Prospect Info: 2018-19 Prospects Thread II (CHL, NCAA, Junior A, Europe)

[The Kingslayer]

Niedermayer is the 3rd best defenseman I’ve ever seen play the game after Lidstrom and Karlsson. That might be shooting high for Makar lol.

Karlsson?

Top 3:
Bourque
Lidstrom
Niedermeyer

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Karlsson?

Top 3:
Bourque
Lidstrom
Niedermeyer

I was 9 when Bourque played his last game. I couldn’t truly assess the talent of a hockey player at that age

 

[The Kingslayer]

I was 9 when Bourque played his last game. I couldn’t truly assess the talent of a hockey player at that age

I thought you were 40.

 

[Tralfamadore]

Makar just picked up a slick primary assist on the PP.

Had a breakaway earlier off of a takeaway but missed the net. Reverse checked the f*** out of somone right after too.

 

[Parker27]

Bourque
Stevens
Pronger

I not old enough for Orr but I am sure he would top all list. I am just thinking my era.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I thought you were 40.

My wisdom causes people to think that.

 

[Spleenless Wonder21]

He made that pass look effortless.

 

[LTC Pain]

Makar is strong on his skates!

Check out @UMassHockey’s Tweet:

 

[Avs_19]

Uh oh. Hopefully he's okay.

 

[AvsCOL]

Uh oh. Hopefully he's okay.

Dislike tweets like this. He’s clearly just speculating, so hopefully it’s nothing.

 

[Tralfamadore]

He looked shaken up but he was right back in the play when he got up.

 

[Iracundia]

Makar is flying around the ice. He's fine.

 

[Foppa2118]

Makar is strong on his skates!

Check out @UMassHockey’s Tweet:

Every time I see Makar play he looks like MacKinnon as a defenseman to me.

The same powerful skating stride, the same power game with his feistiness and shoulder checks, the same highly competitive nature, the same ability to dominate games, the same quick release with the ability to pick corners. Very similar in his dynamic ability and style.

Defenseman just don't look that good with the puck either, even the really good ones. He's gonna be pretty special.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Every time I see Makar play he looks like MacKinnon as a defenseman to me.

The same powerful skating stride, the same power game with his shoulder checks and feistiness, the same highly competitive nature, the same quick release with the ability to pick corners. Very similar in his dynamic ability and style.

Defenseman just don't look that good with the puck either, even the really good ones. He's gonna be pretty special.

Agreed. Thats what I see aswell. Both guys have a certain kind of swagger. Mackinnon did when he entered the league less so now.

 

[Ivan13]

Every time I see Makar play he looks like MacKinnon as a defenseman to me.

The same powerful skating stride, the same power game with his feistiness and shoulder checks, the same highly competitive nature, the same ability to dominate games, the same quick release with the ability to pick corners. Very similar in his dynamic ability and style.

Defenseman just don't look that good with the puck either, even the really good ones. He's gonna be pretty special.

Nah, he’s small and soft.

 

[Foppa2118]

Karlsson?

Top 3:
Bourque
Lidstrom
Niedermeyer

It's so difficult to compare this era of defenseman to the last one. It's such a different style that's effective now.

I put Doughty, Hedman, and Karlsson at the top of the heap for this generation, but even though they're probably more skilled, I still have a hard time putting them ahead of guys like Pronger, Lidstrom and Niedermayer. It just feels like they had the tougher games to play and had to bring more to the table.

I feel pretty comfortable putting Bourque above all of them though. He was just the man in all facets of the game including leadership and class off the ice.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

I don't see the argument for Niedermayer over EK. Karlsson has peaked higher everywhere both in the regular season and playoffs. His 2014 Olympic performance is also far superior to anything Niedermayer did internationally. EK just hasn't been able to be on cup contenders for the majority of his career.

 

[Ivan13]

Scott Niedermayer is the most overrated defenseman to ever play the game. He always played behind elite talent like Stevens and Pronger and people get this romanticized picture of him from his days with the Ducks, completely disregarding that he wasn't that good on the Devils and hasn't fully blossomed until way back in his career. So I hope those comparing Makar to him don't lose their heads if Makar plays like a #3 for the first few years in the NHL, given that Niedermayer hasn't really developed into a top pairing D until his 23-year-old season.

As for where I would rank him among the players I saw play, he is comfortably behind:

Stevens, Bourque, Pronger, Keith, Chelios, McInnis, Leetch, Lidas, Fetisov, Coffey, Chara, EK.

 

[Foppberg]

Scott Niedermayer is the most overrated defenseman to ever play the game. He always played behind elite talent like Stevens and Pronger and people get this romanticized picture of him from his days with the Ducks, completely disregarding that he wasn't that good on the Devils and hasn't fully blossomed until way back in his career. So I hope those comparing Makar to him don't lose their heads if Makar plays like a #3 for the first few years in the NHL, given that Niedermayer hasn't really developed into a top pairing D until his 23-year-old season.

As for where I would rank him among the players I saw play, he is comfortably behind:

Stevens, Bourque, Pronger, Keith, Chelios, McInnis, Leetch, Lidas, Fetisov, Coffey, Chara, EK.

 

[Ivan13]

I know it won't be a popular opinion, but I've read quite a bit on his early days with the Devils and there was an absolutely beautiful post on the Hockey History Board outlining how he played with the Devils, which sadly got lost in the great purge. He was a great player, but the mystique built around him is outlandish at times.

 

[Foppberg]

Scott Niedermayer is the most overrated defenseman to ever play the game. He always played behind elite talent like Stevens and Pronger and people get this romanticized picture of him from his days with the Ducks, completely disregarding that he wasn't that good on the Devils and hasn't fully blossomed until way back in his career. So I hope those comparing Makar to him don't lose their heads if Makar plays like a #3 for the first few years in the NHL, given that Niedermayer hasn't really developed into a top pairing D until his 23-year-old season.

As for where I would rank him among the players I saw play, he is comfortably behind:

Stevens, Bourque, Pronger, Keith, Chelios, McInnis, Leetch, Lidas, Fetisov, Coffey, Chara, EK.

I mean Lidstrom didn't really take off until he was like 24, 25. Same with Keith, Chara, but you give them more leeway than Niedermayer.

He's not up there with Lidstrom or Bourque, he's not that good. But watching him was a pleasure. Dude could move around effortlessly. It didn't even look like he was trying to skate and he would blow by guys.

 

[Ivan13]

I mean Lidstrom didn't really take off until he was like 24, 25. Same with Keith, Chara, but you give them more leeway than Niedermayer.

He's not up there with Lidstrom or Bourque, he's not that good. But watching him was a pleasure. Dude could move around effortlessly. It didn't even look like he was trying to skate and he would blow by guys.

I give them more leeway because at their best they were absolutely elite in every sense of the word. Niedermayer was never as dominant as Chara, nor was he as good as Keith. Pretty much every ranking will have those two above him. Was Niedermayer an elite player? Sure. Was he as good as he is made out to be as some? No. Listening to some people you'd think we are talking about a guy who was just behind the Big 6 of NHL Ds (Orr, Bourque, Potvin, Lidas, Shore, Harvey), when in reality he is not even the part of the 2nd level with guys like Cleghorn, Robinson, Leetch, Coffey, Chelios, Savard etc.

Fun fact, during the Ducks run for the Cup neither he, nor Pronger led the team in TOI, it was Beauchemin. Him winning the Conn Smythe was so anticlimactic I thought to myself "Good on Rob for winning it" when I've heard a Niedermayer has won it. So yeah, he was a beautiful skater, but he was not what he is made out to be.

 

[henchman21]

Call me crazy, but Leetch is probably the most underrated elite defensemen of all time. Such an incredible player that seems to be lost amongst the groups.

As for best I've ever seen... nobody holds a candle to Lidstrom or Bourque in recent generations. It is those two then everybody else.

 

[Avsboy]

740 points in 1263GP for Niedermayer. But his advanced stats aren't amazing, at least not those recorded at the end when these stats were being recorded.

Screen-Shot-2019-02-22-at-10-26-15-AM

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Call me crazy, but Leetch is probably the most underrated elite defensemen of all time. Such an incredible player that seems to be lost amongst the groups.

As for best I've ever seen... nobody holds a candle to Lidstrom or Bourque in recent generations. It is those two then everybody else.

I was really hoping the Avs would be able to sign Leetch the same off-season they got Kariya and Selanne.