Prospect Info: 2018 Minnesota Wild Prospect Ranking - #1

Wild Prospect Ranking - #1

  • Louis Belpedio

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Jordan Greenway

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Filip Johansson

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Kaapo Kahkonen

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Kirill Kaprizov

    Votes: 40 95.2%
  • Alexander Khovanov

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Luke Kunin

    Votes: 2 4.8%
  • Ivan Lodnia

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Jack McBain

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Nick Seeler

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Mason Shaw

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dmitri Sokolov

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Carson Soucy

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    42
  • Poll closed .
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Wild11MN

First round losers
May 28, 2013
13,201
1,992
MN
Let's get this going. I threw a somewhat arbitrary number of prospects (13) on the first poll, and we can add one each time via popular demand in the thread, so please, throw it in your post if you have a suggestion. Polls will be open for two days. If an extra day goes by and I don't open another one, feel free to do it yourself.

JEE and Olofsson were not included.
 
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Binister

Generational User
Feb 7, 2017
931
323
Yaay it's a land slide. Just waiting to get him to Wild's playing roster. We are starting to need a center due to top 6 age.
 

Wabit

Registered User
May 23, 2016
19,083
4,342
My list:
Kunin
Greenway
Seeler
Kaprizov
Belpedio
Soucy
Johansson F.
McBain
Dewar (I really like his prospect camp).

I'm taking the guys that have shown something at the NHL level over Kaprizov. I still have my doubts that his game will translate to the small ice and less time/space of the NHL.

I do think all of these guys have NHL futures.
 

grN1g

Registered User
Nov 11, 2009
2,912
224
Minnesota
My top 10 based solely on potential.

1. Kaprizov
2. Sokolov
3. Khovanov
4. Greenway
5. Kunin
6. Lodnia
7. Kahkonen
8. McBain
9. Belpedio
10. F.Johansson
 

Digitalbooya

By order of the Peaky Blinders
Sponsor
Jul 10, 2010
26,089
7,158
Wisconsin
What’s the reasoning for Kunin over Kaprizov? I see two votes for him and I’m just generally curious. The KHL is the closest thing to the NHL and Kaprizov has shown the ability to score a ton at a young age. Kunin was great in college but needs to show more at the NHL/AHL level before I say he’s the top prospect.
 

ThatGuy22

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
10,511
4,178
What’s the reasoning for Kunin over Kaprizov? I see two votes for him and I’m just generally curious. The KHL is the closest thing to the NHL and Kaprizov has shown the ability to score a ton at a young age. Kunin was great in college but needs to show more at the NHL/AHL level before I say he’s the top prospect.

I didn't vote for Kunin, but i'm sure the reasoning is that Kunin is more of "sure thing" NHLer at this point, both in that he's under contract with us so we know he's available and we know his game translates to North America.

How "sure of a thing" a prospect is has to be part of any evaluation, and it is Kaprizov's weak point. Even though in mine and most people's opinion the high end skillset he has is enough to over come that.
 

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
47,614
19,459
MN
I voted KK, but I'm totally open to the idea of someone else on the list ending up having a better NHL career.
 

Wabit

Registered User
May 23, 2016
19,083
4,342
What’s the reasoning for Kunin over Kaprizov? I see two votes for him and I’m just generally curious. The KHL is the closest thing to the NHL and Kaprizov has shown the ability to score a ton at a young age. Kunin was great in college but needs to show more at the NHL/AHL level before I say he’s the top prospect.

Kaprizov is in the KHL; which is a quality league; but big ice makes a big difference for his skillset. Also there is no guarantee that he'll ever even come to the NHL. He can say all the "right" things but until a contract is signed words don't mean much. Gut feeling is he's more Yakupov than Panarin. Total boom or bust prospect.

Kunin is in the organization and has shown he can at least play at the NHL level. His ceiling isn't as high as Kaprizov, but his floor is much higher.
 

Saga of the Elk

Honoured Person
May 31, 2008
3,125
924
Kaprizov is in the KHL; which is a quality league; but big ice makes a big difference for his skillset. Also there is no guarantee that he'll ever even come to the NHL. He can say all the "right" things but until a contract is signed words don't mean much. Gut feeling is he's more Yakupov than Panarin. Total boom or bust prospect.

Kunin is in the organization and has shown he can at least play at the NHL level. His ceiling isn't as high as Kaprizov, but his floor is much higher.

Nail Yakupov has 350 games of NHL experience, Luke Kunin has 19. Which one has shown he can play in the NHL?

Kaprizov's NHLe is (unsurprisingly) higher than Kunin's, even though Kunin was actually in the NHL.

I don't mind the preference for "bird in the hand" but Kaprizov is a better hockey player than Kunin or Greenway. He's established it in best-on-best tournaments now, in addition to several seasons in the world's second best league.
 
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Wabit

Registered User
May 23, 2016
19,083
4,342
Nail Yakupov has 350 games of NHL experience, Luke Kunin has 19. Which one has shown he can play in the NHL?

Kaprizov's NHLe is (unsurprisingly) higher than Kunin's, even though Kunin was actually in the NHL.

I don't mind the preference for "bird in the hand" but Kaprizov is a better hockey player than Kunin or Greenway. He's established it in best-on-best tournaments now, in addition to several seasons in the world's second best league.

Well I was talking about Kaprizov in the Yak and Panarin comparison, but okay for a counter point Kaprizov has 0 NHL games... He did well in the only best-on-best tournament he's been in (WC this year). The U-18/20 are nice but I don't read too much into the results from them (Pulkkinen). The Olympics were were a (Russia) best-on-the rest this year.

From the limited viewings (and youtube highlights) I've had of him I don't think he'll have the time/space needed to be the 40g/yr impact player most on here think he'll be. The KHL is the 2nd best league, but success there doesn't really equate to NHL success. most just can't make the transition for whatever reason.

Short term (1-2 years) and long term (5 years) Kunin and Greenway will have a bigger impact on the team imo.
 

ThatGuy22

Registered User
Oct 11, 2011
10,511
4,178
Nail Yakupov has 350 games of NHL experience, Luke Kunin has 19. Which one has shown he can play in the NHL?

Kaprizov's NHLe is (unsurprisingly) higher than Kunin's, even though Kunin was actually in the NHL.

I don't mind the preference for "bird in the hand" but Kaprizov is a better hockey player than Kunin or Greenway. He's established it in best-on-best tournaments now, in addition to several seasons in the world's second best league.

Yakupov by virtue of being a #1 overall pick was afforded 4 seasons to prove unequivocally via 3 franchises and like 6 coaches he doesn't belong in the NHL.

Players drafted 5+ spots later like Kunin have the burden of proof reversed, and have to prove they belong in the NHL.

So while it's true Kunin has not shown he can play in the NHL full time, Yakupov has absolutely shown he can't. Otherwise he'd still be here.
 

Saga of the Elk

Honoured Person
May 31, 2008
3,125
924
Well I was talking about Kaprizov in the Yak and Panarin comparison, but okay for a counter point Kaprizov has 0 NHL games... He did well in the only best-on-best tournament he's been in (WC this year). The U-18/20 are nice but I don't read too much into the results from them (Pulkkinen). The Olympics were were a (Russia) best-on-the rest this year.

From the limited viewings (and youtube highlights) I've had of him I don't think he'll have the time/space needed to be the 40g/yr impact player most on here think he'll be. The KHL is the 2nd best league, but success there doesn't really equate to NHL success. most just can't make the transition for whatever reason.

Short term (1-2 years) and long term (5 years) Kunin and Greenway will have a bigger impact on the team imo.

I think there are more guys (forwards at least) who have made the KHL-NHL transition successfully than haven't.

Kuznetzov, Radulov, Panarin, Malkin, Ovechkin, Tarasenko are all obvious but consider

Evgeny Dadonov:
2016-17 (KHL): 53 GP, 66 points
2017-18 (NHL): 74 GP, 65 points

Nikita Soshnikov:
2014-15 (KHL): 57 GP, 32 points
2015-16 (NHL): 11 GP, 5 points (mostly AHL, but pretty good there)

Slava Fetisov
1988-89 (Soviet League): 23 GP, 18 points
1989-90 (NHL): 72 GP, 42 points

Can't think of many for whom it hasn't worked, except for Shipachyov, who was 30 and didn't like his role (to say nothing of having to move from St. Petersburg to Vegas, good lord) Pretty sure he would have produced just fine if he had stayed.

Just because the guys who lead the KHL are less-than-successful NHLers for the most part doesn't entail the reverse: that guys who are KHL stars won't be good in the NHL. I will agree that 40 goals is asking way too much, but Kaprizov should be able to put up 50 points. And I think that's a distant bell for Kunin and not likely for Greenway anytime soon.
 

Saga of the Elk

Honoured Person
May 31, 2008
3,125
924
Yakupov by virtue of being a #1 overall pick was afforded 4 seasons to prove unequivocally via 3 franchises and like 6 coaches he doesn't belong in the NHL.

Players drafted 5+ spots later like Kunin have the burden of proof reversed, and have to prove they belong in the NHL.

So while it's true Kunin has not shown he can play in the NHL full time, Yakupov has absolutely shown he can't. Otherwise he'd still be here.

I have a soft spot for Yakupov. Poor kid had one year of experience six times, now he's the poster boy for busting. What-If: the Oilers owners' son hadn't overruled the scouts, the Oilers had traded back with the Wild, and the Wild had picked Yakupov?
 

SomethingGeneric

Registered User
Sep 25, 2014
672
75
I go based strictly off of potential because I want all of our players to be the best version of what we drafted them to be. Therefore Kaprizov is #1. Dude's good at hockey and more importantly good with the puck on his stick.
 

Aurinko

Registered User
Apr 1, 2015
3,397
2,215
Finland
I fell in to the Kaprizov trap.

If I could change my pick I would go with Seeler and Murphy. If they could continue half as good as they were... I could see players like this enforcing the team identity.
 
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