Top 50 NHL Prospects

[solarion 118]

...don't forget Karlsson. Dude will probably never amount to anything with those non-l33t skillz. Who'd want that bum on their hockey team anyway?!?

 

BESIDES ME...MAKE IT HAPPEN KENNY!!!

[Dabura 12,207]

2 hours ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Cholowski and Dahlin suck and laze, now who's the edgelord you f***in *******

Taylor Swift is generational.

[krsmith17 7,191]

9 hours ago, kipwinger said:

Since we're making projections about defensemen, I'll do you one better.  Dennis Cholowski follows in the footsteps of another former BCHLer, Duncan Keith, and becomes a top pairing mainstay and all around badass.  He goes on to win a few Cups, a few gold medals, and a Conn Smythe.  "Generational" superstar Dahlin scores a bunch of points and wins nothing, just like Erik Karlsson before him. 

I'm not sure if you're serious, but if Cholowski becomes half of what Keith was in his prime, I'd be ecstatic. They do play a similar style game, but I don't see that sort of upside from Cholowski. Maybe he becomes a solid number two defenseman, but I don't see him reaching number one status. I sure as hell hope I'm wrong though. Cholowski is definitely our best bet as a solid all around defenseman, which is what you want in a number one, but the question is, will he be very good at everything (no glaring weaknesses) or just okay at everything (no major strengths)...

[kipwinger 8,522]

37 minutes ago, krsmith17 said:

I'm not sure if you're serious, but if Cholowski becomes half of what Keith was in his prime, I'd be ecstatic. They do play a similar style game, but I don't see that sort of upside from Cholowski. Maybe he becomes a solid number two defenseman, but I don't see him reaching number one status. I sure as hell hope I'm wrong though. Cholowski is definitely our best bet as a solid all around defenseman, which is what you want in a number one, but the question is, will he be very good at everything (no glaring weaknesses) or just okay at everything (no major strengths)...

Nobody thought Duncan Keith had "Duncan Keith" upside either when he was drafted, which is why he went 54th overall.  They've actually had very similar careers so far.  Both BCHL, both dispappointed in NCAA, both went to junior hockey later and tore it up.  Both skate well, both defend well, have similar physical attributes. 

[krsmith17 7,191]

2 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

Nobody thought Duncan Keith had "Duncan Keith" upside either when he was drafted, which is why he went 54th overall.  They've actually had very similar careers so far.  Both BCHL, both dispappointed in NCAA, both went to junior hockey later and tore it up.  Both skate well, both defend well, have similar physical attributes. 

For sure, and if anyone said 15 years ago that Duncan Keith will be over half a point per game, multi Norris trophy winner, elite defenseman, I would have said the same thing... Possible. Doubtful. I hope I'm wrong (if he were drafted by the Wings).

Like I said, I definitely see the similarities stylistically, but I'm not confident in saying that Cholowski has that sort of elite potential.

I'll definitely be watching a lot of Griffins games this season, and will be keeping a close eye on Cholowski (and maybe Zadina, Svechnikov, Hronek, etc).

[kickazz 5,459]

12 hours ago, krsmith17 said:

I'll definitely be watching a lot of Griffins Red Wings games this season, and will be keeping a close eye on Cholowski (and maybe Zadina, Svechnikov, Hronek, etc).

 

[krsmith17 7,191]

Well I haven't missed a Red Wings game in about 10 years, so that's a given, but I have a feeling I'll be watching those guys in Grand Rapids for the first month or so. All four should be full time starting next season though, which is pretty exciting. We're going to be a much younger / better team in year or two.

[Dabura 12,207]

On 8/9/2018 at 11:21 AM, Jonas Mahonas said:

I think a better word to use is elite.  Generational means you have ONE.  And that's McDavid.

 

Shore

Howe

Orr

Gretzky

Crosby

McDavid

Lidstrom is arguably the greatest defenseman of all time. Ovechkin is arguably the greateast goal-scorer of all time. Hasek was pretty good at goaltendering. Et al.

To me, generational = consensus top-two-or-three winger/centerman/defenseman/goaltender (compared to his contemporaries) for 8-10+ years. Or something along those lines.

Maybe that goes against the spirit of the original definition (though, I'm not really sure what that original definition is), but I kinda feel like the word "generational" doesn't do the all-time greats justice anyway. The top tier should be something like "Legendary," capital L. Tier 2: generational.

(Like I said, semantics tar pit.)

Edited August 13, 2018 by Dabura

[Buppy 1,720]

2 hours ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

Just ignore my list.  It's wrong.

Fixed

[kipwinger 8,522]

On 8/11/2018 at 10:35 AM, krsmith17 said:

For sure, and if anyone said 15 years ago that Duncan Keith will be over half a point per game, multi Norris trophy winner, elite defenseman, I would have said the same thing... Possible. Doubtful. I hope I'm wrong (if he were drafted by the Wings).

Like I said, I definitely see the similarities stylistically, but I'm not confident in saying that Cholowski has that sort of elite potential.

I'll definitely be watching a lot of Griffins games this season, and will be keeping a close eye on Cholowski (and maybe Zadina, Svechnikov, Hronek, etc).

I feel like you'd have said "I don't see him as anything more than a 3rd pairing guy" based on his lack of draft pedigree and unimpressive NCAA and Junior stats. 

[kickazz 5,459]

2 hours ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

Just stick with my ****.  It's easy.

 

[krsmith17 7,191]

9 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

I feel like you'd have said "I don't see him as anything more than a 3rd pairing guy" based on his lack of draft pedigree and unimpressive NCAA and Junior stats. 

Why do you feel like I'd have said that? You've said how similar Cholowski is to Keith early in their careers (I agreed), and I've said I think Cholowski will likely develop into a solid number 2/3 defenseman... But yet I would have said that "I don't see Keith as anything more than a 3rd pairing guy"?... Makes no sense...

[kipwinger 8,522]

You said that 15 years ago you'd have said "possibly" if someone had said Keith was going to be elite.  Which is bull.  Pretty much nobody saw that coming.  I doubt you'd have been any different.  That was my point. 

And that's really my larger point overall.  Defensive prospects are hard to gauge at 18 years old.  Some of the best modern defensemen looked unimpressive on draft day.  Chara, Keith, Subban, Weber, Byfuglien, Letang, Yandle, Klingberg, Josi were all drafted outside of the first round.  Karlsson, Carlson, and Burns all went in the first, but not as high as their talent has born out.  Only some of the best defensemen actually projected to be that on draft day (Suter, Doughty, Pietrangelo, Hedman, Ekblad).

Compare that to forwards.  Almost all your top forwards were valued highly on draft day.  Suggesting that pretty much nobody knows what's going to make a defenseman turn out to be any good, while pretty much everybody can spot a winner at forward. 

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

Rasmus Dahlin is gonna be way better then Duncan Tantrums Keith

[krsmith17 7,191]

7 hours ago, kipwinger said:

You said that 15 years ago you'd have said "possibly" if someone had said Keith was going to be elite.  Which is bull.  Pretty much nobody saw that coming.  I doubt you'd have been any different.  That was my point. 

Why is that bull? You think I would have said that Keith becoming elite was "impossible" 15 years ago? Why would you think that when I haven't said that about Cholowski becoming elite? Highly unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No. Keith defied all odds becoming an elite defenseman in the NHL. Could Cholowski follow the same path? "Possibly", but I wouldn't bet on it.

No, I didn't foresee Keith becoming an elite defenseman 15 years ago, just like all the other defensemen you mentioned, but you don't have to see something coming to say it's possible. You just have to be somewhat open minded...

[Dabura 12,207]

5 hours ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Rasmus Dahlin is gonna be way better then Duncan Tantrums Keith

Dahlin is going to bust so hard and Hronek, Cholowski, Lindstrom, Saarijarvi, McIsaac are going to be perennial 40-point players.

Book it, nerds.

[Dabura 12,207]

34 minutes ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

That is bold.

YOLO

[Buppy 1,720]

1 hour ago, Dabura said:

Dahlin is going to bust so hard and Hronek, Cholowski, Lindstrom, Saarijarvi, McIsaac are going to be perennial 40-point players.

Book it, nerds.

So you're saying we're screwed with only five decent defensemen? Why are you counting out Malte Setkov already?

[Dabura 12,207]

4 minutes ago, Buppy said:

So you're saying we're screwed with only five decent defensemen? Why are you counting out Malte Setkov already?

Setkov will be converted to forward and become a rich man's Dustin Byfuglien circa 2010.

Sulak is the 6D. He will struggle, we will waive him, he will be claimed by Colorado, he will wind up in Tampa, and we will trade Tampa a 1st to get him back. Tamp will draft Mike Green with that pick.

Sulak becomes the 6D. He will struggle and we will replace him with Kronwall. When Kronwall retires in 2025, Setkov will be moved back to defense and become a rich man's Brent Burns. This is great for us because it means each of our defensemen will be good for at least 40 points every season. I have done the math and it checks out.

God Bless America.

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

1 hour ago, Dabura said:

Dahlin is going to bust so hard and Hronek, Cholowski, Lindstrom, Saarijarvi, McIsaac are going to be perennial 40-point players.

Book it, nerds.

I'm in love with how much of a big dumb dingus you are

23 minutes ago, Buppy said:

So you're saying we're screwed with only five decent defensemen? Why are you counting out Malte Setkov already?

Genius draft pick by Holland. When Ericsson leaves the team we will have a big hole in the pylon department. Setkov should fill that nicley.

Seems Ken learned a thing or two about planning for the future after not being able to replace Lids...

Edited August 13, 2018 by ChristopherReevesLegs

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

19 minutes ago, Jonas Mahonas said:

Yah, I'm all for taking a flyer once in a while, but this guy is like a circus clown on stilts with skates.  Unless Setkov does WWE style roids for 5 straight years, he's got ZERO chance. 

Last pick of the draft Johnny E didn't have much of a chance either... look at the $4 mil man now

[krsmith17 7,191]

Cory Pronman just released his top 100 prospects: https://theathletic.com/508797/2018/09/12/pronman-top-100-nhl-prospects-entering-the-2018-19-season/

Here's his top 15 and the 5 Red Wings prospects that made his list...

1. Rasmus Dahlin, D, Buffalo

2. Andrei Svechnikov, LW, Carolina

3. Casey Mittelstadt, C, Buffalo

4. Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis

5. Henrik Borgstrom, C, Florida

6. Filip Zadina, RW, Detroit

Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 65
Physical Game: 55
Hockey sense: 55
Shot Grade: 60

Zadina skates well, with a powerful stride that eats up ice efficiently. He has near elite-grade hands, which allow him to be quite elusive. He can create as a playmaker and tends to make good decisions moving the puck, but he’s known as a trigger man with one of the better wrist shots in the draft class. What I love about Zadina is how multi-dimensional he is. He can attack defenses by dangling through guys, he can protect pucks and drive around guys, and he can power his way past defenders or utilize an inch of space to score from long distance. He is a highly competitive player who gets high marks for his character and competes his butt off to win puck battles on the ice.

7. Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver

8. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Montreal

9. Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver

10. Martin Necas, C, Carolina

11. Gabriel Vilardi, C, Los Angeles

12. Cody Glass, C, Vegas

13. Oliver Wahlstrom, RW, New York Islanders

14. Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa

15. Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas

43. Joseph Veleno, C, Detroit

Skating: 60
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 50
Hockey sense: 55

Veleno is an excellent skater and he gets up to top speed quite easily with a powerful stride. Veleno works hard and plays a powerful style on the puck without taking many bad penalties. I don’t think he’s a dynamic playmaker, but he’s certainly above-average with the puck and can flash a tier higher. I like his puck skills. He’s a very smart player and he can consistently make above-average plays. While his shot/finishing ability is a bit worrying, Veleno has the speed, skills, smarts and physicality to be a very good playmaker and zone entry artist as an NHLer, combined with being a reliable two-way center.

52. Michael Rasmussen, C, Detroit

Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 50
Physical Game: 75
Hockey sense: 55

Rasmussen, when healthy, had a solid third season in Tri-City and was very good in the WHL postseason. He’s a great playmaker, especially for a big man, who makes quick reads and shows good vision. He’s tough on the puck along the walls using his massive 6-foot-6 frame, is good in front on the power play getting his stick on pucks and taking up space, and has a quality shot to finish chances. Rasmussen is also solid defensively and wins puck battles using his size. He skates fine for a giant with a decent top gear but he’s not incredibly quick on his first few steps. With strength it’s possible the latter won’t be as much of an issue. He gets a bad rap, but he can play. Will he be a star? No, but he could be a top-six center.

58. Filip Hronek, D, Detroit

Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 45
Hockey sense: 60

Hronek had a successful first pro season, being one of the top rookie scoring defensemen in the league and one of the better 20-year-old players overall. He moves the puck with skill and confidence and shows great overall offensive instincts. For most of the season he quarterbacked the top power play unit in Grand Rapids. His skill/IQ drive his value but he moves well and showed he could skate at the pro level. The main issue for Hronek as a pro was dealing with the defensive side of the puck in terms of his reads and turnovers. He works hard enough that I think he can improve his battles with added strength but he’ll need to work on the risk in his game.

66. Jonatan Berggren, LW, Detroit

Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 60
Physical Game: 40
Hockey sense: 60

Berggren’s skating is good, as he often shows the ability to beat defenders wide with speed and can change speeds very well. His hands are also impressive. You’d like to see a little more creativity, but he can make defenders miss. I like his vision a lot. He’s always looking to make a play and seems to have eyes in the back of his head. What I also like about his game is the pace he plays with. He’s always attacking, hitting the zone with speed and doesn’t make plays from a standstill. Berggren also has the hustle you like to see in a smaller player and can play on both special teams.

Honorable Mention

Filip Larsson, Detroit

Notable Omission

Dennis Cholowski

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

On 9/12/2018 at 6:03 PM, krsmith17 said:

Cory Pronman just released his top 100 prospects: https://theathletic.com/508797/2018/09/12/pronman-top-100-nhl-prospects-entering-the-2018-19-season/

Here's his top 15 and the 5 Red Wings prospects that made his list...

1. Rasmus Dahlin, D, Buffalo

2. Andrei Svechnikov, LW, Carolina

3. Casey Mittelstadt, C, Buffalo

4. Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis

5. Henrik Borgstrom, C, Florida

6. Filip Zadina, RW, Detroit

Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 65
Physical Game: 55
Hockey sense: 55
Shot Grade: 60

Zadina skates well, with a powerful stride that eats up ice efficiently. He has near elite-grade hands, which allow him to be quite elusive. He can create as a playmaker and tends to make good decisions moving the puck, but he’s known as a trigger man with one of the better wrist shots in the draft class. What I love about Zadina is how multi-dimensional he is. He can attack defenses by dangling through guys, he can protect pucks and drive around guys, and he can power his way past defenders or utilize an inch of space to score from long distance. He is a highly competitive player who gets high marks for his character and competes his butt off to win puck battles on the ice.

7. Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver

8. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Montreal

9. Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver

10. Martin Necas, C, Carolina

11. Gabriel Vilardi, C, Los Angeles

12. Cody Glass, C, Vegas

13. Oliver Wahlstrom, RW, New York Islanders

14. Brady Tkachuk, LW, Ottawa

15. Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas

43. Joseph Veleno, C, Detroit

Skating: 60
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 50
Hockey sense: 55

Veleno is an excellent skater and he gets up to top speed quite easily with a powerful stride. Veleno works hard and plays a powerful style on the puck without taking many bad penalties. I don’t think he’s a dynamic playmaker, but he’s certainly above-average with the puck and can flash a tier higher. I like his puck skills. He’s a very smart player and he can consistently make above-average plays. While his shot/finishing ability is a bit worrying, Veleno has the speed, skills, smarts and physicality to be a very good playmaker and zone entry artist as an NHLer, combined with being a reliable two-way center.

52. Michael Rasmussen, C, Detroit

Skating: 50
Puck Skills: 50
Physical Game: 75
Hockey sense: 55

Rasmussen, when healthy, had a solid third season in Tri-City and was very good in the WHL postseason. He’s a great playmaker, especially for a big man, who makes quick reads and shows good vision. He’s tough on the puck along the walls using his massive 6-foot-6 frame, is good in front on the power play getting his stick on pucks and taking up space, and has a quality shot to finish chances. Rasmussen is also solid defensively and wins puck battles using his size. He skates fine for a giant with a decent top gear but he’s not incredibly quick on his first few steps. With strength it’s possible the latter won’t be as much of an issue. He gets a bad rap, but he can play. Will he be a star? No, but he could be a top-six center.

58. Filip Hronek, D, Detroit

Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 55
Physical Game: 45
Hockey sense: 60

Hronek had a successful first pro season, being one of the top rookie scoring defensemen in the league and one of the better 20-year-old players overall. He moves the puck with skill and confidence and shows great overall offensive instincts. For most of the season he quarterbacked the top power play unit in Grand Rapids. His skill/IQ drive his value but he moves well and showed he could skate at the pro level. The main issue for Hronek as a pro was dealing with the defensive side of the puck in terms of his reads and turnovers. He works hard enough that I think he can improve his battles with added strength but he’ll need to work on the risk in his game.

66. Jonatan Berggren, LW, Detroit

Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 60
Physical Game: 40
Hockey sense: 60

Berggren’s skating is good, as he often shows the ability to beat defenders wide with speed and can change speeds very well. His hands are also impressive. You’d like to see a little more creativity, but he can make defenders miss. I like his vision a lot. He’s always looking to make a play and seems to have eyes in the back of his head. What I also like about his game is the pace he plays with. He’s always attacking, hitting the zone with speed and doesn’t make plays from a standstill. Berggren also has the hustle you like to see in a smaller player and can play on both special teams.

Honorable Mention

Filip Larsson, Detroit

Notable Omission

Dennis Cholowski

Pronman will soon learn the compete level/gumption/grit of the one they call Ras. He will rank him much higher than Veleno and Babs will be unable to hide his erection. 

[krsmith17 7,191]

3 hours ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Pronman will soon learn the compete level/gumption/grit of the one they call Ras. He will rank him much higher than Veleno and Babs will be unable to hide his erection. 

I agree with the bold. F*** that other noise...