Prospect Info: 2013 Prospect Thread

[Victorious Secret]

I will buy you a case of beer if Brodin finishes his career with 5 seasons of 50+ points.

Never, ever going to happen.

I love Brodin, I think he's the best drafted player this team has seen since Gaborik, but that will never happen. It's just not in his game or in the reach of this team.

I'd love to be wrong, but that may well be the most pie-in-the-sky claim I've heard on this board in a long, long while.

I'll be saving this for my free case of beer.

And I'm more than happy to be here for that pie in the sky.

So with the offseason abyss hitting us, it's time for some prospect rankings. Normally the qualifications are straight-forward with age (24 or 3 years pro for college grads) and games (65 NHL games, 40 for goalies). That isn't the case this year with the Lockout. Someone like Jonas Brodin, who played in 45 of 48 games, was an NHLer for an entire year yet didn't hit the 65 game mark. In fact, no rookie did.

So how do we want to designate prospects after the Lockout? Is Brodin a graduate or a prospect? Same question goes for Coyle (37 games), Granlund (27 games), Zucker (20 games this year & 26 total). Should they be judged by total games? Adjust the 48 game schedule over 82 games? In the latter case, Coyle would be at 63.24 games without the playoffs.

Related: Nino Nieddereiter is at 64 NHL games without playing one last year.

I'd just throw out Brodin. We look a lot better with Nino and Coyle in there, even if they are both at 64*.

 

[AJ Thelen]

Brodin has more then enough potential and skillto put up 50+ points. Maybe not for 5 or more seasons but i can seeing him doing it atleast 2 or 3..

So excited to see how he does next season..

 

[Brock]

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2013/07/30-teams-in-30-days-minnesota-wild.html

A review of Minnesota's OHL prospects (season review and future outlook).

 

[Lapa]

Didn't know much about those prospects. Thanks for posting!

Gabriel seems like a Yeo kind of player

 

[Jarick]

Scale the 65 games to the shortened season = 38 games.

Coyle = 37 + 5 = 42
Brodin = 45 + 5 = 50
Granlund = 27 + 0 = 27
Zucker = 20 + 5 + 6 = 31

Nino = 64 games in non-lockout, so just under.

IMO Coyle and Brodin have graduated, everyone else is still a prospect.

 

[Victorious Secret]

IMO Coyle and Brodin have graduated, everyone else is still a prospect.

Gotta have Coyle in there so our pool doesn't look so meager. That way we can pump our pool's tires THAT much more

 

[GopherState]

So Brodin is a graduate. Feel like Coyle and Nino are splitting hairs enough where either both or neither player is a prospect. It looks like more are leaning towards prospect, but I'll give a little more time to debate.

Everyone else is going to be a prospect.

 

[Victorious Secret]

So Brodin is a graduate. Feel like Coyle and Nino are splitting hairs enough where either both or neither player is a prospect. It looks like more are leaning towards prospect, but I'll give a little more time to debate.

Everyone else is going to be a prospect.

I agree with this.

 

[tyratoku]

I'd say both Coyle and Nino are prospects still. While both have played a bunch in the NHL, I don't feel like either really truly made themselves into NHL players yet. They were both pretty much only playing because of circumstance/the fact that their teams had no one else.

Dunno. Personally I'd count them as eligible.

 

[Jarick]

I would say both are prospects then.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2013/07/30-teams-in-30-days-minnesota-wild.html

A review of Minnesota's OHL prospects (season review and future outlook).

Thanks, Brock. Have always appreciated your blog.

 

[Randy BoBandy]

I think all but Brodin should be counted as prospects still. He is a lock for the roster next year and the others will all be fighting it out for 2 or 3 spots imo where anyone of them could make it. Coyle just had the inside track last year. Still a prospect imo though.

 

[keppel146]

http://wild.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=678642&navid=DL|MIN|home

Phillips article, I hope he improves, since he was an instant favorite for me on draft day

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

http://wild.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=678642&navid=DL|MIN|home

Phillips article, I hope he improves, since he was an instant favorite for me on draft day

I hope so as well. I've never been a Phillips fan but with our prospect pool starting to look weaker due to graduation it'd be nice to have another decent center prospect after FBJ.

 

[MuckOG]

I hope so as well. I've never been a Phillips fan but with our prospect pool starting to look weaker due to graduation it'd be nice to have another decent center prospect after FBJ.

Haula is a decent prospect. I'm also very interested to see what Graovac can bring in Des Moines, same with Gilmour at BC.

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

Haula is a decent prospect. I'm also very interested to see what Graovac can bring in Des Moines, same with Gilmour at BC.

Darn, forgot about Haula. I bet he overtakes Phillips in no time, if he hasn't already. The Fin duo down the middle for Iowa, FBJ and Haula, though I hope and pray Granlund is ready for the NHL and doesn't have to spend the year down in Iowa. But I won't hold it against him if he needs another year to develop.

 

[Victorious Secret]

I think Phillips can put up 45-50 points in the AHL this year.

And I like I said last year at this time doing Prospect rankings. Haula isn't flashy, but hes the guy that finds a way to go above and beyond at every level.

 

[DANOZ28]

i wouldn't call coyle & brodin prospects anymore. im the most excited about zucker & haula. i know it will be best for haula to spend a year in IOWA (did i just say that?)

 

[MuckOG]

i wouldn't call coyle & brodin prospects anymore. im the most excited about zucker & haula. i know it will be best for haula to spend a year in IOWA (did i just say that?)

I wouldn't be surprised to see Haula spend the majority of this season and next season in Des Moines. Brodziak's deal is up after next year and I think Haula would be the most natural fit to take over that #3C spot in 2015.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I think at the end of the year, Minnesota will have a bottom 10-12 prospect group again. Before anyone stones me, that's a good thing because we'll see guys like Nino, Coyle, and Zucker and Granlund graduated. However, we'll need those guys to turn a corner and in a big way.

However, I think at the end of the year our top prospect will be Dumba followed by Phillips. Basically,

Graduated:
Nino Neiderreiter
Charlie Coyle
Mikael Granlund
Jason Zucker

Possibly:
Johan Gustafsson
Darcy Kuemper
(due to injury)

Then when you look at the top 10, it looks a bit ugly:

1/ Mathew Dumba
2/ Zack Phillips
3/ Darcy Kuemper (if he doesn't graduate)
4/ Johan Gustafsson
5/ Gustav Olofsson
6/ Mario Luca
7/ Erik Haula
8/ Brett Bulmer
9/ Tyler Graovac
10/ Raphael Bussieres

That's a pretty weak group of players. Dumba might have the biggest impact and we can hope that Phillips and Bulmer make the impact they should. But ick. That looks a bit DResque.

 

[Minnewildsota]

I think at the end of the year, Minnesota will have a bottom 10-12 prospect group again. Before anyone stones me, that's a good thing because we'll see guys like Nino, Coyle, and Zucker and Granlund graduated. However, we'll need those guys to turn a corner and in a big way.

However, I think at the end of the year our top prospect will be Dumba followed by Phillips. Basically,

Graduated:
Nino Neiderreiter
Charlie Coyle
Mikael Granlund
Jason Zucker

Possibly:
Johan Gustafsson
Darcy Kuemper
(due to injury)

Then when you look at the top 10, it looks a bit ugly:

1/ Mathew Dumba
2/ Zack Phillips
3/ Darcy Kuemper (if he doesn't graduate)
4/ Johan Gustafsson
5/ Gustav Olofsson
6/ Mario Luca
7/ Erik Haula
8/ Brett Bulmer
9/ Tyler Graovac
10/ Raphael Bussieres

That's a pretty weak group of players. Dumba might have the biggest impact and we can hope that Phillips and Bulmer make the impact they should. But ick. That looks a bit DResque.

I think you underestimate quite a few of our prospects.

 

[TZM]

Does it really matter if the prospect pool is weak if you've got good young players in your system?

 

[Jarick]

I'd agree the prospect pool is going to get really weak and I'd agree that it's not as big a deal -- if the prospects all pan out.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I think you underestimate quite a few of our prospects.

Until Phillips, Bulmer show anything in the AHL, we can't predict anything from them. The other guys are in college, so their projection are all over the map.

 

[TaLoN]

However, I think at the end of the year our top prospect will be Dumba followed by Phillips.

I would say Dumba followed by Lucia and Haula all before Phillips.