What's the story on these prospects?

[MisterUnspoken]

Matt Smaby - TB
Alexander Suglobov - NJ
Rob Globke - FLA
Eric Fehr - WSH
Ryan Getzlaf - ANA
Ryan Clowe - SJ
Sefan Rucizka - PHI
Petr Kanko - LA
Brad Boyes - SJ
Tim Ramholt - CGY
Robert Nillsson - NYI
Chris Higgins - MTL
Jan Platil - OTT
Brooks Laich - OTT
Jason Pominville - BUF


Just wondering if I could get upside for each player, # of years until NHL impact, along with maybe a brief description of what role you think they will fill on their NHL club.

Any information is highly appreciated

Click to read more...

 

[Frolov]

Kanko almost made the team when we was 18 so I think he should make the team next season out of camp. Look for him to be a regular on the 3rd checking line.

 

[V for Voodoo]

I won't go into too much detail because fan's of a certain players team will probably be more insightful and in depth, but here are my comments on the players that I am familiar with. Projections and ETA all IMO.

Alexander Suglobov - NJ
ETA: 04
Projected: Top 6 Winger
About: Slick as it gets, highly offensive player.

Eric Fehr - WSH
ETA: 05 or 06
Projected: 2nd or 3rd line Center
About: Good all around player with underrated offensive talent.

Ryan Getzlaf - ANA
ETA: 04
Projected: Top 6 C
About: Could become a 2nd tier PF IMO.

Ryan Clowe - SJ
ETA: 05
Projected: 3rd or 4th liner
About: Having a solid rookie season in the AHL, could be a good bottom line player.

Petr Kanko - LA
ETA: 04 or 05
Projected: High-End 3rd liner
About: Little ball of energy, will be a very effective 3rd liner and agitator.

Brad Boyes - SJ
ETA: 04
Projected: 2nd liner
About: I still think the Alyn McCauley comparison is a good one, especially now
that McCauley is rounding out his game.

Tim Ramholt - CGY
ETA: 05
Projected: 3-4 Defenseman
About: I'm a big fan, had a smooth transition to NA hockey in the Q this year. Good
both offensively and defensively.

Chris Higgins - MTL
ETA: 04
Projected: 2nd liner or high-end 3rd liner
About: All around good player, not sure he will be that much of an offensive force
in the NHL, but a valuable player still.

Jan Platil - OTT
ETA: 06 or 07
Projected: Bottom pairing defenseman
About: Dirty player, just nasty. The type of player you're happy is on
your team instead of the opposition. Far away from the NHL.

Brooks Laich - OTT
ETA: 04 or 5
Projected: High-end 3rd liner
About: Quietly having a great rookie season in the AHL. Great skater, physical,
offensively limited to the 3rd line at the NHL level

 

[Kev88]

Chris Higgins - MTL
ETA: 04
Projected: 2nd liner or high-end 3rd liner
About: All around good player, not sure he will be that much of an offensive force
in the NHL, but a valuable player still.

I really think Chris can easily be the top player of a team in the future. He's an offensive player first with a little aggressive touch.

 

[evman150*]

I can't speak for other teams' prospects (well I can, but I won't), but I do know about Tim Ramholt. He has had an outstanding year in the LHJMQ. His play with the Screaming Eagles has been excellent from all reports.

He played very well for the Swiss at the World Junior and has come back and continued to play well.

He has said he will not play another year of junior next year and will either sign with the Flames and play in the AHL or play in Sweden.

It is not out of the question that he is the best defenseman in the Q. That would be 2/3 junior leagues that the Flames have the best d-man.

Excellent 2nd round pick. Very excited to see our blueline in a few years.

 

[MisterUnspoken]

This is good information, appreciate all the comments so far :p

 

[PEli*]

I don't know jack about anybody on that list except Suglobov. Suglobov, or "Slug Boy" as a few Flames fans once referred to him, has first line winger written all over him. The guy is a sick offensive talent and has responded very well to good ice time in Albany. He's even seen a bit of NHL time this season.

Sick offensive talent.

 

[Oilers Chick]

Matt Smaby: Defenseman for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Good size (6'5"/215 or somewhere thereabout). Punishing hitter. Decent skater. Possesses a hard heavy shot. He's got NHL potential, but still very much a project. He's only a freshman, so I don't expect to see him going pro for at least another year or two.

Rob Globke: A wonderfully skilled power forward who plays for Notre Dame. This guy has skill and talent to boot. Excellent skating, exceptionally smart and sees the ice really well. He can deliver the hits and can take them. Has good size (about 6'4"/210) and uses his size to his advantage. He's definitely NHL material, however with the youth movement currently in Florida, Globke may not see the light of the NHL right away. He may spend some time in the AHL first. He graduates from Notre Dame this June.

 

[X-SHARKIE]

Brad Boyes: has been a stud in Cleveland. His skating is no where near as bad as people say it is. In fact it's just "good". Nothing special but he's a good skater. His strengths are anything to deal with his hands. He stickhandles like he has superglue on his stick, and he's a sniper with the puck. He sets up teamates for gimme goals, but he also can just snipe a puck past any goalie in the AHL. He also has learned to take a beating to make the play, he's been alot more scrappy and already wears the A on his uniform.

Top six forward.

 

[BlueAndWhite]

Brad Boyes: has been a stud in Cleveland. His skating is no where near as bad as people say it is. In fact it's just "good". Nothing special but he's a good skater. His strengths are anything to deal with his hands. He stickhandles like he has superglue on his stick, and he's a sniper with the puck. He sets up teamates for gimme goals, but he also can just snipe a puck past any goalie in the AHL. He also has learned to take a beating to make the play, he's been alot more scrappy and already wears the A on his uniform.

Top six forward.

Brad suffered from the fact that he was Toronto Maple Leafs property at one point - so that caused his value as a prospect to diminish instantly and his flaws to be greatly exaggerated.

I think VD summed up Boyes perfectly and he is definite future captain material. The comparison to McCauley is apt, although I believe McCauley to be better defensively and Boyes better offensively.

 

[MisterUnspoken]

Sharkie, love your team. I hope you guys win the cup! Thanks for the info :p

 

[Kevin Forbes]

Getzlaf was close to making the Ducks this year at camp. He out-performed Lupul, and rumor has it that the only reason why he didn't make the team was because they couldn't agree on a contract.
He should definitely be in the NHL next year (blah blah blah, provided there is an NHL). I can see him as being a player similar to Roenick personally(hopefully he isn't moved to the wing, a big center is what the Ducks need, although a big power forward type is good too)

 

[Hitman*]

Getzlaf will be a good NHLer. Anaheim got a stel with him. He has clearly showed that his sucess last year wasn't all because of Sjostrom and has carried the Hitmen for the past little while. He was named WHL Player of the Week after collecting 9 pts in 3 games BTW.

Eric Fehr is being underrated by many as well. He definitely has top 6 potential. He won't be a power forward as many have suggested, but a strong force nonetheless. He has good size and knows how to move around the net. He will also be a solid NHLer.

Brooks Laich doesn't have the offensive creativity to be anything more than a 3rd line checker who contributes mediocre offensive numbers. But he will be a very good 3rd/4th line checker. Especially on Ottawa where the talent he has will be maximized.

 

[MisterUnspoken]

I hear both angles on Eric Fehr, on one hand he is a scorer, on another he is a defensive specialist with an ability to score, ala Holik, but he lacks the nasty edge. That about sum him up?

 

[st_roland]

Getzlaf will be a good NHLer. Anaheim got a stel with him. He has clearly showed that his sucess last year wasn't all because of Sjostrom and has carried the Hitmen for the past little while. He was named WHL Player of the Week after collecting 9 pts in 3 games BTW.

Eric Fehr is being underrated by many as well. He definitely has top 6 potential. He won't be a power forward as many have suggested, but a strong force nonetheless. He has good size and knows how to move around the net. He will also be a solid NHLer.

Brooks Laich doesn't have the offensive creativity to be anything more than a 3rd line checker who contributes mediocre offensive numbers. But he will be a very good 3rd/4th line checker. Especially on Ottawa where the talent he has will be maximized.

I don't see how Getzlaf was a steal? Wasn't he picked 16th overall, who would you pick ahead of him?

 

[FearTheFlyers]

Ruzicka has really been a steal in the 3rd round for the Flyers. He is about 5"11 but built extremely solidly and almost impossible to knock off the puck. His combination of Strength, Skating Ability, Ability to pick a corner and Being almost impossible to hit makes him a potent offensive threat. He is also very intense and will hit and mix it up in the corners. when his team is playing poorly he will get frustrated and start to dole out some nasty checks. Often he tries to do too much for the team when they are losing. Possible 2nd liner.

 

[Hitman*]

I don't see how Getzlaf was a steal? Wasn't he picked 16th overall, who would you pick ahead of him?

19th. And he's looking better than a few players ahead of him (Fehr, Bernier, Jessiman etc.)

 

[jmelm]

Getzlaf rules.

I think Getzlaf is one of the most under-rated of all prospects. He may not be the flashiest player (hence not enough credit), but he has an excellent skill-set, great size and fantastic hockey sense. He may not be a superstar, but I think he will be a top-tier player and a legitimate 1st line centre.

 

[balddog66]

I've seen Ruzicka play a few games in Owen Sound, and I agree the Flyers stole him in the 3rd round, I was somewhat shocked to see him listed so low in the Hockey News Future Watch issue...I didn't expect him to be higher than Carter or Richards, but not 7th on the Flyers list....he was named top Slovakia player at world junior and currently leads all OHL rookies in points...but could lose out to teammate Bobby Ryan for rookie of the year, who is two years younger...

 

[Robertsson 4-ever]

Robert Nilsson has struggled in the SEL with Leksand this season and has often been a part of the fourth line. He has now left the team to play in Switzerland with Fribourg. This kid has so much hockey in his body so he will probably return to Sweden next season and become a decent player.

 

[Twisted Wrister]

Rob Globke: A wonderfully skilled power forward who plays for Notre Dame. This guy has skill and talent to boot. Excellent skating, exceptionally smart and sees the ice really well. He can deliver the hits and can take them. Has good size (about 6'4"/210) and uses his size to his advantage. He's definitely NHL material, however with the youth movement currently in Florida, Globke may not see the light of the NHL right away. He may spend some time in the AHL first. He graduates from Notre Dame this June.

I live in CCHA country and have seen Globke quite a bit. Great size and skill, but nearly physical enough to make an immediate impact in the pro game. I agree with everthing you said except for the deliver hits and uses his size points. He's much more of a finesse player right now. He will definately need time in the AHL first. His point totals are good, but if he used his size and strength more I think he could be at about 1.5 ppg instead of around 1 like he is now.

 

[MisterUnspoken]

I live in CCHA country and have seen Globke quite a bit. Great size and skill, but nearly physical enough to make an immediate impact in the pro game. I agree with everthing you said except for the deliver hits and uses his size points. He's much more of a finesse player right now. He will definately need time in the AHL first. His point totals are good, but if he used his size and strength more I think he could be at about 1.5 ppg instead of around 1 like he is now.

Very encouraging for Panthers fans I think

 

[bossy22]

What's the latest and greatest on Robert Nilsson?

Robert Nilsson has struggled in the SEL with Leksand this season and has often been a part of the fourth line. He has now left the team to play in Switzerland with Fribourg. This kid has so much hockey in his body so he will probably return to Sweden next season and become a decent player.

Fribourg has been eliminated from the playoffs in the NLA. Robert Nilsson recorded 5 points in 11 games played. Did anyone see him play during this timeframe? Is there any info on how he played, how much icetime he received and what line he played on?

I believe he was "loaned" or "leased" to Fribourg from Leksand as a non-foreign import since his dad played in this league. As well, I believe he is still under contract with Leksands for the 2004 -05 season.

Does anyone have any updated info to share or to correct my assumptions?