ISS top 30 for January

[Ken McKenna]

ISS January Rankings

ISS brings us their newly released top 30 for the 2007 NHL Draft. A certain Russian prospect has rocketed up the charts

Click to read more...

 

[Amadeus]

Wow..Turris is one behind Kane.

Where is Repik ranked? IMO he'll go in mid-first round. He looks very talented.

 

[Stealth JD]

Esposito.......down to 10?

Not that i disagree.....just surprised. Alzner at 2 is impressive....but Cherepanov at #1?

 

[super_mario]

i thought that Couture would go up, not down, he's been doing really well lately...

 

[SniperTom]

I had Kane top 3, he has impressed me alot during the world juniors. Overall, this years draft seems more and more difficult to predict, there are a lot of guys fighting for the no. 1.

 

[MM425]

Wow... Cherepanov has looked good... but all the way to number 1?

It'll be close, but for my money, I think either Kane or Ganger will go number 1.

 

[OHLArenaGuide]

Is there expected to be any issues with getting Cherepanov to report given the current nonexistence of the NHL-Russia transfer agreement? That could cause him to slide if teams expect problems.

 

[Epsilon]

Wow... Cherepanov has looked good... but all the way to number 1?

It'll be close, but for my money, I think either Kane or Ganger will go number 1.

I can't imagine Gagner going number 1 especially after his awful performance in the WJCs. The WJCs never really hurt the draft status of draft-eligible players that go since they arn't expected to make an impact but Gagner did nothing while Cherepanov, Kane, Voracek and Alzner all impressed with their play.

 

[orangeandblack]

i can guarantee you gagner will not go number 1. i think he gets picked outside of the top 5 also. if a team wants a forward it will likely be a race between kane, cherepanov, voracek and couture. if they want a defenseman it will be alzner. i think if petrecki was playing at a higher level hed have a chance. gagner benefits way more from playing with pat kane, then pat kane does from playing with gagner. im not trying to knock gagner, because hes a great prospect, but i really think he goes outside of the top 5, and closer to 10th overall. turris, petrecki and vanreimsdyk are wildcards of a sort, becuase they play at lower levels and i think can go anywhere from 3 to 13, depending on whos on the board. this draft is really starting to get interesting.

 

[Slitty]

1.
Cherepanov, Alexei *
RW
1/15/89
L
6.00
183
Omsk
RusE

Cherepanov is 5'11 and 165lb as per the IIHF.

 

[rt]

I was born and raised in Arizona, so I don't know a whole lot about hockey prospects. It seems to me, though, that people put way, way too much emphasis on a draft eligable player's performance at the WJC's. I mean, it's just one tournament, and for most it's the first time they've participated.

 

[rt]

Cherepanov is 5'11 and 165lb as per the IIHF.

The thing that baffles me most about people who follow hockey prospects is the difference the one single little inch between 5'11'' and 6'00'' makes to them. I'm not calling you out specifically, Slitty, but I can't understand this. A kid could be 5'11''/195lbs and people will call him small. Another kid could be 6'0''/180lbs and the same people will say he has good size.

 

[MM425]

I can't imagine Gagner going number 1 especially after his awful performance in the WJCs. The WJCs never really hurt the draft status of draft-eligible players that go since they arn't expected to make an impact but Gagner did nothing while Cherepanov, Kane, Voracek and Alzner all impressed with their play.

I think he played pretty well in the role he was given. He didn't amaze on the stat-sheets, but worked the power-play well and didn't look out of place defensively. Cherepanov and Kane certainly exceeded expectations, but I'd still put Ganger in that pack of top guys based on his play.

Still a lot of hockey to be played... who knows what could happen if one of these guys have a killer 2nd half of the year.

 

[buddahsmoka1]

IMO Kane is the strongest forward as of right now. If he has a solid second half of the season then I think he might go number 1. Cherepanov is too risky, Gagner hasnt really impressed me, I doubt Alzner will go first either.

 

[OHLArenaGuide]

I was born and raised in Arizona, so I don't know a whole lot about hockey prospects. It seems to me, though, that people put way, way too much emphasis on a draft eligable player's performance at the WJC's. I mean, it's just one tournament, and for most it's the first time they've participated.

Trust me, scouts don't make that mistake. It's just on HFBoards, for most people this is the first time they've seen Gagner play and he didn't exactly excel.

I've seen Gagner play live at least 15 times this year and he's never failed to impress me. Just because he couldn't play against the best 19-year-olds in the world doesn't mean he's all of a sudden a 6th rounder, although if he had lit it up it would have almost certainly raised him up to the top 3 at a minimum.

 

[Slitty]

The thing that baffles me most about people who follow hockey prospects is the difference the one single little inch between 5'11'' and 6'00'' makes to them. I'm not calling you out specifically, Slitty, but I can't understand this. A kid could be 5'11''/195lbs and people will call him small. Another kid could be 6'0''/180lbs and the same people will say he has good size.

The several inch discrepancy in height certainly isn't a big deal, but I hope we can agree that for most players - possessing or lacking those extra 18lbs is rather significant.

 

[Avery4Byng*]

Is it just me or does this look like one of the best years for the WHL in a while.

 

[sticknrink]

I was born and raised in Arizona, so I don't know a whole lot about hockey prospects. It seems to me, though, that people put way, way too much emphasis on a draft eligable player's performance at the WJC's. I mean, it's just one tournament, and for most it's the first time they've participated.

Actually the best way to determine prospects is the WJC.

When you pit those players who are in the same age group, some of them fall because the competition is at their level and they cannot produce. Other than taking a kid that's got standout numbers and "skills" but it's only because the competition is lacking.

 

[Redwingsfan]

colton gillies is still way to high. and i agree with what orangeandblack said. this draft is starting to get very interesting.

 

[Garl]

Oscar Moller not in the TOP 30?
That's a joke.

 

[jay-P]

Cherepanov is 5'11 and 165lb as per the IIHF.

According to Avangard Omsk website, he is 5'11 and 171 pounds.

In this list, there are a couple of things that raise thoughts.

-Colton Gillies incredibly high on the list.

-James Van Riemsdyk third. Recently on these boards, his hockey sense has been questioned by some very credible writers. But they work for McKeen's, so their rankings will likely have JVR lower.

 

[Hiishawk]

Gillies at that position is fine with me. I've never seen a forward who has such a distinction between his actual level of ability plus impact on a game and his stats though.

 

[Redwingsfan]

Gillies at that position is fine with me. I've never seen a forward who has such a distinction between his actual level of ability plus impact on a game and his stats though.

personally i dont think he will turn out to much. third liner at best. imo i would rank him somewhere around 25-30.

 

[GKJ]

This draft just seems to have gotten deeper. Although for someone to shoot up the chart like that? Please...

 

[Redwingsfan]

This draft just seems to have gotten deeper. Although for someone to shoot up the chart like that? Please...

i agree. he may be one of the favorites for the first overall pick, but to go from like 15-20 (dont remember hes ranking from last month) all the way to #1 on one tournament is a little funny.