best young D

[Evilo]

I still think Nashville has them beat.

I'm not sure about that.
Orpik is a hitting machine, Whitney has been great in his first pro season, Welch is the best defenseman in college, Goligoski might be second, and Lannon one of the steadiest, Bolf and Bissonnette are both impressive in the OHL, Sersenand Letang in the Q, Fernholm, Lupaschuk and Nemec overseas...
Seems like a very complete, deep, and productive group to me...
Nashville's pretty good, I'm not saying the contrary, but the Pens' group is IMO deeper and with just as good at the top.

 

[nomorekids]

Ok, take Hamhuis out then.

Who can top

Suter
Weber
Parent
Klien

That's what's funny. You can remove Hamhuis, but it still doesn't put Pittsburgh in front of Nashville..

 

[Evilo]

Ok, take Hamhuis out then.

Who can top

Suter
Weber
Parent
Klien

1- Whitney
2- Welch
3- Goligoski
4- Nemec
5- Bissonnette
6- Fernholm
7- Lannon
8- Lupaschuk
9- Bolf
10- Letang

 

[triggrman]

Suter is one of the top prospects period, not just defensive.
Weber showed his worth at the WJC, and is one of the most physical junior players
Parent was a top round draft pick this year, a physical defenseman that can skate.
Klien is a solid two-way guy, a poor mans Hamhuis.

Pittsburg doesn't come close. Chicago comes much closer than Pitts.....

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

Suter is one of the top prospects period, not just defensive.
Weber showed his worth at the WJC, and is one of the most physical junior players
Parent was a top round draft pick this year, a physical defenseman that can skate.
Klien is a solid two-way guy, a poor mans Hamhuis.

Pittsburg doesn't come close. Chicago comes much closer than Pitts.....

I agree. It's not contest really. Nashville tops Pittsburgh easily.

 

[Evilo]

Doesn't come close?
Come on, Whitney and Welch are both among the best prospects at their positions. Goligoski is hyped like crazy as well. Add the amazing depth, and you get the picture.
It's arguable whether Nashville has better top end talent, but it's not arguable at all that Pittsburgh has better depth IMO.

 

[nomorekids]

Doesn't come close?
Come on, Whitney and Welch are both among the best prospects at their positions. Goligoski is hyped like crazy as well. Add the amazing depth, and you get the picture.
It's arguable whether Nashville has better top end talent, but it's not arguable at all that Pittsburgh has better depth IMO.

Yes, it is. Nashville's top end talent easily trumps Pittsburghs, and if you want to start passing off guys like Letang and Bolf...then we could easily bring Denis Kulyash into this(one of the top scoring defensemen in the RSL THIS YEAR with the NHLers participating, runner up to rookie of the year), Janne Niskala(drew comparisons to Zidlicky, scored 20 goals in Finland last year) Alex Sulzer(best defenseman in Germany, which isn't saying a WHOLE lot, but it's more than some of those you've listed can say) as well as standout puckmovers in the NCAA in Kevin Schaeffer and Craig Switzer(most considered him the best defenseman in the BCHL in 03-04).

You're just not going to find many people who agree with you.

 

[triggrman]

Doesn't come close?
Come on, Whitney and Welch are both among the best prospects at their positions. Goligoski is hyped like crazy as well. Add the amazing depth, and you get the picture.
It's arguable whether Nashville has better top end talent, but it's not arguable at all that Pittsburgh has better depth IMO.

Whitney and Welch are still below Suter and Weber.....

 

[dru]

MOD FIGHT! This thread is getting ridiculous.

P.S. My vote goes to Nashville because Suter is better than all of them.

 

[Evilo]

Yes, it is. Nashville's top end talent easily trumps Pittsburghs, and if you want to start passing off guys like Letang and Bolf...then we could easily bring Denis Kulyash into this(one of the top scoring defensemen in the RSL THIS YEAR with the NHLers participating, runner up to rookie of the year), Janne Niskala(drew comparisons to Zidlicky, scored 20 goals in Finland last year) Alex Sulzer(best defenseman in Germany, which isn't saying a WHOLE lot, but it's more than some of those you've listed can say) as well as standout puckmovers in the NCAA in Kevin Schaeffer and Craig Switzer(most considered him the best defenseman in the BCHL in 03-04).

You're just not going to find many people who agree with you.

Nope Suter tops the Pens defensemen, but Welch and Whitney top yours fairly easily.
After that, Goligoski might just be the top prospect left out of the two pools.
And the guys I've put down have all successes and big potential.
Bissonnette nearly played in the NHL at age 18, Lannon was Welch's teammate and got better every year, Fernholm was touted as a first rounder before his injury from which he has now totally recovered, Nemec has pplayed pro hockey for several years now after being a good second rounder, etc, etc...

 

[Evilo]

Whitney and Welch are still below Suter and Weber.....

Whitney and Welch are easily better than Weber IMO.

 

[Evilo]

And it's not like I pulled names from deep, deep our depth chart.
I mean Andy Schneider put up 41 points in 43 college games two years ago, and he's not even on my list because he hasn't been able to do it again.
41 points in 43 college games.
That'd be good for second on your list, right?

Anyway, no need to fight over this, it's great both teams have good prospects there...
But not even close, come on...

 

[triggrman]

Whitney and Welch are easily better than Weber IMO.

Disagree. I think Weber is better than Welch and as good as Whitney. IMHO.

 

[Evilo]

Hmm, Whitney scored as many points in the AHL as Weber in the WHL.
And a lot of Pens fans consider Welch to be a better prospect than Whitney.

 

[triggrman]

and Zidlicky scored more points than Foote, what does this mean?

Weber is a physical stay at home guy.

 

[Evilo]

Yeah and Whitney is not physical, is that what you're saying?
Whitney is easily a better prospect than Weber. He's an offensive defenseman with a big body, with NHL caliber offensive tools, and he needs to work on his defensive game before making the jump to the NHL.
He's among the best prospects at his position, probably top 10 Dman prospect.
Welch is at his level, only with less press and different tools (two way player, captain and leader).

 

[triggrman]

So you're saying Whitney is as physical as Weber?

 

[nomorekids]

Yeah and Whitney is not physical, is that what you're saying?
Whitney is easily a better prospect than Weber. He's an offensive defenseman with a big body, with NHL caliber offensive tools, and he needs to work on his defensive game before making the jump to the NHL.
He's among the best prospects at his position, probably top 10 Dman prospect.
Welch is at his level, only with less press and different tools (two way player, captain and leader).

And Weber is 6'3, 215...a defensive defenseman that also happens to have sharp offensive tools.

Shall we take it to the poll board?

 

[Evilo]

So you're saying Whitney is as physical as Weber?

Nope.
But Whitney has better offensive tools.

 

[nomorekids]

Nope.
But Whitney has better offensive tools.

But Weber has GOOD offensive tools...AND he's on another planet defensively. How do Whitney's offensive tools make him better than Weber?

 

[triggrman]

According to Hockey's Future Top 50 Prospects Fall 2005

The top defensive prospects are

1 - Phaneuf
2 - Suter
3 - Barker
4 - Coburn
5 - Johnson
6 - Tyutin
7 - Kronwall
8 - Babchuk
9 - Seabrook
10 - Meszaros
11 - Weber
12 - Belle

 

[Evilo]

And Weber is 6'3, 215...a defensive defenseman that also happens to have sharp offensive tools.

Shall we take it to the poll board?

I could care less about the poll board, I never go there.
Let's just see the facts :
- Whitney got drafted 5th overall and never hurt his status.
- Whitney was an instant hit in his first pro minutes being WB's best defenseman a year ago in the AHL playoffs no less.
- Whitney went on to have his first pro year, he put up 41 points while getting better and better on his defensive game.
- Whitney followed that regular season with an incredible playoff run, with a point a game.
- Whitney is pencilled as the Penguins' 6th defenseman in october.

 

[Evilo]

But Weber has GOOD offensive tools...AND he's on another planet defensively. How do Whitney's offensive tools make him better than Weber?

Well you underrate Whitney defensively obviously, and Whitney has arguably the best offensive tools of any defenseman prospect out there.

 

[triggrman]

I've started a poll on it already.....

Although he was already arguably the best positional defenseman in the Western Hockey League, it wasn’t until the second half of the 2004-05 season that Nashville Predators prospect and Kelowna Rockets blueliner Shea Weber had his coming out party. A key contributing member to the 2005 Canadian Junior Team, Weber formed the top defensive pairing along with Calgary Flames prospect Dion Phaneuf, helping Team Canada earn its first gold medal of the 21st century. Weber parlayed the success from Team Canada towards his own Kelowna squad. Finishing with a career-high 41 points, Weber helped lead the Rockets to the WHL Championship, and third consecutive Memorial Cup berth.

 

[Evilo]

According to Hockey's Future Top 50 Prospects Fall 2005

The top defensive prospects are

1 - Phaneuf
2 - Suter
3 - Barker
4 - Coburn
5 - Johnson
6 - Tyutin
7 - Kronwall
8 - Babchuk
9 - Seabrook
10 - Meszaros
11 - Weber
12 - Belle

Yep and Whitney is ranked 13th, just behind Belle, and pretty much everyone was saying it was ridicculous and that Whitney should have been top 10.
FYI, Welch was once ranked by McKeen as one of the top 5 defenseman prospects (if memory serves right).