Prospect Info: Annual Devils Prospect Rankings #8

[HBK27]

Blandisi doesn't impress me. The list of 20 year old overagers who looked good dominating teens in Junior is long and unspectacular. Colorado already let him walk for nothing.

He's not a legitimate prospect until he can do something at the pro level. Maybe he's just a late bloomer, but no one can know that until we see more of him.

Went with Speers again.

I don't quite get all the Blandisi hype either - I get he had a great past season & we're starved for offense. However, he's also a former 6th round pick that less than a year ago 2 teams gave up on (Colorado declined to offer a contract & Buffalo cut him from training camp. Yes, Buffalo).

And somehow he's supposed to be better than Hrabarenka & Helgeson - two prospects that have already played in the NHL and are serious contenders for a spot on the team this year? Or Joshua Jacobs, who was our 2nd round pick only a year ago and seemingly had a solid first season at Michigan State?

I hope Blandisi's a late bloomer, but let's keep some perspective.

 

[MoonDragn]

Blandisi was listed as 5'11" and 182 lbs last year. He is currently listed as 6' 192. Maybe he's finally filled out his frame enough to be effective on the ice with his style of play. We won't know til we see how he does in the AHL.

 

[Devilsfan992]

Can we have a tiebreaker poll?

 

[JimEIV]

If it were up to me Jacobs, Wood and Speers would all be ahead of Blandisi...not really understanding this.

 

[MoonDragn]

I'm voting based on who is better now, not potential. I believe Blandisi is better than Speers now, but Speers will probably surpass Blandisi in the future if he progresses at the same rate.

Hard to compare forward to d-man and Miles Wood was in high school. Have to wait 1 year on all these guys to really evaluate them.