Prospect Info: 2017 CFHF Top 20 Prospects

[FlamerForLife]

In square brackets is their movement from last years rankings. (NR- means they were not ranked in last years top 20, & NEW- obviously means their new to the organization).

2017 Top 20:
1. Mark Jankowski [+2]
2. Tyler Parsons [+14]
3. Rasmus Andersson [+3]
4. Juuso Valimaki [NEW]
5. Oliver Kylington [-1]
6. Jon Gillies [-4]
7. Adam Fox [+10]
8. Dillon Dube [+7]
9. Andrew Mangiapane [--]
10. Spencer Foo [NEW]
11. Brett Kulak [--]
12. Morgan Klimchuk [-2]
13. Hunter Shinkaruk [-8]
14. Emile Poirer [-7]
15. David Rittich [NR]
16. Tyler Wotherspoon [-3]
17. Matthew Phillips [NR]
18. Adam Ollas Mattson [NR]
19. Daniel Pribyl [+1]
20. Garnet Hathaway [NR]

Players who were in the 2016 top 20 that aren't in the 2017 top 20:
Matthew Tkachuk - Graduated
Brandon Hickey - Traded
Mason McDonald
Brett Pollock
Eetu Tuulola
Linus Lindstrom

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[FlamerForLife]

Although we lack a solid blue-chipper, I'm quite happy with our pool, especially the goaltenders and the d-men.

 

[Lunatik]

Although we lack a solid blue-chipper, I'm quite happy with our pool, especially the goaltenders and the d-men.

Blue chippers don't stay prospects very long, they usually only stay on the list for a year and you won't draft one every year. Our blue chippers are Gaudreau, Monahan. Bennett and Tkachuk

 

[InfinityIggy]

Not a bad list. I like our depth.

 

[Otzelor]

eetu was robbed

the pole was closed relatively early so that it got less votes then those before​

#revenge4etuu

 

[Volica]

Although we lack a solid blue-chipper, I'm quite happy with our pool, especially the goaltenders and the d-men.

Parsons
Fox
Andersson
Valimaki

All strike me as potential blue-chip prospects.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Fox should be 3rd on that list IMO.

 

[Mobiandi]

Gillies and Parsons are too high for my liking

 

[FlamerForLife]

Parsons
Fox
Andersson
Valimaki

All strike me as potential blue-chip prospects.

I guess blue-chip was probably the wrong phrase to use, a better term would probably be "high-end" or "elite".
Imo we have quite a few good-great prospects, which is the category I would use to class the 4 you mentioned.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Parsons
Fox
Andersson
Valimaki

All strike me as potential blue-chip prospects.

According to Oilers fans, Kailer Yamamoto is a blue chip prospect.

Which means Matthew Phillips and every prospect ahead of him are blue chippers.

 

[Mr Snrub]

Parsons
Fox
Andersson
Valimaki

All strike me as potential blue-chip prospects.

Great years from any of these guys could turn them into real, high end prospects. I think the same's true of Gillies, but he's at a funny crux in his career where he either takes a big leap forward and becomes one of the best goalies in the AHL next year, or he rapidly begins to lose steam as a prospect and we dump him in a year or two.

 

[WeegarUnderwood]

I think Parsons is borderline blue chip tbh. He's one of the best, if not the best, goalie prospects in the league and there's some other top goalie prospects that have the Russian factor (Sorokin for example) so I think Parsons holds high value as a prospect in his position.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Valimaki and Fox are blue chip in my mind (Parsons could be) Then we have about 6 other prospects I would rank in the 'very good range'. Honestly I think we have a better pool then Philly. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Lunatik]

I don't think many people understand what blue-chip prospects are. Blue-chip prospects are guys where there has never been doubt they will be a very good to elite player. You don't become a blue-chip prospect a year after being drafted. For example, Gaudreau was never a blue-chip prospect.

 

[Mr Snrub]

I don't think many people understand what blue-chip prospects are. Blue-chip prospects are guys where there has never been doubt they will be a very good to elite player. You don't become a blue-chip prospect a year after being drafted. For example, Gaudreau was never a blue-chip prospect.

Maybe we disagree on what a blue chip prospect is. I'd consider one to be a prospect that has at minimum a 50 percent shot at being a first-line forward, a #1D, or a true starting goaltender - I think that's really all you can ask for. As per your definition I think it'd be pretty difficult for anyone who wasn't a top five pick to be a blue chip prospect, which I personally think is a bit of a high standard.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

I don't think many people understand what blue-chip prospects are. Blue-chip prospects are guys where there has never been doubt they will be a very good to elite player. You don't become a blue-chip prospect a year after being drafted. For example, Gaudreau was never a blue-chip prospect.

Lol what. I guess I was an idiot for telling people Gaudreau was going to be an elite offensive player, and then proceeding to get laughed at

Valimaki is a blue-chip prospect. So is Fox.

 

[Lunatik]

Lol what. I guess I was an idiot for telling people Gaudreau was going to be an elite offensive player, and then proceeding to get laughed at

Valimaki is a blue-chip prospect. So is Fox.

Lots of said Gaudreau would be a good player, but that doesn't make him a blue-chip prospect. You can't be a blue-chipper and go in round 4, it just doesn't work like that. Blue-chip prospects are all but locks to be to be top players. As much as we liked Gaudreau, there was still plenty of concerns, there is no denying that. You don't get blue-chippers outside the top 5 or 10, sometimes even in the top 5 you don't get them.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Lots of said Gaudreau would be a good player, but that doesn't make him a blue-chip prospect. You can't be a blue-chipper and go in round 4, it just doesn't work like that. Blue-chip prospects are all but locks to be to be top players. As much as we liked Gaudreau, there was still plenty of concerns, there is no denying that. You don't get blue-chippers outside the top 5 or 10, sometimes even in the top 5 you don't get them.

I never saw those concerns. I could see why you don't think Valimaki, or Fox aren't bluechippers. That really just comes down to semantics.

But in no universe was Gaudreau not a blue-chip. (look at what I said about the guy before he played a single game). I hype a lot of prospects. But I never felt I was hyping Gaudreau. He was just an elite world class hockey player and has been since his draft + 2 season.

Watching Valimaki and I just see so much skill there. He's going to be a top 4 Dman with a very good chance to become a top pair guy IMO. That's blue chip.

Fox really improved since I saw him last. He looks stronger and faster. . He just had the best PPG for a freshmen defencemen sonce Brian Leetch!! And then he goes to the World Juniour Showcase and looks like a man against boys. I can look past size when a player has his skillset.

 

[Mr Snrub]

Lots of said Gaudreau would be a good player, but that doesn't make him a blue-chip prospect. You can't be a blue-chipper and go in round 4, it just doesn't work like that. Blue-chip prospects are all but locks to be to be top players. As much as we liked Gaudreau, there was still plenty of concerns, there is no denying that. You don't get blue-chippers outside the top 5 or 10, sometimes even in the top 5 you don't get them.

Yeah I think this is entirely semantics. At the end of the day all this is proving is "blue chip" is completely meaningless and arbitrary.

 

[Lunatik]

I never saw those concerns. I could see why you don't think Valimaki, or Fox aren't bluechippers. That really just comes down to semantics.

But in no universe was Gaudreau not a blue-chip. (look at what I said about the guy before he played a single game). I hype a lot of prospects. But I never felt I was hyping Gaudreau. He was just an elite world class hockey player and has been since his draft + 2 season.

Watching Valimaki and I just see so much skill there. He's going to be a top 4 Dman with a very good chance to become a top pair guy IMO. That's blue chip.

Fox really improved since I saw him last. He looks stronger and faster. . He just had the best PPG for a freshmen defencemen sonce Brian Leetch!! And then he goes to the World Juniour Showcase and looks like a man against boys. I can look past size when a player has his skillset.

If you had zero concerns about Gaudreau, you are more delusional than I ever thought, or you're outright lying to yourself.

 

[Mr Snrub]

If you had zero concerns about Gaudreau, you are more delusional than I ever thought, or you're outright lying to yourself.

I mean not to keep stirring the pot, but would you have considered Tkachuk to be a blue chip prospect? I think he in his draft year and Gaudreau following his last year of college were pretty equivalent prospects value-wise.

 

[Anglesmith]

I think MM's definition of a blue-chip prospect is somewhat universally acknowledged. Gaudreau isn't a blue-chip prospect because he wasn't seen as a can't-miss prospect when he was drafted.

 

[Lunatik]

I think MM's definition of a blue-chip prospect is somewhat universally acknowledged. Gaudreau isn't a blue-chip prospect because he wasn't seen as a can't-miss prospect when he was drafted.

exactly, I would say Bennett and Monahan are the only two blue-chippers the Flames have ever had. Tkachuk is close, but alot of people were concerned about his skating and there were questions about whether or not his linemates carried him to a point in his draft year, I wouldn't call him that either.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

I think MM's definition of a blue-chip prospect is somewhat universally acknowledged. Gaudreau isn't a blue-chip prospect because he wasn't seen as a can't-miss prospect when he was drafted.

Players can become blue-chippers after their draft. A blue-chip prospect is a player who is almost a lock to be a top 6 F or Top 4 D.

At 17 Gaudreau wasn't blue-chip.
At 19 Gaudreau was blue chip.
At 20 Gaudreau was so blue chip that "Always Earned, Never given" Hartley sat down with him at dinner and basically told him there is a top 6 ish forward spot with his name on it.

At this point I would say Jankowski/Valimaki are our only blue chip prospects. #2C and #4D at-minimum type talents. Fox/Kylington/Parsons might be better prospects than Valimaki (IMO they are) but there are valid reasons to be unsure about their floor.

 

[Anglesmith]

Players can become blue-chippers after their draft. A blue-chip prospect is a player who is almost a lock to be a top 6 F or Top 4 D.

At 17 Gaudreau wasn't blue-chip.
At 19 Gaudreau was blue chip.
At 20 Gaudreau was so blue chip that "Always Earned, Never given" Hartley sat down with him at dinner and basically told him there is a top 6 ish forward spot with his name on it.

At this point I would say Jankowski/Valimaki are our only blue chip prospects. #2C and #4D at-minimum type talents. Fox/Kylington/Parsons might be better prospects than Valimaki (IMO they are) but there are valid reasons to be unsure about their floor.

But the common definition of blue-chipper doesn't just mean "really good prospect," though. Nor even "can't-miss prospect." It specifically refers to pre-draft consensus, and the prospects who are heavily scouted when they're younger, and are seen as locks to be immediate impactful players by just about everyone.

Think about how the term relates to blue-chip stocks, where it was borrowed from. A company can't just be called a blue-chip stock because it is trending upwards.