Prospect Info: Annual Devils Prospect Rankings #4

[JimEIV]

Boucher time.

 

[Marshal Rochambeau]

Voted for Boucher, add Kerfoot.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Blackwood easily for me here, people are really selling him short, he's a fantastic prospect.

That makes two of us.

 

[NJD Kula]

I think Blackwood should be in the discussion in terms of pure upside and prospect outlook, but hes not gonna win so ill just vote Bouch

Thinking the same exact thing

 

[RSeen]

Voted Blandisi, I think people around here will be shocked when he makes the team next year.

Can't take an overaged season too seriously. Need to see him as a pro.

 

[EnglishDevil]

That makes two of us.

Honestly i'm surprised he slipped as far as #4. All of the other prospects on this list have serious flaws to their games that must be addressed.

Boucher has upside but his skating and many other areas of his game need considerable work to be NHL calibre.

Matteau just doesn't really have that much upside, he'll most likely be an NHL player, but he's not going to be a lights out scorer or anything along those lines.

Blackwood is by far the most complete prospect left on this list, he plays a very well rounded game already, he's got huge potential and was probably the best available goalie in the draft.

People are just down on him because he doesn't play a position of immediate need and because he slipped out of the first round due to not many teams needing goaltenders as urgently as they needed forwards/defenders. Not to mention the draft was unusually deep into the end of the 1st/early 2nd if you wanted to pick up forwards/defencemen, which also contributed to teams passing over him.

Blackwood is 100% a first round talent, he was absolutely BPA where we got him and i'm astonished he dropped to where he did, we made out like bandits with this pick.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Honestly i'm surprised he slipped as far as #4. All of the other prospects on this list have serious flaws to their games that must be addressed.

Boucher has upside but his skating and many other areas of his game need considerable work to be NHL calibre.

Matteau just doesn't really have that much upside, he'll most likely be an NHL player, but he's not going to be a lights out scorer or anything along those lines.

Blackwood is by far the most complete prospect left on this list, he plays a very well rounded game already, he's got huge potential and was probably the best available goalie in the draft.

People are just down on him because he doesn't play a position of immediate need and because he slipped out of the first round due to not many teams needing goaltenders as urgently as they needed forwards/defenders. Not to mention the draft was unusually deep into the end of the 1st/early 2nd if you wanted to pick up forwards/defencemen, which also contributed to teams passing over him.

Blackwood is 100% a first round talent, he was absolutely BPA where we got him and i'm astonished he dropped to where he did, we made out like bandits with this pick.

I'll agree in that Blackwood looks like he has massive upside, and his potential should've made him a first rounder. I just think, and I'd wager this is what others think too, that goalies are still relatively unpredictable. Even "top" goalie prospects can fall flat on their face in the NHL (same can be said about every position, but it just seems more common for goalies). If our votes are meant to be entirely optimistic and assume each prospect will reach their potential, then sure, Blackwood should be #3. But that's so difficult to project.

 

[nugg]

Boosh, add Mozik

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

I'll agree in that Blackwood looks like he has massive upside, and his potential should've made him a first rounder. I just think, and I'd wager this is what others think too, that goalies are still relatively unpredictable. Even "top" goalie prospects can fall flat on their face in the NHL (same can be said about every position, but it just seems more common for goalies). If our votes are meant to be entirely optimistic and assume each prospect will reach their potential, then sure, Blackwood should be #3. But that's so difficult to project.

I definitely understand that perspective--and these things are always hard to vote because there is no set criteria for determining how players of different ages and positions competing in various leagues can be fairly and objectively compared--but to me MacKenzie has done enough to currently distinguish himself as a high-end goalie prospect that I personally have to slot him as a top-five prospect for the Devils, at least as of now. I just feel like outsiders, for instance, would regard MacKenzie as a much more impressive goalie prospect than someone like Stefan (the other guy I was considering for this spot) as a forward prospect.

 

[Cheddabombs]

I definitely understand that perspective--and these things are always hard to vote because there is no set criteria for determining how players of different ages and positions competing in various leagues can be fairly and objectively compared--but to me MacKenzie has done enough to currently distinguish himself as a high-end goalie prospect that I personally have to slot him as a top-five prospect for the Devils, at least as of now. I just feel like outsiders, for instance, would regard MacKenzie as a much more impressive goalie prospect than someone like Stefan (the other guy I was considering for this spot) as a forward prospect.

He did have a decent year with the Colts, although they did finish 2nd in their conference (right? I think they did). I just don't know if he's done enough in juniors, or have a high enough pedigree, to warrant being chosen over Matteau or Boosh who have already done decently at the Pro level.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I'll agree in that Blackwood looks like he has massive upside, and his potential should've made him a first rounder. I just think, and I'd wager this is what others think too, that goalies are still relatively unpredictable. Even "top" goalie prospects can fall flat on their face in the NHL (same can be said about every position, but it just seems more common for goalies). If our votes are meant to be entirely optimistic and assume each prospect will reach their potential, then sure, Blackwood should be #3. But that's so difficult to project.

Why I put JQ over him and Boosh now. He has a ton of potential so for me he shouldn't slip much futther down the list but you are right that goalies are so crazy unpredictable.

Hard to put him above to many guys that are closer and look like definite NHL players when goalies have such a bust rate (even if their potential is extremely high)

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

He did have a decent year with the Colts, although they did finish 2nd in their conference (right? I think they did). I just don't know if he's done enough in juniors, or have a high enough pedigree, to warrant being chosen over Matteau or Boosh who have already done decently at the Pro level.

It's hard to compare prospects like Matteau and Boucher, who have pro experience, with someone like Blackwood, who has none, especially since the former play different positions than the latter, so it's like comparing parsnip to watermelon. I guess I'm impressed enough by Blackwood's pedigree to rank him above Matteau and Boucher (especially Boucher, since I'm getting worried about Boucher not making it at the NHL level--next year is make or break for him, I think) while you aren't. I can see either side; just explaining mine a little bit

 

[Cheddabombs]

It's hard to compare prospects like Matteau and Boucher, who have pro experience, with someone like Blackwood, who has none, especially since the former play different positions than the latter, so it's like comparing parsnip to watermelon. I guess I'm impressed enough by Blackwood's pedigree to rank him above Matteau and Boucher (especially Boucher, since I'm getting worried about Boucher not making it at the NHL level--next year is make or break for him, I think) while you aren't. I can see either side; just explaining mine a little bit

Oh I'm the same way with Boosh, that's why I voted Matteau

But yea, in terms of where we are right now I just think Matteau is a step above Blackwood. That said, he's primed to be Canada's #1 at the WJC and could have a great year with the Colts, so that could change!

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Oh I'm the same way with Boosh, that's why I voted Matteau

But yea, in terms of where we are right now I just think Matteau is a step above Blackwood. That said, he's primed to be Canada's #1 at the WJC and could have a great year with the Colts, so that could change!

Matteau was the other player I was considering with my vote, because I really liked what I saw from him in his few NHL games this year. Next year, I think that he'll be able to contribute to the Devils as a third-liner, so I'm pretty confident that he's a prospect who will pan out for the Devils.

With Blackwood, my expectations of him next season are high. I expect him to have another great year with the Colts and to do a good job as Canada's number one at the WJC, so if he struggles with those things, he'll probably be downgraded in my personal assessment of where Devils prospects rank. And if Matteau is a regular player in the NHL next year, as I expect him to be, he'll probably graduate entirely from being a prospect, which is always a good thing when it means an NHL career.

 

[JimEIV]

Blackwood was not a first round talent. He wasn't the best goalie in the draft and no rankings had him higher than #35.

RANKINGS

Ranked #39 by Hockeyprospect.com
Ranked #59 by Future Considerations
Ranked #1 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Goalies)
Ranked #35 by TSN/McKenzie

Compare that to Ilya Samsonov who clearly was a first round talent.

Ranked #21 by Hockeyprospect.com
Ranked #40 by Future Considerations
Ranked #17 by McKeen's Hockey
Ranked #1 by NHL Central Scouting (EU Goalies)
Ranked #19 by TSN/McKenzie

 

[Zippy316]

Blackwood was not a first round talent. He wasn't the best goalie in the draft and no rankings had him higher than #35.

RANKINGS

Ranked #39 by Hockeyprospect.com
Ranked #59 by Future Considerations
Ranked #1 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Goalies)
Ranked #35 by TSN/McKenzie

Compare that to Ilya Samsonov who clearly was a first round talent.

Ranked #21 by Hockeyprospect.com
Ranked #40 by Future Considerations
Ranked #17 by McKeen's Hockey
Ranked #1 by NHL Central Scouting (EU Goalies)
Ranked #19 by TSN/McKenzie

He would've arguably been a first round talent in any other draft. I think that's the argument they're making.

 

[None Shall Pass]

I went Boucher.

I see the arguments for Blackwood or Matteau, and they're just as good of arguments. I just went Boucher because his ceiling is way higher than Matteau's and he's more of a proven commodity than Blackwood at this point.

Realistically all good picks for #4.

 

[JimEIV]

He would've arguably been a first round talent in any other draft. I think that's the argument they're making.

Doubtful...1st round goalies have been a relative rarity recently.

2014 no goalies in the 1st round
2013 no goalies in the 1st round
2012 2 goalies in the 1st round
2011 no goalies in the 1st round
2010 2 goalies in the 1st round
2009 no goalies in the 1st round
2008 2 goalies in the 1st round (neither have NHL careers)
2007 no goalies in the 1st round
2006 4 goalies in the 1st round
2005 2 goalies in the 1st round ( Rask and Price)

 

[Devilsfan992]

Last I checked this poll, Matteau looked to be pulling some ground. Now Bouch came out of nowhere and took a commanding lead.

Matteau most likely goes #5, and then it'll be interesting at 6.