News Article: Habs 8th in Hockey's Future Team Prospect Rankings

[FrankMTL]

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articl...sive-group-of-prospects-with-elite-potential/

Discuss.

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[PricePkPatch*]

... isn't that quite a leap?

Good job Timmins and MB!!

 

[Habs 4 Life]

So far the Habs draft of 2012 looks absolutely unreal. I expect another great one next year with 4 picks in the top 60. So next year we will be in the top 5!

 

[Stjonnypopo]

Definitely a big jump.

Two years ago and even last year it was pretty bleak, now with one good draft we're back in the +.

 

[x15Kotkaniemi15x]

Nice work Timmins and Co.

 

[Hackett]

Galchenyuk was an easy pick, and definitely helps the ranking. I'm especially intrigued with the defensive depth that has been stockpiled with non first rounders outside of tinordi and beaulieu. Dietz, Ellis, and Thrower are three guys I'm going to keep a closer eye on as they are very interesting prospects.

 

[That]

Huge leap from 21st last year. Nice

Personally, I'd have us a bit lower though, more in 10-12 range, but it doesn't really matter as that isn't really much of a difference.

I really like how we had a great draft and suddenly our prospect pool looks infinitely better. Galchenyuk, Collberg, Thrower, Bozon, Vail, and Hudon all look like great picks. With the exception of Thrower (hopefully he actually gets to play for an extended period of time soon) all the picks all producing early on and all have grown as players. There's good depth in all positions (except goalie) and a good mixture of skill and two-way play.

 

[Myron Gaines*]

We'd be top 5 if Thrower wasn't busting.

 

[DAChampion]

Galchenyuk was an easy pick

Not really. A lot of people were speculating on Forsberg, Terrevainen, and Grigorenko.

It was an educated decision.

Let's give credit where credit is due.

The professionals at NHL central scouting had Galchenyuk as 4th among north american skaters.

 

[Talks to Goalposts]

Not really. A lot of people were speculating on Forsberg, Terrevainen, and Grigorenko.

It was an educated decision.

Let's give credit where credit is due.

The professionals at NHL central scouting had Galchenyuk as 4th among north american skaters.

It was a logical choice, but we shouldn't mistake that for an inevitable one.

Galchenyuk definately had two glaring risk factors at the draft, would his injury hold him back going forward and would he not be as impressive of a player as his 16 year old season predicted. There was a significant chance picking him could blow up in your face right from the outset.

Both failed to materialize but we should respect how hard a decision that must of have been on whether to take the guy you liked the most or get scared of with the chance of an immediate bust. Kudos to the Leafs this year for having the guts to make a similar choice which has had good early returns for them as well.

 

[Richiebottles]

Thank you PG for leaving us so many draft picks ! And hats off to timmins ! The 2012 draft was unreal !

 

[hototogisu]

Really, picking the guy who played 8 games was the "easy pick"? A little revisionist history, I think...

 

[MaxLacoste]

As mentioned above, with 4 picks in the Top 60 next year, we can clearly make the Top 5 in 2013-2014. We just need another blue-chip prospect and some depth. I would really like to add some big grinder to the roster. Someone like Moen but bigger. Other than that I would like to add some depth on the wing. Good job TT.

 

[Andy]

As many were saying last season to those who concerned we dropped in the standings: All you need a good draft year to move up in the rankings. Not a surprise that we had dropped after everyone graduated within the last 2 years.

 

[Myron Gaines*]

As mentioned above, with 4 picks in the Top 60 next year, we can clearly make the Top 5 in 2013-2014. We just need another blue-chip prospect and some depth. I would really like to add some big grinder to the roster. Someone like Moen but bigger. Other than that I would like to add some depth on the wing. Good job TT.

I'm excited about next year's draft, we'll hopefully draft in the top 8.

I'd love to land a couple of big physical forwards who will dominate battles along the boards. We're seriously lacking in that department.

 

[DAChampion]

What makes this all the more impressive is all the 1st and 2nd rounders we gave up in the past few years.

We lost our 2007 1st rounder (McDonagh) and our 2008 1st rounder, though I don't think they'd be converting to this year's system ranking, that did negatively impact previous years' rankings. I've read on this board that Timmins would have drafted John Carleson with the 2008 1st round pick.

Danny Kristo was a (late) 2nd round choice in 2008. We did not have any 2nd round draft picks in 2009, 2010, and 2011; though we did trade one in a package for Tinordi, so you can convincingly argue we're down only two 2nd rounders.

The extra 2nd rounder we had in 2012 makes us down 1 second rounder. So in spite of being a small step back, we're still 8th in the league.

Also, I bet that the top-7 are all teams that have either had multiple tanking years or accumulated a lot of extra draft picks.

 

[Hackett]

Not really. A lot of people were speculating on Forsberg, Terrevainen, and Grigorenko.

It was an educated decision.

Let's give credit where credit is due.

The professionals at NHL central scouting had Galchenyuk as 4th among north american skaters.

I'm not saying it was the only option, but it was the most popular choice given the habs weaknesses. Either way, the team was going to get a quality prospect that would have helped them move up in these rankings other than grigorenko perhaps... that's all I'm saying.

 

[yoteshot]

Nice ranking, well deserved too!

Not sure what Tampa is doing ahead of us though.

 

[jedimyrmidon]

Nice ranking, well deserved too!

Not sure what Tampa is doing ahead of us though.

 

[Talks to Goalposts]

Nice ranking, well deserved too!

Not sure what Tampa is doing ahead of us though.

They've got a great farm team and a large number of good Euros. No one as good as Galchenyuk (although Connolly isn't that far behind) but a lot of quality in terms of mid-tier guys.

 

[Bullsmith]

Timmons et al made a major leap forward for the org at the 2012 draft. To his credit, PG stocked the cupboard with some picks before he got canned, but the flipside of that coin is that he first stripped the system nearly bare of good prospects. The dogs last year were a wasteland in that sense.

Slightly OT but it's amazing to see the Leafs are in 20th. For the amount of time they've spent in the basement since the last lockout, they don't have a hell of a lot to show for it. Reilly's a superb prospect, but the rest of their pool is pretty mediocre.

 

[QuebecPride]

Timmons et al made a major leap forward for the org at the 2012 draft. To his credit, PG stocked the cupboard with some picks before he got canned, but the flipside of that coin is that he first stripped the system nearly bare of good prospects. The dogs last year were a wasteland in that sense.

Slightly OT but it's amazing to see the Leafs are in 20th. For the amount of time they've spent in the basement since the last lockout, they don't have a hell of a lot to show for it. Reilly's a superb prospect, but the rest of their pool is pretty mediocre.

I like Finn, Blacker and Percy, but up front its pretty weak after Kadri.

 

[TheGoalJudge]

Now all we need is for the season to start so we can tank and trade a couple vets for more picks and end up with Seth Jones + 5 other picks in the top 60.

 

[CheldishGamibno]

Nice ranking, well deserved too!

Not sure what Tampa is doing ahead of us though.

Goaltending.

 

[Bullsmith]

I like Finn, Blacker and Percy, but up front its pretty weak after Kadri.

Yeah they have some decent prospects on D. Frattin's got upside as well up front. But they don't have much to show for all those bottom-10 finishes. Burke trades well (ie. Gardiner, not so much Colbourne or Ashton so far), but the drafting hasn't been stellar under his regime.