Best prospect not yet to play in the NHL.

[Jevo]

I don't think anyone cares about the WC when we're talking about who is the best NHL prospect.

WC>every other competition a prospect can play in that isn't NHL. Being one of the best players on the winning team is very impressive for a guy who is only 19 years old. Most of his peers still dream about the WJC at his age. I think a lot of people in Minnesota cares about how he did at the WC.

 

[Landeskog]

Markstroms overrated as hell on these boards, what has he done lately? I'm not saying Lehner's deserving of best goalie title outside of the NHL, but he should be aheard of Markstrom at this point, AHL playoff MVP.

D: Rundblad
F: Schenn

Schenn? interesting I'm sure he played for the kings last season.


Undrafted:
LW: Pontus Aberg or Filip Forsberg
C: Alex Galchenyuk or Nathan MacKinnon
RW: Nail Yaupov or Mikhail Grigorenko
D: Seth Jones or Jacob Trouba
D: Ryan Murray or Nick Ebert
G: Ben Conz or M.Mazanec

Drafted:

LW: Evgeny Kuznetsov
C: Ryan Johanson
RW: Vladimir Tarasenko
D: Adam Larsson
D: Erik Gudbranson
G: Jack Campbell

 

[Coco the Monkey*]

WC>every other competition a prospect can play in that isn't NHL. Being one of the best players on the winning team is very impressive for a guy who is only 19 years old. Most of his peers still dream about the WJC at his age. I think a lot of people in Minnesota cares about how he did at the WC.

Nobody outside of Europe cares about the World Championships, which is literally a loser tournament for the most part.

 

[Landeskog]

Markstroms overrated as hell on these boards, what has he done lately? I'm not saying Lehner's deserving of best goalie title outside of the NHL, but he should be aheard of Markstrom at this point, AHL playoff MVP.

D: Rundblad
F: Schenn

WC>every other competition a prospect can play in that isn't NHL. Being one of the best players on the winning team is very impressive for a guy who is only 19 years old. Most of his peers still dream about the WJC at his age. I think a lot of people in Minnesota cares about how he did at the WC.

I agree with Jevo

 

[Foxlockbox]

I don't think anyone cares about the WC when we're talking about who is the best NHL prospect.

Its not Olympics, but its good competition. Better than SEL or FEL.
Rundblad has had very impressive SEL season, in a very stacked Skellefteå. Granlund has had two impressive seasons, second just buggered because of a injury. I'd put them on the same line going into the NHL.

 

[Landeskog]

Nobody outside of Europe cares about the World Championships, which is literally a loser tournament for the most part.

Funny because I'm not in Europe and I care about the WC. I know others that do also. I know people that plan trips to the WC. So, maybe your just saying you don't care about the WC and then thinking everyone thinks like you. You, have to stop thinking like a North American hockey fan and start thinking with a global hockey mindset.

 

[Foxlockbox]

Nobody outside of Europe cares about the World Championships, which is literally a loser tournament for the most part.

• No Pos Name
• 20 GK NABOKOV Yevgeni
• 83 GK KOSHECHKIN Vasil
• 84 GK BARULIN Konstantin
• 5 D NIKULIN Ilya
• 7 D KALININ Dmitri
• 22 D KORNEYEV Konstantin
• 27 D ATYUSHOV Vitali
• 37 D GREBESHKOV Denis
• 43 D KULIKOV Dmitri
• 44 D BELOV Nikolai
• 51 D TYUTIN Fyodor
• 74 D YEMELIN Alexei
• 8 F OVECHKIN Alexander
• 21 F GOROVIKOV Konstantin
• 23 F TERESHENKO Alexei
• 25 F ZARIPOV Danis
• 41 F KULYOMIN Nikolai
• 42 F ZINOVIEV Sergei
• 47 F RADULOV Alexander +A
• 49 F ARTYUKHIN Yevgeni
• 55 F KAIGORODOV Alexei
• 61 F AFINOGENOV Maxim
• 71 F KOVALCHUK Ilya +A
• 91 F TARASENKO Vladimir
• 95 F MOROZOV Alexei +C

Bunch of losers, right?

 

[Jevo]

Nobody outside of Europe cares about the World Championships, which is literally a loser tournament for the most part.

Just because you don't like it, doesn't make the quality of the teams any worse, and Granlunds achievements any less impressive.

And real hockey people care about the tournament, those whose jobs revolves around hockey. Players have been drafted based on the WC alone.

 

[QMJHLfollower]

Undrafted:

F: Nail Yaupov
D: Ryan Murray

Drafted:

F: Sean Couturier
D: David Rundblad

 

[Coco the Monkey*]

Just because you don't like it, doesn't make the quality of the teams any worse, and Granlunds achievements any less impressive.

And real hockey people care about the tournament, those whose jobs revolves around hockey. Players have been drafted based on the WC alone.

That's a load of crock, because most players do not play in the WC in their draft year. Name me some big-name players who were drafted because of the WC.

It's not that I don't like the WC, it just is what it is: a loser tournament with inferior competition. The fact that Canada isn't dominating the tourney shows you what you need to know about it.

and yeah the teams are worse...most players decline going over to play in the tourney and a ton are still in the playoffs.

 

[Pajicz]

Source that hes 6'00? i don't believe he is like 5'10 or 5'11 max. He looks quite stocky tho 187 lb's is about right. Could be like 195 when he starts to play NHL.

OK, got it a bit wrong, just found a interview that I was looking for:
http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/mmjaakie...anlund-korjasi-virheellisia-tietoja-itsestaan

So it's 5'11 and 183 lbs after all, not too small anyway. Probably still gonna grow a bit, so maybe 6'0 and 195 lbs in NHL?

That's a load of crock, because most players do not play in the WC in their draft year. Name me some big-name players who were drafted because of the WC.

It's not that I don't like the WC, it just is what it is: a loser tournament with inferior competition. The fact that Canada isn't dominating the tourney shows you what you need to know about it.

and yeah the teams are worse...most players decline going over to play in the tourney and a ton are still in the playoffs.

So are the Olympics a loser tournament with inferior competition? Because I really haven't seen Canada dominating, despite of the gold in Vancouver (which was won in OT).

 

[thomast]

That's a load of crock, because most players do not play in the WC in their draft year. Name me some big-name players who were drafted because of the WC.

It's not that I don't like the WC, it just is what it is: a loser tournament with inferior competition. The fact that Canada isn't dominating the tourney shows you what you need to know about it.

and yeah the teams are worse...most players decline going over to play in the tourney and a ton are still in the playoffs.

Well it's alot tougher competition than WJC, or any other league outside of NHL except for olympics and world cup. You're actualy facing top NHL players and ex NHL vets. Top countries are filled with NHL players+ best players from KHL.

Goaltenders
34 James Reimer L 6'2 208 03/15/1988 Morweena, Man. Toronto (NHL)
40 Devan Dubnyk R 6'5 220 05/04/1986 Calgary, Alta. Edmonton (NHL)
45 Jonathan Bernier L 5'11 186 08/07/1988 Laval, Que. Los Angeles (NHL)
Defense
2 Luke Schenn R 6'2 229 11/02/1989 Saskatoon, Sask. Toronto (NHL)
3 Dion Phaneuf - A L 6'3 217 04/10/1985 Edmonton, Alta. Toronto (NHL)
7 Mario Scalzo L 5'10 190 11/11/1984 St-Hubert, Que. Mannheim Eagles (DEL)
8 Brent Burns R 6'4 200 03/09/1985 Ajax, Ont. Minnesota (NHL)
17 Marc-André Gragnani L 6'2 201 03/11/1987 Île-Bizard, Que. Buffalo (NHL)
27 Alex Pietrangelo R 6'3 211 01/18/1990 King City, Ont. St. Louis (NHL)
28 Carlo Colaiacovo R 6'1 205 01/23/1983 Toronto, Ont. St. Louis (NHL)
33 Marc Methot L 6'3 222 06/21/1985 Ottawa, Ont. Columbus (NHL)
Forwards
9 Evander Kane L 6'2 195 08/01/1991 Vancouver, B.C. Atlanta (NHL)
14 Jordan Eberle R 6'0 185 05/15/1990 Regina, Sask. Edmonton (NHL)
15 Travis Zajac - A R 6'2 205 05/13/1985 Winnipeg, Man. New Jersey (NHL)
16 Andrew Ladd - A L 6'2 200 12/12/1985 Maple Ridge, B.C. Atlanta (NHL)
18 James Neal L 6'3 205 09/03/1987 Whitby, Ont. Pittsburgh (NHL)
19 Jason Spezza - A R 6'2 206 06/13/1983 Toronto, Ont. Ottawa (NHL)
20 John Tavares L 6'0 195 09/20/1990 Oakville, Ont. NY Islanders (NHL)
22 Cal Clutterbuck R 5'11 213 11/18/1987 Welland, Ont. Minnesota (NHL)
25 Chris Stewart R 6'2 228 10/30/1987 Scarborough, Ont. St. Louis (NHL)
50 Antoine Vermette L 6'1 200 07/20/1982 Saint-Agapit, Que. Columbus (NHL)
53 Jeff Skinner L 5'11 193 05/16/1992 Markham, Ont. Carolina (NHL)
61 Rick Nash - C L 6'4 215 06/16/1984 Brampton, Ont. Columbus (NHL)
92 Matthew Duchene

this team would be one of the best teams in NHL if not the best and they didn't win it. Telling that it's crappy competition, with bad players is BS. It's not Olympics but it's pretty good competition with good players.

 

[Michael Gary Scott]

Darkhorse for Sondre Olden. Yeah, you guys will find out in a couple of years. Such a talent.

 

[Landeskog]

That's a load of crock, because most players do not play in the WC in their draft year. Name me some big-name players who were drafted because of the WC.

It's not that I don't like the WC, it just is what it is: a loser tournament with inferior competition. The fact that Canada isn't dominating the tourney shows you what you need to know about it.

and yeah the teams are worse...most players decline going over to play in the tourney and a ton are still in the playoffs.

that North American don't want to play in the tournament because they are "tried". I know some Europeans do they same but most of the ones that do pass it over are older European player unlike North Americans that are younger. Canada and other top countries use the WC as the step for the Olympics. Well, weaker teams use the WC as way to raise they're ranking in the world rankings. It's a good tournament. Most North American hockey fans toss it a side becuase of the NHL playoffs. Which, is actually kind of sad because they are missing out on some good hockey.

 

[Coco the Monkey*]

Darkhorse for Sondre Olden. Yeah, you guys will find out in a couple of years. Such a talent.

C'mon...

 

[Bakayoko Ono]

RNH?! Com'on, he hasn't even played on an adult level yet.

I don't really get the "he's playing against men" argument. I mean Canadian junior leagues seem to produre top-level NHL talent every single year while a professional men's league like the Finnish Elite League has some serious troubles producing NHL players. Sure, Granlund is playing against men in Finland, but the level of competition isn't that great. Ville Leino is pretty much the only FEL player who's been able to make it to the NHL in the last several years.

I think some people are really over-estimating the "playing against men" factor when comparing North American and European prospects.

 

[Michael Gary Scott]

C'mon...

One day you'll know. Watch him play. Hes something special. Just his size that is causing him problems right now. Talent level is unheard of. Just a total beansprout.

 

[voxel]

I don't think anyone cares about the WC when we're talking about who is the best NHL prospect.

A scrub named Jonathan Toews had his "pro debut" at the WC in 2007. He looked excellent and somehow became just an "okay" player in the NHL

 

[Coco the Monkey*]

One day you'll know. Watch him play. Hes something special. Just his size that is causing him problems right now. Talent level is unheard of. Just a total beansprout.

Talent level unheard of? settle down...if it was unheard of, I'm sure we'd have heard of it by now.

Ahh, you're a Leaf fan.

This is getting ridiculous, people just saying prospect x is the best because they're on their favourite team

 

[Coco the Monkey*]

A scrub named Jonathan Toews had his "pro debut" at the WC in 2007. He looked excellent and somehow became just an "okay" player in the NHL

This is irrelevant, as I could care less what he did in the WC. He was a top prospect for a reason. So is Granlund, so I could care less what he did in the WC either. They are stars for a reason.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Granlund, in my opinion.

 

[tikkanen5rings*]

I don't really get the "he's playing against men" argument. I mean Canadian junior leagues seem to produre top-level NHL talent every single year while a professional men's league like the Finnish Elite League has some serious troubles producing NHL players. Sure, Granlund is playing against men in Finland, but the level of competition isn't that great. Ville Leino is pretty much the only FEL player who's been able to make it to the NHL in the last several years.

I think some people are really over-estimating the "playing against men" factor when comparing North American and European prospects.

Agreed! On top of that Ville Leino absolutely demolished the SM-Liiga.
I do believe Granlund has a bright future ahead but SM-Liiga these days is nothing more than a professional grinders league. The skill level is ****.

 

[Pajicz]

A scrub named Jonathan Toews had his "pro debut" at the WC in 2007. He looked excellent and somehow became just an "okay" player in the NHL

Damn, didn't remember Toews playing in the WC... I've always thought that all the college players in there have played for Team USA (and usually played poorly, like the whole team).

It would be nice if someone would have a list of prospects playing in the WC while playing in CHL or college...

 

[Latex*]

I don't really get the "he's playing against men" argument. I mean Canadian junior leagues seem to produre top-level NHL talent every single year while a professional men's league like the Finnish Elite League has some serious troubles producing NHL players. Sure, Granlund is playing against men in Finland, but the level of competition isn't that great. Ville Leino is pretty much the only FEL player who's been able to make it to the NHL in the last several years.

I think some people are really over-estimating the "playing against men" factor when comparing North American and European prospects.

The lack of top end prospects from FIN is not a result of SM-Liiga being bad. It's a result of bad junior system that doesn't produce NHLers but produces good players to SM-Liiga that may not seem great but keep the level o competition much better than in leagues that are filled with rich teams.

It's not black and white.

 

[Darrelle Lundqvist]

Between Granlund, Tarasenko, and Kuznetsov.