Tanner Leaney

@Chens89 @user1647500 Yeah exactly, it really doesn’t make any sense. Completely irrational way of treating your players especially ones with a decorated national team history (WJC Gold Medal this year…!!!!). Feels like there’s gotta be more to the story because it seems just too non-sensical.

@user1647500 @tsleaney It isn’t as if he’s blowing off their camp for family vacation, he’s showing loyalty to his club team he’s played for all year, and is still willing to play for both. Especially since he’s played WJC already, it isn’t like he’s new to Swedish NT.

Viggo Björck suspended? Reports coming out of Sweden indicate Björck has chosen to defy the Swedish Federation and stay with the Djugården U20 team to play in the league finals instead of heading straight to the U18 World Championships

@WJCrankings Yeah that’s a wild decision and probably their death blow. Kid is a potential tournament MVP and a heart and soul player. Shooting themselves in the foot for no reason at all. Hopefully they reverse this decision as I was very excited to see him at the U18s.

Unbelievable. No Viggo Björck🇸🇪 at the U18s. #U18MensWorlds

@wyattd09 NHL teams and their player development groups work closely with NCAA teams in regards to developing their drafted players so the Flames have a say in certain aspects of his growth still. Regardless, the kid is 18 years old and just finished his freshman season, no need to rush.

@tsleaney I’ll disagree. Get him in your system and develop him there. ND has no skin in the game to develop him the way you want

Just confirming 2025 first-round pick Cole Reschny will return to North Dakota for a sophomore season. First from @SchlossmanGF. This was always the desired path for Calgary, and Reschny camp agreed after taking some time and considering all their options. #Flames

@wyattd09 @Fan960Steinberg @SchlossmanGF You think the flames used a first round pick on a high scoring centre in the hopes he only develops into a 3rd line centre? They drafted him cause they see his projection at least as a really good 2C. You want your prospects to maximize their potential, rushing them hinders that.

@tsleaney @Fan960Steinberg @SchlossmanGF He’s going to replace Backlund. Points aren’t what really matters.

@wyattd09 @Fan960Steinberg @SchlossmanGF Because although he had a good freshman season, he didn’t dominate. Needs to round out his offensive game and add some pace. Only 6 goals this year, the lowest of the top 100 scorers in the NCAA. No need to rush a young guy when he’s even not dominating his current league yet.

@Fan960Steinberg @SchlossmanGF Why is this the desired path for the Flames who desperately need centres and it doesn’t matter if they are bad next year?

@carrothjslv3 @MikeBartner You also have Smith as a 2C. Guess if the plan is to have him on the wing for his career then sure but players drafted as a high end C generally don’t want to play wing for their career. Which means you have too many C and not enough high end D. Don’t end up like the oilers/leafs

@tsleaney @MikeBartner Misa is projected to be our future 2C. No way sharks are trading away that kind of high-upside talent.

Assuming the Sharks miss the playoffs and if the Oilers don’t make the WCF, does Grier prepare a GODFATHER offer to go up to 3rd or 4th overall to get Verhoeff or Reid? Talking 9th OVR, 19th OVR and 2-3 of their top 7 prospects for 3rd or 4th OVR.

@sjs2865 @MikeBartner SJ has their 1C and they’d have taken a D last year instead of Misa had there been a top one available. If I’m SJ I’m looking at the leafs/oilers and saying we can’t end up like them - front heavy with a below average D core. Having Cele, Misa and Smith as C is just unnecessary.

@tsleaney @MikeBartner Misa is untouchable

@ColtonBaxter17 Carels is the pick after the top 2 imo. He has a real good chance at being an all situation 1st pair stud with an edge. See a bit of Heiskanen in him, great fluid skater. I love Malhotra but him becoming a 1C feels far less certain. Verhoeff scares me, iffy IQ and decision making

Feels like if the #Flames are at 5 and the Canucks drop down Carels or Verhoeff are gonna be the pick

@CofRedCentral If he is 2” taller he’s going top 3 in this draft so might end up being a blessing in disguise. As far as smaller guys go, he has the blend of skills to make it as a 1C in the NHL. Elite IQ, high end vision and excellent in the dot. Track record of historic production in J20 too.

Yeah, welcome to Calgary Viggo

@ColtonBaxter17 Definitely getting far more comfortable and his reads are improving. Progress is positive and something he can build off in the summer. Gain 8-10 pounds of muscle, work on your explosiveness to gain separation against NHLers and next year you silence a lot of the haters.

Best Parekh game I’ve seen live lots of confidence and making simple plays at the right time learning to pick his spots better #Flames

@RingOfFireCGY @davedubbin85 I originally did not like this idea but looking at the pipeline, we are lacking that stud all situations left D. Flames will love that he’s a western 🇨🇦 farm boy whose tough and can skate, defend, hit, shoot and pass at a high level. Left handed Drew Doughty would be the hope.

@davedubbin85 I like the idea of adding a high end left shot d-man to the mix. It's one of the big holes in the prospect system.

Have to say, I’m fairly sold on Carels being the #flames pick outside of the top 2.

@davedubbin85 As long as it’s not Verhoeff… have too many concerns about IQ and decision making to pick him top 5. Carels or Malhotra would be my picks at 3 or 4. Bjorck is right there too, I think he has a very decent chance of becoming a mix of Point and Suzuki. This years Ben Kindel.

@CrazyPete44 @davehall1289 CC is a step above KV imo. Better decision making/IQ (key), skater, defender and passer. KV has superior size, shot and more development runway as he’s more raw but atm I would say CC is the better prospect. Best case CC projection is Heiskanen while KV is Ekblad.

@davehall1289 Thoughts on Carson Carells? Could you make a case for him being one of the best dmen or is he a tier below?

You don't find 6'4, right shot 17-year-olds every year. While his game is still raw in areas, Keaton Verhoeff brings intangibles that make him an instant bet at the top of the draft. #Canucks canucksarmy.com/news/ca-draft-…

@Chens89 @MikeBartner Totally agree, too much emphasis was placed on a mediocre year due to injury. Kid was a stud every level he played growing up, that usually translates well. Getting him and a first for Nelson was very tidy business for the NYI.

@tsleaney @MikeBartner Yeah it was kinda crazy he fell that far. He was a really good OHL player as a 16 year old and had high pedigree being the 2nd overall pick. Watched him every game in oshawa and it was clear he was at minimum a top 15 talent. Has elite vision and puck skills, plus big frame.

Cal Ritchie's last 34 games: 9G-13-22P 21 years old. Basically a 2nd round pick.

@SEllisHockey I think the difference with Porter Martone is that there wasn’t IQ questions with him, he always had an advanced brain. Those types of players I have less reservation about playing with and against pro players early because they already process the game at an advanced level.

@tsleaney Learning from NHLers could be highly beneficial. Porter Martone raved about the opportunity to just travel and be alongside guys like Crosby and the Macks last year. Let him defend against Norway + Slovenia + Italy. Not the world's toughest competition, but gives him a taste

That's it for North Dakota. And, for #NHLDraft fans, the end of Keaton Verhoeff's freshman season. He is eligible to play at the U-18 World Championship, but I'd love to see him at the men's World Championship in May.

@SEllisHockey I mean that’s fair but even so he just seems too raw still. The decision making needs major refinement before playing pros imo. Would being the 8th D be more beneficial than playing his peers at the highest level? I don’t know, I’ve had a real tough time coming around on Verhoeff

@tsleaney Keep in mind, Olympic-year WC teams are typically weaker. I'd like to see him go as the 8th defender, throw him against one of the weaker teams and see how he handles playing with/against pros.

@Chens89 @SEllisHockey Agreed, and the size queens in NHL front offices see 6’4 and their mouths start watering haha. I also see the allure of that bonafide #1 behemoth defender but sometimes you have to take a step back and wonder if this player would even be in the conversation of top 5 if he’s 6’0

@tsleaney @SEllisHockey Ya I’m not comparing them as players, just he gives me that vibe of a big western Canadian D man who had a lot of hype, but has a lot of warts to his game as well. Verhoeff better offensively but Reinhart was much more physical and better in his own zone. Going into the season

@Chens89 @SEllisHockey To be fair, Verhoeff had double the amount of goals in his D-1 season as Reinhart did in his D-0. Verhoeff is a far superior prospect imo but just not a top 5 player in this draft for me. Slowish feet and brain makes for a more risky projection than Reid or Carels. Time will tell

@tsleaney @SEllisHockey He wasn’t even able to handle the pace of the WJC. I honestly would not want my team to draft him, I get serious Griffin Reinhart vibes from him. Won’t be shocked if he busts altogether.