Prospect Info: Annual HFDevils Prospect Rankings #13

[Zippy316]

Remember, please vote on who to add as well. Now is when it gets important

[table="head;width=3000]Rank|Player|POS|Draft Position|2015-16 Team(s)|Vote %|2015 Result
1|Pavel Zacha|C/RW|2015 #6|Sarnia Sting (OHL)| 48/50| Pavel Zacha
2|Mike McLeod|C|2016 #12|Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)| 46/78| Steve Santini
3|Steve Santini|D|2013 #42|Boston College Eagles (NCAA)|55/77| John Quenneville
4|John Quenneville|C|2014 #30|Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)|55/79| Reid Boucher
5|Mackenzie Blackwood|G|2015 # 41|Barrie Colts (OHL)|48/85| Stefan Matteau
6|Joseph Blandisi|C/LW|2012 #162/UFA|Albany Devils (AHL)/New Jersey Devils (NHL)|42/68|Mackenzie Blackwood
7|Miles Wood|LW|2013 #100|Boston College Eagles (NCAA)|35/74|Blake Coleman
8|Josh Jacobs|D|2014 #41|Sarnia Sting (OHL)|26/86|Josh Jacobs
9|Blake Speers|C/RW|2015 #74|Sault St. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)|37/71|Blake Speers
10|Nathan Bastian|C/RW|2016 #42|Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)|44/58|Joseph Blandisi
11|Nick Lappin|RW|UFA|Brown Bears (NCAA)/Albany Devils (AHL)|14/63|Raman Hrabarenka
12|Mikhail Maltsev|C|2016 #102|Team Russia U18 (MHL)|14/64|Miles Wood[/table]

List of eligible prospects for the poll:

[table="head;width=150]Prospect
Alex Kerfoot
Evan Cormier
Ben Thomson
Jeremy Davies
Reece Scarlett
Brandon Baddock
Ben Thomson
Ken Appleby
J.D. Dudek
Artur Gavrus
Ben Johnson
Brett Seney
[/table]

Not getting many votes to add to the polls, but Jesper Bratt was voted in.

Click to read more...

 

[Kurt Cobain]

Really curious as to where well be ranked organizationally now. i have been coming to this site for 15 years and i dont think we have ever been higher than 20. I think we have drafted well enough the last two years to be ranked higher than that.

 

[RememberTheName]

Gignac
Add Cormier

 

[NJDevils17]

Voted Rykov. I think he was our best late round pick even as an overager. He's all around solid and was one of SKA's best dmen when he was in the KHL. Might be nothing but his game internationally is very good as well.

Colton White as a close second. Almost went with him because he's a little closer but I think Rykov has a higher ceiling. Especially offensively.

Here's a good post on him if you haven't read it: http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2016/6/10/11905692/draft-profile-yegor-rykov

 

[NJDevils17]

Add Appleby and Seney.

 

[JimEIV]

I went Coleman. Add nothing we already have enough names to round out a solid top 20. Not really concerned beyond that.

 

[Classic Devil]

Anderson, add Cormier.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Giggy add Kerfoot

 

[devilsblood]

Went Wedge, pretty decent chance that he is on the big club next year, that has to carry a lot of sway.

Add Cormier.

 

[devilsblood]

I went Coleman. Add nothing we already have enough names to round out a solid top 20. Not really concerned beyond that.

Your boy Johnson is still on the outside looking in. As is our most recent 4th rnd pick.

I think we can go a solid 25.

 

[JimEIV]

Your boy Johnson is still on the outside looking in. As is our most recent 4th rnd pick.

I think we can go a solid 25.

Johnson doesn't belong on this list. While I think he has some interesting attributes, namely his speed, he still is a long, long long shot. It is also interesting that he wasn't in prospect camp. I don't think his legal issues are over either although I'm not sure where that stands.

Edit: It looks like his trial is going on right now. I believe that this is his 3rd trial.

http://abc10up.com/up-native-hockey-star-nhler-on-second-trial-for-sexual-assault/

 

[NJDevils17]

I can't believe how much better our prospects are then 1-2 years ago. Our under-25 group is unbelievably improved overall.

Matteau at #5 and Coleman in the top 10 is crazy, same with Hrabarenka over Wood. Funny how just a year can change things.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I can't believe how much better our prospects are then 1-2 years ago. Our under-25 group is unbelievably improved overall.

Matteau at #5 and Coleman in the top 10 is crazy, same with Hrabarenka over Wood. Funny how just a year can change things.

Part of the reason is due to volume of picks. Partial sells on older players over the past 3 years has given us the ability to draft in bulk for the first time in a long while.

Being free of rental deadline deals also helped as we weren't shipping picks out for scraps.

All natural parts of a rebuild, but we do seem to be doing it correctly. We are bringing in and drafting most of our picks, but we are also finding shrewd ways to add to the current NHL roster without getting locked into bad contracts or sending out a lot of assets.

Also some of our older picks stepping up into solid prospects is helping too.

JQ is an old regime pick but is looking like a really solid pick as well. Santini and Jacobs being other examples.

 

[Beastdog75]

Voted for Mozik again, add Appleby

 

[Guttersnipe]

Gignac, add Appleby

 

[Guttersnipe]

Part of the reason is due to volume of picks. Partial sells on older players over the past 3 years has given us the ability to draft in bulk for the first time in a long while.

Being free of rental deadline deals also helped as we weren't shipping picks out for scraps.

Yup, it's tougher to draft well if you have five total picks with no first rounder.

 

[Billdo]

Johnson doesn't belong on this list. While I think he has some interesting attributes, namely his speed, he still is a long, long long shot. It is also interesting that he wasn't in prospect camp. I don't think his legal issues are over either although I'm not sure where that stands.

Edit: It looks like his trial is going on right now. I believe that this is his 3rd trial.

http://abc10up.com/up-native-hockey-star-nhler-on-second-trial-for-sexual-assault/

Jesus two separate cases? Dude either has the worst luck in the world is legit has a problem.

 

[Bleedred]

I can't believe how much better our prospects are then 1-2 years ago. Our under-25 group is unbelievably improved overall.

Matteau at #5 and Coleman in the top 10 is crazy, same with Hrabarenka over Wood. Funny how just a year can change things.

I said the same thing the other day.

It's refreshing that guys like Graham Black, Ryan Kujawinski and a couple others are no longer seen as legit prospects anymore, now that we've added a lot more prospects and a bunch that seem to be legit.

I used to think the days of those guys being legit prospects meant we were in some dark times. It's nothing against those guys, just speaks to how barren some of talent was around the pipeline. At the forward position particularly and more than anything. Up until the JQ draft year in 2014, it seemed like Boucher and Matteau were our only pretty good forward prospects. And Matteau never seemed all that great, I think the fact that he was a former first round pick really made me give him the benefit of the doubt more.

 

[EnglishDevil]

Gignac add Seney

 

[Billdo]

I said the same thing the other day.

It's refreshing that guys like Graham Black, Ryan Kujawinski and a couple others are no longer seen as legit prospects anymore, now that we've added a lot more prospects and a bunch that seem to be legit.

I used to think the days of those guys being legit prospects meant we were in some dark times. It's nothing against those guys, just speaks to how barren some of talent was around the pipeline. At the forward position particularly and more than anything. Up until the JQ draft year in 2014, it seemed like Boucher and Matteau were our only pretty good forward prospects. And Matteau never seemed all that great, I think the fact that he was a former first round pick really made me give him the benefit of the doubt more.

That had to be the only reason for Matteau because he NEVER did anything to make anyone think he was going even be a NHLer let alone anything special.

 

[HBK27]

Coleman add Appleby

 

[JimEIV]

I said the same thing the other day.

It's refreshing that guys like Graham Black, Ryan Kujawinski and a couple others are no longer seen as legit prospects anymore, now that we've added a lot more prospects and a bunch that seem to be legit.

I used to think the days of those guys being legit prospects meant we were in some dark times. It's nothing against those guys, just speaks to how barren some of talent was around the pipeline. At the forward position particularly and more than anything. Up until the JQ draft year in 2014, it seemed like Boucher and Matteau were our only pretty good forward prospects. And Matteau never seemed all that great, I think the fact that he was a former first round pick really made me give him the benefit of the doubt more.

There is always "Shinny new toy syndrome" We tend to overrate prospects until we can no longer and the higher the pick the more we overrate...Just my opinion, but McLeod doesn't belong in the top 3 or 4 of this list, let alone 2nd...But Oh so Shinny...On the other end, Lappin probably doesn't belong on this list either but the luster is still there.

I'm sure will look at this in 5 or 6 years and say "I can't believe we considered that guy a top 10 prospects"

Look at the list, it almost exactly follows newest and highest pick...I suppose that should be better prospects, but it looks more like "Shinny new toy syndrome" to me.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

I go tired of picking Mozik and losing. I went Wedge this time.

 

[OmNomNom]

voted wedge.

surprised white isn't getting more votes, that kid is def gonna be a pro player

 

[Bleedred]

Rykov sounds like the Russian Michael Ryder!