Brock
Registered User
Here it is, after weeks of work, the 2008 HFNHL Prospect Handbook. It's in the same format as last year (which can be found here, and contains a Top 50 Prospect list, Organizational Rankings, and a top 10 prospect list for each team.
Here's a review of how each was accumulated:
1. Top 50 List
I had worked on a couple of these lists for HF in my time as a writer for them. I used the same method HF did. Basically I received lists from Myself, Tony, Matt Kowalchuk, Matt Kershaw, Ryan Yessie, and Ville. Every player had their ranking averaged out. Players NOT receiving a ranking from a particular list would receive a ranking of 60 as part of their average from that list. To break ties, preference was given to the player who had received the highest individual ranking from a list.
Ok, as per what constitutes a prospect, the following criteria was used:
1) Player must be 25 years OR younger as per December 31, 2008 (meaning 1983 and up born players are eligible).
2) Skaters cannot have played more than 50 games of NHL action previous to the 2007-08 NHL season. Goalies cannot have played more than 25 games. This means that current NHL rookies (ala Steve Stamkos) were still eligible!
3) Players can be on teams prospect lists or rosters. It does not matter. This is to allow any player eligible under the above criteria to be included, regardless of whether they have been signed as undraftees or depth(for example Fabian Brunnstrom).
Their was a total of 97 players who received a ranking. Players who did not manage to crack the top 50 list are listed in the Honorable Mentions category. The Honorable Mentions are broken down according to how many votes they received.
2. The Organizational Rankings
This list was compiled completely by myself and thus it is strictly my opinion on the matter. Obviously there were a lot of close calls and a lot of these teams are pretty damn close.
3. Top 10 Prospects by Team
Again these lists waere compiled by accord of my own opinion, except for in the instance of players appearing on the top 50 list. They were obviously ranked accordingly.
Obviously, similar to the top 50 list, the same prospect criteria were used.
Without further delay, here is the finished product!
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HFNHL Top 50 Prospects
1. Steve Stamkos
2. Drew Doughty
3. Kyle Turris
4. Zach Bogosian
5. James Van Riemsdyk
6. Luke Schenn
7. Alex Pietrangelo
8. Patrick Berglund
9. Derrick Brassard
10. Nikita Filatov
11. Jakub Voracek
12. Steve Mason
13. Bobby Ryan
14. Mikkael Boedker
15. Karl Alzner
16. Cody Hodgson
17. Colin Wilson
18. Devin Setoguchi
19. Thomas Hickey
20. Tuukka Rask
21. Bryan Little
22. Kyle Okposo
23. Jonathan Bernier
24. Blake Wheeler
25. Josh Bailey
26. Ondrej Pavelec
27. Oscar Moller
28. Jakub Markstrom
29. T.J. Oshie
30. Claude Giroux
31. Luca Sbisa
32. Colten Teubert
33. Ryan McDonagh
34. Michael Frolik
35. Max Pacioretty
36. Brandon Sutter
37. Chet Pickard
38. Erik Karlsson
39. Mikkael Backlund
40. Cory Schneider
41. John Carlson
42. Kris Versteeg
43. Zach Boychuk
44. Jonathan Blum
45. Nikolai Kulemin
46. Semen Varalmov
47. Alex Goligoski
48. Keith Yandle
49. Bob Sanguinetti
50. Cody Franson
Honorable Mention (3 Votes)
Thomas McCollum
Honorable Mention (2 Votes)
Tyler Myers
Dustin Tokarski
Tyler Ennis
Tyler Cuma
James Neal
Jhonas Enroth
Lars Eller
Jordan Eberle
Zach Hamill
T.J. Hensick
Shawn Matthias
Honorable Mention (1 Vote)
Chris Stewart
Ryan Stoa
Joe Colbourne
Patrick Weircioch
Keaton Ellerby
Jake Gardiner
Jack Skille
Jamie Benn
Jonas Junland
Fabian Brunnstrom
Brendan Smith
Andreas Nodl
Artem Anisimov
Nathan Gerbe
Nick Foligno
Brian Lee
Logan Couture
Ryan Parent
Oskar Osala
Matt Lashoff
Brett Sonne
Maxim Mayorov
Jakub Kindl
Kevin Shattenkirk
Jeff Frazee
Jaroslav Halak
Keith Aulie
Mason Raymond
Jake Allen
James O'Brien
Harri Sateri
Nick Petrecki
Danny Kristo
Darren Helm
Teddy Ruth
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HFNHL Organizational Rankings
1. New York Islanders
Strengths: The Islanders most obvious strength is the depth of their prospect pool. But not just depth, quality depth. Guys who would be top 5 prospects on many other HFNHL teams wouldn’t even crack the Islanders top 20 list. They’ve got nearly every angle covered. Strong future goaltending in Tuukka Rask and Justin Pogge. Talented offensive forwards in Nikita Filatov and Angelo Esposito. Bruising power forwards in Kyle Okposo, Chris Stewart, and Kyle Beach. Not to mention a very talented group of defenseman in Cody Franson, Tyler Myers, Jamie McBain, Chris Butler, etc.
Weaknesses: Come on Hasnain, no first rounders this year? I think it’s safe to say that the depth of this pool will suffer because of it
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Nikita Filatov (#10)
2. Tuukka Rask (#20)
3. Kyle Okposo (#22)
4. Brandon Sutter (#36)
5. Cody Franson (#50)
6. Chris Stewart (HM 1)
7. Tyler Myers (HM 2)
8. Angelo Esposito
9. Kyle Beach
10. Ryan Stoa (HM 1)
2. Montreal Canadiens
Strengths: The Habs were so damn close to being first, but in the end it was felt that their top end depth wasn’t quite as high, although their overall depth was just as good. I think there is no question that the Habs biggest strength is the quality and depth of their defenseman. Zach Bogosian is a future top pairing defenseman, while other future NHL blueliners like Bob Sanguinetti, Keith Yandle, Erik Karlsson, Patrick Weircioch, Keaton Ellerby, Jake Gardiner, and Taylor Chorney supply amazing depth.
Weaknesses: I think that the Canadiens have to improve the quality of their forwards. Currently the team’s top 2 forward prospects are Joe Colbourne and Rob Schremp, two players with a lot of question marks. With three first rounders in the 2009 draft, I would expect the Habs to go forward with at least two of those picks.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Zach Bogosian (#4)
2. Ondrej Pavelec (#26)
3. Erik Karlsson (#38)
4. Keith Yandle (#48)
5. Bob Sanguinetti (#49)
6. Joe Colbourne (HM 1)
7. Patrick Weircioch (HM 1)
8. Rob Schremp
9. Keaton Ellerby (HM 1)
10. Jake Gardiner (HM 1)
3. Los Angeles Kings
Strengths: The Kings have very solid top end depth at forward and on defense. At forward, Derrick Brassard, Oscar Moller and Jack Skille have the chance to be real difference makers. While other players like Zagrapan, Benn and Marchand have taken great steps forward. On defense, Alex Pietrangelo and Alex Goligoski can also develop into tremendous offensive blueliners who can play in the top 4.
Weaknesses: In goal, the Kings easily have the most trouble. The team has been waiting on Cam Ward to take that next step forward, of which he has yet to do. Thus, their goaltending cupboard is nearly bare. I think the Kings could be wise to finally get a back up plan behind Ward.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Alex Pietrangelo (#7)
2. Derrick Brassard (#9)
3. Oscar Moller (#27)
4. Alex Goligoski (#47)
5. Jake Skille (HM 1)
6. Marek Zagrapan
7. Jamie Benn (HM 1)
8. Brad Marchand
9. Jonas Junland (HM 1)
10. Niklas Hjalmarsson
4. Phoenix Coyotes
Strengths: The Coyotes make a nice leap in these rankings compared to last season. The reason for this lies in very good drafting and some excellent progression from their top players. The Coyotes have a very deep prospect pool, but in my mind, their biggest strength lies in goaltending. Steve Mason looks like an absolute stud, while Dustin Tokarski and Mike Murphy are annual inclusions in CHL top goaltender talk. The future of the Coyotes is set in goal. The Yotes also have a solid group of forward prospects, especially players who can create offense like Cody Hodgson, Tyler Ennis and Fabian Brunnstrom.
Weaknesses: While Jonathan Blum and Mark Katic are good NHL prospects, they don’t have the potential to become top pairing, franchise type defenseman. If there is one weakness on the Coyotes and their system, it’s that they don’t have that one defenseman to build their organization around. With likely another high pick in the 2009 draft, I’d expect the Coyotes to go defense and snag that one to build around.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Steve Mason (#12)
2. Cody Hodgson (#16)
3. Jonathan Blum (#44)
4. Dustin Tokarski (HM 2)
5. Tyler Ennis (HM 2)
6. Fabian Brunnstrom (HM 1)
7. Justin Abdelkader
8. Matt Halischuk
9. Mark Katic
10. Mike Murphy
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
Strengths: I think the biggest compliment you can give to the Jackets is that their system is incredibly well balanced. They have some talented forwards, potential impact defenseman and two top quality goaltending prospects. Semen Varalmov and Leland Irving combine to give the Jackets are pretty sure future in net.
Weaknesses: I think one thing you might be able to say about the Jackets is that while they have very good depth, they might lack that big difference maker. No one in the Jackets system really stands out as a franchise type player whom Columbus GM Doug Emerson could rebuild his team around. With a potential high first rounder and some assets to deal, this should be Emerson’s main prerogative.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Ryan McDonagh (#33)
2. Max Pacioretty (#35)
3. Zack Boychuk (#43)
4. Nikolai Kulemin (#45)
5. Semen Varalmov (#46)
6. Brendan Smith (HM 1)
7. Leland Irving
8. Brian Boyle
9. Trevor Lewis
10. Blake Geoffrion
6. Nashville Predators
Strengths: The Preds have an incredibly well balanced farm system. They have a really solid prospect at every position. Up front, Kyle Turris is the focal point as he is expected to lead the Preds for many years to come. In goal, the rapid progression of Jakub Markstrom has given the team a very capable goaltending prospect, which is especially important because Kari Lehtonen still hasn’t really taken that step forward to star goaltender. And on defense, Colton Teubert has taken great steps forward offensively this season and looks to be blossoming into a stud defender.
Weaknesses: The Predators really don’t have any prospect weaknesses. The only reason they are slightly lower than the top 4 is because they don’t have quite as many potential impact/franchise type players.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Kyle Turris (#3)
2. Jakub Markstrom (#28)
3. Colton Teubert (#32)
4. Andreas Nodl (HM 1)
5. Colton Gillies
6. Jamie McGinn
7. Cody Goloubef
8. Phil McRae
9. Louie Caporusso
10. Logan Pyett
7. Detroit Red Wings
Strengths: The Wings move up because some of their prospects have had outstanding years. In particular, their forward prospects have had quite the coming out party. Claude Giroux is currently the front runner for AHL rookie of the year and looks to be a potential NHL star. Kris Versteeg has been one of the NHL’s best rookies and has come out of nowhere to look like a legit top 6 forward. And Mikhail Grabovski has finally taken that step forward to become an NHL regular with the Maple Leafs. Also, 2008 first rounder Luca Sbisa is already an NHL regular and looks like a future top 4 NHL defenseman. And you can’t talk about the Wings without mentioning the amount of depth their system has.
Weaknesses: With Nik Lidstrom getting older, the Wings may not have a replacement for him. While guys like Sbisa, Cuma, Salcido, among others are solid prospects, I think it is safe to say that none of these guys look to be future franchise defenseman, but more dependable second pairing players. Also, while Daniel Larsson has taken steps forward as of late in the AHL, the Wings don’t have a lot of serious prospect depth at the goaltending position, outside of relatively unknown, undrafted NHL prospects.
Top 10 Prospects
1. Claude Giroux (#30)
2. Luca Sbisa (#31)
3. Kris Versteeg (#42)
4. Tyler Cuma (HM 2)
5. Mikhail Grabovski
6. Martins Karsums
7. Patrick Maroon
8. Brian Salcido
9. Daniel Larsson
10. Marc-Andre Gragnani
8. Calgary Flames
Strengths: The Flames have themselves one of the best groups of forwards of anyone on this list. 9 of the Flames 10, top 10 are forwards. Patrik Berglund and Devin Setoguchi have established themselves as outstanding NHL players, where as Eric Tangradi, Mikael Backlund, Artem Anisimov, among others have the potential to be top 6 NHL forwards.
Weaknesses: The Flames have very few defensive prospects, at least ones who could make a serious impact in the NHL, and have an ever worse group of goaltending prospects. If the Flames system were more balanced, they would likely find themselves higher on this list. With a host of first day picks in 2009, I’d look for the Flames to address this imbalance.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Patrik Berglund (#8)
2. Devin Setoguchi (#18)
3. Mikael Backlund (#39)
4. Artem Anisimov (HM 1)
5. Eric Tangradi
6. Steve Downie
7. Andrej Sekera
8. Michael Repik
9. Lauri Korpikoski
10. Paul Szczechura
9. Florida Panthers
Strengths: The Panthers have a great group of forward prospects, in particular those who can make an impact on a teams top 6. JVR is a dynamic potential power forward, while Bryan Little, James Neal and Ilya Zubov look to be potential impact players. In goal, the Panthers have managed to improve their goaltending depth from last year with the addition of Jonathan Quick, who is playing very well this season. Much like the Red Wings, you have to mention the depth of the Panthers farm system, which is incredibly impressive.
Weaknesses: Again, the Panthers lack any top end blueline prospects. While players like Adam Comrie, Arturs Kulda, Drew Schiestel, Max Nicastro, Matt Donovan, among others, look to be potential NHL players, none are expected to be impact players. So while the depth is improved defensively, the top end has not. I’d expect the Panthers to continue to work on this.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. James Van Riemsdyk (#5)
2. Bryan Little (#21)
3. James Neal (HM 2)
4. Ilya Zubov
5. Michael Neuvirth
6. Antti Pihlstrom
7. Jonathan Quick
8. Cal Clutterbuck
9. Corey Trivino
10. Cal O’Reilly
10. Colorado Avalanche
Strengths: The Avs take a bit of a tumble on this years list, but it’s only because they had a semi large graduation of prospects, while others have had disappointing seasons like Logan Couture, Nick Foligno, and Ryan Parent. A big strength to the Avs system is their depth, which is very strong. I’d argue that the best asset of the Avs system is their defensive prospects. Luke Schenn is a future anchor for many years, while Brian Lee, Ryan Parent, Kevin Marshall, Carl Sneep, Nigel Williams, among others look to be potential contributors.
Weaknesses: While the Avs did a great job in improving their goaltending depth at the last draft with the selections of guys like Tyler Beskorowany, and Jacob Deserres, it’s really uncertain as to the NHL future of them. With a massive amount of picks in the top 90 of 2009, I’d say the Avs could address this issue even further.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Luke Schenn (#6)
2. Nathan Gerbe (HM 1)
3. Nick Foligno (HM 1)
4. Brian Lee (HM 1)
5. Logan Couture (HM 1)
6. Ryan Parent (HM 1)
7. Kevin Marshall
8. Oskar Osala (HM 1)
9. Peter Regin
10. Carl Sneep
11. St. Louis Blues
Strengths: The Blues have very good depth to their farm system. A positive aspect to the Blues farm system, that I think is worth mentioning is the number of wild cards they have. Players like Enroth, Cole, Summers, Eller, Grachev, Ness, among others could have a lot of potential in the NHL and it’s unknown as to how good of prospects they actually are. The Blues also have a very balanced system with solid prospects in every positional area.
Weaknesses: The Blues system is pretty similar to that of the Blue Jackets. They have good depth and a lot of wild card prospects, but as of right now, it’s uncertain as to whether any of them can be huge impact players in the NHL. But for such a competitive team, year after year, a farm system like this is about as much as you could ask for.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Jhonas Enroth (HM 2)
2. Dave Bolland
3. Kyle Chipchura
4. Ian Cole
5. Chris Summers
6. Lars Eller (HM 2)
7. Evgeni Grachev
8. Teddy Purcell
9. Aaron Ness
10. Ben Maxwell
12. San Jose Sharks
Strengths: The Sharks have done a good job of building up their farm system, improving ten spots from last season. They have improved their depth to a respectable level and have managed to acquire both through trade and the draft, some potential impact players. Blake Wheeler has been outstanding in the NHL this season, while Chet Pickard looks to be a very good NHL goaltending prospect. The Sharks also have a balanced pool positionally, hitting all areas.
Weaknesses: If you want to get picky, the Sharks could stand to improve their defensive depth, in particular defenseman other than puck moving, offensive guys. Lashoff has had some trouble cracking the NHL full time, while Ivan Vishnevski and Nick Ross remain long shots at best in being more than 4-6 defenseman. And while the Sharks farm system has improved, the fact that the team has no draft picks, what so ever, in 2009, suggests that the team isn’t going to be able to improve through the draft.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Blake Wheeler (#24)
2. Chet Pickard (#37)
3. Benoit Pouliot
4. Matt Lashoff (HM 1)
5. Ville Leino
6. Ivan Vishnevski
7. Nick Ross
8. Brett Sonne (HM 1)
9. Jesse Joensuu
10. Maxim Mayorov (HM 1)
13. New York Rangers
Strengths: The Rangers have a great collection of top end forward prospects in Colin Wilson, Michael Frolik, Chris Bourque, and Riley Nash. Those four should play an important role in the Rangers future. On defense, the Rangers have a nice set of puck moving players like Jakub Kindl, Jonathan Ericsson, Shawn Lalonde, and M-A Bourdon. In particular, GM Sean Gaffney has to be very happy with Kindl’s improvements this season after a dreadful rookie AHL season.
Weaknesses: While the team’s depth isn’t exactly a concern yet, it is what holds them back from being higher on this list. Outside of the top 5 or 6 prospects, many of the Rangers prospects are long shots at best for longtime NHL careers.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Colin Wilson (#17)
2. Michael Frolik (#34)
3. Chris Bourque
4. Riley Nash
5. Jakub Kindl (HM 1)
6. Jonathan Ericsson
7. Tobias Stephan
8. Riku Helenius
9. Shawn Lalonde
10. Marc-Andre Bourdon
14. Boston Bruins
Strengths: The Bruins have to be really happy at how far their prospect pool has come. This is definitely in part to some excellent drafting by Kreugs in the past few years. Any of the teams top 5 prospects have a chance to be impact players in the NHL, and the team has great positional balance. The team has to be particularly happy with the rapid progression by a pair of its 2008 draft picks in Josh Bailey and Vyacheslav Voinov.
Weaknesses: The thing holding back the Bruins from being placed higher, is their lack of depth. I had to really stretch for players at the bottom of the top 10.If they continue to draft strongly, this is something that can be rectified.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Josh Bailey (#25)
2. Cory Schneider (#40)
3. Kevin Shattenkirk (HM 1)
4. Aaron Palushaj
5. Vyacheslav Voinov
6. Cade Fairchild
7. Anton Gustafsson
8. Dustin Kohn
9. Joonas Lehtivuori
10. Bobby Hughes
15. Chicago Blackhawks
Strengths: The Blackhawks have outstanding goaltending potential in Jonathan Bernier, Tyson Sexsmith and Jeff Frazee. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the odds are in favor of at least one of these guys developing into a number one netminder. The Hawks also have a couple of solid high end forward prospects in first rounder Mikael Boedker, and the breakout Matt D’Agostini.
Weaknesses: A few things hold the Hawks back from being higher. For one, somewhat similar to Boston, the depth of the prospect pool is lacking in comparison to some of the higher ranked teams. Also of note is the Hawks lack of serious defender prospects. While Carle, Postma, Scandella, Groulx are alright prospects, they wouldn’t touch a lot of teams top 10’s. With 4 high draft picks in 2009, I’d expect GM Dryden Lewis to go defense with at least one, maybe two of these selections. Those picks will go a long way in improving prospect depth too.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Mikael Boedker (#14)
2. Jonathan Bernier (#23)
3. Matt D’Agostini
4. Tyson Sexsmith
5. Jeff Frazee (HM 1)
6. Mathieu Carle
7. Casey Pierro-Zabotel
8. Paul Postma
9. Marco Scandella
10. Greg Moore
16. Atlanta Thrashers
Strengths: I guess you could say having the top prospect in all of hockey is a strength. The Thrashers in fact have two very high end forward prospects in the aforementioned Stamkos, and Jakub Voracek. Defensively, the Thrashers have some decent depth, in particular physical defenseman in Colby Robak, Taylor Ellington and Andrei Zubarev.
Weaknesses: I think one thing that is somewhat alarming is the lack of depth the Thrashers have. For a rebuilding team who should be looking to stockpile prospects, the Thrashers sure are putting their eggs into one or two baskets. The trend continues as the club has only it’s first rounder (likely top 5), and a 7th in the 2009 draft. If you take Steve Stamkos off this list, the Thrashers find themselves in the bottom five of this list, much like they were last year.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Steve Stamkos (#1)
2. Jakub Voracek (#11)
3. Chris Didomenico
4. Colby Robak
5. Taylor Ellington
6. Andrei Zubarev
7. Tyler Ruegsegger
8. Ben Shutron
9. Lauri Tukonen
10. Brady Calla
17. Edmonton Oilers
Strengths: The Oilers have an excellent collection of forwards. T.J. Oshie, Jordan Eberle, Zach Hamill, and Kenndal McArdle could all be potential top 6 forwards and they all bring something a little different to the table. On top of that, if Stefan Legein returns to the ice in full form, this group could get even stronger. On defense, Sami Lepisto, Yann Sauve, and Michael Stone look to be potential offensive contributors.
Weaknesses: Evgeni Nakobov won’t be around forever, and the Oilers need to accept that and find themselves a future heir apparent. With Taylor Dakers, a suspect goaltending prospect, the best there is to offer, new GM Jeff Kirk needs to find a away to address this. The overall depth needs to be addressed and improved as well.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. T.J. Oshie (#29)
2. Jordan Eberle (HM 2)
3. Sami Lepisto
4. Zach Hamill (HM 2)
5. Kenndal McArdle
6. Yann Sauve
7. Michael Stone
8. Cody Bass
9. Taylor Dakers
10. Stefan Legein
18. Anaheim Ducks
Strengths: The Ducks have an outstanding group of puck rushing defenseman. The likes of Thomas Hickey, David Fischer, Matt Hunwick, and P.K. Subban gives the Ducks a potential slick skating future blueline. Forward prospects Wayne Simmonds and Kevin Porter have had very impressive seasons in breaking in the NHL and look to be solid NHL contributors.
Weaknesses: In goal, the Ducks future rests solely on Pekka Rinne’s hands (he was too old to make this list), which might scare GM Matt Gledhill. You have to imagine that the team would like to add a potential franchise netminder to the group. Also, while the likes of Simmonds, and company are solid prospects, they aren’t likely to be impact top 6 players. The Ducks could use to add a top quality forward prospect to their pool.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Thomas Hickey (#19)
2. Wayne Simmonds
3. Kevin Porter
4. David Fischer
5. Matt Hunwick
6. Ty Wishart
7. P.K Subban
8. Michael Grabner
9. Petri Kontiola
10. Mike Ratchuk
19. Washington Capitals
Strengths: The Caps are a team that has deservedly moved up in the rankings thanks to some shrewd drafting by former Caps GM Andrew CS. With Drew Doughty, the future of the Caps blueline is in great hands. Not to mention Keith Aulie is starting to look like a future NHL defenseman. At forward, Viktor Tikhonov, Brett MacLean, among others give the Caps great hope for the future.
Weaknesses: The depth of the system, while improved, is still a problem. Hopefully the team can continue to draft strongly so the future of the Washington Capitals can continue to look strong.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Drew Doughty (#2)
2. Jaroslav Halak (HM 1)
3. Viktor Tikhonov
4. Brett Maclean
5. Keith Aulie (HM 1)
6. Kiril Petrov
7. Kris Chucko
8. Adam Henrique
9. Justin Peters
10. Danny Syvret
20. Toronto Maple Leafs
Strengths: The Leafs have assembled a nicely balanced prospect system. The scouting team worked hard to improve their defensive depth from last season by adding outstanding blueliner John Carlson, as well as Anssi Salmela. Forward and goaltending talent is present as well.
Weaknesses: While the Leafs have built up some solid depth, and they have solid organizational balance, the Leafs may not have anyone who they can say they are building their franchise around. With two first rounders in the upcoming draft, the Leafs can continue to add top end talent and try to get some more players near the top of that top 50.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. John Carlson (#41)
2. Mason Raymond (HM 1)
3. Nicklas Bergfors
4. Enver Lisin
5. Anssi Salmela
6. Matt Corrente
7. Corey Crawford
8. Antti Niemi
9. Frans Nielsen
10. Mathieu Perreault
21. Minnesota Wild
Strengths: The Wild, perhaps in fear that Vesa Toskala is not the future of the organization, have two solid goaltending prospects in big Ben Bishop and Trevor Cann. On top of this, the Karl Alzner looks to be the future anchor of the blueline. The Wild also have great depth, thanks to good drafting by GM Greg Dockus. I think the one signature of a Dockus draft pick is a player who works hard and can get in your face, which some of the forward prospects like Nic Deschamps, Joel Broda, and Josh Brittain can do.
Weaknesses: The Wild, while having good depth, lack any potential impact players outside of Karl Alzner. Particularly at forward this be improved, as the team is going to need a future leader in their top 6, and not just in their bottom 6.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Karl Alzner (#15)
2. Tim Kennedy
3. Yannick Weber
4. Ben Bishop
5. Trevor Cann
6. Nic Deschamps
7. Joel Broda
8. Patrick McNeill
9. Mike Funk
10. Josh Brittain
22. Tampa Bay Lightning
Strengths: The Bolts are definitely loaded at forward. Bobby Ryan is a potential franchise offensive player and he’s had a great start to the NHL season. While the others are wildcards, the odds are in Martin Sedin’s favor that at least a few of Patric Hornqvist, Carl Soderberg, Janne Pesonen, Tom Wandell, or Johan Harju develop into NHL contributors.
Weaknesses: When you’ve got to bring in one player who’s currently suspended by his team and another who’s a career minor leaguer to the top 10, you’ve got to question depth. On top of depth, the Bolts have very little in the way of goaltending and defense. Goaltending especially has to be alarming with the lack of any future netminder in Tampa.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Bobby Ryan (#13)
2. Patric Hornqvist
3. Carl Soderberg
4. Janne Pesonen
5. Tom Wandell
6. Blake Kessel
7. Johan Harju
8. Daniel Ryder
9. Oscar Hedman
10. Corey Locke
23. Vancouver Canucks
Strengths: The Canucks have managed to put together an outstanding group of young goaltenders. The amazing thing about this is that current netminder Carey Price isn’t even included. None the less, the likes of Jake Allen, Jeff Zatkoff, and Harri Sateri can be used as trade bait as their value grows. The Canucks also have to be happy with the progression of a player like Kyle Quincey, who has finally found himself to be a producing NHL regular.
Weaknesses: While they do have some good prospects and average depth, the Canucks have few players with the potential to be impact players. While this main not alarm Canucks GM Sean K because of some young talent currently playing for the Canucks, it is important to continue to draft well and produce those gems, especially in the cap era.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Jake Allen (HM 1)
2. Jeff Petry
3. Jim O'Brien (HM 1)
4. Daulton Leveille
5. Kyle Quincey
6. Jeff Zatkoff
7. Brandon Burlon
8. Harri Sateri (HM 1)
9. David Warsofsky
10. Jesse Winchester
24. Philadelphia Flyers
Strengths: No question the Flyers biggest strength is in goaltending, with two top quality netminding prospects in Brian Elliot and James Howard. Both have the potential to be NHL starting netminders. The Flyers also have some solid forward prospects, each of which brings different things to the table. Greg Nemisz and Dana Tyrell supply skill and sandpaper, while guys like Zac Dalpe, T.J. Galiardi, Evgeni Dadonov, and Luca
i give the future some skill.
Weaknesses: The Flyers have two big weaknesses. The first being the future on defense, which the Flyers don’t really have. Boris Valabik is an ok player, but he doesn’t have the potential to be a significant NHL player, likely ditto for a guy like Greg Pateryn. Secondly, the Flyers lack the organizational depth of a lot of the higher teams. With only a few mid round draft picks for the 2009 draft, the Flyers will have to draft shrewdly should they want to improve their prospect depth.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Brian Elliot
2. James Howard
3. Greg Nemisz
4. Dana Tyrell
5. Zac Dalpe
6. Boris Valabik
7. T.J. Galiardi
8. Evgeni Dadonov
9. Lucai
10. Greg Pateryn
25. Pittsburgh Penguins
Strengths: The Penguins have some solid depth at the defense position in Michael Del Zotto, Nick Petrecki, Alex Grant, Matt Pelech, Brian Strait, Brett Skinner. All of these guys bring different elements to the game and thus the system is well rounded on the blueline. At forward, the breakout of Jannik Hansen at the NHL level is very nice, while Drayson Bowman is having another great year in the WHL and looks to be a future sniper for the Pens, perhaps playing with playmaker Peter Mueller.
Weaknesses: While the Pens did shore up their future goaltending with Ilya Bryzgalov, the system is completely bare of a serious or even remotely serious goaltending prospect. Pittsburgh has a couple high draft picks in the 2009 draft and perhaps they would be wise to address this issue going forward.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Michael Del Zotto
2. Drayson Bowman
3. Nick Petrecki (HM 1)
4. Jannik Hansen
5. Akim Aliu
6. Ryan White
7. Jimmy Hayes
8. Alex Grant
9. Matt Pelech
10. Brian Strait
26. Buffalo Sabres
Strengths: The Sabres have some good depth at every position, with a couple solid prospects at forward, goalie and defense. At forward, T.J. Hensick and Shawn Matthias are probably the crown jewels of the system and have NHL potential. On defense, the Sabres might be the deepest with players like Kevin Klein, Colby Cohen, Will Weber, Jyri Niemi and Mark Barberio. All of those guys have good potential, although are somewhat wild cards. And in goal, Jeremy Smith and Kent Patterson give the team some solid depth.
Weaknesses: While the Sabres have a few wildcard players, they lack the serious top end talent that a lot of teams near the top part of this list have. The team has drafted a lot of projects in recent years, so GM Josh Pitt is banking on those developing correctly in order to give his system more value.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. T.J. Hensick (HM 2)
2. Shawn Matthias (HM 2)
3. Colby Cohen
4. Kevin Klein
5. Will Weber
6. Jeremy Smith
7. Kent Patterson
8. Billy Sauer
9. Jyri Niemi
10. Mark Barberio
27. Dallas Stars
Strengths: The Stars biggest strength lies in their goaltending. In Thomas McCollum, Jeff Deslauriers, and Michael Hutchinson, the Stars have three possible future number one netminders. I think it’s safe to say the future in goal is secure. On defense, the Stars have some good depth in Mitera, Plante, Polak, Borer and Anikeyenko.
Weaknesses: The Stars lack top end talent among their skating positions. This is especially true for the forward position, where not only top end talent, but overall depth is severely lacking. The Stars do have 3 high draft picks in 2009, so look for the team to improve that part of the system and likely draft forward.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Thomas McCollum (HM 3)
2. Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers
3. Mark Mitera
4. Francois Bouchard
5. Alex Plante
6. Joakim Lindstrom
7. Roman Polak
8. Casey Borer
9. Michael Hutchinson
10. Danny Kristo (HM 1)
28. New Jersey Devils
Strengths: The Devils have a pair of hard working forward prospects in Darren Helm and John Mitchell, who will definitely be NHL players, it’s just a matter of at what capacity. Also, defensive prospects Adam Pardy and Travis Hamonic have taken solid steps forward this season, with Pardy seeing a regular shift in the NHL.
Weaknesses: New Jersey just does not have the depth or top end talent to be anywhere near the top of this list. In fact, there is actually quite the huge drop off between 27 to 28-30. The Devils also really need a goaltending prospect of some sort. With 5 first rounders upcoming in the 2009 draft, I’d expect the Devils to be a lot higher next year. GM Rich Epstein knows what he is doing.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Darren Helm (HM 1)
2. John Mitchell
3. Adam Pardy
4. Travis Hamonic
5. Max Gratchev
6. Brett Sterling
7. Joe Finley
8. Matt Smaby
9. Jordan Lavallee
10. Ian Schultz
29. Ottawa Senators
Strengths: The Senators have two solid forward prospects who have the definite potential to play in the NHL. In particular, Luca Caputi has top 6 potential and could be a legit NHL scoring threat. The Sens also have a couple defenseman with the potential to be NHL defenders, in particular Mathieu Brodeur is a big guy who could develop well.
Weaknesses: Well the Sens have a lot of problems. For one, the lack of depth is quite alarming, but with a ton of picks in 2009 that could be turned around with some solid drafting. Also, the lack of top end talent also has to concern Sens brass, and with no first rounders in 2009, that trend could continue.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Cory Emmerton
2. Luca Caputi
3. Brett Carson
4. Mathieu Brodeur
5. Dmitri Vorobiev
6. Dannick Paquette
7. James Wright
8. Josh Unice
9. Sergei Bobrovsky
10. Antoine Lafleur
30. Carolina Hurricanes
Strengths: It’s tough to find a strength of the Hurricanes system. No one position is incredibly strong. The Canes do have some depth at goal in Joe Fallon, Daniel Manzato, Joel Gistedt, and David Shantz. Although most or all of those guys are longshots at best.
Weaknesses: Pretty much everything. The Canes lack top end talent, they lack depth, they lack a serious system really. The depth is the most serious concern, especially considering the prospects near the bottom of this list are playing in the ECHL or even the CHL (not the junior league). With three first round picks coming up in 2009, perhaps this can improve, or at least General Manager Dion Ong, would hope it does.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Ted Ruth (HM 1)
2. Joe Fallon
3. Brodie DuPont
4. Chad Rau
5. Ray Sawada
6. Daniel Manzato
7. Joel Gistedt
8. David Shantz
9. Pierre-Alexandre Perenteau
10. Travis Morin
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Thanks to everyone that helped out, and hope you guys enjoy!
Here's a review of how each was accumulated:
1. Top 50 List
I had worked on a couple of these lists for HF in my time as a writer for them. I used the same method HF did. Basically I received lists from Myself, Tony, Matt Kowalchuk, Matt Kershaw, Ryan Yessie, and Ville. Every player had their ranking averaged out. Players NOT receiving a ranking from a particular list would receive a ranking of 60 as part of their average from that list. To break ties, preference was given to the player who had received the highest individual ranking from a list.
Ok, as per what constitutes a prospect, the following criteria was used:
1) Player must be 25 years OR younger as per December 31, 2008 (meaning 1983 and up born players are eligible).
2) Skaters cannot have played more than 50 games of NHL action previous to the 2007-08 NHL season. Goalies cannot have played more than 25 games. This means that current NHL rookies (ala Steve Stamkos) were still eligible!
3) Players can be on teams prospect lists or rosters. It does not matter. This is to allow any player eligible under the above criteria to be included, regardless of whether they have been signed as undraftees or depth(for example Fabian Brunnstrom).
Their was a total of 97 players who received a ranking. Players who did not manage to crack the top 50 list are listed in the Honorable Mentions category. The Honorable Mentions are broken down according to how many votes they received.
2. The Organizational Rankings
This list was compiled completely by myself and thus it is strictly my opinion on the matter. Obviously there were a lot of close calls and a lot of these teams are pretty damn close.
3. Top 10 Prospects by Team
Again these lists waere compiled by accord of my own opinion, except for in the instance of players appearing on the top 50 list. They were obviously ranked accordingly.
Obviously, similar to the top 50 list, the same prospect criteria were used.
Without further delay, here is the finished product!
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HFNHL Top 50 Prospects
1. Steve Stamkos
2. Drew Doughty
3. Kyle Turris
4. Zach Bogosian
5. James Van Riemsdyk
6. Luke Schenn
7. Alex Pietrangelo
8. Patrick Berglund
9. Derrick Brassard
10. Nikita Filatov
11. Jakub Voracek
12. Steve Mason
13. Bobby Ryan
14. Mikkael Boedker
15. Karl Alzner
16. Cody Hodgson
17. Colin Wilson
18. Devin Setoguchi
19. Thomas Hickey
20. Tuukka Rask
21. Bryan Little
22. Kyle Okposo
23. Jonathan Bernier
24. Blake Wheeler
25. Josh Bailey
26. Ondrej Pavelec
27. Oscar Moller
28. Jakub Markstrom
29. T.J. Oshie
30. Claude Giroux
31. Luca Sbisa
32. Colten Teubert
33. Ryan McDonagh
34. Michael Frolik
35. Max Pacioretty
36. Brandon Sutter
37. Chet Pickard
38. Erik Karlsson
39. Mikkael Backlund
40. Cory Schneider
41. John Carlson
42. Kris Versteeg
43. Zach Boychuk
44. Jonathan Blum
45. Nikolai Kulemin
46. Semen Varalmov
47. Alex Goligoski
48. Keith Yandle
49. Bob Sanguinetti
50. Cody Franson
Honorable Mention (3 Votes)
Thomas McCollum
Honorable Mention (2 Votes)
Tyler Myers
Dustin Tokarski
Tyler Ennis
Tyler Cuma
James Neal
Jhonas Enroth
Lars Eller
Jordan Eberle
Zach Hamill
T.J. Hensick
Shawn Matthias
Honorable Mention (1 Vote)
Chris Stewart
Ryan Stoa
Joe Colbourne
Patrick Weircioch
Keaton Ellerby
Jake Gardiner
Jack Skille
Jamie Benn
Jonas Junland
Fabian Brunnstrom
Brendan Smith
Andreas Nodl
Artem Anisimov
Nathan Gerbe
Nick Foligno
Brian Lee
Logan Couture
Ryan Parent
Oskar Osala
Matt Lashoff
Brett Sonne
Maxim Mayorov
Jakub Kindl
Kevin Shattenkirk
Jeff Frazee
Jaroslav Halak
Keith Aulie
Mason Raymond
Jake Allen
James O'Brien
Harri Sateri
Nick Petrecki
Danny Kristo
Darren Helm
Teddy Ruth
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HFNHL Organizational Rankings
1. New York Islanders
Strengths: The Islanders most obvious strength is the depth of their prospect pool. But not just depth, quality depth. Guys who would be top 5 prospects on many other HFNHL teams wouldn’t even crack the Islanders top 20 list. They’ve got nearly every angle covered. Strong future goaltending in Tuukka Rask and Justin Pogge. Talented offensive forwards in Nikita Filatov and Angelo Esposito. Bruising power forwards in Kyle Okposo, Chris Stewart, and Kyle Beach. Not to mention a very talented group of defenseman in Cody Franson, Tyler Myers, Jamie McBain, Chris Butler, etc.
Weaknesses: Come on Hasnain, no first rounders this year? I think it’s safe to say that the depth of this pool will suffer because of it
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Nikita Filatov (#10)
2. Tuukka Rask (#20)
3. Kyle Okposo (#22)
4. Brandon Sutter (#36)
5. Cody Franson (#50)
6. Chris Stewart (HM 1)
7. Tyler Myers (HM 2)
8. Angelo Esposito
9. Kyle Beach
10. Ryan Stoa (HM 1)
2. Montreal Canadiens
Strengths: The Habs were so damn close to being first, but in the end it was felt that their top end depth wasn’t quite as high, although their overall depth was just as good. I think there is no question that the Habs biggest strength is the quality and depth of their defenseman. Zach Bogosian is a future top pairing defenseman, while other future NHL blueliners like Bob Sanguinetti, Keith Yandle, Erik Karlsson, Patrick Weircioch, Keaton Ellerby, Jake Gardiner, and Taylor Chorney supply amazing depth.
Weaknesses: I think that the Canadiens have to improve the quality of their forwards. Currently the team’s top 2 forward prospects are Joe Colbourne and Rob Schremp, two players with a lot of question marks. With three first rounders in the 2009 draft, I would expect the Habs to go forward with at least two of those picks.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Zach Bogosian (#4)
2. Ondrej Pavelec (#26)
3. Erik Karlsson (#38)
4. Keith Yandle (#48)
5. Bob Sanguinetti (#49)
6. Joe Colbourne (HM 1)
7. Patrick Weircioch (HM 1)
8. Rob Schremp
9. Keaton Ellerby (HM 1)
10. Jake Gardiner (HM 1)
3. Los Angeles Kings
Strengths: The Kings have very solid top end depth at forward and on defense. At forward, Derrick Brassard, Oscar Moller and Jack Skille have the chance to be real difference makers. While other players like Zagrapan, Benn and Marchand have taken great steps forward. On defense, Alex Pietrangelo and Alex Goligoski can also develop into tremendous offensive blueliners who can play in the top 4.
Weaknesses: In goal, the Kings easily have the most trouble. The team has been waiting on Cam Ward to take that next step forward, of which he has yet to do. Thus, their goaltending cupboard is nearly bare. I think the Kings could be wise to finally get a back up plan behind Ward.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Alex Pietrangelo (#7)
2. Derrick Brassard (#9)
3. Oscar Moller (#27)
4. Alex Goligoski (#47)
5. Jake Skille (HM 1)
6. Marek Zagrapan
7. Jamie Benn (HM 1)
8. Brad Marchand
9. Jonas Junland (HM 1)
10. Niklas Hjalmarsson
4. Phoenix Coyotes
Strengths: The Coyotes make a nice leap in these rankings compared to last season. The reason for this lies in very good drafting and some excellent progression from their top players. The Coyotes have a very deep prospect pool, but in my mind, their biggest strength lies in goaltending. Steve Mason looks like an absolute stud, while Dustin Tokarski and Mike Murphy are annual inclusions in CHL top goaltender talk. The future of the Coyotes is set in goal. The Yotes also have a solid group of forward prospects, especially players who can create offense like Cody Hodgson, Tyler Ennis and Fabian Brunnstrom.
Weaknesses: While Jonathan Blum and Mark Katic are good NHL prospects, they don’t have the potential to become top pairing, franchise type defenseman. If there is one weakness on the Coyotes and their system, it’s that they don’t have that one defenseman to build their organization around. With likely another high pick in the 2009 draft, I’d expect the Coyotes to go defense and snag that one to build around.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Steve Mason (#12)
2. Cody Hodgson (#16)
3. Jonathan Blum (#44)
4. Dustin Tokarski (HM 2)
5. Tyler Ennis (HM 2)
6. Fabian Brunnstrom (HM 1)
7. Justin Abdelkader
8. Matt Halischuk
9. Mark Katic
10. Mike Murphy
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
Strengths: I think the biggest compliment you can give to the Jackets is that their system is incredibly well balanced. They have some talented forwards, potential impact defenseman and two top quality goaltending prospects. Semen Varalmov and Leland Irving combine to give the Jackets are pretty sure future in net.
Weaknesses: I think one thing you might be able to say about the Jackets is that while they have very good depth, they might lack that big difference maker. No one in the Jackets system really stands out as a franchise type player whom Columbus GM Doug Emerson could rebuild his team around. With a potential high first rounder and some assets to deal, this should be Emerson’s main prerogative.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Ryan McDonagh (#33)
2. Max Pacioretty (#35)
3. Zack Boychuk (#43)
4. Nikolai Kulemin (#45)
5. Semen Varalmov (#46)
6. Brendan Smith (HM 1)
7. Leland Irving
8. Brian Boyle
9. Trevor Lewis
10. Blake Geoffrion
6. Nashville Predators
Strengths: The Preds have an incredibly well balanced farm system. They have a really solid prospect at every position. Up front, Kyle Turris is the focal point as he is expected to lead the Preds for many years to come. In goal, the rapid progression of Jakub Markstrom has given the team a very capable goaltending prospect, which is especially important because Kari Lehtonen still hasn’t really taken that step forward to star goaltender. And on defense, Colton Teubert has taken great steps forward offensively this season and looks to be blossoming into a stud defender.
Weaknesses: The Predators really don’t have any prospect weaknesses. The only reason they are slightly lower than the top 4 is because they don’t have quite as many potential impact/franchise type players.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Kyle Turris (#3)
2. Jakub Markstrom (#28)
3. Colton Teubert (#32)
4. Andreas Nodl (HM 1)
5. Colton Gillies
6. Jamie McGinn
7. Cody Goloubef
8. Phil McRae
9. Louie Caporusso
10. Logan Pyett
7. Detroit Red Wings
Strengths: The Wings move up because some of their prospects have had outstanding years. In particular, their forward prospects have had quite the coming out party. Claude Giroux is currently the front runner for AHL rookie of the year and looks to be a potential NHL star. Kris Versteeg has been one of the NHL’s best rookies and has come out of nowhere to look like a legit top 6 forward. And Mikhail Grabovski has finally taken that step forward to become an NHL regular with the Maple Leafs. Also, 2008 first rounder Luca Sbisa is already an NHL regular and looks like a future top 4 NHL defenseman. And you can’t talk about the Wings without mentioning the amount of depth their system has.
Weaknesses: With Nik Lidstrom getting older, the Wings may not have a replacement for him. While guys like Sbisa, Cuma, Salcido, among others are solid prospects, I think it is safe to say that none of these guys look to be future franchise defenseman, but more dependable second pairing players. Also, while Daniel Larsson has taken steps forward as of late in the AHL, the Wings don’t have a lot of serious prospect depth at the goaltending position, outside of relatively unknown, undrafted NHL prospects.
Top 10 Prospects
1. Claude Giroux (#30)
2. Luca Sbisa (#31)
3. Kris Versteeg (#42)
4. Tyler Cuma (HM 2)
5. Mikhail Grabovski
6. Martins Karsums
7. Patrick Maroon
8. Brian Salcido
9. Daniel Larsson
10. Marc-Andre Gragnani
8. Calgary Flames
Strengths: The Flames have themselves one of the best groups of forwards of anyone on this list. 9 of the Flames 10, top 10 are forwards. Patrik Berglund and Devin Setoguchi have established themselves as outstanding NHL players, where as Eric Tangradi, Mikael Backlund, Artem Anisimov, among others have the potential to be top 6 NHL forwards.
Weaknesses: The Flames have very few defensive prospects, at least ones who could make a serious impact in the NHL, and have an ever worse group of goaltending prospects. If the Flames system were more balanced, they would likely find themselves higher on this list. With a host of first day picks in 2009, I’d look for the Flames to address this imbalance.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Patrik Berglund (#8)
2. Devin Setoguchi (#18)
3. Mikael Backlund (#39)
4. Artem Anisimov (HM 1)
5. Eric Tangradi
6. Steve Downie
7. Andrej Sekera
8. Michael Repik
9. Lauri Korpikoski
10. Paul Szczechura
9. Florida Panthers
Strengths: The Panthers have a great group of forward prospects, in particular those who can make an impact on a teams top 6. JVR is a dynamic potential power forward, while Bryan Little, James Neal and Ilya Zubov look to be potential impact players. In goal, the Panthers have managed to improve their goaltending depth from last year with the addition of Jonathan Quick, who is playing very well this season. Much like the Red Wings, you have to mention the depth of the Panthers farm system, which is incredibly impressive.
Weaknesses: Again, the Panthers lack any top end blueline prospects. While players like Adam Comrie, Arturs Kulda, Drew Schiestel, Max Nicastro, Matt Donovan, among others, look to be potential NHL players, none are expected to be impact players. So while the depth is improved defensively, the top end has not. I’d expect the Panthers to continue to work on this.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. James Van Riemsdyk (#5)
2. Bryan Little (#21)
3. James Neal (HM 2)
4. Ilya Zubov
5. Michael Neuvirth
6. Antti Pihlstrom
7. Jonathan Quick
8. Cal Clutterbuck
9. Corey Trivino
10. Cal O’Reilly
10. Colorado Avalanche
Strengths: The Avs take a bit of a tumble on this years list, but it’s only because they had a semi large graduation of prospects, while others have had disappointing seasons like Logan Couture, Nick Foligno, and Ryan Parent. A big strength to the Avs system is their depth, which is very strong. I’d argue that the best asset of the Avs system is their defensive prospects. Luke Schenn is a future anchor for many years, while Brian Lee, Ryan Parent, Kevin Marshall, Carl Sneep, Nigel Williams, among others look to be potential contributors.
Weaknesses: While the Avs did a great job in improving their goaltending depth at the last draft with the selections of guys like Tyler Beskorowany, and Jacob Deserres, it’s really uncertain as to the NHL future of them. With a massive amount of picks in the top 90 of 2009, I’d say the Avs could address this issue even further.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Luke Schenn (#6)
2. Nathan Gerbe (HM 1)
3. Nick Foligno (HM 1)
4. Brian Lee (HM 1)
5. Logan Couture (HM 1)
6. Ryan Parent (HM 1)
7. Kevin Marshall
8. Oskar Osala (HM 1)
9. Peter Regin
10. Carl Sneep
11. St. Louis Blues
Strengths: The Blues have very good depth to their farm system. A positive aspect to the Blues farm system, that I think is worth mentioning is the number of wild cards they have. Players like Enroth, Cole, Summers, Eller, Grachev, Ness, among others could have a lot of potential in the NHL and it’s unknown as to how good of prospects they actually are. The Blues also have a very balanced system with solid prospects in every positional area.
Weaknesses: The Blues system is pretty similar to that of the Blue Jackets. They have good depth and a lot of wild card prospects, but as of right now, it’s uncertain as to whether any of them can be huge impact players in the NHL. But for such a competitive team, year after year, a farm system like this is about as much as you could ask for.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Jhonas Enroth (HM 2)
2. Dave Bolland
3. Kyle Chipchura
4. Ian Cole
5. Chris Summers
6. Lars Eller (HM 2)
7. Evgeni Grachev
8. Teddy Purcell
9. Aaron Ness
10. Ben Maxwell
12. San Jose Sharks
Strengths: The Sharks have done a good job of building up their farm system, improving ten spots from last season. They have improved their depth to a respectable level and have managed to acquire both through trade and the draft, some potential impact players. Blake Wheeler has been outstanding in the NHL this season, while Chet Pickard looks to be a very good NHL goaltending prospect. The Sharks also have a balanced pool positionally, hitting all areas.
Weaknesses: If you want to get picky, the Sharks could stand to improve their defensive depth, in particular defenseman other than puck moving, offensive guys. Lashoff has had some trouble cracking the NHL full time, while Ivan Vishnevski and Nick Ross remain long shots at best in being more than 4-6 defenseman. And while the Sharks farm system has improved, the fact that the team has no draft picks, what so ever, in 2009, suggests that the team isn’t going to be able to improve through the draft.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Blake Wheeler (#24)
2. Chet Pickard (#37)
3. Benoit Pouliot
4. Matt Lashoff (HM 1)
5. Ville Leino
6. Ivan Vishnevski
7. Nick Ross
8. Brett Sonne (HM 1)
9. Jesse Joensuu
10. Maxim Mayorov (HM 1)
13. New York Rangers
Strengths: The Rangers have a great collection of top end forward prospects in Colin Wilson, Michael Frolik, Chris Bourque, and Riley Nash. Those four should play an important role in the Rangers future. On defense, the Rangers have a nice set of puck moving players like Jakub Kindl, Jonathan Ericsson, Shawn Lalonde, and M-A Bourdon. In particular, GM Sean Gaffney has to be very happy with Kindl’s improvements this season after a dreadful rookie AHL season.
Weaknesses: While the team’s depth isn’t exactly a concern yet, it is what holds them back from being higher on this list. Outside of the top 5 or 6 prospects, many of the Rangers prospects are long shots at best for longtime NHL careers.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Colin Wilson (#17)
2. Michael Frolik (#34)
3. Chris Bourque
4. Riley Nash
5. Jakub Kindl (HM 1)
6. Jonathan Ericsson
7. Tobias Stephan
8. Riku Helenius
9. Shawn Lalonde
10. Marc-Andre Bourdon
14. Boston Bruins
Strengths: The Bruins have to be really happy at how far their prospect pool has come. This is definitely in part to some excellent drafting by Kreugs in the past few years. Any of the teams top 5 prospects have a chance to be impact players in the NHL, and the team has great positional balance. The team has to be particularly happy with the rapid progression by a pair of its 2008 draft picks in Josh Bailey and Vyacheslav Voinov.
Weaknesses: The thing holding back the Bruins from being placed higher, is their lack of depth. I had to really stretch for players at the bottom of the top 10.If they continue to draft strongly, this is something that can be rectified.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Josh Bailey (#25)
2. Cory Schneider (#40)
3. Kevin Shattenkirk (HM 1)
4. Aaron Palushaj
5. Vyacheslav Voinov
6. Cade Fairchild
7. Anton Gustafsson
8. Dustin Kohn
9. Joonas Lehtivuori
10. Bobby Hughes
15. Chicago Blackhawks
Strengths: The Blackhawks have outstanding goaltending potential in Jonathan Bernier, Tyson Sexsmith and Jeff Frazee. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the odds are in favor of at least one of these guys developing into a number one netminder. The Hawks also have a couple of solid high end forward prospects in first rounder Mikael Boedker, and the breakout Matt D’Agostini.
Weaknesses: A few things hold the Hawks back from being higher. For one, somewhat similar to Boston, the depth of the prospect pool is lacking in comparison to some of the higher ranked teams. Also of note is the Hawks lack of serious defender prospects. While Carle, Postma, Scandella, Groulx are alright prospects, they wouldn’t touch a lot of teams top 10’s. With 4 high draft picks in 2009, I’d expect GM Dryden Lewis to go defense with at least one, maybe two of these selections. Those picks will go a long way in improving prospect depth too.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Mikael Boedker (#14)
2. Jonathan Bernier (#23)
3. Matt D’Agostini
4. Tyson Sexsmith
5. Jeff Frazee (HM 1)
6. Mathieu Carle
7. Casey Pierro-Zabotel
8. Paul Postma
9. Marco Scandella
10. Greg Moore
16. Atlanta Thrashers
Strengths: I guess you could say having the top prospect in all of hockey is a strength. The Thrashers in fact have two very high end forward prospects in the aforementioned Stamkos, and Jakub Voracek. Defensively, the Thrashers have some decent depth, in particular physical defenseman in Colby Robak, Taylor Ellington and Andrei Zubarev.
Weaknesses: I think one thing that is somewhat alarming is the lack of depth the Thrashers have. For a rebuilding team who should be looking to stockpile prospects, the Thrashers sure are putting their eggs into one or two baskets. The trend continues as the club has only it’s first rounder (likely top 5), and a 7th in the 2009 draft. If you take Steve Stamkos off this list, the Thrashers find themselves in the bottom five of this list, much like they were last year.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Steve Stamkos (#1)
2. Jakub Voracek (#11)
3. Chris Didomenico
4. Colby Robak
5. Taylor Ellington
6. Andrei Zubarev
7. Tyler Ruegsegger
8. Ben Shutron
9. Lauri Tukonen
10. Brady Calla
17. Edmonton Oilers
Strengths: The Oilers have an excellent collection of forwards. T.J. Oshie, Jordan Eberle, Zach Hamill, and Kenndal McArdle could all be potential top 6 forwards and they all bring something a little different to the table. On top of that, if Stefan Legein returns to the ice in full form, this group could get even stronger. On defense, Sami Lepisto, Yann Sauve, and Michael Stone look to be potential offensive contributors.
Weaknesses: Evgeni Nakobov won’t be around forever, and the Oilers need to accept that and find themselves a future heir apparent. With Taylor Dakers, a suspect goaltending prospect, the best there is to offer, new GM Jeff Kirk needs to find a away to address this. The overall depth needs to be addressed and improved as well.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. T.J. Oshie (#29)
2. Jordan Eberle (HM 2)
3. Sami Lepisto
4. Zach Hamill (HM 2)
5. Kenndal McArdle
6. Yann Sauve
7. Michael Stone
8. Cody Bass
9. Taylor Dakers
10. Stefan Legein
18. Anaheim Ducks
Strengths: The Ducks have an outstanding group of puck rushing defenseman. The likes of Thomas Hickey, David Fischer, Matt Hunwick, and P.K. Subban gives the Ducks a potential slick skating future blueline. Forward prospects Wayne Simmonds and Kevin Porter have had very impressive seasons in breaking in the NHL and look to be solid NHL contributors.
Weaknesses: In goal, the Ducks future rests solely on Pekka Rinne’s hands (he was too old to make this list), which might scare GM Matt Gledhill. You have to imagine that the team would like to add a potential franchise netminder to the group. Also, while the likes of Simmonds, and company are solid prospects, they aren’t likely to be impact top 6 players. The Ducks could use to add a top quality forward prospect to their pool.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Thomas Hickey (#19)
2. Wayne Simmonds
3. Kevin Porter
4. David Fischer
5. Matt Hunwick
6. Ty Wishart
7. P.K Subban
8. Michael Grabner
9. Petri Kontiola
10. Mike Ratchuk
19. Washington Capitals
Strengths: The Caps are a team that has deservedly moved up in the rankings thanks to some shrewd drafting by former Caps GM Andrew CS. With Drew Doughty, the future of the Caps blueline is in great hands. Not to mention Keith Aulie is starting to look like a future NHL defenseman. At forward, Viktor Tikhonov, Brett MacLean, among others give the Caps great hope for the future.
Weaknesses: The depth of the system, while improved, is still a problem. Hopefully the team can continue to draft strongly so the future of the Washington Capitals can continue to look strong.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Drew Doughty (#2)
2. Jaroslav Halak (HM 1)
3. Viktor Tikhonov
4. Brett Maclean
5. Keith Aulie (HM 1)
6. Kiril Petrov
7. Kris Chucko
8. Adam Henrique
9. Justin Peters
10. Danny Syvret
20. Toronto Maple Leafs
Strengths: The Leafs have assembled a nicely balanced prospect system. The scouting team worked hard to improve their defensive depth from last season by adding outstanding blueliner John Carlson, as well as Anssi Salmela. Forward and goaltending talent is present as well.
Weaknesses: While the Leafs have built up some solid depth, and they have solid organizational balance, the Leafs may not have anyone who they can say they are building their franchise around. With two first rounders in the upcoming draft, the Leafs can continue to add top end talent and try to get some more players near the top of that top 50.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. John Carlson (#41)
2. Mason Raymond (HM 1)
3. Nicklas Bergfors
4. Enver Lisin
5. Anssi Salmela
6. Matt Corrente
7. Corey Crawford
8. Antti Niemi
9. Frans Nielsen
10. Mathieu Perreault
21. Minnesota Wild
Strengths: The Wild, perhaps in fear that Vesa Toskala is not the future of the organization, have two solid goaltending prospects in big Ben Bishop and Trevor Cann. On top of this, the Karl Alzner looks to be the future anchor of the blueline. The Wild also have great depth, thanks to good drafting by GM Greg Dockus. I think the one signature of a Dockus draft pick is a player who works hard and can get in your face, which some of the forward prospects like Nic Deschamps, Joel Broda, and Josh Brittain can do.
Weaknesses: The Wild, while having good depth, lack any potential impact players outside of Karl Alzner. Particularly at forward this be improved, as the team is going to need a future leader in their top 6, and not just in their bottom 6.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Karl Alzner (#15)
2. Tim Kennedy
3. Yannick Weber
4. Ben Bishop
5. Trevor Cann
6. Nic Deschamps
7. Joel Broda
8. Patrick McNeill
9. Mike Funk
10. Josh Brittain
22. Tampa Bay Lightning
Strengths: The Bolts are definitely loaded at forward. Bobby Ryan is a potential franchise offensive player and he’s had a great start to the NHL season. While the others are wildcards, the odds are in Martin Sedin’s favor that at least a few of Patric Hornqvist, Carl Soderberg, Janne Pesonen, Tom Wandell, or Johan Harju develop into NHL contributors.
Weaknesses: When you’ve got to bring in one player who’s currently suspended by his team and another who’s a career minor leaguer to the top 10, you’ve got to question depth. On top of depth, the Bolts have very little in the way of goaltending and defense. Goaltending especially has to be alarming with the lack of any future netminder in Tampa.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Bobby Ryan (#13)
2. Patric Hornqvist
3. Carl Soderberg
4. Janne Pesonen
5. Tom Wandell
6. Blake Kessel
7. Johan Harju
8. Daniel Ryder
9. Oscar Hedman
10. Corey Locke
23. Vancouver Canucks
Strengths: The Canucks have managed to put together an outstanding group of young goaltenders. The amazing thing about this is that current netminder Carey Price isn’t even included. None the less, the likes of Jake Allen, Jeff Zatkoff, and Harri Sateri can be used as trade bait as their value grows. The Canucks also have to be happy with the progression of a player like Kyle Quincey, who has finally found himself to be a producing NHL regular.
Weaknesses: While they do have some good prospects and average depth, the Canucks have few players with the potential to be impact players. While this main not alarm Canucks GM Sean K because of some young talent currently playing for the Canucks, it is important to continue to draft well and produce those gems, especially in the cap era.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Jake Allen (HM 1)
2. Jeff Petry
3. Jim O'Brien (HM 1)
4. Daulton Leveille
5. Kyle Quincey
6. Jeff Zatkoff
7. Brandon Burlon
8. Harri Sateri (HM 1)
9. David Warsofsky
10. Jesse Winchester
24. Philadelphia Flyers
Strengths: No question the Flyers biggest strength is in goaltending, with two top quality netminding prospects in Brian Elliot and James Howard. Both have the potential to be NHL starting netminders. The Flyers also have some solid forward prospects, each of which brings different things to the table. Greg Nemisz and Dana Tyrell supply skill and sandpaper, while guys like Zac Dalpe, T.J. Galiardi, Evgeni Dadonov, and Luca
i give the future some skill.Weaknesses: The Flyers have two big weaknesses. The first being the future on defense, which the Flyers don’t really have. Boris Valabik is an ok player, but he doesn’t have the potential to be a significant NHL player, likely ditto for a guy like Greg Pateryn. Secondly, the Flyers lack the organizational depth of a lot of the higher teams. With only a few mid round draft picks for the 2009 draft, the Flyers will have to draft shrewdly should they want to improve their prospect depth.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Brian Elliot
2. James Howard
3. Greg Nemisz
4. Dana Tyrell
5. Zac Dalpe
6. Boris Valabik
7. T.J. Galiardi
8. Evgeni Dadonov
9. Luca
i10. Greg Pateryn
25. Pittsburgh Penguins
Strengths: The Penguins have some solid depth at the defense position in Michael Del Zotto, Nick Petrecki, Alex Grant, Matt Pelech, Brian Strait, Brett Skinner. All of these guys bring different elements to the game and thus the system is well rounded on the blueline. At forward, the breakout of Jannik Hansen at the NHL level is very nice, while Drayson Bowman is having another great year in the WHL and looks to be a future sniper for the Pens, perhaps playing with playmaker Peter Mueller.
Weaknesses: While the Pens did shore up their future goaltending with Ilya Bryzgalov, the system is completely bare of a serious or even remotely serious goaltending prospect. Pittsburgh has a couple high draft picks in the 2009 draft and perhaps they would be wise to address this issue going forward.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Michael Del Zotto
2. Drayson Bowman
3. Nick Petrecki (HM 1)
4. Jannik Hansen
5. Akim Aliu
6. Ryan White
7. Jimmy Hayes
8. Alex Grant
9. Matt Pelech
10. Brian Strait
26. Buffalo Sabres
Strengths: The Sabres have some good depth at every position, with a couple solid prospects at forward, goalie and defense. At forward, T.J. Hensick and Shawn Matthias are probably the crown jewels of the system and have NHL potential. On defense, the Sabres might be the deepest with players like Kevin Klein, Colby Cohen, Will Weber, Jyri Niemi and Mark Barberio. All of those guys have good potential, although are somewhat wild cards. And in goal, Jeremy Smith and Kent Patterson give the team some solid depth.
Weaknesses: While the Sabres have a few wildcard players, they lack the serious top end talent that a lot of teams near the top part of this list have. The team has drafted a lot of projects in recent years, so GM Josh Pitt is banking on those developing correctly in order to give his system more value.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. T.J. Hensick (HM 2)
2. Shawn Matthias (HM 2)
3. Colby Cohen
4. Kevin Klein
5. Will Weber
6. Jeremy Smith
7. Kent Patterson
8. Billy Sauer
9. Jyri Niemi
10. Mark Barberio
27. Dallas Stars
Strengths: The Stars biggest strength lies in their goaltending. In Thomas McCollum, Jeff Deslauriers, and Michael Hutchinson, the Stars have three possible future number one netminders. I think it’s safe to say the future in goal is secure. On defense, the Stars have some good depth in Mitera, Plante, Polak, Borer and Anikeyenko.
Weaknesses: The Stars lack top end talent among their skating positions. This is especially true for the forward position, where not only top end talent, but overall depth is severely lacking. The Stars do have 3 high draft picks in 2009, so look for the team to improve that part of the system and likely draft forward.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Thomas McCollum (HM 3)
2. Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers
3. Mark Mitera
4. Francois Bouchard
5. Alex Plante
6. Joakim Lindstrom
7. Roman Polak
8. Casey Borer
9. Michael Hutchinson
10. Danny Kristo (HM 1)
28. New Jersey Devils
Strengths: The Devils have a pair of hard working forward prospects in Darren Helm and John Mitchell, who will definitely be NHL players, it’s just a matter of at what capacity. Also, defensive prospects Adam Pardy and Travis Hamonic have taken solid steps forward this season, with Pardy seeing a regular shift in the NHL.
Weaknesses: New Jersey just does not have the depth or top end talent to be anywhere near the top of this list. In fact, there is actually quite the huge drop off between 27 to 28-30. The Devils also really need a goaltending prospect of some sort. With 5 first rounders upcoming in the 2009 draft, I’d expect the Devils to be a lot higher next year. GM Rich Epstein knows what he is doing.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Darren Helm (HM 1)
2. John Mitchell
3. Adam Pardy
4. Travis Hamonic
5. Max Gratchev
6. Brett Sterling
7. Joe Finley
8. Matt Smaby
9. Jordan Lavallee
10. Ian Schultz
29. Ottawa Senators
Strengths: The Senators have two solid forward prospects who have the definite potential to play in the NHL. In particular, Luca Caputi has top 6 potential and could be a legit NHL scoring threat. The Sens also have a couple defenseman with the potential to be NHL defenders, in particular Mathieu Brodeur is a big guy who could develop well.
Weaknesses: Well the Sens have a lot of problems. For one, the lack of depth is quite alarming, but with a ton of picks in 2009 that could be turned around with some solid drafting. Also, the lack of top end talent also has to concern Sens brass, and with no first rounders in 2009, that trend could continue.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Cory Emmerton
2. Luca Caputi
3. Brett Carson
4. Mathieu Brodeur
5. Dmitri Vorobiev
6. Dannick Paquette
7. James Wright
8. Josh Unice
9. Sergei Bobrovsky
10. Antoine Lafleur
30. Carolina Hurricanes
Strengths: It’s tough to find a strength of the Hurricanes system. No one position is incredibly strong. The Canes do have some depth at goal in Joe Fallon, Daniel Manzato, Joel Gistedt, and David Shantz. Although most or all of those guys are longshots at best.
Weaknesses: Pretty much everything. The Canes lack top end talent, they lack depth, they lack a serious system really. The depth is the most serious concern, especially considering the prospects near the bottom of this list are playing in the ECHL or even the CHL (not the junior league). With three first round picks coming up in 2009, perhaps this can improve, or at least General Manager Dion Ong, would hope it does.
Top 10 Prospects:
1. Ted Ruth (HM 1)
2. Joe Fallon
3. Brodie DuPont
4. Chad Rau
5. Ray Sawada
6. Daniel Manzato
7. Joel Gistedt
8. David Shantz
9. Pierre-Alexandre Perenteau
10. Travis Morin
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Thanks to everyone that helped out, and hope you guys enjoy!
