Flames pick Jeremie Poirier determined to improve defence, silence doubters

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They selected Yan Kuznetsov, a defence-first sort for the University of Connecticut Huskies, at No. 50. Already a big dude at 6-foot-4 and 209 lb., the Russian was the youngest skater in the NCAA Division I ranks last season.

The Flames then cashed in a pair of third-round picks on blue-liners — first Poirier and next Jake Boltmann of the USHL’s Lincoln Stars — and grabbed another rearguard, KHL rookie Ilya Solovyov, in the seventh.

Calgary’s haul from the 2020 NHL Draft also included goalie Daniil Chechelev and forwards Ryan Francis and Rory Kerins.

They’re all kids, all projects. With no disrespect to the others, Poirier’s trajectory will be the most interesting to track.

“When you talk about Jeremie, you’re talking about an elite offensive talent,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving after wrapping Wednesday’s welcomes. “With the puck on his stick, he’s absolutely dynamic. He makes plays. I think he has an NHL shot today. He has great edges. He runs the power play.

“But certainly, the area that he has to work on is his defensive zone. When we talked on the phone, I said, ‘The reason I’m talking to you here in the third and somebody’s not talking to you as a possible top-20 pick is you have to dig in and there are areas, as every kid has, that you have to improve upon.’

“His play away from the puck is an area that he’s well aware of. Now, it’s up to him and it’s up to us to dig in with him and improve those shortcomings.”

This, of course, isn’t a one-of-a-kind story.