Prospect Info: 2020-2021 HF Bruins Prospects Rankings Poll #2

[UncleRico]

Current Prospect Rankings:

1) Jack Studnicka (90.9% of the votes)

Click to read more...

 

[UncleRico]

I put up this one a little early because Studnicka was running away with the other one and I have meetings later in the day.

 

[Dr Hook]

I put up this one a little early because Studnicka was running away with the other one and I have meetings later in the day.

Yeah Stud took that in a landslide. Tough one for me between Swayman and Urho here- went with Swayman but really it could have gone the other way.

 

[Saxon Eric]

Went Vladar as he was excellent last season
Swayman was excellent too but I couldn't pull the trigger this early
Couldn't justify Vaakanainen with his consistency/motivation issues

 

[ON3M4N]

wow this ones tough. I'm between Vaak, Swayman, with Beecher as a dark horse.

 

[PepeBostones]

I had Jeremy Swayman here and nothing has really changed. I'm just worried about all prospects not playing.

 

[BlackFrancis]

When your #2 prospect is a goalie who hasn't played a professional game, your stable of prospect might suck somewhat.

 

[UncleRico]

When your #2 prospect is a goalie who hasn't played a professional game, your stable of prospect might suck somewhat.

depends on how you view prospects. He’s not NHL ready but plenty of people may feel he has the highest ceiling or best chance of being a great player.

 

[JAD]

Looking at who is left on the list,
I'm thinking Zboril might be the next "most ready" prospect with a couple others real close, but Swayman might be the next best prospect.

 

[ON3M4N]

When your #2 prospect is a goalie who hasn't played a professional game, your stable of prospect might suck somewhat.

Well when you carry your hockey program for 3 years and then cap your NCAA career of with a Richter Award and a Hobey Baker finalist, you're going to have some hype.

 

[BlackFrancis]

Well when you carry your hockey program for 3 years and then cap your NCAA career of with a Richter Award and a Hobey Baker finalist, you're going to have some hype.

Just saying, Zane McInGoth never ranked all that high here. He didn't have a Richter, but did have 3 very solid NCAA seasons. And he did what most goalie prospects do - yo-yo around between lights out and mediocrity for a few years before being cut loose.

McIntyre is actually a good object lesson for Swayman, Vladar and probably goalie prospects in general. Three years of high performance in the NCAA isn't much to go by. 31 games with a .930 Sv% in your second professional season isn't much to go by. Young goalies just don't give you much to go by.

 

[PepeBostones]

Let's hope for the best. Here are some active goalies that made an impact going from college to NHL. History show some great goalies but just look at the ones played last year. Interestingly Swayman's Maine has produced three of the goalies active in NHL.
G - Goalie College NHL Team Nation NHL Draft Rnd Years in College
A - Connor Hellebuyck UMass Lowell WPG US 5th 2
A - Cory Schneider Boston College NJ US 1st 3
A - Jonthan Quick Massachusetts LA US 3rd 2
A - Jimmy Howard Maine DET US 2nd 3
A - Ben Bishop Maine DAL US 3rd 3
A - Ryan Miller Michigan State ANA US 5th 3
B - Thatcher Demko Boston College VAN US 2nd 3
B - Brian Elliott Wisconsin PHI CAN 9th 4
B - Carter Hutton UMass Lowell STL CAN FA 4
B - Cam Talbot Alabama Huntsville EDM CAN FA 3
B - Scott Darling Maine CAR US 6th 2
C - Al Montoya Michigan EDM, MTL US 1st 3
C - Chad Johnson Alaska BUF CAN 5th 4
C - Curtis McElhinney Coloado College TOR CAN 6th 4
C - Mike Condon Princeton OTT US FA

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Surprised so many feel Vaakanainen is a better prospect than Zboril.

 

[BlackFrancis]

Surprised so many feel Vaakanainen is a better prospect than Zboril.

Two years younger. It doesn't matter for absolutely everyone, but it is very important for most.

For just about any defenseman that plays in the AHL, every season spent there without showing good production lowers your ceiling. Boychuks are rare, and even he was a 2nd pairing guy.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Two years younger. It doesn't matter for absolutely everyone, but it is very important for most.

For just about any defenseman that plays in the AHL, every season spent there without showing good production lowers your ceiling. Boychuks are rare, and even he was a 2nd pairing guy.

That's fair.

 

[ON3M4N]

Just saying, Zane McInGoth never ranked all that high here. He didn't have a Richter, but did have 3 very solid NCAA seasons. And he did what most goalie prospects do - yo-yo around between lights out and mediocrity for a few years before being cut loose.

McIntyre is actually a good object lesson for Swayman, Vladar and probably goalie prospects in general. Three years of high performance in the NCAA isn't much to go by. 31 games with a .930 Sv% in your second professional season isn't much to go by. Young goalies just don't give you much to go by.

The difference was Zane actually played for a solid program. Swayman stood on his head most nights to keep Maine in games. Here are the last 6 years of Maine's winning%

14-15 - .397 w%
15-16 - .289 w%
16-17 - .361 w%
17-18 - .526 w%
18-19 - .472 w%
19-20 - .603 w%

So in the last 3 years with Swayman being #1 they were 33-29-10. The three years prior without Swayman they were 18-42-6. They didn't get an influx of high end talent as their not known for cranking out lots of NHL players. So what exactly was the cause for them going from a Hockey East door mat to a over .500 team that was around the top 5 in Hockey East the last 3 years?

 

[BlackFrancis]

The difference was Zane actually played for a solid program. Swayman stood on his head most nights to keep Maine in games. Here are the last 6 years of Maine's winning%

14-15 - .397 w%
15-16 - .289 w%
16-17 - .361 w%
17-18 - .526 w%
18-19 - .472 w%
19-20 - .603 w%

So in the last 3 years with Swayman being #1 they were 33-29-10. The three years prior without Swayman they were 18-42-6. They didn't get an influx of high end talent as their not known for cranking out lots of NHL players. So what exactly was the cause for them going from a Hockey East door mat to a over .500 team that was around the top 5 in Hockey East the last 3 years?

Funny, I don't put as much credence in his spectacular 2020 season as I do his first two seasons. If Swayman's numbers were just mediocre those two seasons, I'd see him more of a Joey Daccord (speaking of crappy programs). Regardless, I'm not sure of the value of deriving goaltender quality from a team's winning percentage.

I don't know. Goalies are voodoo. Current and former goalies can't tell a good one from a stiff. If they can't get it right, what hope do I have?

 

[Kegs]

Surprised so many feel Vaakanainen is a better prospect than Zboril.

It’s just because I’ve seen Vaak play more games really. I haVe only seen zboril play two games. Third line minutes. He was solid though. I think they are both nhl players.

 

[BruinsNetwork]

Surprised so many feel Vaakanainen is a better prospect than Zboril.

Well I guess there’s a discrepancy between the better prospect and the prospect with higher potential, as is the same for the entire voting process.

Vaakanainen has high potential and has age on his side.

Zboril is the better player right now, though he’s older and has more games under his belt.

I think Jack Ahcan is a better prospect than the both of them, personally. He’s low-risk, high-energy and motivated each shift he’s on the ice. Elite skater with high-end vision and first-round talent across the board. He’s small, which of course will hurt him in the NHL, but he knows how to overcome his size.

 

[Don Cherry]

Current Prospect Rankings:

1) Jack Studnicka (90.9% of the votes)

Yeah, he's getting the popular vote but wait till we hear from some of those battlegrounds.

I picked Beecher simply because he hasn't proven to be a stiff yet like so many already have. He's got size and seems to be aggressive based on his PIMs.

 

[BruinDust]

I would of went Swayman here.

I only see two prospects on the Bruins that have star/core level potential on the Bruins, Studnicka and Swayman.

Sure he could end up another Zane McIntyre or Kevin Regan. But I have a good feeling about this kid. He's got size (6'2) and like many have pointed out, carried a bad-to-mediocre Maine Blackbears program for the past 3 years.

 

[Dicky113]

Current Prospect Rankings:

1) Jack Studnicka (90.9% of the votes)

I find this so depressing. It basically says we have one true NHL prospects and a bunch of hopes and dreams

 

[Gator Mike]

I find this so depressing. It basically says we have one true NHL prospects and a bunch of hopes and dreams

It says that Studnicka is widely viewed as the best prospect in the organization. I think you're reading too much into it.

 

[Dicky113]

It says that Studnicka is widely viewed as the best prospect in the organization. I think you're reading too much into it.

I realize that. But I also know what Studnicka projects as, and having him the unanimous best prospect in the organization is depressing