Flames covet Tkachuk's skill set: He's 'sandpaper ... and a proven winner'

It appears the Calgary Flames couldn't be happier with their first-round draft pick.

Matthew Tkachuk - selected sixth overall in June's draft from the London Knights - is hopeful to make an impact as Calgary's development camp gets underway.

"I want to show where I've come as a player and how much I'm willing to buy into the fact that I want to play soon and just make sure I'm ready," Tkachuk said, according to Aaron Vickers of CalgaryFlames.com.

As for Calgary's brass, it believes the addition of Tkachuk to an already skilled, youthful lineup will provide a great benefit, as the 18-year-old brings a different complexion to the team.

"When you talk about sandpaper, great around the net, and a proven winner ... that's one thing," Flames assistant GM Craig Conroy said. " Everybody says, well, he's got to play with all these other guys. It's hard to play with good players. Not everybody can play with good players. He's a great compliment ... if you want to call him that. A lot of nights he does a lot of dirty work in front of the net, in the corners, to free up space for other guys.

"To have a guy like that ... we have have a lot of guys with skill but we don't have a Tkachuk-like guy on our team right now."

Tkachuk scored the Memorial Cup-winning goal in overtime for the Knights in May, and is coming off a 107-point season. Although he still needs to earn a roster spot on the Flames, it looks like he's off to a good start.