Prospect Info: //#9// HFStars 2014 Top-20

[TrillMike]

Faksa here. Then Desrosiers for me.

 

[john skull]

Lord Bystrom for me.

 

[OttMorrow]

I wish we had more data points to make this clearer, but so from the polling percentages we have Ritchie as a clear cut #1 and Campbell a clear cut #2. After that we have a third tier of Dickinson, Oleksiak, and Klingberg...all pretty close. Shore a clear cut #5 with as many votes as Honka and Nemeth combined for that spot. Then Honka and Nemeth grouped together. Maybe too earlier to tell, but another tier of Faksa, Desrosiers, and Bystrom after that. To be honest, I'm suprised that some of these polls haven't been even closer...The gap in potential isn't really quantifiable between Ritchie and someone that isn't even a contender on the list yet like Pollock. I think it's very possible that our best player long-term could fall in the mid-teens of our current poll. This shows just how deep we really are right now in terms of the number potential impactful prospects that we have. It also shows that we don't have a true stud prospect either with the graduation of Nichuskin, but that's to be expected when drafting in the teens year after year. I think at least half of the players listed below will stick in an some kind of impactful role(3rd line or better, 2nd pair D or better, or NHL starter goalie on some team). Even if only 5 or 6 of the guys below achieve that, and none of the 12-25 ranked guys amount to anything(which is unlikely), we're in really good shape either from an internal succession position or a tradeable assets position.

1.Ritchie

2.Campbell

3.Dickinson
4.Oleksiak
5.Klingberg

6.Shore

7.Honka
8.Nemeth

9-11:
Faksa
Desrosiers
Bystrom

 

[Satan]

I would be shocked if he didn't at least carve out a nice little career as a defensively reliable bottom 6 center.

All around game he possesses sure. But other than his small sample size of games with a good Texas team, I never saw him as being extremely defensively reliable.

The games he played in Kingston that I got to see weren't very impressive to say the least.

 

[Morry83]

All around game he possesses sure. But other than his small sample size of games with a good Texas team, I never saw him as being extremely defensively reliable.

The games he played in Kingston that I got to see weren't very impressive to say the least.

Kitchener

 

[Satan]

I live in Kingston.

I've seen him play in Kingston.



Nice try though?

 

[glovesave_35]

All around game he possesses sure. But other than his small sample size of games with a good Texas team, I never saw him as being extremely defensively reliable.

The games he played in Kingston that I got to see weren't very impressive to say the least.

I tend to put more stock into the 27 total AHL games, 21 of which were playoff games, than a few off nights on one stop in the OHL tour.

It's pretty unfair to call his AHL sample size thus far small and then compare that to seeing him maybe a handful of times against one team, which happens to be one of the better teams in the league.

 

[Satan]

I tend to put more stock into the 27 total AHL games, 21 of which were playoff games, than a few off nights on one stop in the OHL tour.

It's pretty unfair to call his AHL sample size thus far small and then compare that to seeing him maybe a handful of times against one team, which happens to be one of the better teams in the league.

In Kingston, watching the World Juniors and on the web the year after he was drafted.

His play was always poor when I watched him. Really gave me no reason to be excited.

Prove me wrong this year in Cedar Park, Radek.

 

[OttMorrow]

In Kingston, watching the World Juniors and on the web the year after he was drafted.

His play was always poor when I watched him. Really gave me no reason to be excited.

Prove me wrong this year in Cedar Park, Radek.

I think you have to give more credit to where he is in his play now vs. looking backward, because none of his junior career means anything if he continues to the well-rounded, consistent, defensively sound game that we saw from him throughout the AHL playoffs against men. Is he a player that wows you with jaw dropping skill? No, but neither is Vern Fiddler, neither was Jere Lehtinen, neither was Guy Carbonneau when he played here. Obviously, he is not on the level of any of those players yet, but he's of that mold which may not be as "sexy" to watch or track stats on, but nonetheless they get it done night after night and make the players around them better. To me Faksa has less to prove than Desrosiers and has much less of a bust risk. Still a very close one to call, but Faksa is pretty close to a blue-chip 3rd line center, glue guy type...and Desrosiers is just as likely if not more likely to be the next Bacashuia (sp?), Beskorwany, or Bachman for us as he is to make any kind of impact. I'm a little jaded when it comes to tenders. With goalies it's either you're a starter for us or you're a pretty much bust in my eyes. Good tandems are pretty rare. Ocassionally, you get someone like Mike Smith who doesn't start for you, but yield a decent return in a trade, but that is very rare. Until he passes Campbell on the depth chart....who I'm still not sold on haha, I'm not anywhere near convinced.

 

[glovesave_35]

In Kingston, watching the World Juniors and on the web the year after he was drafted.

His play was always poor when I watched him. Really gave me no reason to be excited.

Prove me wrong this year in Cedar Park, Radek.

Just seems like one of those things for me that I'll go with whiteboard Willie on this one. Faksa gained his trust within just a couple weeks and was tasked pretty hard with playing defense in the AHL playoffs, which according to his coaches, he succeeded at.

 

[glovesave_35]

...and Desrosiers is just as likely if not more likely to be the next Bacashuia (sp?), Beskorwany, or Bachman for us as he is to make any kind of impact. I'm a little jaded when it comes to tenders. With goalies it's either you're a starter for us or you're a pretty much bust in my eyes. Good tandems are pretty rare. Ocassionally, you get someone like Mike Smith who doesn't start for you, but yield a decent return in a trade, but that is very rare. Until he passes Campbell on the depth chart....who I'm still not sold on haha, I'm not anywhere near convinced.

Mike Smith and Dan Ellis were both solid backup/tandem/starter guys. The Stars have always had a pretty good track record of developing goalies. I'm not saying he's going to live up to his potential, but his potential right now based on his post-draft season is that of a starting goalie, which is more valuable than the realistic potential of Faksa right now.

I don't see any reason to be more down on Desrosiers than Faksa.

 

[Satan]

I think you have to give more credit to where he is in his play now vs. looking backward, because none of his junior career means anything if he continues to the well-rounded, consistent, defensively sound game that we saw from him throughout the AHL playoffs against men. Is he a player that wows you with jaw dropping skill? No, but neither is Vern Fiddler, neither was Jere Lehtinen, neither was Guy Carbonneau when he played here. Obviously, he is not on the level of any of those players yet, but he's of that mold which may not be as "sexy" to watch or track stats on, but nonetheless they get it done night after night and make the players around them better. To me Faksa has less to prove than Desrosiers and has much less of a bust risk. Still a very close one to call, but Faksa is pretty close to a blue-chip 3rd line center, glue guy type...and Desrosiers is just as likely if not more likely to be the next Bacashuia (sp?), Beskorwany, or Bachman for us as he is to make any kind of impact. I'm a little jaded when it comes to tenders. With goalies it's either you're a starter for us or you're a pretty much bust in my eyes. Good tandems are pretty rare. Ocassionally, you get someone like Mike Smith who doesn't start for you, but yield a decent return in a trade, but that is very rare. Until he passes Campbell on the depth chart....who I'm still not sold on haha, I'm not anywhere near convinced.

I'm not going anywhere near this wall of text.

 

[Satan]

Just seems like one of those things for me that I'll go with whiteboard Willie on this one. Faksa gained his trust within just a couple weeks and was tasked pretty hard with playing defense in the AHL playoffs, which according to his coaches, he succeeded at.

Yeah and I'll give him that. What he was able to accomplish in Texas was impressive. But he hasn't had that one year post-draft where I've been impressed with him. Maybe it's next season, who knows.

I just think that what Ully has been able to do in Kamloops has been much more impressive. Than anything Faksa has done thus far and his potential is rising and rising, thus garnering my vote at #9.

 

[glovesave_35]

Yeah and I'll give him that. What he was able to accomplish in Texas was impressive. But he hasn't had that one year post-draft where I've been impressed with him. Maybe it's next season, who knows.

I just think that what Ully has been able to do in Kamloops has been much more impressive. Than anything Faksa has done thus far and his potential is rising and rising, thus garnering my vote at #9.

Can't argue with that. I voted Desrosiers here anyways with Bystrom next. I just do like Faksa's potential floor quite a bit.

 

[piqued]

Yeah and I'll give him that. What he was able to accomplish in Texas was impressive. But he hasn't had that one year post-draft where I've been impressed with him. Maybe it's next season, who knows.

One thing Nill has said that I've actually agreed with is that the full Calder Cup run is essentially equivalent to an entire regular season in the AHL in terms of development value and potential evaluation.

I just think that what Ully has been able to do in Kamloops has been much more impressive. Than anything Faksa has done thus far and his potential is rising and rising, thus garnering my vote at #9.

I'm a big Ully fan and I have him high in my rankings as well, but I don't understand why he's seemingly being valued higher than someone like Stransky who outproduced him in the WHL and was also the focal point/top scorer on his team. Saskatoon was a better club, certainly, although again like with Dickinson I don't agree with punishing a player for being a major part of a good team. Stransky has successfully transitioned to pro hockey and is closer to making an impact which puts him ahead in my book.

The decision between Faksa/Stransky gave me pause, but as I mentioned earlier when we we were talking about how to weight the different aspects I value ceiling more strongly than a safe floor.

 

[Rune Forumwalker]

I don't see any reason to be more down on Desrosiers than Faksa.

The only reason I can see for going with Faksa is proximity to the NHL, and the fact that goalies take longer to develop than forwards.