Prospect from your team who's made biggest leap

[SevenOfSpades]

Drake Batherson. Went from overage 4th round pick on nobody's radar to a leading scorer in the QMJHL and winning Team Canada WJC invite.

 

[zharkenby]

He is maybe top 10, and that might be generous.

Hmmmm... go look at the first round of the draft. Name 10 players that should go before him. I’ll wait

 

[FlyTimmo]

Off the top of my head Matthews, Laine, Keller, McAvoy, Sergachev, Tkachuk, PLD, Chychrun, Debrincat, Pool Party... that's 10. There are probably a couple more I am forgetting.

 

[eternalbedhead]

Not technically a prospect at this point, but Ondrej Kase has made the biggest leap. He's already eclipsed his goal totals from last season. His shooting percentage is high but not ludicrously so, and he's actually 7th in the league in primary points/60. (min. 200 minutes) It remains to be seen whether he can keep this up, but at a time where we needed guys to step up, he answered the call. Good motor, great vision, and a pretty decent shot as well. Not bad defensively either. He's a tad on the small side but he doesn't seem to be bothered by it.

Welinski's made a sizable jump this season as well, scoring at a near-PPG clip for a Gulls team that is somehow more beleaguered than their NHL affiliate, and he played pretty well for us in two games so far. (though he was scratched against Washington when Lindholm cam back so read into the sample size what you will)

Kevin Roy came up and has played pretty well. I'm still not sold on him long-term -- not high on his skating or hands, and he's not going to maintain this 30-goal pace of his on almost 40% shooting, but he's been another player who's stepped up admirably. Great hockey IQ.

Fiore surprised by making the opening night roster and has been doing fairly well for San Diego.

Troy Terry continues to progress -- he was scoring at almost a 2 PPG clip earlier in the season, though he's cooled down since then. (1 goal in his last 6 games) I really want to get him in Anaheim next year if he's ready -- we could use that infusion of young talent. He's got a great shot at the Olympic squad as well -- looking forward to seeing how he does on the big stage if he makes the team.

EDIT: Forgot to mention Josh Mahura. His biggest leap came last year but he's continued to grow -- he's maintaining a PPG pace with Regina. He's got a logjam to crawl over if he wants a career in Anaheim, but he's looking like a very solid pick.

Overall, not any incendiary or outright surprising performances in the system for us. Mostly just steady growth and some regression.

 

[CandyCanes]

Stelio Mattheos. Dude's showing EXACTLY why he went #1 OA in the WHL draft. 52 points in 33 games, guy's a beast.

Definitely Stelio and want to add the trio of guys lighting it up in the AHL for us.

Lucas Wallmark has 19 points in 16 games and is supposedly is really good on all ends of the ice.

Valentine Zykov currently leading the AHL in goals with 15 goals in 25 games. (He only scored 16 goals in 66 games last season)

Warren Foegele (Rookie) 12 goals, 20 pts in 26 games down in the AHL

 

[Flameshomer]

Bratt has been good but he's also playing lots of minutes on a mediocre team as that team's second best wing option. I think he fits somewhere in the top 15 of the draft, but the top 10 has preformed very well so far. It would be hard to unseat them. Probably could swap him with Puljujarvi?

 

[Taswell]

Aho (the defenseman) has come and adapted to the NA game very quickly. Is putting up a ton of goals in the AHL and playing pretty good D. Looks like a PP quarterback in the making after being passed over in 3 drafts for some unknown reason.

 

[TheBradyBunch]

Drake Batherson. Went from overage 4th round pick on nobody's radar to a leading scorer in the QMJHL and winning Team Canada WJC invite.

As great as Drake has been, I'll give this title to Gabriel Gagne.

The Sens traded up to 36th overall in 2015 to select Gagne; he followed that up with a mediocre season in the QMJHL. Last year, he posted just 2g and 6pts as a pro rookie in the AHL.

This season, he already has 12 goals (5th in AHL) and 15 points in 27 games. He just turned 21.

A few months ago, he was basically written off by a lot of Sens fans. Now, he looks like he could become a legit NHL scorer.

 

[Blackjack]

Bratt has been good but he's also playing lots of minutes on a mediocre team as that team's second best wing option. I think he fits somewhere in the top 15 of the draft, but the top 10 has preformed very well so far. It would be hard to unseat them. Probably could swap him with Puljujarvi?

16 minutes a game on 2nd best team in the conference so far? If he's the 2nd best wing option that's to his credit since Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Marcus Johansson, and Drew Stafford are pretty good wings.

Not arguing that he should be top 10 since I don't know the other players well enough, but as a Devils fan those criticisms just struck me as odd.

Did you notice I tried to sneak Drew Stafford in there?

 

[snipes]

Pulju AINEC.

He looks excellent.

 

[Brockon]

16 minutes a game on 2nd best team in the conference so far? If he's the 2nd best wing option that's to his credit since Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Marcus Johansson, and Drew Stafford are pretty good wings.

Not arguing that he should be top 10 since I don't know the other players well enough, but as a Devils fan those criticisms just struck me as odd.

Hardly a prospect, but Brian Gibbons has been a big role player for the Devils this season - far more significant than Drew Stafford. Absolutely monster contributions on a league minimum salary for a team lacking impact wingers this season through the middle 6.

Looking forward to seeing what the team looks like when the prospects start forcing vets out of the lineup. Also, very grateful that the Devils play in the East because the Central doesn't need another powerhouse team in it.

On the OP subject, Robert Thomas is looking like a steal at 20th in the 2017 draft and will be making training camp decisions really interesting for the Blues next year. Looking forward to watching his play in the upcoming WJC.

 

[Deen]

Mangiapane for the Flames has been really good in the AHL. Jankowski seems to have solidified himself as well.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

DeBrincat went from 2nd round pick who was supposedly too small and didn't skate well enough to play in the NHL to the 2nd leading scorer on the Hawks and a legit Calder candidate.

 

[SI90]

Has to be Aho for the Isles, no?

Could be Aho or Bellows.

 

[Hfbsux]

Habs: Jake Evans, top scorer of the NCAA. Hopefully we get him signed before he pulls a Schultz/Vesey.

 

[Striiker]

For Philly, maybe Cooper Marody.

He is 6th in NCAA scoring and in the summer was voted the 24th best prospect on our boards. And that doesn't include goalies so he would have dropped another 3-5 spots.

The only drafted NCAA guys with more points than him are Evans(Mtl) and Allison....another Flyers prospect.

I think it's gotta be Morgan Frost here.

1 goal and 6 assists behind last years totals but he hasn't even played half the games (33 so far, compared to 67 last year).

 

[Volica]

Mangiapane for the Flames has been really good in the AHL. Jankowski seems to have solidified himself as well.

Mangi for the Flames for sure.
Over-ager 6th rounder, big time OHL scorer, great rookie AHL campaign, and now is lighting it up big time down in his sophomore year.

 

[ITM]

Leafs fan coming in to champion Colton Point.

Some believed he was a reach where he was drafted...He seems to have leapt from one obscure place to another to backing up Carter Hart.

This guy looks outstanding.

 

[Skobel24]

For Calgary;

1. Jankowski - Went from PPG rookie in the AHL to a solid #3 center so far. He has 11 points in his last 19 games, and has meshed really well with Bennett.
2. Mangiapane - After Jankowski was recalled, he kept up a ppg+ pace in the AHL.
3. Rittich/Kulak/Hathaway - All three have stepped into a role with the Flames, and have done well.

 

[lawrence]

Olli Juolevi.

Constantly being told by so called experts who follow the OHL that he' regressed last year, and continuously reminding us we made the wrong choice, Olli Juolevi is currently one of the highest scoring dmans in his current leauge and add to that, one of the highest u20 producing dmans ever in that leauge. Huge leaps. went pointless in his first 4 games, since then has 14 points in his last 16 games.

Brock Boeser being told by so called experts he does not have an elite shot, and is nothing more then a 2nd line player, proving people wrong.

William Lock wood, I forgot who it was, it was another expert telling people Lockwood has no chance at team USA world Juniors at any point.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Really all of Detroit’s prospects besides Rasmussen and Cholowski seem to be having disappointing years.

Worryisome times for Red Wings fan, but if there are any players you want producing, it’s the two with the highest ceiling

 

[teravaineSAROS]

Olli Juolevi.

Constantly being told by so called experts who follow the OHL that he' regressed last year, and continuously reminding us we made the wrong choice, Olli Juolevi is currently one of the highest scoring dmans in his current leauge and add to that, one of the highest u20 producing dmans ever in that leauge. Huge leaps. went pointless in his first 4 games, since then has 14 points in his last 16 games.

Brock Boeser being told by so called experts he does not have an elite shot, and is nothing more then a 2nd line player, proving people wrong.

William Lock wood, I forgot who it was, it was another expert telling people Lockwood has no chance at team USA world Juniors at any point.

Are you just making up fake statements so you can create a "my teams players proved doubters wrong" scenario cos it sounds poetic?

Nobody specifically mentioned Boesers shot going "this guy has a non-elite shot"; nobody simply mentioned it he just went under the radar (and if anyone did mention him they probably mentioned his shot as a strength)

I doubt anyone said "Lookwood has no chance to play for team USA at the WJC at ANY POINT" either, they just didn't notice him cos he flew under the radar. Sounds a bit dramatic to add "at any point"

 

[The Macho King]

Getting more and more excited for Boris Katchouk.

 

[Rebels57]

Cooper Marody was a good answer but I have to pick Morgan Frost

62 points in 65 games in his Draft year and selected 27th overall with the STL 1st round pick acquired as part of the Brayden Schenn trade. Fans were skeptical of the selection. He has proven the fans wrong thus far.

He is now up to 55 points in 33 games in his Draft +1 and was just named OHL and CHL Player of the Week. He is absolutely torching the OHL right now. 3rd in league scoring and 1st in league scoring for all U19 players.

 

[Hockeyisl1fe]

Filip Chytil.
HM-Ronning, Barron, Virta

I don't know about Virta man... he certainly hasn't taken the step I expected. Almost looks disinterested at times.