You know it's a slow news day when the big news is Guillaume Desbiens signs with Vancouver, but for today's piece, it's back to school, seeing as the youngsters reading this have a few weeks until then. When the Calgary Flames decided to make Mark Jankowski the 21st overall pick in this year's draft, many eyebrows were raised. Today, Jankowski announced his intention to play at Providence College this fall. Most first round picks do not make the jump to the NHL right away, and certainly, Jankowski's decision was a wise one. He does not have to necessarily sign with the Flames right away, nor would I expect it to happen after next season. If the Flames are patient enough, Jankowski can be what the Flames hope for in terms of a young talent that can contribute on some level. For Jankowski, this isn't just about playing hockey to get to a point of contributing at the NHL level; it is an opportunity for him to find out what he's about and to have something to fall back on should hockey not work out. It can end up like Patrick White (25th overall in 2007) or Zach Parise (17th overall in 2003). Both played college hockey, and both had radically different results. The Flames need developmental prospects, and by not being in control of Jankowski for the moment, the Flames can still monitor his progress without pressuring him to perform right away.
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