Prospect Info: Jets Top Prospect Poll #18

[Jets4Life]

Jets Top 20 Prospects - 2019

1. Kristian Vesalainen - 45.4%
2. Dylan Samberg - 43.8%
3. Ville Heinola - 50%
4. Sami Niku - 90.8%
5. Mason Appleton - 71.7%%
6. Logan Stanley - 37.1%
7. Mikhail Berdin - 47.3%
8. David Gustafsson - 69.4%
9. Jonathan Kovacevic - 59.8%
10. Henri Nikkanen - 30.2%
11. Declan Chisholm - 36.7%
12. Luke Green - 37.8%
13. Giovanni Vallati - 27.0%
14. Leon Gawanke - 48.1%
15. Michael Spacek - 36.1%
16. Simon Lundmark - 49.1%
17. Jansen Harkins - 26.7%

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[lomiller1]

Wong still looks like the most interesting prospect to me. Of all the players left, he'd be the most coveted as a bottom 6 player if he ever makes the NHL which means he has the most upside.

He's in a lower level league which makes it harder to understand what he is, but that may not work against him when no one looks like they will make the NHL. He's not much older than some players we selected this year, plays a unique and game that is still coveted in some quarters and has a couple years of cost free development coming up. He's still a longshot but a good couple years in the NCAA could turn him into a legitimate prospect for us IMO.

 

[truck]

Voted McKenzie.

We need to add Luoto to the next one.

 

[koth]

Is this finally Skyler's time to shine???

 

[jetsforever]

Blaisdell

 

[Gm0ney]

So far, Spacek's the biggest faller, dropping 8 spots from last year. Smith might yet overtake him for that dubious honour. There's no one else close to those two though.

The biggest riser is Chisholm, who's up 11 spots. Gawanke is up 9.

Heinola wins the Shiny New Toy award, debuting at #3. Other draftees who debuted at #3: Morrissey and Vesalainen.

For the first time since 2013, there were no graduates off last year's list to the NHL club, but Vesalainen, Niku and Appleton appear to be on the threshold.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

McKenzie. I could see him someday cracking the Jets in an energy role, maybe even middle 6 in a pinch, but he’s got a long way to go. Needs to start producing in the AHL first.

Is Nogier still eligible?

 

[DeepFrickinValue]

Nogier. Jets always win with him in lineup

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

There's no one left who has more than a snowball's chance in Hell of ever making it in the NHL. I went with Nogier because he has probably already played more NHL games than any of the rest ever get.

 

[JetsFan815]

Voting Austin Wong again.

 

[Channelcat]

There's no one left who has more than a snowball's chance in Hell of ever making it in the NHL. I went with Nogier because he has probably already played more NHL games than any of the rest ever get.

Good point. I believe if Nogier can stay healthy we will see him play more NHL games yet.

 

[DeepFrickinValue]

Nogier really should have been higher

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Good point. I believe if Nogier can stay healthy we will see him play more NHL games yet.

Let's just hope it's not for the Jets. Unless we plan tanking, hed help with that for sure.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Nogier really should have been higher

Yeah, this is where it gets tricky. Do you go for the known fringe prospect (Nogier) or the unknown lottery ticket (basically everyone else on the list).

I guess the thing with Nogier is that I don’t see him having much more in the way of upside. What you see is what you get IMO, basically an okay AHL dman who should be 9/10 on your depth chart.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

Voting Austin Wong again.

I will say this: Wong’s point totals are pretty damn impressive when you consider how much time he spends in the box.

Over PPG and nearly 400 PIMs in the last two seasons. Gong show Wong.

 

[Gil Fisher]

One of them played in the World Juniors just this past year...and won the gold medal.

 

[Jets4Life]

Why has Nathan Smith fallen so drastically? His stats seemingly improved from last season.

 

[Gm0ney]

Why has Nathan Smith fallen so drastically? His stats seemingly improved from last season.

Fell slightly on a point-per-game basis. And he was 20 playing in the USHL, so you'd hope for more. I've been voting for him for a couple of rounds though.

 

[Mud Turtle]

I’m going with Smith. But he better improve drastically this year if he ever wants to make this list again.

 

[Jets4Life]

Fell slightly on a point-per-game basis. And he was 20 playing in the USHL, so you'd hope for more. I've been voting for him for a couple of rounds though.

His plus/minus went from -1 to 35 and led the team by far. However, I haven't seen too much written about him.

 

[heilongjetsfan]

Yeah, this is where it gets tricky. Do you go for the known fringe prospect (Nogier) or the unknown lottery ticket (basically everyone else on the list).

I guess the thing with Nogier is that I don’t see him having much more in the way of upside. What you see is what you get IMO, basically an okay AHL dman who should be 9/10 on your depth chart.

Lottery ticket might be an over-generous assessment. I'd bet you have a better chance cashing in with that Nigerian prince who keeps emailing you.

 

[lomiller1]

Why has Nathan Smith fallen so drastically? His stats seemingly improved from last season.

He was well under a point per game in a relatively easy league (easier the CHL anyway) as a 20 year old. His points per game dropped from the year previous, and those were already fairly unimpressive for the league he played in. The hope was that he'd take a big jump forward and he did the opposite.

 

[Gm0ney]

His plus/minus went from -1 to 35 and led the team by far. However, I haven't seen too much written about him.

Mitch Brown wrote about his season in the Athletic a couple of months ago: Thanks to a game built around stickhandling, the Jets have a...

There are a lot of video clips that look at his skillset. It's an interesting article.

I think this sums things up:

"For many players, a sub-point per game 20-year-old USHL season, average skating and size, and erratic decision-making would hardly register on the prospect radar. But Smith’s not an ordinary prospect. It’s visible in his, quite frankly, ridiculous stick skills and his atypical hockey background."

 

[voyageur]

I'll pick the guy I have been picking since #8. He's going to play in the NHL, and score his first NHL goal this year with the Jets.