Prospect Info: 2017 HFDevils Prospect Rankings #19

[Zippy316]

[table="head;width=4000]Rank|Player|POS|Draft Position|2016-17 Team(s)|Vote %|2016 Result|2015 Result
#1|Nico Hischier|C|2017 #1|Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)|---|Pavel Zacha|Pavel Zacha
#2|Michael McLeod|C|2016 #12|Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)|82.02%|Michael McLeod|Steven Santini
#3|Steve Santini|D|2013 #42|Albany Devils (AHL)/New Jersey Devils (NHL)|71.26%|Steven Santini|John Quenneville
#4|John Quenneville|W|2014 #30|Albany Devils (AHL)/New Jersey Devils (NHL)|68.18%|John Quenneville|Reid Boucher
#5|Blake Speers|RW|2015 #67|Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)|33.3%|Mackenzie Blackwood|Stefan Matteau
#6|Yegor Rykov|D|2016 #132|SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)|22%|Joseph Blandisi|MacKenzie Blackwood
#T-7|MacKenzie Blackwood|G|2015 #38|Albany Devils (AHL)|30.61%|Miles Wood|Blake Coleman
#T-7|Jesper Boqvist|C|2017 #36|Brynas IF (SHL)|30.61%|Josh Jacobs|Josh Jacobs
#9|Joey Anderson|RW|2016 #73|University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)|50.63|Blake Speers|Blake Speers
#10|Miles Wood|LW|2013 #100|Albany Devils (AHL)/New Jersey Devils (NHL)|56.16%|Nathan Bastian|Joseph Blandisi
#11|Mirco Mueller|D|2013 #18|San Jose Barracuda (AHL)|41.56%|Nick Lappin|Raman Hrabrenka|
#12|Nikita Popugayev|RW|2017 #98|M. Jaw Warriors/P. George Cougars (WHL)|37.66%|Mikhail Maltsev|Miles Wood
#13|Reilly Walsh|D|2017 #81|Proctor Academy (USHS)/Chicago Steel (USHL)|43.04%|Scott Wedgewood|Ryan Kujawinski
#14|Nathan Bastian|RW|2016 #42|Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)|57.53%|Brandon Gignac|Seth Helgeson
#15|Brandon Gignac|C|2016 #70|Shawnigan Cataractes (QMJHL)|61.82%|Joey Anderson|Kerfoot/Kalinin|
#16|Fabian Zetterlund|RW|2017 #63|Farjestad BK J20 (SuperElite/SHL)|55.36%|Colton White|Kerfoot/Kalinin|
#17|Jesper Bratt|W|2016 #162|AIK (Allsvenkan)|69.23%|Vojtech Mozik|Vojtech Mozik|
#18|Marian Studenic|RW|2017 #150|Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)|31.03%|Yegor Rykov|Graham Black

[/table]

Please remember to vote for who you want to add to the poll next. Most votes gets included in the next poll

[table="head;width=150]Eligible Prospects
Michael Kapla
Yegor Zaitsev
Matthew Hellickson
Evan Cormier
Josh Jacobs
J.D. Dudek
Brandon Baddock
Ryan Kujawinski
[/table]

Click to read more...

 

[Devils Dominion]

The Finn by a hair over Davies.
Add hellickson.

 

[RememberTheName]

Talvite
Add Kapla

 

[Darkauron]

Went with Maltsev. He is the highest draft player yet to still not go so far. Probably a lot has to due with no one ever really getting to see him play I guess.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Could go with Maltsev, Davies, Seney or Talvitie here but I'll stick with Maltsev.

 

[OmNomNom]

Davies ahead of white? How?

Edit jk I see he had a non progress year...

 

[devilsblood]

Maltsev add Jacobs.

 

[Beastdog75]

Voted for White, add Jacobs

 

[Bleedred]

Davies ahead of white? How?

Edit jk I see he had a non progress year...

Patrick Davis was probably always better than Colin White, despite playing different positions!

 

[Devils Dominion]

Could go with Maltsev, Davies, Seney or Talvitie here but I'll stick with Maltsev.

The Finn has showed much more promise than Maltsev.

 

[Tretyak 20]

Makes me chuckle that a 7th round pick with no pro experience and no exceptional development track is getting votes when a kid who held his own in 5 NHL games averaging 17:26 with only a -1 can't even get into the poll.

 

[devilsblood]

Makes me chuckle that a 7th round pick with no pro experience and no exceptional development track is getting votes when a kid who held his own in 5 NHL games averaging 17:26 with only a -1 can't even get into the poll.

Well one is 18 and the other turns 23 next month, so one would expect that older guy to have accomplished more, even if he is not the better talent.

 

[Tretyak 20]

Well one is 18 and the other turns 23 next month, so one would expect that older guy to have accomplished more, even if he is not the better talent.

But the history of 7th round picks even playing 5 NHL games is rather uninspiring. Most never play a single game. I just can't help but feel a lot of this is due to rookie camp performance, which really shouldn't be a measure of anything.

 

[Triumph]

Kapla should be on this list already for sure, but he's quite hard to place - no one has been tracking his progression through college, no one has been looking out for the dribs and drabs that come out of college hockey about drafted players. He was signed and showed up in the NHL.

I'd put him ahead of Maltsev, Bratt, and Davies I think, but how much higher I'd go I'm not sure.

 

[devilsblood]

But the history of 7th round picks even playing 5 NHL games is rather uninspiring. Most never play a single game. I just can't help but feel a lot of this is due to rookie camp performance, which really shouldn't be a measure of anything.

Kapla (that is who we are talking about right?) went undrafted, so histories don't always accurately predict outcomes.

But sure Talvitie had a strong summer camp. But he also had a very strong u-18 WJC, a tourney in which Finland won gold, a team he captained. He also appears to have a role, perhaps an important one with Finlands U-20 team this season. As a 19 yr old that's something.

So I think the developmental track is coming along nicely. Especially for a 7th rounder.

 

[Tretyak 20]

Kapla (that is who we are talking about right?) went undrafted, so histories don't always accurately predict outcomes.

But sure Talvitie had a strong summer camp. But he also had a very strong u-18 WJC, a tourney in which Finland won gold, a team he captained. He also appears to have a role, perhaps an important one with Finlands U-20 team this season. As a 19 yr old that's something.

So I think the developmental track is coming along nicely. Especially for a 7th rounder.

I was actually talking Kapla vs Davies. Talvitie has a more impressive resume than Davies.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Kapla (that is who we are talking about right?) went undrafted, so histories don't always accurately predict outcomes.

But sure Talvitie had a strong summer camp. But he also had a very strong u-18 WJC, a tourney in which Finland won gold, a team he captained. He also appears to have a role, perhaps an important one with Finlands U-20 team this season. As a 19 yr old that's something.

So I think the developmental track is coming along nicely. Especially for a 7th rounder.

He is 18 years old..

 

[Scorcho]

arnieeee, add kuja

 

[Tretyak 20]

Kapla should be on this list already for sure, but he's quite hard to place - no one has been tracking his progression through college, no one has been looking out for the dribs and drabs that come out of college hockey about drafted players. He was signed and showed up in the NHL.

I'd put him ahead of Maltsev, Bratt, and Davies I think, but how much higher I'd go I'm not sure.

I would have put Kapla somewhere in the 14 - 17 range on this list. True, we don't have much info on his development up until this point, but based on what we do have he's an interesting prospect. His college stats look good. His NHL stats are a very small sample size, but that doesn't change the fact that they are quite good. Unless you put a lot of stock in the fact that he was undrafted, there are really no red flags.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I was actually talking Kapla vs Davies. Talvitie has a more impressive resume than Davies.

To be fair, they are pretty even statistically. Davies was a year older joining the college stage but also had better freshman numbers. Davies also had the much stronger USHL numbers. The thing that really seperates the two are skillsets, Davies is a very strong skater, is effective at rushing the puck out of trouble and has a very good shot. Not to mention he could have a helium type college career. 8 goals in 38 freshman games for a defensmen is pretty nice. Depending on the strength of their team, I wouldn't be surprised of a near PPG season from Davies and turning pro.

 

[Caser]

Maltsev, add Zaitsev.

 

[Triumph]

I would have put Kapla somewhere in the 14 - 17 range on this list. True, we don't have much info on his development up until this point, but based on what we do have he's an interesting prospect. His college stats look good. His NHL stats are a very small sample size, but that doesn't change the fact that they are quite good. Unless you put a lot of stock in the fact that he was undrafted, there are really no red flags.

His college stats are okay - some guys who have comparable stats will struggle to have pro careers, while others will make the NHL.

I put zero stock in players being drafted or not 4 years away from their draft year.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I think it's safe to say these are the next 3 sports regardless how this poll ends. I think Kapla will get a better look once the tank blinders are off.

 

[The Great Dame]

To say Davies season was unimpressive is absolutely wrong. He was fourth among freshmen NCAA d-men in points, and of the players above him, only one was 20 or younger, and that was Adam Fox, a very highly regarded prospect for Calgary. For Davies to come in as a 19 year old and play the way he did is very impressive, especially for a good Northeastern team. So I would say his draft +1 season was definitely exceptional for a seventh round pick.

 

[Zippy316]

To say Davies season was unimpressive is absolutely wrong. He was fourth among freshmen NCAA d-men in points, and of the players above him, only one was 20 or younger, and that was Adam Fox, a very highly regarded prospect for Calgary. For Davies to come in as a 19 year old and play the way he did is very impressive, especially for a good Northeastern team. So I would say his draft +1 season was definitely exceptional for a seventh round pick.

IIRC, Davies was an overager when he was drafted so it's more like his draft +2.

Not to diminish what he's done, it's impressive regardless for his draft position, just adding a bit more perspective.