67Cup
Registered User
- Sep 16, 2005
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I am going to rate prospects slightly differently, not just by tiers but by categories. I am not including all possible prospects, just the top handful, at most, in each group.
Overall Top Tier
The best in each major category... The envelope please!
Kapanen. Number one forward by far and clearly number one prospect overall. But I think for that reason he is also the prospect other GM's will press hardest for in potential trades.
Nielsen, NHL size and offensive touch, probably top blueline prospect though I don't know how management compares him to Dermott.
Woll, top goalie prospect, performing very well as a true freshman in the NCAA
Top Minor Pro Prospects
Offensive Wingers
Brendan Leipsic. Though Leipsic belongs in this category because of his scoring rank, he may be the top prospect in this category because he looks like he doesn't need to be in the top six to contribute in the NHL
Andreas Johnsson. I put him here because of his Euro career. It may take a while with the Marlies before he can be assessed at all accurately.
Kerry Rychel and Tobias Lindberg are in direct competition for the big winger with some grit role that the Leafs may need to fill. I haven't seen enough of them to distinguish between them. If Leivo ends up as a regular, their path to employment with the Leafs gets more complicated
Dmitro Timashov. On here because he looked so dangerous as a junior more than because of his performance with the Marlies so far
Defensive Forward
This category matters to Mike Babcock. See Ben Smith
Frederik Gauthier. Yes, the Goat is a top player in this category and will supplant Smith a PK and defensive specialist sometime in the next year, IMO. He has a better chance of being an NHL regular than many others on this list.
Defense
Travis Dermott. A few years ago we would be pretty excited about Dermott as a prospect. Now, he is down the list a bit. But honestly, what more could be reasonably expected of an early second rounder in his first pro year?
Rinat Valiev. To me, he passes the eyeball test as a combination of skating, size, strength and even positioning.
Viktor Loov. There are lots of players of his type, good AHLers who, with a little luck could perform at the bottom six level in the NHL. They need a little luck to get the extended opportunity to prove they can do the latter. Will Loov get that luck? And, if so, will it be with the Leafs?
Junior
Martins Dzierkals. I put him number one here for the same reason I put Leipsic as number one in his category. He doesn't need to be in the top six to contribute.
Jeremy Bracco. He is performing very well with Kitchener but is in tough in the organization because of the number of other young offensively skilled wingers with the Leafs or in the pipeline. I could see him sweetening a trade for, say, a defenseman.
Adam Brooks. He is performing very well in junior, albeit as an overager, and, besides, how many centers who are good on the PK but also display offensive skill are there in the system?
NCAA
Woll is not only the best goaltender in the system, he is the best Leaf college prospect. But there is also
J. D. Greenaway. I think Greenaway has the best combination of tools in the system among defensemen, size, skating, hands etc. Will he show he has the toolbox.
Europe
Yegor Korshkov and Carl Grundstrom. As with Rychel and Lindberg, I haven't seen enough to distinguish between them, but their numbers certainly look impressive for young players, so far this year.
Overall Top Tier
The best in each major category... The envelope please!
Kapanen. Number one forward by far and clearly number one prospect overall. But I think for that reason he is also the prospect other GM's will press hardest for in potential trades.
Nielsen, NHL size and offensive touch, probably top blueline prospect though I don't know how management compares him to Dermott.
Woll, top goalie prospect, performing very well as a true freshman in the NCAA
Top Minor Pro Prospects
Offensive Wingers
Brendan Leipsic. Though Leipsic belongs in this category because of his scoring rank, he may be the top prospect in this category because he looks like he doesn't need to be in the top six to contribute in the NHL
Andreas Johnsson. I put him here because of his Euro career. It may take a while with the Marlies before he can be assessed at all accurately.
Kerry Rychel and Tobias Lindberg are in direct competition for the big winger with some grit role that the Leafs may need to fill. I haven't seen enough of them to distinguish between them. If Leivo ends up as a regular, their path to employment with the Leafs gets more complicated
Dmitro Timashov. On here because he looked so dangerous as a junior more than because of his performance with the Marlies so far
Defensive Forward
This category matters to Mike Babcock. See Ben Smith
Frederik Gauthier. Yes, the Goat is a top player in this category and will supplant Smith a PK and defensive specialist sometime in the next year, IMO. He has a better chance of being an NHL regular than many others on this list.
Defense
Travis Dermott. A few years ago we would be pretty excited about Dermott as a prospect. Now, he is down the list a bit. But honestly, what more could be reasonably expected of an early second rounder in his first pro year?
Rinat Valiev. To me, he passes the eyeball test as a combination of skating, size, strength and even positioning.
Viktor Loov. There are lots of players of his type, good AHLers who, with a little luck could perform at the bottom six level in the NHL. They need a little luck to get the extended opportunity to prove they can do the latter. Will Loov get that luck? And, if so, will it be with the Leafs?
Junior
Martins Dzierkals. I put him number one here for the same reason I put Leipsic as number one in his category. He doesn't need to be in the top six to contribute.
Jeremy Bracco. He is performing very well with Kitchener but is in tough in the organization because of the number of other young offensively skilled wingers with the Leafs or in the pipeline. I could see him sweetening a trade for, say, a defenseman.
Adam Brooks. He is performing very well in junior, albeit as an overager, and, besides, how many centers who are good on the PK but also display offensive skill are there in the system?
NCAA
Woll is not only the best goaltender in the system, he is the best Leaf college prospect. But there is also
J. D. Greenaway. I think Greenaway has the best combination of tools in the system among defensemen, size, skating, hands etc. Will he show he has the toolbox.
Europe
Yegor Korshkov and Carl Grundstrom. As with Rychel and Lindberg, I haven't seen enough to distinguish between them, but their numbers certainly look impressive for young players, so far this year.