ISS Top 10 for April

[markov`]

Ladd is underrated by the stats watchers. Unless you've seen him play multiple times this season you shouldn't be speaking as if you're an authority on where he would go in the draft.

Not to mention Ladd's game is not just all about the stats. He's a prototypical powerforward. His game is about controlling the puck along the boards, cycling, using his body to shield the puck, etc. He's a big, strong kid. There's probably a lot of fans on this board who are biased towards the more purely skilled european types who rack up mroe points but don't contribute as much defensively and especially physically. So those fans wouldn't like a Ladd as much as a Radulov for example. But I'm a huge fan of powerforwards. I think they are often key in making room for the other two players on their line. And that doesn't always show up in the stat sheet.

It's kinda like how Simon is underrated by many on this forum. He has the skill to play the top two lines in Calgary and fulfills a very specific role that happens to be pretty rare in the NHL. But he's not the fanciest player, not the most purely skilled and won't rack up the most points on the team so posters will mock him and call him a 3rd or 4th line goon because they don't understand the contribution he makes to winning.

Ladd is a similar player to Simon, he's a similar player to Erik Cole. If you value that type of player, you'll like Ladd.

If you sit at home on your computer and just read stats all day and pretend that it is a valid way to evaluate prospects then you won't like Ladd.

I've seen Ladd play over 10 times this year and I am not just a stats watcher. I am a game watcher first, but I believe stats should be taken in consideration for forwards.

I am not biaised towards him, I just don't think he should have gone 4th overall, and the Canes could've picked a much better prospect with this pick. But like someone said, it's a little early to tell.

In my view, Ladd isn't a powerforward. Bertuzzi, Thornton, Tkachuck, Guerin, those are powerforwards. Ladd doesn't have that kind of ceiling (depending on how you define powerforward). A Chris Simon comparision is good, Erik Cole too. I'd say Cole is his upside, but I'd be surprised to see him on a scoring line.

One last thing, I don't underrate him. He is a good two-way, physical player, and his game will translate well into the NHL. But his offensive potential just isn't good enough to justify a #4 overall selection.

Anyway, thanks for repeating things I already know.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Powerforwards have to be able to score FDW. If Chris Simon is a PF I guess Georges Laraque is too. I've seen plenty of Ladd, he just doesn't have the hands to be a scorer at the next level. But he'll be an NHL regular that mucks it up in the corners. A grinder. Theres nothing wrong with that, every team needs one. Compare him to Robbie Niedermayer.

 

[Le Golie]

Ladd gets WAY too much flak around here despite being a terrific prospect. He was easily one of the best forwards in the WJC's,

Easy tiger. He had a pretty good tournament but let's not get carried away. Off the top of my head I can think of seven forwards on Team Canada that outperformed him.

That being said he is a good prospect and I love the way his role is so well defined. As much as people here love to trash him, I know a lot of teams wish they had a player like Ladd in the system.

 

[markov`]

Powerforwards have to be able to score FDW. If Chris Simon is a PF I guess Georges Laraque is too. I've seen plenty of Ladd, he just doesn't have the hands to be a scorer at the next level. But he'll be an NHL regular that mucks it up in the corners. A grinder. Theres nothing wrong with that, every team needs one. Compare him to Robbie Niedermayer.

Rob Niedermayer is just a great comparision. Both were drafted higher than they should've.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Rob Niedermayer is just a great comparision. Both were drafted higher than they should've.

Not only that but the style of play too. Both about 6'2, left-handed shots....same style.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

Not only that but the style of play too. Both about 6'2, left-handed shots....same style.

Hmmm... I don't see it. Rob Niedermayer relies a lot more on mobility, Ladd on anticipation.

I think Ladd will end up like a Scott Hartnell type at the NHL level.

 

[Hunter74]

I am not biaised towards him, I just don't think he should have gone 4th overall, and the Canes could've picked a much better prospect with this pick. But like someone said, it's a little early to tell.

In my view, Ladd isn't a powerforward. Bertuzzi, Thornton, Tkachuck, Guerin, those are powerforwards. Ladd doesn't have that kind of ceiling (depending on how you define powerforward). A Chris Simon comparision is good, Erik Cole too. I'd say Cole is his upside, but I'd be surprised to see him on a scoring line.

One last thing, I don't underrate him. He is a good two-way, physical player, and his game will translate well into the NHL. But his offensive potential just isn't good enough to justify a #4 overall selection.

Anyway, thanks for repeating things I already know.

So you would like for him to prove that he can score as that seems the one thing that is holding him back from his "elite" prospect ranking.

I think the Hartnell type player is a much better comparison imho. I love these types of players. They make the world of difference come playoff time. Nothing like a big physicall forward to pound teh oppositions defenseman into the board and then score a few goals off th extra space they created.

 

[Hunter74]

Ahh, Kiss Bourret good buy, the kid is a train. I expect Florida and Keen to attack him with their pick, but if he fell into Sutters lap, I think Sutter would hug him much like he did with Phaneuf Bourret is a very talented kid, small in stature, but built like a tank, and hits with ones power.

Stoa isn't a powerfoward per say. He reminds me of Jeff Carter pre-draft. Some say he can only be a 2nd line center, and some say Poor mans Joe Thornton. Same with Stoa. He's tall, lanky, skilled, playmaker, great skater, inconsistant physically.

His upside is humungous though and I expect him to turn ...post draft year success.

Just my bold prediction...We'll see.

If I am correct Stoa will be headed to Minnesota next season right? If so he will be one of the bigger forwards on the team with Tallackson leaving. So if he and Chucko and Wheeler are the only big forwards on the team they may be counted on to be the more physical forwards on the team. the line that is sent out to control the cycle abit and get momentum.

If he is heading to Minnesota and O'Marra is gone I hope the Flames draft him. I like Carter and if Stoa might end up like Carter I think thats a pretty good pick. Especially for a team that doesn't have any big strong center prospects with top 2 line potential.

 

[nomorekids]

Easy tiger. He had a pretty good tournament but let's not get carried away. Off the top of my head I can think of seven forwards on Team Canada that outperformed him.

That being said he is a good prospect and I love the way his role is so well defined. As much as people here love to trash him, I know a lot of teams wish they had a player like Ladd in the system.

Seven? now who's getting carried away?

Bergeron
Carter
Crosby
MAYBE Richards. That's about it. Ladd was outstanding.

 

[fredez]

Ladd outstanding at the WJCs? What? He was very average.

Seven is pretty much the number of forwards playing better or on par with him :

1-Bergeron
2-Carter
3-Crosby
4-Getzlaf
5-Richards
6-Perry
7-Fraser/Ladd

 

[DaveyCrockett]

I don't know about O'Marra. He has some sick hands but when he got called up to my buddies team a while back for the Quebec World Tournament, he cried like a little girl when he didn't get to play.

 

[Le Golie]

Seven? now who's getting carried away?

Bergeron
Carter
Crosby
MAYBE Richards. That's about it. Ladd was outstanding.

Just out of curiosity, how many games did you watch? I saw every one of them. Ladd was a little weak in the pre tournament games. He wasn't very good in the opener against the Slovaks either. He picked it up after that and really played good in the medal games. That's the only time he elevated his game to above average.

1-Bergeron
2-Carter
3-Crosby
4-Getzlaf
5-Richards
6-Perry
7-McCarthur

They were all better than Ladd over the course of the tournament.

 

[nomorekids]

Just out of curiosity, how many games did you watch? I saw every one of them. Ladd was a little weak in the pre tournament games. He wasn't very good in the opener against the Slovaks either. He picked it up after that and really played good in the medal games. That's the only time he elevated his game to above average.

1-Bergeron
2-Carter
3-Crosby
4-Getzlaf
5-Richards
6-Perry
7-McCarthur

They were all better than Ladd over the course of the tournament.

I saw every game in regular tournament play. I disagree that MacArthur, Getzlaf or Perry were better.

 

[Le Golie]

I saw every game in regular tournament play. I disagree that MacArthur, Getzlaf or Perry were better.

Ladd over Getzlaf or Perry? That is laughable. McCarthur was really strong early on and faded over the course of the tournament when his ice time diminished, so he and Ladd were neck and neck.

I like Ladd, but he wasn't anything special at the tournament, especially during the round robin when he made a lot of really weak mental plays. Against the Czechs and Russians he played pretty solid, and he was great along the boards - but over the whole tournament he and was definitely not as good as any of the seven I mentioned. In fact, even Fraser and Dixon were close and arguably better than Ladd.

You'll be very hard pressed to find anyone who watched the tournament closely agreeing with you on this one.

 

[Jamie]

I like to use Smyth as a comparison to Ladd. Might be slightly high expectations of Ladd, but I think he plays a very similar game and is similarily talented, probably better defensivly than when Smyth came into the league too. I think he'll have a similar career and I also think Staal can be his Weight.

 

[Fozz]

I wasn't really impressed with Ladd at WJC either. Seems like a good grinder and forechecks well but that's about it. I just didn't see that much natural talent in him.

 

[Charge_Seven]

I still don't get it, Ryan has better numbers by far than Pouliot.

As it's been said so many times before, numbers mean nothing.

Pouliot's projected position comes alot from the fact that he was off the charts last year essentially. He hasn't filled out, he's a big frame, and he's got the skill set to be a star. Give him NHL size and he'll definitely do the right things with it.

I've been very high on him for a while now, he is definitely my #3 in the draft, behind Crosby and Johnson. I know many still like Brule over him, but there's something I really like about Pouliot, possibly it's his attitude.

 

[Fozz]

As it's been said so many times before, numbers mean nothing.

Pouliot's projected position comes alot from the fact that he was off the charts last year essentially. He hasn't filled out, he's a big frame, and he's got the skill set to be a star. Give him NHL size and he'll definitely do the right things with it.

I've been very high on him for a while now, he is definitely my #3 in the draft, behind Crosby and Johnson. I know many still like Brule over him, but there's something I really like about Pouliot, possibly it's his attitude.

Pouliot didn't have his best 2 games this in Ottawa but he still impressed me a lot. He is an incredible skater, stoung and fluid. He makes many things happen and always seems to be where the puck ends up (or maybe it's the opposite...).

 

[markov`]

I think Ladd will end up like a Scott Hartnell type at the NHL level.

Are you realizing that, at the same age, the gap between Hartnell and Ladd is very wide? I mean, 45 points in the WHL against 16 in the NHL. I agree he's playing like Hartnell but he's not as offensively gifted, not even close IMO.

Anyway...

 

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Powerforwards have to be able to score FDW. If Chris Simon is a PF I guess Georges Laraque is too. I've seen plenty of Ladd, he just doesn't have the hands to be a scorer at the next level. But he'll be an NHL regular that mucks it up in the corners. A grinder. Theres nothing wrong with that, every team needs one. Compare him to Robbie Niedermayer.

You think Laraque has the same kind of hands that Chris Simon has?

Watch a game sometime. That's all I have to say about that.

 

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Ladd outstanding at the WJCs? What? He was very average.

Seven is pretty much the number of forwards playing better or on par with him :

1-Bergeron
2-Carter
3-Crosby
4-Getzlaf
5-Richards
6-Perry
7-Fraser/Ladd

Perry?

 

[fredez]

He was pretty good when he played with Bergeron and Crosby, he started as the extra forward and became integral part or this line pretty quick

 

[choda32]

omarra

I dont think omarro has very good skating abilty. his hands are very good as is his shot but hes skating scares me .. id make him a top15. one player i do like that isnt getting ne attention is tom pyatt hes a work horse

 

[Seachd]

This might seem pretty lame of me, but one thing really bugs me about ISS: spelling errors. I know it seems minor, but I find it hard to take them seriously when every month, at least a couple names are misspelled. This month, it's Vyacheslav (Buravchikov), Jean-Philippe (Levasseur), and Michael (Frolik).

This doesn't affect my opinion of the rankings, of course, but it just seems like it's something they should make sure of before publishing the lists.

 

[eaton28]

Pouliot shouldn't be in the top five, let alone number two.

The list would be good if Pouliot was lower.

i should slap you...

i have watched beniot pouliot ALOT this year and must say he is probaly the most exciting player i have ever watched. he can do everything hit, skate, pass, the odd 2-hander, shoot... and the list goes on. his stats are not good because sudbury is NOT an offencive team by any means, they are a bump and grind team that has to work very hard to score goals and when someone comes out with a point per game that is pretty impressive.