Prospect Info: 2015 Leafs Board Prospect Ranking #20

[SeaOfBlue]

Lindgren and Nielsen should go within the next few.

But I agree. He put up almost the same numbers as Erik Karlsson did in his draft year. He could definitely be a diamond.

I hope so. They are our highest potential RHD. They could be our top two RH defensemen.

Assuming Dzierkals is the next guy as it seems, there are another 10 guys that can be taken out of a total of 22 guys. So 12 guys won't make the list. I expect them to be the following:

1) Max Everson (won't be around come August 15th)
2) Byron Froese (not a prospect)
3) Fabrice Herzog (Good value and potential, but fallen off charts and should be traded)
4) J.J. Piccinich (He didn't do too hot last year, but hopefully he turns it around and rises next year)
5) Tony Cameranesi (same as Herzog)
6) Cody Donaghey (same as Piccinich, but injuries killed him)
7) Ryan Rupert (did well last season, but the high end potential just is not there)
8) Garret Sparks (he did well in the ECHL and given a shot elsewhere)
9) Nolan Vesey (will lose because nobody knows whom he is but went from nothing to great in less than a season)
10) Zach Hyman (Larkin is the reason he put up more points in his senior season than all of the other's combined)
11) Nikita Korostelev (he'll move up next year, but injuries killed him this year)
12) Pierre Engvall (will be a solid top 9 player some day, but needs to take the next step)

That leaves:
1) Chris Gibson (high end backup potential at worst and our 1st stringer right now)
2) Sam Carrick (excellent leadership and the type of player that will be valuable for cheap).
3) Dominic Toninato (excellent blend of skill that rivals Verhaeghe's)
4) Andrew Nielsen (a type of Burke pick, but like Loov, has got everything you need in a shutdown bottom 4 defender)
5) Jesper Lindgren (IMO a better, more physical Sami Vatanen with higher potential)
6) Dmytro Timashov (you can't ignore 90 points in a rookie season, nevermind from a European playing NA)
7) Tom Nilsson (solid shutdown potential defenseman rivaling Granberg)
8) Dakota Joshua (top USHL performer, and should be rewarded. His true potential will show next year)
9) Stephen Desrocher (arguably the top defenseman on a Memorial Cup winning team)
10) Casey Bailey (Between him and Engvall, but he's closer to reaching his potential and gets the edge)

It gets tough when you are deciding between Joshua, Desrocher, Vesey, Bailey, Engvall and Korostelev for the last 3 spots. Joshua and Desrocher were just huge parts of their championship winning teams and Bailey is closer to reaching his potential than Engvall, Korostelev and Vesey, whom all did quite well, but need to keep on going. Watch them skyrocket next year though. Hyman, Sparks, Rupert and Donaghey have all had their bright moments, but have something to prove next year.They could just as easily rise into the top 30 if things go right for them. Piccinich also, but he had 0 bright moments and needs to turn it around big time. If Hyman taught us anything, it's very much possible to do so. Everson won't be around and Froese is not a prospect. Finally, Herzog and Cameranesi fell off the depth chart but are still good prospects and should be traded. I know all of this is a rehash of what is in my parenthesis', but whatever.

 

[Sergei Berezin]

Hyman was FLAs 7th ranked prospect.

He's pretty underrated on these board for some reason. He's more than just a by-product of Larkin, and anyone who does more than stat-watch can tell you that. Whether he'll become a solid NHL player is another story, but he should've already been ranked by now.

 

[67Cup]

With respect to 2015 draft choices, especially ones few if any of us have seen frequently, how can we go against the real life ranking of the scouts and management, namely draft order? That is, Nielson should clearly be ranked higher than players drafted after him such as Lindgren.

Fwiw, I voted for Carrick who has a shot at actually playing for the Leafs this year.

 

[Damisoph]

How far is this going anyway? 30?

 

[bobermay]

I hope so. They are our highest potential RHD. They could be our top two RH defensemen.

Assuming Dzierkals is the next guy as it seems, there are another 10 guys that can be taken out of a total of 22 guys. So 12 guys won't make the list. I expect them to be the following:

1) Max Everson (won't be around come August 15th)
2) Byron Froese (not a prospect)
3) Fabrice Herzog (Good value and potential, but fallen off charts and should be traded)
4) J.J. Piccinich (He didn't do too hot last year, but hopefully he turns it around and rises next year)
5) Tony Cameranesi (same as Herzog)
6) Cody Donaghey (same as Piccinich, but injuries killed him)
7) Ryan Rupert (did well last season, but the high end potential just is not there)
8) Garret Sparks (he did well in the ECHL and given a shot elsewhere)
9) Nolan Vesey (will lose because nobody knows whom he is but went from nothing to great in less than a season)
10) Zach Hyman (Larkin is the reason he put up more points in his senior season than all of the other's combined)
11) Nikita Korostelev (he'll move up next year, but injuries killed him this year)
12) Pierre Engvall (will be a solid top 9 player some day, but needs to take the next step)

That leaves:
1) Chris Gibson (high end backup potential at worst and our 1st stringer right now)
2) Sam Carrick (excellent leadership and the type of player that will be valuable for cheap).
3) Dominic Toninato (excellent blend of skill that rivals Verhaeghe's)
4) Andrew Nielsen (a type of Burke pick, but like Loov, has got everything you need in a shutdown bottom 4 defender)
5) Jesper Lindgren (IMO a better, more physical Sami Vatanen with higher potential)
6) Dmytro Timashov (you can't ignore 90 points in a rookie season, nevermind from a European playing NA)
7) Tom Nilsson (solid shutdown potential defenseman rivaling Granberg)
8) Dakota Joshua (top USHL performer, and should be rewarded. His true potential will show next year)
9) Stephen Desrocher (arguably the top defenseman on a Memorial Cup winning team)
10) Casey Bailey (Between him and Engvall, but he's closer to reaching his potential and gets the edge)

It gets tough when you are deciding between Joshua, Desrocher, Vesey, Bailey, Engvall and Korostelev for the last 3 spots. Joshua and Desrocher were just huge parts of their championship winning teams and Bailey is closer to reaching his potential than Engvall, Korostelev and Vesey, whom all did quite well, but need to keep on going. Watch them skyrocket next year though. Hyman, Sparks, Rupert and Donaghey have all had their bright moments, but have something to prove next year.They could just as easily rise into the top 30 if things go right for them. Piccinich also, but he had 0 bright moments and needs to turn it around big time. If Hyman taught us anything, it's very much possible to do so. Everson won't be around and Froese is not a prospect. Finally, Herzog and Cameranesi fell off the depth chart but are still good prospects and should be traded. I know all of this is a rehash of what is in my parenthesis', but whatever.

YES HE IS!

Byron Froese is just as much of a prospect as Zach Hyman and Casey Bailey! He's in my top 20 too... unbelievably underrated and may get playing time with the leafs this season!

 

[mikebel111*]

Have Dzierkals here

 

[Bullseye]

YES HE IS!

Byron Froese is just as much of a prospect as Zach Hyman and Casey Bailey! He's in my top 20 too... unbelievably underrated and may get playing time with the leafs this season!

Agreed. If Byron Froese were a F/A coming out of college there would be plenty of bidding for him. He will out perform both Hyman and Bailey.

 

[ATBLeafsTyler]

I hope so. They are our highest potential RHD. They could be our top two RH defensemen.

Assuming Dzierkals is the next guy as it seems, there are another 10 guys that can be taken out of a total of 22 guys. So 12 guys won't make the list. I expect them to be the following:

1) Max Everson (won't be around come August 15th)
2) Byron Froese (not a prospect)
3) Fabrice Herzog (Good value and potential, but fallen off charts and should be traded)
4) J.J. Piccinich (He didn't do too hot last year, but hopefully he turns it around and rises next year)
5) Tony Cameranesi (same as Herzog)
6) Cody Donaghey (same as Piccinich, but injuries killed him)
7) Ryan Rupert (did well last season, but the high end potential just is not there)
8) Garret Sparks (he did well in the ECHL and given a shot elsewhere)
9) Nolan Vesey (will lose because nobody knows whom he is but went from nothing to great in less than a season)
10) Zach Hyman (Larkin is the reason he put up more points in his senior season than all of the other's combined)
11) Nikita Korostelev (he'll move up next year, but injuries killed him this year)
12) Pierre Engvall (will be a solid top 9 player some day, but needs to take the next step)

That leaves:
1) Chris Gibson (high end backup potential at worst and our 1st stringer right now)
2) Sam Carrick (excellent leadership and the type of player that will be valuable for cheap).
3) Dominic Toninato (excellent blend of skill that rivals Verhaeghe's)
4) Andrew Nielsen (a type of Burke pick, but like Loov, has got everything you need in a shutdown bottom 4 defender)
5) Jesper Lindgren (IMO a better, more physical Sami Vatanen with higher potential)
6) Dmytro Timashov (you can't ignore 90 points in a rookie season, nevermind from a European playing NA)
7) Tom Nilsson (solid shutdown potential defenseman rivaling Granberg)
8) Dakota Joshua (top USHL performer, and should be rewarded. His true potential will show next year)
9) Stephen Desrocher (arguably the top defenseman on a Memorial Cup winning team)
10) Casey Bailey (Between him and Engvall, but he's closer to reaching his potential and gets the edge)

It gets tough when you are deciding between Joshua, Desrocher, Vesey, Bailey, Engvall and Korostelev for the last 3 spots. Joshua and Desrocher were just huge parts of their championship winning teams and Bailey is closer to reaching his potential than Engvall, Korostelev and Vesey, whom all did quite well, but need to keep on going. Watch them skyrocket next year though. Hyman, Sparks, Rupert and Donaghey have all had their bright moments, but have something to prove next year.They could just as easily rise into the top 30 if things go right for them. Piccinich also, but he had 0 bright moments and needs to turn it around big time. If Hyman taught us anything, it's very much possible to do so. Everson won't be around and Froese is not a prospect. Finally, Herzog and Cameranesi fell off the depth chart but are still good prospects and should be traded. I know all of this is a rehash of what is in my parenthesis', but whatever.

Exactly, he was in the USHL when he could have been in the NCAA. But even then, Korostelev deserves to be in the top 30 by a mile more than Joshua does.

Joshua: 44 P in 52 GP in the USHL.
Korostelev: 53 P in 55 GP with the Sting (leading his team in scoring).

Not really sure how that could deem injuries killed him. While he most definitely will move up next year, he deserves to be in the top 30 this year.

 

[TNCHL]

Dzierkal should be in top 15

 

[Schenn]

How far is this going anyway? 30?

Yeah, probably.

 

[Bullseye]

Korostelev deserves to be in the top 30 by a mile more than Joshua does.

Joshua: 44 P in 52 GP in the USHL.
Korostelev: 53 P in 55 GP with the Sting (leading his team in scoring).

Of all the Leafs picks in the CHL this year Korostelev needs the most study. Haven't enough to form an educated opinion... but here's my uneducated worthless opinion...

K. looks a bit slow and challenged in his hockey IQ - seems to rely on strong line-mates doing much of the playmaking while he moves into position to get a shot or a rebound. Doesn't look like puck-possession is in his primary skill-set. Plan to get to the first Sarnia game here in town vs. the Dogs.

Joshua looks like a mobile agile physically capable play-making winger that is so raw in his game he could go huge with the right coaching.

 

[ATBLeafsTyler]

Of all the Leafs picks in the CHL this year Korostelev needs the most study. Haven't enough to form an educated opinion... but here's my uneducated worthless opinion...

K. looks a bit slow and challenged in his hockey IQ - seems to rely on strong line-mates doing much of the playmaking while he moves into position to get a shot or a rebound. Doesn't look like puck-possession is in his primary skill-set. Plan to get to the first Sarnia game here in town vs. the Dogs.

Joshua looks like a mobile agile physically capable play-making winger that is so raw in his game he could go huge with the right coaching.

I've watched Korostelev before and haven't seen basically anything you just listed.

From what I've seen is he can connect on seeing eye passes, great shot, good skater. Plays a good puck possession game, great on the forecheck.

If he can polish up a few things, I think he could be a great, all around, second line winger. IMO, Korostelev will surprise a lot of people this year.

 

[Mystifo]

Timashov. How he is not there already I will never know.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

I've watched Korostelev before and haven't seen basically anything you just listed.

From what I've seen is he can connect on seeing eye passes, great shot, good skater. Plays a good puck possession game, great on the forecheck.

If he can polish up a few things, I think he could be a great, all around, second line winger. IMO, Korostelev will surprise a lot of people this year.

Agreed. He'll be in our top 12 prospects or so I believe by this time next year.

 

[Bravid Nonahan]

The fact that we are at #20 and there are still names on the list that are quite intriguing is encouraging to say the least. After next year's draft it will be even harder, we should have a boatload of picks.

 

[Damisoph]

Martin's gonna skate Dzierkals around you. See what I did there?

 

[burpsalot]

Martin's gonna skate Dzierkals around you. See what I did there?

 

[Pholus]

I've watched Korostelev before and haven't seen basically anything you just listed.

From what I've seen is he can connect on seeing eye passes, great shot, good skater. Plays a good puck possession game, great on the forecheck.

If he can polish up a few things, I think he could be a great, all around, second line winger. IMO, Korostelev will surprise a lot of people this year.

Granted I haven't watched Korostelev, but calling him a good skating seems to be somewhat of an exaggeration compared to his scouting reports.

While I agree that he will surprise many ppl, I'm of the opinion that the ppl who think that he will be a top 10ish prospect next year will be surprised when he isn't, and the ppl like me who have 0 expectations for him will be surprised when he is better than a historically average 7th rd pick.

 

[ATBLeafsTyler]

Granted I haven't watched Korostelev, but calling him a good skating seems to be somewhat of an exaggeration compared to his scouting reports.

While I agree that he will surprise many ppl, I'm of the opinion that the ppl who think that he will be a top 10ish prospect next year will be surprised when he isn't, and the ppl like me who have 0 expectations for him will be surprised when he is better than a historically average 7th rd pick.

I never saw anything about his bad skating myself, or in the scouting reports I just looked up.

I did see a lot about his 200 ft game and I can't disagree with those. It does need some work. If he can polish that up while continuing his great offense, I could see him rise.

 

[Pholus]

I never saw anything about his bad skating myself, or in the scouting reports I just looked up.

I did see a lot about his 200 ft game and I can't disagree with those. It does need some work. If he can polish that up while continuing his great offense, I could see him rise.

Perhaps we're getting more into opinions, like how my opinion of calling someone a 'good' skater means they are above average in ability. Korostelev seems to fall into the below average - average category according to the scouting reports I've seen. Certainly not bad, but not what I would call good.

I agree that his defensive games needs work, but what 18 year old has a defensive game that is NHL-ready? Furthermore, how often do you pick a guy in the 7th rd who has any part of his game that's NHL-ready? Even top-5 picks are talked about as needing to work on their defensive game, so I'm not worried at all about Korostelev not being a 200 ft player at this point in time.