Prospect Info: Prospect Rating #1 (2023 Version)
- Thread starter Randy Butternubs
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AuroraBorealis
Back-to-back hater
No Frasca on the list. I see how it is!
From what I've heard from Haase and Shirey at development camp, it's Yager by a country mile.
I think under a different coach he'd be good to go for NHL games in October 2024. Think it's pretty realistic for him to be better than some replacement level guys fairly soon.
Shirey was still kinda disappointed with Pickering that he's not separating himself more from the pack. I trust his judgment.
I suppose the only one in the conversation is Blomqvist outside of that, but who the f*** knows with goalies. Could be randomly great or fall apart like Lindberg did.
From what I've heard from Haase and Shirey at development camp, it's Yager by a country mile.
I think under a different coach he'd be good to go for NHL games in October 2024. Think it's pretty realistic for him to be better than some replacement level guys fairly soon.
Shirey was still kinda disappointed with Pickering that he's not separating himself more from the pack. I trust his judgment.
I suppose the only one in the conversation is Blomqvist outside of that, but who the f*** knows with goalies. Could be randomly great or fall apart like Lindberg did.
Yager, because Pickering sounds very far away from NHL duty…
Ugene Magic
EVIL LAUGH
I'm a lil tempted to vote Pickering as I value big mobile dmen more than small inconsistent snipers, but I dunno that I believe Pickering is just as likely to become a guy.
Malkinstheman
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- Aug 12, 2012
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Picking Yager here feels a bit like shiny toy syndrome. Pickering has a year more of development and could be a real unicorn if he pans out.
BlindWillyMcHurt
ti kallisti
- May 31, 2004
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Yeah I rate them pretty much the same. I just really can't help but be more intrigued by a big, mobile defenseman with puck skills. And while I think Yager stands a slightly better chance of making the jump to his expected role... it's not like he isn't without question marks.
Still... terrific cases for both, here.
Goalie_Bob
1992 Vezina (2nd)
KareemTrustfund
Domiking Simon
- Jun 19, 2012
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Same reason Hallander is. Both young enough to be considered prospects and we retained their rights with QOs. They probably won’t come back over but they still count.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
1. Yager
2. Pickering
3. Blomqvist
After that top-3, I think it gets messy.
2. Pickering
3. Blomqvist
After that top-3, I think it gets messy.
Big Friggin Dummy
Registered User
- Feb 22, 2019
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Yager's production dropped off in his draft year in what a bunch of people are attributing to a concerted effort on his part to round out his game--there was talk of him being a top-5 guy prior. Good skater, great shot, high hockey IQ, two-way responsible, probably a C/W at the NHL level. If he reaches his ceiling he'll be every bit as good or better than Pickering, imo.
They're both years away from genuinely challenging for an NHL job and may never pan out, but I'll go with Yager. Pickering is easily second, imo.
They're both years away from genuinely challenging for an NHL job and may never pan out, but I'll go with Yager. Pickering is easily second, imo.
SomeDude
Registered User
Randy Butternubs
Registered User
Give this post a like (or any of the other reactions) if you think Hallander and Lindberg should be removed from the future polls. If >50% of the votes from the poll they'll be removed.
I realize this may be a bit too late, but I'll ask again in the next poll.
I realize this may be a bit too late, but I'll ask again in the next poll.
Malkinstheman
Registered User
- Aug 12, 2012
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Still mind boggling to me that Hallander left right when he was in the cusp of making the NHL. He could have carved out a career as a third liner. He must not have liked living in North America.
Empoleon8771
Registered User
I can't like because I use a bad word on this site, but I would take out both.
Hallander is still a "prospect" IMO but the fact that he signed a 5 year deal in Europe makes him a non-prospect. If it was just a 1 or 2 year deal, I'd say include him but he's not coming over anytime soon.
I think Yager has more tools in place and that puts him in a better place. But then he's meant to. Forwards mature quicker than dmen. Shorter players have an easier time smoothing body co-ordination than guys who grew nine inches in a few years.
Look at it this way... what's the odds each guy becomes a guy, a 3m player, a 6m player, a 9m player (as those contracts are currently given out)?
Both feel pretty likely to at least be min wage guys if they don't slack. Yager wants to be a responsible guy and just needs to keep growing, Pickering is big and skates.
A 3m guy... this is saying Pickering becomes Carson Soucy and that seems a pretty likely outcome. Big, strong, quick, plays committed but not mean, shows offence at times, can earn some trust but is just too inconsistent in the decision making to be more than the 4/5 guy. Ian Cole seems the obvious Pens comparison.
At 6m, we're saying a guy like Damon Severson and Travis Sanheim, or Ryan Pulock/Adam Pelech. 20 minut 2/3 guy. Either he looks good enough defensively although a little sus and produces a lot but enough to be worth a ton... or the offence is only average but he is no fun to play against what so ever. I can see it either way but there's going to have to be big jumps in his game.
I can't really see him at 9m. That demands a level of offensive play that hasn't been happening. Maybe he's going to suddenly discover a new level of comfort in his body and have a huge leap-up but you can't project that.
A 3m guy for Yager is either Kasperi Kapanen/Anthony Duclair - skill, speed, annoying coaches, hugely effective in the right set-up but generally is frustrating - or Alex Kerfoot with a ceiling of Erika Haula, aka a versatile third liner who does a bunch of nice things but can't really be trusted to do more than that and is a little vanilla. Pre-breakout Jared McCann. Don't feel like this would surprise anyone.
6m is someone like Vincent Trocheck or Sam Reinhart or, I guess, current Jared McCann. A versatile second liner who's either sticking at C but is only averagely productive, or is quite productive but is more break glass at C and best suited to being a scoring sidecar to a dominant C. Again, I can absolutely see this. He's got a really nice shot, he's got a sense of defensive responsibility, these things could develop enough. Needs to build strength. It seems a normal trajectory.
Him getting 9m is low end 1C - Barzal or Larkin - or being a high end 1st line wing, like Rantanen or Meier. Which... people were calling for him in D-1. I don't think many players play more like D-1 than D in D+1 but if he could, if he takes a big jump... I mean, it's possible. Some of his highlights are filthy. Needs to hit another level on his skating, which might happen with muscle, and he needs to keep building that shot to borderline elite, and needs to stickhandle better... but maybe?
I feel like they're just as likely to make the 3m tier and both most likely to end up there and I would take 3m Pickering over 3m Yager. I think Yager is a bit more likely to make 6m than Pickering, and I would prefer 6m Yager over the Severson version of Pickering but not over the shutdown version.
And while the chance of Yager reaching 9m feels real slim, it's about four times the chance of it happening for Pickering.
So... I think it has to be Yager. I think most times I'll prefer the player Pickering turns into, but I like Yager's ceiling more and his chances of hitting it. Yager's chances of hitting it are slim, but it's the difference between hoping you draw an ace and turning in your whole hand and hoping you get four (metaphorically, not literally).
Never saw any of them play but if I had to guess it will be Blomqvist.. That is who I voted for.
Randy Butternubs
Registered User
That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works.
Joakim Nygard signed a three year deal in Sweden six months before signing with the Oilers and according to this article on the NHL-SHL transfer agreement, updated last year, "Each Swedish player has an “out” in their contract with their Swedish clubs".
So the five year deal doesn't have to be honoured.
The question is what Hallander wants and at what level of play the Pens would talk to him about coming back over, because they do at least have some interest.
I feel like Frederik Olofsson is a good comparable as a 6'2" left winger with good skating and work rate. He put up 42 in 49, 2nd on his team and 16th in the league, before getting an NHL contract in his mid-20s. He played bottom six for Texas and in the AHL, and Colorado signed him him this season. Pontus Holmberg was on similar points before getting a similar fate with Toronto too.
So if Hallander can become a top 20 SHL scorer, a 40 point guy, I can see the Pens saying we have a chance for you. Whether he wants it, I dunno. I think having a young family is a big part of his thinking. I can see him not being interested. I can see him thinking that the chance of becoming a third liner and getting a 2m contract might be worth it.
So, for me, I think it's worth talking about Hallander. I don't expect anything... but what's new?
Gurglesons
Registered User
Pickering. Shocked to see so many people go Yager. Could see him burning out within two years as a prospect and he was who I wanted and projected us to take.
Gurglesons
Registered User
IMO Yager is a worse skater than Daniel Sprong and a similar skill set. Sprong has never hit 3 mil.
Pickering has the type of physical traits that could make him a unicorn.
Big Friggin Dummy
Registered User
- Feb 22, 2019
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I think Yager's ceiling is what McCann is for Seattle. Jesse, iirc, said Pickering's ceiling was a combination of prime Dumo and Matheson's best attributes--which seems like a Hell of a player, but also seems like a reeeeeeal long shot to happen in reality.
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