronman sums up the consensus pretty well over at Hockey Prospectus (where he ranked Barkov the 5th best prospect available):Barkov is one of the greatest NHL Entry Draft prospects to ever come out of Finland. He is a tremendously advanced player, with elite hockey sense. He regularly logged 20 minutes this season, which is rare for a September-born 17-year-old in Finland's top league. He has an incredible amount of patience, vision, and awareness. He can slow the game down and dictate the tempo, as well as be the focal point on the power play. He also has a high level of defensive skill, showing ability at a very young age to be a quality defensive center. He has good technique on faceoffs, as he keeps his hands low, pulling pucks back quickly. Despite having good puck skills, he is not a player who will consistently try to stickhandle around players. He is selective, but he has the talent to create offense out of nothing. Barkov is a big, strong player. He will not crash and bang, but he protects the puck well. His skating is a tick below average. It is possible he could improve to an average skater, but his game will not be predicated on blazing past defenders. When bringing the puck out of his zone, he tends to prefer making a good pass rather than rushing the puck up. For a first hand account of Barkov, I contacted Matias Strozyk of Eliteprospects. He provided this great account:Apart from Mikael Granlund, Finland hasn't seen a prospect of Barkov's level in recent years. I'd say it's even a pretty close call between those two and you lean towards one or the other based on what you're looking for. Granlund has flair, soft hands and amazing creativity. Barkov has very good two-way play, a better frame and the strength to go along with it. Finnish prospects from recent years tend to be on the diminutive size and Barkov is a very welcomed exception. He doesn't use his size to deliver big hits but protects the puck well and wins battles - partly thanks to his talent with the puck. Barkov was only 17 years old this past Finnish league season, his first full season with the pros but still became a key player for an eventual silver-medalist. Like last year, he missed some time at the end of the season, on this occasion due to a shoulder injury. Tappara were missing another t

CALGARY, AB -- Highly-touted 2013 NHL Draft prospect Valeri Nichushkin has publicly stated he wants to play in North America in the 2013-14 season. Questions swirled around the right winger's future plans due to his contract with Traktor Chelya...

CALGARY, AB -- The Saskatoon Blades fell to the London Knights 6-1 on Thursday evening and have been eliminated from the 2013 Mastercard Memorial Cup. The Knights now advance to Friday's semi-final match-up against Tyler Wotherspoon and the Por...

As we barrel head-long into the off-season, the 2013 NHL Draft approaches rapidly. Estimations of what your Calgary Flames will do at the draft, in terms of picks, can be guided in terms of what they've said publicly on the subject and what they've done in the past. NEEDS and VALUESBased on GM Jay Feaster's public comments, the Flames have identified their specific needs: size and grit, centers and a physical presence on their blueline. They won't necessarily try to fill those gaps just at the draft, but those thoughts are in the back of their mind.We can filter that needs assessment with the draft tendencies/value the club has established under the new regime. Jay Feaster has been at the helm of the Flames through two drafts and has made 12 selections, the last seven at the recommendation of John Weisbrod, who heads all scouting.The Flames have chosen two goalies, four defensemen and six forwards. By source league, that's four from the USHL, five from the WHL, one from the QMJHL, one from Finland and one from Quebec prep school. There's some evidence of the club varying its sources a bit and trying not to select too many of the same “type” of player.Based on interviews and conversations with Flames management and scouts, the team values hockey sense the most, followed by character, skill and skating. In other words, if you think the game really well – or the scouts say you do – you're high on the Flames scouting list.BIG CENTERSI've mentioned Ottawa 67s pivot Sean Monahan recently. He's reasonably big, and arguably he's the best of the non “Big 6” (Jones, MacKinnon, Drouin, Lindolm, Barkov and Nichushkin). He was also a very strong player on a lousy team and would have been a very high pick even in the 2012 draft had he been eligible.But don't sleep on Edmonton Oil Kings Curtis Lazar, the London Knights Bo Horvat or Regina's Morgan Klimchuk. Horvat in particular has been a strong player on a great London Knights, and one that drives the club's offense. Lazar isn't as crucial to Edmonton's success, but has one of the best, most accurate shots in this draft class.GRITTY FORWARDSI will continue to tout Ryan Hartman of the Plymouth Whalers until the draft, as I think he's great.Andre Burakowsky of Malmo is a bit less gritty, but has arguably more skill. Corey Pronman (of the vaunted Hockey Prospectus) quoted a source in his analysis who pegged Burakowsky's “work ethic as equal to his skill level.” That's a good sign. Swedish forward Jacob de la Rose, of Leksand IF, is also said to be excellent as a physical, two-way player, but projects more as a second rounder.Another name to keep in mind is Adam Erne out of the Quebec Remparts. The Flames have seen quite a bit of him (via scouting Ryan Culkin), and he's said to be big, fast and physically strong. He'll be available in the mid-to-late first round.BIG DEFENDERSThis is where this first round shines. There are a lot of big, physical defenders available in this year's draft.Rasmus Ristolainen is arguably the best. He's Finnish and has played in the SM-Liiga all season against grown-ass men, as a 17-year-old, and done quite well. Another high-level defender is Darnell Nurse, of the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He's big, physical and is Donovan McNabb's nephew. And both of his parents are athletes, too. Nurse is roundly considered the best defender available after Seth Jones.Outside of those two, standouts include London's huge Nikita Zadorov, Kelowna's Madison Bowey, Everett's Mirco Mueller and a pair of USHL blueliners – Steven Santini of the U.S. National Development Team and Ian McCoshen of the Waterloo Blackhawks. Both players are committed to join Johnny Gaudreau and Bill Arnold at Boston College for the 2013-14 season, so they are no doubt on the Flames radar.HIGH SCHOOL KIDSI'd be remiss if I didn't mention two key things about high school kids.First, there's a few decent lowly-ranked, long-term project type high school prospects out of Minnesota that stand out in the Ce

1. Whither the Canucks?So they gave the ol' heave-ho to poor Alain Vigneault today, who was victimized mainly by injury but also his own general manager's inability to do his job properly. Isn't that always the way?Cory Schneider was and should have been the Canucks' starter this season and he acquitted himself well enough when he was healthy. The problem was, when the Sharks swept the Canucks out of the first round after a fairly underwhelming run to the top of the Northwest Division for the last time, Schneider wasn't healthy and Roberto Luongo didn't steal the games he played in such a way that it made Vigneault look good.The thing I always say when coaches get fired in situations like this is that the guy they choose to replace him needs to be better than the guy they let go. How many coaches out there are better than Vigneault? Canucks fans are breathing a little easier today because they for some reason found the old coach's job to be somewhat underwhelming, but now they have to wait for Mike Gillis, who couldn't even correctly read the trade market for a 30-plus-year-old goalie with a ponderous almost immovable contract. Obviously no GM is ever going to fire himself and one gets the feeling that if whoever they bring in next doesn't work out — and barring a huge roster overhaul, he probably won't, given the new divisional competition the Canucks will face next season — it's gonna be Gillis packing up his office this time next spring.2. What does this mean for the Flames?Of course, the Canucks theoretically taking a step back, which could very well happen, might not have a massive impact on Calgary's chances for making the postseason any time soon. The Canucks are, as things stand right now, maybe the third-best team in the division, which will still probably guarantee them a playoff spot most years (this assumes the Ducks regress to where they should have been this year, and that the Oilers don't take a huge step forward under Craig MacTavish in his first year).The Flames, meanwhile, remain indisputably the worst in the division if not the entire Western Conference, which is fine by me; one cannot imagine that they get anywhere near one of the two "wild card" spots for teams finishing outside the top three in their divisions. I'd put it LA, San Jose and Vancouver coming out of the Pacific and Chicago, St. Louis and Minnesota from the Central as locks, and two of Anaheim, Nashville, Edmonton and Dallas. Probably. Winnipeg is better than Calgary, so too is Phoenix, and I'd say it's arguable that they're worse or at least as bad as Colorado.Basically what this means for the Flames is nothing. The Canucks will, unless they totally blow it up, which they won't because Gillis wants to keep his job, still dominate the Flames both over the course of the season and in their head-to-head matchups. Oh well, I guess.3. Other teams are doing itOne thing I've noticed in the last couple of days or so is that teams are doing a bit of housekeeping in re-signing guys who play marginal roles. Rob Klinkhammer and Eric Boulton and so forth. It occured to me today that the Flames have a guy like that on the roster as well, who is a pending unrestricted free agent and who could be someone they're interested in re-signing.That guy is obviously Brian McGrattan.The Flames have made no secret of the fact that their goal this summer is to become "tougher to play against" because the fact that Mikael Backlund won't fight anyone is the reason every team in the league ran them the hell over all season long. McGrattan, in their eyes, fits that bill: a guy who sucks at the hockey-playing aspects of playing hockey but who is all too happy to try to fight all comers in the eight seconds of ice time gets per shift before good players come over the boards and he does the closest thing he can to scurrying off so someone can take his place.The same may be true of Steve Begin, too, but I don't know I'm just spitballing here. Certainly, it seems well within th

No NHL Draft-eligible player has won the Canadian Hockey League player of the year award since 2008, but that could change when the CHL announces its award winners for the 2012-13 season. Halifax Mooseheads left wing Jonathan Drouin, No. 3 on N...