Blue Chip Prospects Developped by the Halifax Mooseheads

[Number 57]

Was watching Voracek on the Flyers the other night and was like ''wasn't he on the Mooseheads back in juniors?'' and of course he was just like a whole bunch of other star players currently ripping it up in the NHL. I decided to do some research and since that 2006-07 season when Voracek joined the Mooseheads this is was they've churned out:

Jakub Voracek
Nathan MacKinnon
Jonathan Drouin
Brad Marchand (played 26 games for them + playoffs)
Nikolaj Ehlers
Nico Hischier
Timo Meier (not a superstar but a great young player with potential)

I mean looking at this list for the last 12 years is very impressive. 2 first overall picks. Plenty of star power and a lot of high draft picks.... but it doesn't stop there!

Top prospects listed for 2018: Filip Zadina, Jared McIsaac, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Alexis Gravel (all possible first rounders, with Zadina being listed as a top-5 guy)

Top prospects listed for 2019: Xavier Parent, Raphael Lavoie (all possible first rounders)

Top prospects listed for 2020: Justin Barron (possible first rounder)

I mean, this is just ridiculous. I know London (OHL) has produced a ton of NHL talent, but does any other junior team in the world has so many superstars/potential superstars/high draft picks in the last years?

Click to read more...

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

get Marchand out of there, the guy was a healthy scratch for game 7 when he was brought in at the deadline (for a hefty price) to put the team over the top.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Being able to get the top import to report every year has its perks, also being one of the few teams MacKinnon would show up to. I don't think McIsaac or Justin Barron had a very long list. Success and the money it provides leads to success obviously. The reputation and track record they've established is impressive but like London it's not really unbelievable.

 

[SI90]

Only forwards st the next level. Hopefully McIsaac makes the start of Defensman to make it!!!

 

[Tube Skates]

McIsaac should but if he doesn't Barron will. He plays like a veteran. Outstanding for his age

 

[Tube Skates]

Maybe not a top defenceman but MacKenzie Weegar plays well in Florida. Jocktan Chainey is a NJ draft pick and Conrad Albethauser SJ fell into injury problems

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Voracek, Ehlers, Hischier, Meier, and now Zadina aren’t products of some fantastic development system in Halifax. They were top players that Halifax was able to recruit and draft in the import draft.

Then you have the guys like MacKinnon who refuse to report to anyone but Halifax… It makes it really easy to draft and develop players when the elite players are demanding they play for you and you alone.


It would be like calling Kentucky a great Basketball development program when in reality they recruit a bunch of the top one-and-done players available every year and turn them over. Don't get me wrong, they do well with what they get but anyone would if they were getting that much elite talent walking in the door every year.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Lol, look at where those import players were projected to go before the season and where they went, when the draft time came.

Say what you want, Mooseheads scouts and development has been very good for a long while and deserve every bit of credit for getting the right imports and helping them to become top 5-10 picks in the draft.

I wouldn't list Groulx though, what a disappointment that guy is.

 

[schnapshot]

I wouldn't list Groulx though, what a disappointment that guy is.

Why? 28 goals in his D-year not good enough?

 

[WeThreeKings]

Why? 28 goals in his D-year not good enough?

He's about as bland as bland gets, there's nothing to his game that will translate to be overwhelmingly effective at the next level.

 

[schnapshot]

He's about as bland as bland gets, there's nothing to his game that will translate to be overwhelmingly effective at the next level.

Good scorer, defensively responsible, physical... If you were expecting to see the second coming of Crosby then sure, you'll be disappointed.

Pretty much every scouting list has him in the first round, there must be a reason eh

 

[WeThreeKings]

Good scorer, defensively responsible, physical... If you were expecting to see the second coming of Crosby then sure, you'll be disappointed.

Pretty much every scouting list has him in the first round, there must be a reason eh

Every scouting list had Colton Gillies in the first round, too.

 

[schnapshot]

Every scouting list had Colton Gillies in the first round, too.

11 years ago, yes...

 

[Nail]

Doesn't Halifax have the rights to Alex Newhook too? Wouldn't surprise me if they were able to land him for next season and then have him be another top 5 pick.

 

[schnapshot]

Doesn't Halifax have the rights to Alex Newhook too? Wouldn't surprise me if they were able to land him for next season and then have him be another top 5 pick.

They do. But that would make him ineligible to play college hockey, doubt he wants that since he’s committed.

 

[izzy]

Only forwards st the next level. Hopefully McIsaac makes the start of Defensman to make it!!!

weegar

 

[Red Piller]

Mooseheads develop some excellent talent for sure. London beats them quite handily though. Like someone else said, they have pretty huge advantages compared to other teams for being able to lure talent though.

 

[SI90]

weegar

He’s developed very nicely. A couple of great seasons In The AHL and now a solid NHL Defensman.