Brock's Top 50 Prospects

[Legionnaire]

I like the list. It seems NHL readyness played a big part; which is somthing that is important to me when looking at a top prospect list.

 

[Old Hickory]

Good job on the list Brock

 

[markov`]

Andrei Kostitsyn not on the list... you must have forgot him.

 

[Histrion]

Andrei Kostitsyn not on the list... you must have forgot him.

No he did not. Kostitsyn's a total wildcard anyway.

 

[markov`]

No he did not. Kostitsyn's a total wildcard anyway.

Just like Thomas Vanek, and so many prospects.

 

[Vagrant]

Andrew Ladd didn't even make the "Just Missed" List! Brock, please tell me that was simply an oversight on your part. If not, he has to be the most underrated 4th overall selection in history. Not that he's going to rock the world or anything, but he has pretty acheivable upside considering what type of player he is predicted to round out to.

 

[Herby]

Just like Thomas Vanek, and so many prospects.

Vanek has also made a smooth transition to professional hockey, he is on pace for a 40 goal season in the AHL, same with Dustin Brown who is a pt per game player in the AHL.

These 2003 guys have stepped up and handled the transition to professional hockey, don't think Kastitsyn has.

 

[X-SHARKIE]

Fresh off of an ACL surgery Michalek went pointless in his first two games in the AHL with limited ice time.

Then he boomed and took control with 2 goals 2 assist and 4 pim's, in the last 3 1/2 games before being injured again which led a manitoba moose anouncer to say he could not believe this was a 19 year old kid durring a game.

 

[Newfie Bruin]

Finally someone gives Toivonen credit!!!!!

 

[mcarrick16]

if Picard didn't make no way in hell Ladd would have make it...

not a good year for Ladd this season

 

[Chaos]

19. Mikko Koivu

Dont really understand this. He's arguably not even a top 5 Finnish prospect right now, much less a top 20 prospect leaguewide.

 

[CH Wizard]

COMMON!!!

Kostitsyn isn't in your top 50 list.That's laughable.He's a boom or bust type of prospect with the kind of upside he has , He deserves to be in the top 20 at least.

If you forgot then it's another story.

 

[DownFromNJ]

Kostitsyn isn't that good. He's got 9 points in 30 games. Downright pathetic.

 

[mazmin]

COMMON!!!

Kostitsyn isn't in your top 50 list.That's laughable.He's a boom or bust type of prospect with the kind of upside he has , He deserves to be in the top 20 at least.

It is quite the 'COMMON' occurence that a highly touted prospect doesn't make a list here or there. Quite frankly I enjoy it when my favorite prospects get no respect, cuz when they succeed I get to gloat and brag and say "told you so!." So chill out and have fun with it. Underdogs are more fun to cheer for anyway.

I don't like Ladd as a #4 pick but I agree with the aformentioned statement that he belongs somewhere on Brock's list.

 

[CH Wizard]

Kostitsyn isn't that good. He's got 9 points in 30 games. Downright pathetic.

BOOOOO !!!

Kostitsyn is 19 ! Common ! Give him a break.I don't want to restart talking about him.I've said 100 times why Kostitsyn isn't producing.

The good news is that He's adapting.Many persons didn't expect a big season from Kost this year.It's his rookie season in a much more physical league.

Next year , you'd be able to make such statements but now it's too early.

 

[Brock]

COMMON!!!

Kostitsyn isn't in your top 50 list.That's laughable.He's a boom or bust type of prospect with the kind of upside he has , He deserves to be in the top 20 at least.

If you forgot then it's another story.

As Legionaire noticed earlier, my list is severely biased towards players who are more ready for the NHL, and who have shown what they can do. There are lots of guys out there like Kostitsyn who have great offensive potential. And who are the same age or younger. But potential doesn't get you on lists alone. I'm a big fan of results, rather then pure potential, and quite frankly I'm not impressed with Andrei's results. So what he's 19? Dustin Brown is from the same draft class and is ripping up the AHL. Brent Burns is playing great too. Hell even Ivan Khoumitov's production as a 19 year old is close to Kostitsyn's in the AHL, and he's not a top prospect.

He's a great prospect, and once he progresses as a player and begins putting up results, he will rise up the charts. Even mine.

That's just the way I think.

 

[CH Wizard]

As Legionaire noticed earlier, my list is severely biased towards players who are more ready for the NHL, and who have shown what they can do. There are lots of guys out there like Kostitsyn who have great offensive potential. And who are the same age or younger. But potential doesn't get you on lists alone. I'm a big fan of results, rather then pure potential, and quite frankly I'm not impressed with Andrei's results. So what he's 19? Dustin Brown is from the same draft class and is ripping up the AHL. Brent Burns is playing great too. Hell even Ivan Khoumitov's production as a 19 year old is close to Kostitsyn's in the AHL, and he's not a top prospect.

He's a great prospect, and once he progresses as a player and begins putting up results, he will rise up the charts. Even mine.

That's just the way I think.

I agree , but don't forget that Brown is playing in one of the best team in the AHL.Kostitsyn barely received 10 minutes of icetime in his first 30 games,Don't forget that even Ward and Pleks have difficulties to score with Hamilton.

I didn't know your list was based on NHL readiness.It's way too early to say that He isn't good and that He'll be a bust.

In what league did He play last year ? Cska 2 ? Cska ?

He never had to play defensive or to play physical before.The guy is learning to play defence and how to play a decent physical game this year.It's very hard for him.He don't know how to talk english.He can't speak to his teammates.We're expecting too much from him.Do you want a player who can't speak english to support all the team on his shoulders ? Not me.

Dustin Brown was already known to be a PF who can play physical.So , that's why He's so comfortable and playing with confidence.

Some europeans need more then a year to produce in the AHL.He's finally getting a lot of icetime but his linemeate Ward can't even score a goal.

Jarvis is trying to learn him the N-A of hockey very slowly.I saw him last week and He really impressed me.He was great along the boards and He wasn't bad defensively.He was solid on his skates and He was playing on the first line but He didn't had a single scoring chance.The bulldogs are really struggling.

Anyways , imo We'll have to wait atleast a full year in his case.I'd wait a year or two before saying that He can't produce at the AHL level.

I guess , We'll see in the years to come.


Now , He was a victim of the hype imo.He has been overhyped too much by Redline.Timmins even said He was NHL ready but We all know that habs fans are overhyping their prospects often.It's no big deal.

 

[Kirk- NEHJ]

Brock- nice job.

Good on you for showing guts and putting Hannu Toivonen in the top-10.

A big for that one...

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Why does everyone here think Ryan Whitney is crap?

Kudos to actually including Noah Welch though.

 

[X-SHARKIE]

Brock- nice job.

Good on you for showing guts and putting Hannu Toivonen in the top-10.

A big for that one...

Not much of a surprise really, he's one of the top goaltending prospects, he's been excellent since being drafted. He played great at the WJC's last year and continue to excell in the AHL. If scouts knew Toivonen would've turned out like this he likely would've been the 5th overall pick in 2002, at least top 10! It's a scary thought but he looks alot like Roberto Luongo on his good nights.


I think Kastitsyns' prospect status well be detirmined with his play at the WJC, if he plays well then he should be a deserving top 50 prospect, but if he struggles then people well begin to put the bust lable on him. Because I understand the circumstances that he's in compared to a kid like Dustin Brown.
BUT! If he can't do it at a stage that he has done it before with international rules and playing vs kids his own age, then people well begin to wonder if this kid has topped out.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Just some info for you Brock, as a follower of Wilkes Barre.

Whitney seems to be much improved defensively after a poor at best start to the season. Hopefully the offense will start to come to him more, but he's been solid defensively as of late.

I can see why his rank has taken a hit, though, because so far he's been inconsistent.

Nice work on the list. Thanks.

 

[leafaholix*]

Carlo Colaiacovo not in the top 50?

 

[YellHockey*]

Meszaros not even mentioned?

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

How come you dislike Suter so much Vladdy?

I mean, I see Suter as one of the most failsafe prospects out there, if not the most.

He sort of looks like Steve Eminger. Another guy who was considered a failsafe prospect (and as far as I'm concerned is a good prospect). I don't dislike Suter but really, the top end potential doesn't justify his current status. People are having him there by peer pressure, I think.

He's a good talent but he's not terribly different from guys such as Grebeshkov and Eminger to name only two. There's not a real defense phenom right now considered a prospect. But as close to that as can be found is Dion Phaneuf and that's the end of it as far as I'm concerned. I still think some of his offense is limited but he has improved beyond what I hoped for as far as rushing the puck. It's still not poetry but when you add the rest of his game that has "NHL" written all over it and the fact he has improved his composure a little, it bodes well. Then I like Barker despite the risk but he's not an absolute clear cut #2. After that you've got a bunch of Ds that are comparable in value to Suter and you pick them out of a hat based on what you like. I'd rather have Tyutin, Babchuk, Meszaros, Grebeshkov to name a few. They're not all going to make it and they're not all going to be better than Suter but some will.

Everytime I've seen Suter, he seems like he is a man among boys on the ice.

He looks good but he also looks like a guy who won't be that great in the NHL. That's a nice prospect but if that was the no-brainer best D prospect out there, we'd be in trouble.

This is what more and more lists seem to suggest but it's not going to happen.

Hell, I even think fellow Nashville draftee Kevin Klein is just as good and might become better.

If you like that type of defensemen, why do you have that clown Suter top of the D class, 5th overall and Klein, Eminger nowhere in the top 50? Meszaros is another guy who can do pretty much anything Suter can do and looks like he could develop better as a NHLer than Suter. Nowhere in the top 50.

I think the hype machine is in full force and influencing many prospect enthusiasts on this one.

Everytime Suter is on TV, there's always someone to say he looked awesome when he did not. It's just hype.

I guess the best way to illustrate this would be the Russia-USA game. I was quickly reading the comments on a few threads and noticed a lot of props for Evgeny Malkin. Barely a peep for Shafigulin, who was much better. I mean, WTF? How can people say Malkin was the best player in the 3rd period? And the obvious answer is: because they want to and because their views are too colored by outside opinions.

Can't people forget where the guys are drafted, what the hype is like and just assess what's going on on the ice?

Same thing with Suter. Forget he's Suter. Forget where he was drafted. Forget he's Gary's nephew. Forget the articles and props and ranking on everyone's lists that check out carefully everybody else's lists.

He's also a completely different player then Mike Komisarek, so I really don't see how you can compare the two, other then the fact you believe that they are both two overrated american defensive prospects.

I'm not comparing the player but rather the collective notion these days that this guy is the clear cut best defenseman prospect, much like almost everybody did back when they ****ed up on Komisarek.

But don't take my comments as huge knocks. They're barely observations. As usual, I like your list better than most. You showed some guts on some selections. I just feel you're still holding back

Glad to see Koivu on the list. Probably the highest I have seen him in some time. Glad to see Miller and Whitney lower, even though I still think Whitney has unbelievable talent. Haven't seen Polushin for a while but glad he gets some recognition. He's a perfect example of a guy who rarely gets any buzz and yet has plenty of skills and size. Glad to see Welch there. Not sure what his future will be like exactly but he has amazing potential and impresses me.

I'd rather have some of your "just missed" forwards over a guy like Shishkanov but that's me. Radulov, for instance. Looks more like a future NHLer to me, even though he is still a little risky. Bernier is boom or bust so that's more of a gamble. I'd probably take a non-ranked Jussi Jokinen over Shishkanov too but that's me.

And while you didn't put Michalek in the top 10 like everyone else, he's still too close for my liking. Glad to see Carter is finally getting more and more recognition. About time.

I'm not sure I agree with the Dustin Brown ranking but I like it nonetheless. Food for thoughts.

It's a thought-provoking top 50 overall but you still played it a little too safe for me

 

[X-SHARKIE]

I dont know what Ryan Suter games you have watched but he simply put, controls the play. He looks like the next Adam Foote with offensive upside! He's definitley a top 10 prospect. I saw him alot last year in Wisconsin, WJC's, and now again this year in Milwaukee and at the WJC's...SO i've likely seen him as much as anyone on these boards. I think the problem with Suter, much like many defenseman out there, is that it's hard to really appreciate what he does on the ice with limited viewings. No question IMO this guy is going to be a top 2 defenseman for Nashville, along with Hamhuis.

Vlad, i'm curious what exactly does Ryan Suter do wrong? What don't you like about him? Of all the prospects you have listed that you dislike, and the ones you like, one constant is there stats...If they don't have breathe taking numbers (Suter) They must not be close to a guy like Meszaro's who has the numbers