2018-19 NHL Farm Systems

[Prospect Pipeline]

Hi everyone!

With the 2018-19 NHL season set to begin, we figured that now would be the ideal time to begin analyzing each and every NHL team's farm system and respective prospect pool. With the vast majority of developmental leagues already underway and a new hockey campaign upon us, it'll be important to follow the NHL's best young prospects and their personal progression this season.

In our 2018-19 NHL Farm System Reports, we take a look at each franchise's top-10 prospects before issuing a letter grade for the overall strength of the prospect pool and its future outlook.

Click to read more...

 

[Prospect Pipeline]

To kick things off, let's begin with the Boston Bruins.

Although the Bruins didn't make a first round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft, the team still boasts the likes of Ryan Donato and Urho Vaakanainen, Trent Frederic, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson.

To read the Bruins' full farm system profile for the 2018-19 season, hit the link below:

• Boston Bruins Farm System Report

 

[Prospect Pipeline]

Our second of 31 NHL Farm System Reports assesses the Buffalo Sabres -- a team on the rise led by its young talent.

The biggest addition to the Sabres' roster this coming season is undoubtedly Rasmus Dahlin, the first overall choice in the 2018 NHL Draft. However, Buffalo owns a strong supporting of prospects who could help lead the Sabres' resurgence.

• Buffalo Sabres Farm System Report

 

[Prospect Pipeline]

Today's edition of our NHL Farm System Report looks at the Detroit Red Wings -- a team poised to end their postseason drought through the acquisition of elite young talent.

With Filip Zadina leading the way, the Red Wings could return to contention much sooner than later.

• Detroit Red Wings Farm System Report

 

[Prospect Pipeline]

Next up are the Florida Panthers. Although the boast Alexander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Aaron Ekblad, they'll need a boost from their prospect pool in order to take the next step.

In particular, watch out for Owen Tippett and Henrik Borgstrom -- both could become big-time players for the club in the near future.

• Florida Panthers Farm System Report

 

[Prospect Pipeline]

Following the Panthers are the Montreal Canadiens.

In the midst of a re-tool, the Canadiens boasts a number of quality assets yet lack the depth to legitimately compete within the Atlantic Division. Nabbing Nick Suzuki from the Vegas Golden Knights was a strong move, but Montreal requires a whack of other young prospect before they can move forward and contend.

• Montreal Canadiens Farm System Report

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Our second of 31 NHL Farm System Reports assesses the Buffalo Sabres -- a team on the rise led by its young talent.

The biggest addition to the Sabres' roster this coming season is undoubtedly Rasmus Dahlin, the first overall choice in the 2018 NHL Draft. However, Buffalo owns a strong supporting of prospects who could help lead the Sabres' resurgence.

• Buffalo Sabres Farm System Report

Sites like yours have been saying that about Buffalo for years

 

[Prospect Pipeline]

Today we peer into the mess that is the Ottawa Senators. Lacking an identity, as well as a quantity of quality assets, the Senators are heading down a rough and uncertain road. Amplifying matters is Ottawa's lack of promising prospects, as outside of Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris the franchise's future is woefully thin.

• Ottawa Senators Farm System Report

 

[Mrb1p]

Wait, is that a ranking with Boston at the top ? Or ? Completely random ?

 

[Mrb1p]

Oh ok. You'll have to explain your rankings here.

Boston gets a B ? Arighty.
Montreal gets a C+?

Both Detroit and Buffalo get an A- ?

 

[The Great Weal]

How the heck does Montreal get a c+? Not many teams have a better top 2 than Kotkaniemi and Suzuki.

 

[Critical13]

Yikes, Boston overrated again. Habs are top 5.

 

[Prospect Pipeline]

Oh ok. You'll have to explain your rankings here.

Boston gets a B ? Arighty.
Montreal gets a C+?

Both Detroit and Buffalo get an A- ?

Thanks for checking out our NHL farm system reports!

We'll be posting these farm system reports in alphabetical order, and by division starting with the Atlantic -- so, they are not ranked, although we'll be compiling a 31-team farm system ranking in the near future. Each farm system report includes a letter grade, which by now you've seen -- allow me to explain the grades you mentioned above.

Boston gets a 'B' essentially for the depth of their farm system. Unlike other NHL teams, they don't boast a star prospect but, rather, a slew of other quality youngsters who should be able to play a role for the Bruins in the future. Donato could very well develop into a top-6 player, while Vaakanainen, Frederic, and Forsbacka-Karlsson could all earn depth roles with the team. Studnicka has been consistent and impressive of late, while Andersson and Senyshyn hold long-term potential -- if any of these three crack Boston's roster it's a bonus. So, no stud for Boston, but a good pool of young players at various positions nonetheless.

Montreal gets a 'C+' because, while they have Kotkaniemi and Suzuki, that's about it. We've always been a big fan of McShane, and Ylonen and Primeau are certainly promising, yet as it stands now all of which are long-term projects who will need a ton of further development. If these three impress this season, odds are the Canadiens are awarded a higher grade next campaign. But, as of now, the 'C+' ranking reflects the Habs' lack of depth both positionally and skill-wise within their prospect pool outside of their top-two.

Detroit and Buffalo both pick up 'A's' this year because they hold high-end skill as well as depth within their prospect pools -- a facet which both Boston and Montreal lack. Detroit enjoyed a fantastic 2018 NHL Draft and hold both Zadina and Rasmussen, while Veleno, McIsaac, and Berggren were excellent additions to their franchise. Buffalo, of course, holds both Dahlin and Mittelstadt -- two elite prospects with immense upside. In addition to these two, the Sabres hold quality secondary prospects such as Nylander, Samuelsson, and Luukkonen -- a trio which boasts potential and positional versatility.

Of course, it goes without saying that these grades are debatable, so we'd love to hear your points or suggestions as to what grades these teams should have been awarded. Thanks for reading and for chiming in.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

Next up are the Florida Panthers. Although the boast Alexander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Aaron Ekblad, they'll need a boost from their prospect pool in order to take the next step.

In particular, watch out for Owen Tippett and Henrik Borgstrom -- both could become big-time players for the club in the near future.

• Florida Panthers Farm System Report

Nice work.
Personally I'd have Heponiemi higher, but I can buy the fact that he's tiny and unproven. Still, can you explain why you'd rank Denisenko over Heponiemi? Why Hunt over Mamin? (Mamin's written with a typo BTW.)
Does McCoshen not meet your criteria for a prospect anymore or is he simply out of your top 10? (He'll almost certainly start the season in the AHL...)

 

[Prospect Pipeline]

Nice work.
Personally I'd have Heponiemi higher, but I can buy the fact that he's tiny and unproven. Still, can you explain why you'd rank Denisenko over Heponiemi? Why Hunt over Mamin? (Mamin's written with a typo BTW.)
Does McCoshen not meet your criteria for a prospect anymore or is he simply out of your top 10? (He'll almost certainly start the season in the AHL...)

Thanks for reading!

Also, thank you for catching that typo, it has been fixed!

Denisenko/Heponiemi:

We've ranked Denisenko over Heponiemi because, as the 15th overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft, he holds greater value to the Panthers as well as greater potential at the NHL-level. Here's our thinking:

Like you mentioned, Heponiemi is undersized and unproven. He's enjoyed spectacular seasons in the WHL of late, but a solid season in 2018-19 with Karpat in the Liiga would cement his status as a legitimate NHL prospect while boosting his standing as one of Florida's top-10 prospects (he's off to a good start with six points in seven games played). The major question surrounding Heponiemi will be his whether or not he can adjust to -- and succeed -- at the North American professional-level.

On the other hand, Denisenko appeared in KHL playoff games last season as a 17-year-old, indicating an elite level of maturity both mentally and physically. In 2018-19, Denisenko is one of just eight 18-year-old players on a KHL roster, and he'll surely be the highest-scoring of which (he's netted two goals in nine games played so far). Ultimately, it appears as though Denisenko could make the jump to the NHL-level immediately following the conclusion of his KHL contract in 2020.

So, in short, Denisenko appears to hold greater potential and is on a quicker yet more challenging developmental path given his age. While Heponiemi is certainly an outstanding player, we feel as though Denisenko could become a much more threatening and consistent player than Heponiemi at the NHL-level in the long-term.

Hunt/Mamin:

Hunt enjoyed a terrific season in the AHL last season and plays a sound, professional game. Realistically, both he and Mamin hold a similar potential as prospects, but we feel as though Hunt's game is better suited for the NHL-level given his skating abilities and consistent progression over the past two years.

McCoshen:

McCoshen doesn't qualify as a prospect in our view. We use NHL rookie eligibility rules to determine who is a prospect and who isn't -- he's played in 41 games for the Panthers, 16 games more than the eligibility rules allow. Here's a link to those specifications.


We hope this explanation helps! Again, thanks for your comment!

 

[Prospect Pipeline]

Today, we take a look at the Tampa Bay Lightning -- a team locked and loaded for a Stanley Cup run and backed by a surprisingly strong farm system. Although they don't hold an 'elite prospect', depth is the name of the game for the Lightning.

• Tampa Bay Lightning Farm System Report

 

[Prospect Pipeline]

Up next are the Toronto Maple Leafs. In Toronto, the Leafs are fortunate to boast a great deal of depth within their roster. Fortunately for the team, this depth extends into their farm system, as Toronto owns a great deal of promising forwards and defenceman who could make an impact at the NHL-level in the coming years.

• Toronto Maple Leafs Farm System Report

 

[Mick Riddleton]

So far pretty good, finally someone addresses Depth, something where other lists fail. That is why none of those so called experts run teams. May have to take into account Leafs just lost 2 depth goalies, that to me down grades them to B minus

 

[gifted88]

Wait, is that a ranking with Boston at the top ? Or ? Completely random ?

Alphabetically by division is appears.

 

[Mrb1p]

Thanks for checking out our NHL farm system reports!

We'll be posting these farm system reports in alphabetical order, and by division starting with the Atlantic -- so, they are not ranked, although we'll be compiling a 31-team farm system ranking in the near future. Each farm system report includes a letter grade, which by now you've seen -- allow me to explain the grades you mentioned above.

Boston gets a 'B' essentially for the depth of their farm system. Unlike other NHL teams, they don't boast a star prospect but, rather, a slew of other quality youngsters who should be able to play a role for the Bruins in the future. Donato could very well develop into a top-6 player, while Vaakanainen, Frederic, and Forsbacka-Karlsson could all earn depth roles with the team. Studnicka has been consistent and impressive of late, while Andersson and Senyshyn hold long-term potential -- if any of these three crack Boston's roster it's a bonus. So, no stud for Boston, but a good pool of young players at various positions nonetheless.

Montreal gets a 'C+' because, while they have Kotkaniemi and Suzuki, that's about it. We've always been a big fan of McShane, and Ylonen and Primeau are certainly promising, yet as it stands now all of which are long-term projects who will need a ton of further development. If these three impress this season, odds are the Canadiens are awarded a higher grade next campaign. But, as of now, the 'C+' ranking reflects the Habs' lack of depth both positionally and skill-wise within their prospect pool outside of their top-two.

Detroit and Buffalo both pick up 'A's' this year because they hold high-end skill as well as depth within their prospect pools -- a facet which both Boston and Montreal lack. Detroit enjoyed a fantastic 2018 NHL Draft and hold both Zadina and Rasmussen, while Veleno, McIsaac, and Berggren were excellent additions to their franchise. Buffalo, of course, holds both Dahlin and Mittelstadt -- two elite prospects with immense upside. In addition to these two, the Sabres hold quality secondary prospects such as Nylander, Samuelsson, and Luukkonen -- a trio which boasts potential and positional versatility.

Of course, it goes without saying that these grades are debatable, so we'd love to hear your points or suggestions as to what grades these teams should have been awarded. Thanks for reading and for chiming in.

Alright.
For the sake of the argument I will use the three teams mentioned, though I couldve done much more.

To remain objective, Ill use boards lists of prospect (Most are top 25.)
You give the Habs a C+ rankings because "They lack depth" and they "only" have Kotkaniemi and Suzuki.
Bruins https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/final-hf-bruins-top-25-prospect-list-for-discussion.2537497/\
Detroit https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/whos-our-22nd-best-prospect.2538281/
Montreal https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/habs-top-prospect-36-37-38.2526479/

I will also keep the comparison as close as possible, positionally and age wise.

Can we assume that:
Kotkaniemi = Zadina > Donato
Suzuki = Rasmussen > Vakanainen

I dont think its an unreasonable thing to say, minor differences aside.

This would mostly mean that:
Montreal=Detroit > Boston

Can we assume that
Poehling = Frederic = Veleno
Statistically, upside wise, positionally, etc, they're all similar players.

I dont think its an unreasonable thing to say, minor differences aside.

This would mean that
Montreal=Detroit > Boston

Can we assume that
Svechnikov=Forsbacka-Karlsson>=Ylonen

Statistically, they are all very similar, stylistically, positionaly, and stastically. I can understand that Ylonen might be further back in developement, which explains his slightly worst ranking here.

Still, I dont think it is unreasonable to say that the impact of Ylonen compared to FK and Svechnikov does not constitute a large enough gap to make a difference between the Boston and Montreal, and thus, the rankings should stay the same.

This would mean that
Detroit => Montreal > Boston.

Can we assume that
Juulsen = Cholowski > Zboril
Both Cholowski and Juulsen seem NHL ready here, and both should be top four Dmen in the future, with Juulsen being better defensively and Cholowski being better offensively. Zboril seems to be lacking behind, while being the oldest of the trio, and was most likely never as talented as the other two. You might think that statistically, its closer between Zboril and Juulsen (If you dont account for injuries and strength of teams.), but using the same logic for Ylonen above, its fair to say Juulsen is ahead.

This would mean that
Detroit => Montreal > Boston

Can we assume that Hronek => Brooks > Lauzon

Hronek is ahead of Brook because he is older, using the same logic weve used, Lauzon is the worst statistically, and in upside. Hronek and Brook both project as top four defenders, or more, while Lauzon looks to be a fringe NHL player, unless his development picks up.

I think its safe to say that this now means:
Detroit>Montreal>Boston

Can we assume that Berggren > Studnicka > Olofsson
All forwards with relatively different values and strengths, Olofsson lacks behind both in talent and development years, here.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston, but the gap between Detroit montreal, is getting bigger and Boston is catching up.

Can we assume that Senyshyn > Evans > Smith
All relatively low upside forwards, Senyshyn has a chance at being more, but less certainty attributed to him, Evans is further along in development and probably gets a few call-up after his injury has healed, Smith is the least ready and should look to match Senyshyns low, but not bad numbers in his AHL rookie season.

Detroit > Montreal >= Boston

Cehlarik > Turgeon > Ikonen
Three offensively gifted players, three higher upside players, with the prior two being closer to NHL ready than Ikonen, and safer shots at the NHL.

Id say Cehlarik moves the needle a lot more than the three others here
Detroit > Montreal = Boston

Primeau > Larsson > Swayman (Using the top 20 of goalies, and my opinion.)

Primeau is just, so far, a much better goalie, but Id say they are all pretty long shot at being NHL goaltenders, moves the needle a bit, but not much.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston

Hillis > Lauko > Kivenmaki

Id say Hillis and Lauko are significantly ahead of Kivenmaki here, one being a really low pick and the other two being top 80 players, all relatively young with Lauko and Hillis having legit top six upside here. Both MTL and BOS move closer to DET, but the distance stays the same.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston.

Fitzgerald > Holmstrom = Fonstad (In my opinion, Fonstad is far ahead, but lets play the game.)
Fitzgerald is ahead in age but also in readiness and has better stats, Fonstad has the highest upside but is also the youngest.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston

Romanov = McIsaac = Andersson
The defenders coming out of the 2nd round ! Too early to judge anyone here, theyre all similar value, with minor differences. Romanov has made the CSKA which adds some major, major props to his resume.

Lindstrom > Fleury > Johansson
Another round of defenders here, Lindstrom and Fleury both have better upside and more talent, but Johansson has more experience, wouldnt say the difference is huge between the three, but it is significant enough.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston

McShane > Steen > Pearson

Long term projects, McShane and Steen hold considerably more potential than Pearson, who doesnt seem to progress at the speed of a NHL player. The needle doesnt move much, slight difference.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston

Lindgren > Petruzzeli > Keyser

Lindgren is good enough to start in the AHL, and most likely will get starts in the NHL, hes much further along in his development, being five years older than the other two. His potential is that of a journeyman 1G, Petruzzeli has good potential. Moves the needle slightly again, but not much.

Id say that after that, were starting to reach. Theres a pretty clear disconnect between where Detroit/Montreal are and where you rank Boston.

The failure here, that I think you did, was to not recognize Juulsen and Brook's talent. Not even mentioning a guy like Brook, who was one the best player in all of the camp of the Habs, is weird.

You basically ranked the team with the 2nd most picks in the last two years as the worst of the Atlantic, while Suzuki would rank comfortably at #2 on any list of top prospects for the Atlantic, and while they'd rank #2 for top 3, and most likely number two for top five too. You underrate Brook and Juulsen, and thats the biggest problem.

You cite McIsaac as strength for Detroit, but fail to recognize Brook as a strength for Montreal, why ?

You also seem to be really, really (Read way too) high on NHL readiness. The Leafs and Lighting here. You've ranked Grundstrom and Jonsson as 1 and 2, while their upside is very limited, and you've given the Lighting a B rating while they have no one that projects as more than a third liner on offense and no one that projects as more than a 2nd pairing D.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Today we peer into the mess that is the Ottawa Senators. Lacking an identity, as well as a quantity of quality assets, the Senators are heading down a rough and uncertain road. Amplifying matters is Ottawa's lack of promising prospects, as outside of Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris the franchise's future is woefully thin.

• Ottawa Senators Farm System Report

there's no way White and Batherson on 9/10 on that list. Norris at 3 is laughable

 

[BlackFrancis]

Alright.
For the sake of the argument I will use the three teams mentioned, though I couldve done much more.

To remain objective, Ill use boards lists of prospect (Most are top 25.)
You give the Habs a C+ rankings because "They lack depth" and they "only" have Kotkaniemi and Suzuki.
Bruins https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/final-hf-bruins-top-25-prospect-list-for-discussion.2537497/\
Detroit https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/whos-our-22nd-best-prospect.2538281/
Montreal https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/habs-top-prospect-36-37-38.2526479/

I will also keep the comparison as close as possible, positionally and age wise.

Can we assume that:
Kotkaniemi = Zadina > Donato
Suzuki = Rasmussen > Vakanainen

I dont think its an unreasonable thing to say, minor differences aside.

This would mostly mean that:
Montreal=Detroit > Boston

Can we assume that
Poehling = Frederic = Veleno
Statistically, upside wise, positionally, etc, they're all similar players.

I dont think its an unreasonable thing to say, minor differences aside.

This would mean that
Montreal=Detroit > Boston

Can we assume that
Svechnikov=Forsbacka-Karlsson>=Ylonen

Statistically, they are all very similar, stylistically, positionaly, and stastically. I can understand that Ylonen might be further back in developement, which explains his slightly worst ranking here.

Still, I dont think it is unreasonable to say that the impact of Ylonen compared to FK and Svechnikov does not constitute a large enough gap to make a difference between the Boston and Montreal, and thus, the rankings should stay the same.

This would mean that
Detroit => Montreal > Boston.

Can we assume that
Juulsen = Cholowski > Zboril
Both Cholowski and Juulsen seem NHL ready here, and both should be top four Dmen in the future, with Juulsen being better defensively and Cholowski being better offensively. Zboril seems to be lacking behind, while being the oldest of the trio, and was most likely never as talented as the other two. You might think that statistically, its closer between Zboril and Juulsen (If you dont account for injuries and strength of teams.), but using the same logic for Ylonen above, its fair to say Juulsen is ahead.

This would mean that
Detroit => Montreal > Boston

Can we assume that Hronek => Brooks > Lauzon

Hronek is ahead of Brook because he is older, using the same logic weve used, Lauzon is the worst statistically, and in upside. Hronek and Brook both project as top four defenders, or more, while Lauzon looks to be a fringe NHL player, unless his development picks up.

I think its safe to say that this now means:
Detroit>Montreal>Boston

Can we assume that Berggren > Studnicka > Olofsson
All forwards with relatively different values and strengths, Olofsson lacks behind both in talent and development years, here.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston, but the gap between Detroit montreal, is getting bigger and Boston is catching up.

Can we assume that Senyshyn > Evans > Smith
All relatively low upside forwards, Senyshyn has a chance at being more, but less certainty attributed to him, Evans is further along in development and probably gets a few call-up after his injury has healed, Smith is the least ready and should look to match Senyshyns low, but not bad numbers in his AHL rookie season.

Detroit > Montreal >= Boston

Cehlarik > Turgeon > Ikonen
Three offensively gifted players, three higher upside players, with the prior two being closer to NHL ready than Ikonen, and safer shots at the NHL.

Id say Cehlarik moves the needle a lot more than the three others here
Detroit > Montreal = Boston

Primeau > Larsson > Swayman (Using the top 20 of goalies, and my opinion.)

Primeau is just, so far, a much better goalie, but Id say they are all pretty long shot at being NHL goaltenders, moves the needle a bit, but not much.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston

Hillis > Lauko > Kivenmaki

Id say Hillis and Lauko are significantly ahead of Kivenmaki here, one being a really low pick and the other two being top 80 players, all relatively young with Lauko and Hillis having legit top six upside here. Both MTL and BOS move closer to DET, but the distance stays the same.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston.

Fitzgerald > Holmstrom = Fonstad (In my opinion, Fonstad is far ahead, but lets play the game.)
Fitzgerald is ahead in age but also in readiness and has better stats, Fonstad has the highest upside but is also the youngest.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston

Romanov = McIsaac = Andersson
The defenders coming out of the 2nd round ! Too early to judge anyone here, theyre all similar value, with minor differences. Romanov has made the CSKA which adds some major, major props to his resume.

Lindstrom > Fleury > Johansson
Another round of defenders here, Lindstrom and Fleury both have better upside and more talent, but Johansson has more experience, wouldnt say the difference is huge between the three, but it is significant enough.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston

McShane > Steen > Pearson

Long term projects, McShane and Steen hold considerably more potential than Pearson, who doesnt seem to progress at the speed of a NHL player. The needle doesnt move much, slight difference.

Detroit > Montreal > Boston

Lindgren > Petruzzeli > Keyser

Lindgren is good enough to start in the AHL, and most likely will get starts in the NHL, hes much further along in his development, being five years older than the other two. His potential is that of a journeyman 1G, Petruzzeli has good potential. Moves the needle slightly again, but not much.

Id say that after that, were starting to reach. Theres a pretty clear disconnect between where Detroit/Montreal are and where you rank Boston.

The failure here, that I think you did, was to not recognize Juulsen and Brook's talent. Not even mentioning a guy like Brook, who was one the best player in all of the camp of the Habs, is weird.

You basically ranked the team with the 2nd most picks in the last two years as the worst of the Atlantic, while Suzuki would rank comfortably at #2 on any list of top prospects for the Atlantic, and while they'd rank #2 for top 3, and most likely number two for top five too. You underrate Brook and Juulsen, and thats the biggest problem.

You cite McIsaac as strength for Detroit, but fail to recognize Brook as a strength for Montreal, why ?

You also seem to be really, really (Read way too) high on NHL readiness. The Leafs and Lighting here. You've ranked Grundstrom and Jonsson as 1 and 2, while their upside is very limited, and you've given the Lighting a B rating while they have no one that projects as more than a third liner on offense and no one that projects as more than a 2nd pairing D.

I was going to roll my eyes and ask for a tl;dr, but I read it and appreciate the effort. You lost me with the three goalies. Prior to that comparison, Montreal and Boston were tied in your rankings, while after describing them as equal, you bumped the Habs ahead. The Canadians never looked back after taking that lead, despite Boston having showing well immediately after in your comparisons.

Was that a mistake or intentional?

 

[Mrb1p]

I was going to roll my eyes and ask for a tl;dr, but I read it and appreciate the effort. You lost me with the three goalies. Prior to that comparison, Montreal and Boston were tied in your rankings, while after describing them as equal, you bumped the Habs ahead. The Canadians never looked back after taking that lead, despite Boston having showing well immediately after in your comparisons.

Was that a mistake or intentional?

The thing is, at some point the impact of depth is a lot less than what it is earlier in the rankings, in my opinion. The Bruins and Habs beat out the Wings in depth, IMO, but where the Bruins lose is in the first two, and not exactly closely.

 

[BlackFrancis]

The thing is, at some point the impact of depth is a lot less than what it is earlier in the rankings, in my opinion. The Bruins and Habs beat out the Wings in depth, IMO, but where the Bruins lose is in the first two, and not exactly closely.

That's what I'd figured, but thought I'd ask. And I mostly agree, though I think Vaakanainen is going to turn some heads fairly quickly. Your #1 will likely have more than enough value to cover for a lot of depth.

 

[Mrb1p]

That's what I'd figured, but thought I'd ask. And I mostly agree, though I think Vaakanainen is going to turn some heads fairly quickly. Your #1 will likely have more than enough value to cover for a lot of depth.

I like Vakanainen, even more than Rasmussen, slightly worse than Poehling and Suzuki.