Hockey's Future Top 50 prospects Spring 2007: 11-25

[OilerOlli*]

They forgot Schremp.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

They forgot Schremp.

I don't think they did.

 

[helicecopter]

Here's what I think the top 10 could be:

JJ
EJ
O'Sullivan (can't see how he drops out of the top 50 when he was 9th last year)
Backstrom
Toews
Kessel
Rask
Mueller
Barker
Radulov/Schremp/Parent/etc

This one must be in 'no particular order'.. r rright?!

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

This one must be in 'no particular order'.. r rright?!

I would hope so.

 

[OilerOlli*]

How can Schwarz be in the Top 25 and Schremp not even in the Top 50?
Makes just no sense to me. What position was Schremp last time here? I guess in the Top 20. And now because he struggled in the beginning of his pro career he is falling out?
Since 1,2 month he is doing good in the AHL and pots a lot of points...but anyway, those rankings are not so important. I still think Schremp will be a good NHL er.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

I cant believe Perttu Lindgren isnt TOP50. I know he had weak start of season, but now he is amazing again.

I totally agree. Lindgren is awesome player. Great steal for Dallas.

 

[veronesepk]

Pretty sure the cut off was 65 games or NHL regular this season. So I think Malkin and Kessel are out not sure how much Kopitar or O Sullivan has played.

Kessel could still be in - he's only played 58 games.


Also, the 65 game marker only comes into affect as to when the rankings were determined, so in theory, a player present in the top 10 could have played >65 games as of the announcement of the rankings.

 

[veronesepk]

How can Schwarz be in the Top 25 and Schremp not even in the Top 50?

I agree - Schwarz has been in a bit of a free-fall in THN's rankings. Heck, THN even has Ben Bishop, another goalie in the Blues organization, ranked ahead of him on the Top 15 Goalies list and in their overall prospect rankings.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

I agree - Schwarz has been in a bit of a free-fall in THN's rankings. Heck, THN even has Ben Bishop, another goalie in the Blues organization, ranked ahead of him on the Top 15 Goalies list and in their overall prospect rankings.

Who did THN's write-up on the Blues? That might speak volumes about the "accuracy" of the Blues list to begin with.

AFA Bishop: he's a great kid, has potential, but still has things he needs to work on. I doubt I'd put him above Schwarz in terms of NHL potential, and I absolutely wouldn't put him ahead based on his level of play and overall NHL readiness.

 

[8BostonRocker24]

Rask > Price

 

[8BostonRocker24]

1. EJ
2. JJ
3. Toews
4. O'Sullivan
5. Backstrom
6. Kessel
7. Rask
8. Schremp
9. Barker
10. Mueller

Radulov? Where does that leave him? Unless he 'graduated'

 

[Hunter Gathers]

This one must be in 'no particular order'.. r rright?!

Take a wild guess.

 

[veronesepk]

Who did THN's write-up on the Blues? That might speak volumes about the "accuracy" of the Blues list to begin with.

AFA Bishop: he's a great kid, has potential, but still has things he needs to work on. I doubt I'd put him above Schwarz in terms of NHL potential, and I absolutely wouldn't put him ahead based on his level of play and overall NHL readiness.

Is someone from an "amateur" site (that is putting out a VERY questionable top 50 thus far) calling out a professional site? Hmm...


For what its worth, Tom Timmermann of the STL Post-Dispatch wrote the STL prospect overview, but the THN rankings are done by a panel of 22 NHL scouts. I'm pretty sure I'd agree with what they said anyday of the week before a bunch of message board hounds on HF.

 

[Chaos]

I cant believe Perttu Lindgren isnt TOP50. I know he had weak start of season, but now he is amazing again.

Shhh....He's our little secret. It's amazing what happens around here when you are drafted by one of the less 'popular' teams.

 

[Wats]

Although Halak did play excellently for 2 1/2 of his 7 starts, I agree with your criticism..rx...and I'm a Habs fan

 

[Madness]

For the record, I myself think that Halak should've been in the top 50.

I mean, ****ing Nilsson made the list over him. That's pathetic.

Montoya cracks the top 15 because he was picked 6th overall and has been simply stellar since entering the AHL. He's been just fantastic. He has a lot more hype behind him than Halak has ever had. Halak has gone out and proved a lot of people wrong, but he was still a late round pick and people will always tend to have a lower view of said player.

Now, if Halak is not on the list next year there will be some serious explaining to do from the Hockey's Future team.

May I ask what this means?.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Is someone from an "amateur" site (that is putting out a VERY questionable top 50 thus far) calling out a professional site? Hmm...


For what its worth, Tom Timmermann of the STL Post-Dispatch wrote the STL prospect overview, but the THN rankings are done by a panel of 22 NHL scouts. I'm pretty sure I'd agree with what they said anyday of the week before a bunch of message board hounds on HF.

First off, Tom Wheatley did the write-up last year ... which is a joke in and of itself in you know anything about Wheatley and his "work" at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in the 90s. However, what made it so appalling what that he did the write-up without talking to anyone in the Blues organization. Furthermore, his rankings were not an assessment from the team - I have no idea where the hell he got them from, because IIRC he had Carl Soderberg (then easily a top-5, possibly top-3 prospect for us) down at #10, while Jeff Woywitka as our #3 prospect over guys like Soderberg, David Backes, and Roman Pola'k (who I don't think was mentioned anywhere in that list).

So yeah ... I wanted to know, because considering how Wheatley mailed in yet another pathetic effort last year I wanted to see who wrote the article to see how "accurate" it might be. Timmerman isn't usually a hockey writer, but at least he'll ask questions to people within the team instead of going on his own (woefully inaccurate) instincts.

AFA the "bunch of message board hounds on HF" remark: I wasn't involved in any way, shape, or form with putting together this list, so taking a swipe at me from that angle gets you nowhere. That said, I'd trust the views of some people on here long before I'd ever consider remarks from "noted hockey writers" like Wheatley and Kara Yorio. Furthermore, if you'd like I or someone else can go dig out past top-XX rankings put together by THN in years past based on assessments from eleventy NHL scouts and show how they were wrong on many players.

I've seen Schwarz and Bishop play several times each. I don't care if 22 NHL scouts think Bishop is the better goalie, I wouldn't put Bishop ahead of Schwarz right now and I'm pretty comfortable saying the head of amateur scouting for the Blues feels the same way.

 

[PuckheadMcGillycuddy]

AFA the "bunch of message board hounds on HF" remark: I wasn't involved in any way, shape, or form with putting together this list, so taking a swipe at me from that angle gets you nowhere. That said, I'd trust the views of some people on here long before I'd ever consider remarks from "noted hockey writers" like Wheatley and Kara Yorio. Furthermore, if you'd like I or someone else can go dig out past top-XX rankings put together by THN in years past based on assessments from eleventy NHL scouts and show how they were wrong on many players.

The writers have nothing to do with compiling THN's top 75 list. They talk to the clubs and compile each team's top 10 list after the top 75 has been sorted out by the scouts' votes.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

The writers have nothing to do with compiling THN's top 75 list. They talk to the clubs and compile each team's top 10 list after the top 75 has been sorted out by the scouts' votes.

And ... the scouts have been wrong in the past on that top-75 (top-50, top-whatever) list. That's my point - just because a scout says one thing doesn't make it fact. Would I put weight into it? Sure I would - but the original comment I responded to was, "Heck, THN even has Ben Bishop, another goalie in the Blues organization, ranked ahead of him on the Top 15 Goalies list and in their overall prospect rankings."

And for the 3rd time ... right now I wouldn't put Bishop ahead of Schwarz based on what I've seen myself, and based on what I've heard out of the Blues organization.

 

[HFNHL Canadiens]

for the first time, I prefer the hockey news list...

I agree, and its way better. This if by far there most contreversial list ever.

 

[veronesepk]

I've seen Schwarz and Bishop play several times each. I don't care if 22 NHL scouts think Bishop is the better goalie, I wouldn't put Bishop ahead of Schwarz right now and I'm pretty comfortable saying the head of amateur scouting for the Blues feels the same way.

I'm with the scouts on this one.

 

[veronesepk]

And ... the scouts have been wrong in the past on that top-75 (top-50, top-whatever) list. That's my point - just because a scout says one thing doesn't make it fact. Would I put weight into it? Sure I would - but the original comment I responded to was, "Heck, THN even has Ben Bishop, another goalie in the Blues organization, ranked ahead of him on the Top 15 Goalies list and in their overall prospect rankings."

And for the 3rd time ... right now I wouldn't put Bishop ahead of Schwarz based on what I've seen myself, and based on what I've heard out of the Blues organization.

But one would logically put the opinions of NHL scouts of a bunch of guys running a messageboard, right (not just in light of the Schwarz/Bishop ranking, but in regards to all of the rankings).

 

[Fozz]

And ... the scouts have been wrong in the past on that top-75 (top-50, top-whatever) list. That's my point - just because a scout says one thing doesn't make it fact. Would I put weight into it? Sure I would - but the original comment I responded to was, "Heck, THN even has Ben Bishop, another goalie in the Blues organization, ranked ahead of him on the Top 15 Goalies list and in their overall prospect rankings."

And for the 3rd time ... right now I wouldn't put Bishop ahead of Schwarz based on what I've seen myself, and based on what I've heard out of the Blues organization.

That may be but I'll take the scout's view over the HF list (which is terrible!) any day of the week. I bet most of the people on the HF panel (whatever that is) haven't seen most of these players in person and are going by reputation and hype more then anything.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

There is no credit due...you guys didn't play better then we did.

Goaltender is a part of the team and Montoya>>>>Fleury in that tournament, so the US team was better. Simple as that.

I honestly feel Finland deserved to advance over Sweden in the 06 WJC even though Sweden dominated the game 64 minutes and outshot us 53-25.

 

[veronesepk]

I bet most of the people on the HF panel (whatever that is) haven't seen most of these players in person and are going by reputation and hype more then anything.

Agreed. Hype, reputation, and an HF contributor's arguing skills is all it took to create this top 50 list.