The Fans Top 50 Prospects

[Disco Volante]

Started by Captain Conservative and picked up by myself, a series of polls got us to this final top-50. Tho there's quite a few selections I don't agree with, I think the result is fairly interesting and closer to what would be my "ideal top-50" than the HF one.

As for the major complaints there was with HF's top : Lundqvist made it ; Perezhogin made it ; Radulov made it. Now I'm sure there will be some major complaints with this new top! Feel free to argue or to whine, it's nobody's personal top.

HF's top in parentheses.

#1-(1)-Alexander Ovechkin-LW
#2-(2)-Kari Lehtonen-G
#3-(5)-Marc-Andre Fleury-G
#4-(4)-Evgeni Malkin-C
#5-(3)-Nikolai Zherdev-RW
#6-(7)-Dion Phaneuf-D
#7-(6)-Nathan Horton-C
#8-(10)-Ryan Suter-D
#9-(11)-Cam Barker-D
#10-(9)-Milan Michalek-LW
#11-(8)-Tomas Vanek-LW
#12-(13)-Alexander Semin-LW
#13-(12)-Zach Parise-C
#14-(17)-Jeff Carter-C
#15-(14)-Braydon Coburn-D
#16-(15)-Andrei Kostitsyn-RW
#17-(30)-Ryan Getzlaf-C
#18-(23)-Hannu Toivonen-G
#19-(25)-Dustin Brown-RW
#20-(16)-Fedor Tjutin-D
#21-(41)-Ryan Miller-G
#22-(19)-Maxime Ouellet-G
#23-(32)-Robbie Schremp-C
#24-(28)-Lauri Tukonen-RW
#25-(45)-Ryan Whitney-D
#26-(44)-Denis Grebeshkov-D
#27-(42)-Rostislav Olesz-C
#28-(26)-Igor Grigorenko-RW
#29-(18)-Anthony Stewart-RW
#30-(22)-Patrick O'Sullivan-C
#31 Alexander Radulov-RW
#32-(21)-Anton Babchuk-D
#33-(24)-Ilya Bryzgalov-G
#34-(34)-Alexander Steen-C
#35 Andrej Meszaros-D
#36-(20)-Alvaro Montoya-G
#37-(37)-Carlo Colaiacovo-D
#38 Niklas Kronwall-D
#39-(39)-Mike Richards-C
#40 Scottie Upshall-RW
#41 Henrik Lundqvist-G
#42 Shea Weber-D
#43 Mikko Koivu-C
#44-(50)-Antero Niittymaki-G
#45-(46)-Marek Schwatrz-G
#46 Dan Fritsche-C
#47 Alex Perezhogin-RW
#48 Mark Stuart-D
#49-(27)-Steve Eminger-D
#50-(43)-Eric Fehr-RW

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Pending players were : Ryan Kesler, Lukas Krajicek, Timofei Shishkanov, Corey Perry, Chris Higgins, Andrew Ladd, Brent Burns, David LeNeveu and Tim Gleason.

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Top Goalies

#2-Kari Lehtonen-G
#3-Marc-Andre Fleury-G
#18 Hannu Toivonen-G
#21 Ryan Miller-G
#22 Maxime Ouellet-G
#33 Ilya Bryzgalov-G
#36 Alvaro Montoya-G
#41 Henrik Lundqvist-G
#44 Antero Niittymaki-G
#45 Marek Schwatrz-G

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Top Defensemen

#6-Dion Phaneuf-D
#8 Ryan Suter-D
#9 Cam Barker-D
#15 Braydon Coburn-D
#20 Fedor Tjutin-D
#25 Ryan Whitney-D
#26 Denis Grebeshkov-D
#32 Anton Babchuk-D
#35 Andrej Meszaros-D
#37 Carlo Colaiacovo-D
#38 Niklas Kronwall-D
#42 Shea Weber-D
#48 Mark Stuart-D
#49 Steve Eminger-D

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[Habitantpeasoup]

Perezhogin IMO should be top 25 at least!

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

Perezhogin IMO should be top 25 at least!

Hmm... A habs fan posting such a comment. I wonder how unbiased this is.

 

[n00dles]

Yay, Kronwall and Grigorenko made it.

Funny how much love Grigorenko still gets here, with the monster season Kronwall is putting together right now I would have thought that he would be listed before the still recovering russian.
Nice overall list, though.

 

[Diaboli]

Overall a pretty good list, though some things really jump at you; well at least me like Grigorenko being 10 spots higher than Kronwall.

 

[West19]

good list but imo phaneuf and malkin should swich spots

 

[Freaky Habs Fan]

That's a good list. I don't agree with many of the goaler of the list...I mean, Shwarz behind guys like Niittymaki and Lundqvist . He should be in front of Montoya! I would have found a place for at least 3 of the pending players(Burns, Higgins and Krajicek) because guys like Colaiacovo don't belong to that list. Also, Perezhogin should have been in the top 40 but not in the top 25, like another poster said...he's really good but he's not the only skilled prospect.

 

[Nielson81]

Here are my thoughts.....

Perezhogin and Steen should both be top 25...weird I'm saying a Leaf's prospect should be higher lol.

And Mikko Koivu at 43 is an absolute montronsity(spelling?)

 

[Kardi]

drop montoya down
down down down

 

[Clutch Mediocrity]

As a Sens fan I was a little dissapointed Emery and Vermette dropped off of the list. In spite of the former's recently great form he has had a weak season so it's understandable. I'm left scratching my head on Vermette though who is more NHL ready, not to mention NHL tested and proven, than many of the prospects listed.

 

[Lessy]

I'd say Ouellet is too high, and I think Ladd definitely deserves to be on this list. I'm not sold on Koivu so I don't think he's one of the top 50 prospects, not sure MAF should be at 3 either.

 

[trentmccleary]

As a Sens fan I was a little dissapointed Emery and Vermette dropped off of the list. In spite of the former's recently great form he has had a weak season so it's understandable. I'm left scratching my head on Vermette though who is more NHL ready, not to mention NHL tested and proven, than many of the prospects listed.

From the pending list, I'd say that he was never considered. Which is fair. He's already passed his NHL rookie eligibility and is only 8 games away from passing HF's standard.

Emery probably dropped off because a) yeah, he's having a bad season, b) later in his development (which is kind of scary) and c) he's was originally a 4th rounder and there are always people betting that the underdog will fail.

I agree about Perezhogin making the top 40, possibly 36 as the list stands now.
But why aren't those same Montreal fans asking: why the hell Kostitsyn is still in the top 20? ... Other players fall because of poor performances and some of those players have already proven more at professional levels of hockey than Kostitsyn has.

 

[EroCaps]

Eric Fehr at #50?

 

[bruins_19]

Id say Toivonen should move up. Hes having a great season in the AHL and has numbers close or not better than Lehtonens.

 

[Enoch]

From the pending list, I'd say that he was never considered. Which is fair. He's already passed his NHL rookie eligibility and is only 8 games away from passing HF's standard.

Emery probably dropped off because a) yeah, he's having a bad season, b) later in his development (which is kind of scary) and c) he's was originally a 4th rounder and there are always people betting that the underdog will fail.

I agree about Perezhogin making the top 40, possibly 36 as the list stands now.
But why aren't those same Montreal fans asking: why the hell Kostitsyn is still in the top 20? ... Other players fall because of poor performances and some of those players have already proven more at professional levels of hockey than Kostitsyn has.

I'd second that theory on Vermette. I honestly do not believe anyone even thought of adding him to the poll - i.e. everyone likely assumed he was ineligble.

As for Montoya, one must realize that he was voted in before the WJCs began. This list has taken a LONG time to be completed.

 

[Give'em Hell!]

i am a devils fan but i feel that aleksander suglobov deserves some consideration as well 13goals and 12assists this year in the ahl. this is his second north american season. though he defensive play leaves abit to be desired. i would say he is a player on par with perezhogin. it seems as though the same players are always on the list regardless of how they actually perform.

 

[NYRangers]

That's a good list. I don't agree with many of the goaler of the list...I mean, Shwarz behind guys like \ Lundqvist

Henriks resume destroys Schwarz's.

Henrik has dominated at much higher levels.

 

[Til the End of Time]

Id say Toivonen should move up. Hes having a great season in the AHL and has numbers close or not better than Lehtonens.

Labarbera has better numbers than both of them.

Fleury's save percentage is like 50th in the league.

The moral of the story is that there are more than just stats.

 

[JohnnyRyall]

Hey, Disco, nice work seeing this thing through ... Would it be too much trouble to ask you to edit the original post, and put the HF rankings in parentheses next to each player? Compare/contrast up/downs between the two lists might be fun ...

 

[nomorekids]

I think this list is fine..and most of the complaining you'll see is from people who want their teams prospects bumped up. Just look at the thread so far.

 

[Disco Volante]

Hey, Disco, nice work seeing this thing through ... Would it be too much trouble to ask you to edit the original post, and put the HF rankings in parentheses next to each player? Compare/contrast up/downs between the two lists might be fun ...

I'll try to add it later thru the night. After the Bright Eyes show.

(and thanx to the HFers who voted thru this thing)

 

[nomorekids]

I'll try to add it later thru the night. After the Bright Eyes show.

(and thanx to the HFers who voted thru this thing)

I expect a full report with your impressions, DV

 

[hockeyfan125]

God damn you people and your lack of appreciation for Ryan Kesler.
37 points, 42 games, + 16.

 

[nomorekids]

God damn you people and your lack of appreciation for Ryan Kesler.
37 points, 42 games, + 16.

but what does he project to be? in the NHL, realistically...maybe a third liner. a GOOD third liner, a la ethan moreau...but this list is based more on potential, i think.

 

[hockeyfan125]

but what does he project to be? in the NHL, realistically...maybe a third liner. a GOOD third liner, a la ethan moreau...but this list is based more on potential, i think.

His maximum potential is 2nd line Center, easily. He will probably play the third line because of Vancouver's depth chart. He will be third line not because of lack of skill, but because he excells at the 3rd line role.

He has equal skill as a few players on this list, and will be a better NHL'er then a bunch of them.