Best group of D prospects

Squeaky

Registered User
Jul 8, 2004
3,196
0
Toronto
I know this is a fairly trite concept for a thread, but this is the off-season, what else am I supposed to do? Don't say go outside, that's just crazy. So which team boasts the best group of Ds? Let's stick with the HF prospect criteria since we are on HFBoards after all.

I'll come right out and admit it: I'm doing this because I think that unlike in past years, the Habs actually stack up pretty well comparatively to the rest of the league, and I want to pimp my favourite team. Here's what we've got right now:

McDonagh
Fischer
Emelin
Valentenko
O'Byrne
Carle
PK Subban

and a number of other guys with lesser potential, I used a 7.0 rating at HF as my cut-off. I like the mix of defensive and offensive types, and the size and mobility of the group. Probably not the best group, but it's got to be up there.

So, who can do better? Which team has the best group overall?
 

The Fuhr*

Guest
Brian Lee - Tomas Kudelka
Vitaly Anikeyenko - Kirill Lyamin
Michal Barinka - Eric Gryba

Not the most deepest of defense cores when it comes to prospects but we do have 21 year old Andrej Meszaros too on the team and he has played two NHL seasons already.

It would be nice though if the Sens were able to find another potential top pairing defenseman in the future. That would be awesome.
 

clay

Registered User
Aug 25, 2005
2,700
1,325
Vancouver
The Canucks have a strong core of defensive prospects:

Kirill Koltsov: has #1 potential if he comes over, but re-signing in Russia essentially eliminates his chances of making the jump to the NHL.

Luc Bourdon: has all the tool you want in a defenseman. Strong, tough, fast, and competetive. Doesn't have the best hockey sense, but still has a great chance of becoming a top-pairing defenseman,

Alex Edler: a safe bet to be a shoe-in top-pairing defenseman. Really came into his own last year. Was the #1 on the Moose, and played extremely well with the Canucks. This guy is a stud.

Daniel Rahimi: BIG-TIME hitter. Pierre Mccquire has a crush on him. Is a great shutdown defender who only really needs to work on his skating to make the next step to the big club. Future shut down d-man.

Taylor Ellington: I personally hated this pick, but by all means, people are saying he is a good shutdown d-man. Could be paired with Rahimi in the future to shut down team's top lines.
 

aussie yotes

Registered User
Aug 21, 2006
489
0
Perth, Australia
The yotes arent fairing too bad for a change:

Matt Jones
Keith Yandle
Nick Ross
Chris Summers
Logan Stephenson
Brendan Bell
Maxim Goncharov

Jones and Yandle should be vying for full time spots next season.
 

Langway

In den Wolken
Jul 7, 2006
32,267
8,894
The Caps have pretty good depth...

Karl Alzner
Sami Lepisto
Patrick McNeil
Joe Finley
Sasha Pokulok
Teddy Ruth
Josh Godfrey
Viktor Dovgan
Keith Seabrook
Oscar Hedman
Jamie Hunt
Sean Collins

All except Seabrook are at their development camp.
 

BadBruins

Registered User
Aug 10, 2005
9,933
1,532
PEI
Boston:

Matt Lashoff
Mark Stuart
Yuri Alexandrov
Tommy Cross
Jonathan Sigalet
Adamn Mcquaid
Andrew Bodnarchuk
Matt Hunwick
Dennis Ruel
Radim Ostricil
Alain Goulet
 

Charge_Seven

Registered User
Aug 12, 2003
4,631
0
Toronto:

Stralman-Vorobiev
Kronvall-Harrison
Oreskovich-Holzer
Gunnarson-Mikus

Pretty solid after Stralman.....

I was going to say Toronto if you were willing to include Colaiacovo and White.

I'm intrigued by Mikus, but I think just about every team (when excluding Colaiacovo and White) has guys like ours.
 

Backstrom #19

Trotz for president
May 12, 2007
13,562
5
Savannah Georgia
The Caps have pretty good depth...

Karl Alzner
Sami Lepisto
Patrick McNeil
Joe Finley
Sasha Pokulok
Teddy Ruth
Josh Godfrey
Viktor Dovgan
Keith Seabrook
Oscar Hedman
Jamie Hunt
Sean Collins

All except Seabrook are at their development camp.


Dang, you beat me to it.

The caps do have a really deep defensive propects.
 

slim399

Registered User
May 1, 2002
1,142
806
Boston
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Just the top guys for the rangers...

Fedor Tuytin
Marc Staal
Daniel Girardi
Bobby Sanguinetti
Ivan Baranka
Michael Sauer

I think all of these guys have very good potential to be 2-3 guys. With Staal being the only possible #1 and maybe Sanguinetti being a #1B. Still could be an awesome group of 6 in 2 years... The average age of the group would be just over 23.
 

vincetheprince

Registered User
Mar 28, 2007
470
2
The Caps have pretty good depth...

Karl Alzner
Sami Lepisto
Patrick McNeil
Joe Finley
Sasha Pokulok
Teddy Ruth
Josh Godfrey
Viktor Dovgan
Keith Seabrook
Oscar Hedman
Jamie Hunt
Sean Collins

All except Seabrook are at their development camp.

Your list looks longs but not even half will play a game in the NHL.
 

Live in the Now

Registered User
Dec 17, 2005
53,030
7,489
LA
Nucks, Rangers. Same song as before the draft.

I rate them upon a few things. In order...the organization's record of developing real (meaning always in the show) NHL players, overall talent, top end talent, and how they will fit in with the organizational philosophy and the talent currently with the big club. The Canucks are in the best position because they have the most overall talent, and the fact that they will be able to bring these players along at their own pace and ease them into the lineup at the right stages of their development. They don't have to rush. Certain teams will expect them to have a bigger impact right away. I think that tends to hurt a player.

Just my .02.

Nashville, Montreal, LA and San Jose come next. I count Vlasic, btw.

I forgot my own team. Shame on me.
 

Langway

In den Wolken
Jul 7, 2006
32,267
8,894
Your list looks longs but not even half will play a game in the NHL.
I see...

Anything else you care to share from your travels into the future?

Anyway, using the 7.0 criteria from the OP I'd include the following...

Alzner
Lepisto
McNeil
Finley
Ruth
Godfrey
Seabrook
 

moose3322

Registered User
Apr 3, 2007
752
43
yep..nucks and rangers have the best id say, nucks are deepest in the number of D that will probably make an impact in the NHL
 

newellky

Registered User
Jun 3, 2007
684
0
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Boston:

Matt Lashoff
Mark Stuart
Yuri Alexandrov
Tommy Cross
Jonathan Sigalet
Adamn Mcquaid
Andrew Bodnarchuk
Matt Hunwick
Dennis Ruel
Radim Ostricil
Alain Goulet
i really like alexandrov...he would have been a mid first rounder last year if not for teh russian agreement situation IMO. if he comes over i think he will be a solid all around Dman
 

HSHS

Losing is a disease
Apr 5, 2005
17,981
233
Redondo Beach, Ca
The Caps have pretty good depth...

Karl Alzner
Sami Lepisto
Patrick McNeil
Joe Finley
Sasha Pokulok
Teddy Ruth
Josh Godfrey
Viktor Dovgan
Keith Seabrook
Oscar Hedman
Jamie Hunt
Sean Collins

All except Seabrook are at their development camp.

Shultz too since he is still a HF "prospect". Since everyone is throwing around young Dmen that have graduated we can mention Green as well. ;)

Such as sick group.
 

Juhi50

Registered User
Jul 12, 2007
33
0
The Caps have pretty good depth...

Karl Alzner
Sami Lepisto
Patrick McNeil
Joe Finley
Sasha Pokulok
Teddy Ruth
Josh Godfrey
Viktor Dovgan
Keith Seabrook
Oscar Hedman
Jamie Hunt
Sean Collins

All except Seabrook are at their development camp.

Lepisto is very talented defenceman and I think he will play in big role in future.
 

Bam Beet*

Guest
The Canucks have a strong core of defensive prospects:

Kirill Koltsov: has #1 potential if he comes over, but re-signing in Russia essentially eliminates his chances of making the jump to the NHL.

Luc Bourdon: has all the tool you want in a defenseman. Strong, tough, fast, and competetive. Doesn't have the best hockey sense, but still has a great chance of becoming a top-pairing defenseman,

Alex Edler: a safe bet to be a shoe-in top-pairing defenseman. Really came into his own last year. Was the #1 on the Moose, and played extremely well with the Canucks. This guy is a stud.

Daniel Rahimi: BIG-TIME hitter. Pierre Mccquire has a crush on him. Is a great shutdown defender who only really needs to work on his skating to make the next step to the big club. Future shut down d-man.

Taylor Ellington: I personally hated this pick, but by all means, people are saying he is a good shutdown d-man. Could be paired with Rahimi in the future to shut down team's top lines.

I think you're overrating Edler and Koltsov. Neither of them will be a number 1 defenceman IMO. Edler is definately not a "shoe in top pairing defenceman". He's being severely overrated by Canuck fans. He's got top 4 potential. Koltsov IF he comes over which seems highly unlikely at this point, is a number 3 or 4 dman and a PP specialist.
 

Zim

Registered User
Jan 19, 2006
4,249
0
I don't know if guys like Barker and Richmond still count but if they do then Chicago still has a decent pool of defensive prospects.

These four have legitimate shots at being good NHL D-men and the first 3 have already played some NHL games.
Barker - top pairing potential
Richmond - bottom pairing d-man
Byfuglien - 2nd pairing potential
Hjalmarsson - 2nd pairing potential

These five are going to need to work hard to reach the NHL.
Danis-Pepin
Shutron
Sawyer
Joe Lavin
Jordan Hendry

Add those to Seabrook, Keith and Wisniewski who are already in Chicago and you have a pretty solid defence in a few years.
 
Last edited:

None More Negative*

Guest
Just the top guys for the rangers...

Fedor Tuytin
Marc Staal
Daniel Girardi
Bobby Sanguinetti
Ivan Baranka
Michael Sauer

I think all of these guys have very good potential to be 2-3 guys. With Staal being the only possible #1 and maybe Sanguinetti being a #1B. Still could be an awesome group of 6 in 2 years... The average age of the group would be just over 23.

Yup, thats pretty solid. They'll need them to be good considering the divisional rivals..
 

Dominator13

Registered User
Feb 20, 2003
19,484
1,057
hockey city
Dominator13
I know this is a fairly trite concept for a thread, but this is the off-season, what else am I supposed to do? Don't say go outside, that's just crazy. So which team boasts the best group of Ds? Let's stick with the HF prospect criteria since we are on HFBoards after all.

I'll come right out and admit it: I'm doing this because I think that unlike in past years, the Habs actually stack up pretty well comparatively to the rest of the league, and I want to pimp my favourite team. Here's what we've got right now:

McDonagh
Fischer
Emelin
Valentenko
O'Byrne
Carle
PK Subban

and a number of other guys with lesser potential, I used a 7.0 rating at HF as my cut-off. I like the mix of defensive and offensive types, and the size and mobility of the group. Probably not the best group, but it's got to be up there.

So, who can do better? Which team has the best group overall?
awesome list, i don't think i would trade it for any list mentioned, from shut-down defensmen to puck movers to n.1 potnetial defensmen, there's nothing missing, and all of them have amaizing speed
 

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