Prospect Info: CBJ HF-voted Top 20 Prospects 2017

[Hello Johnny]

Zaar was qualified so CBJ still owns his rights.

Ah, was unaware of that part.

 

[major major]

Didn't Thurkauf play center at the WJC and some at Kelowna this year? He seems like the Nick Foligno type who can play all 3 F positions.

At WJC I think so, but as far as I know he barely played center, if at all, for Kelowna. And as a general rule guys who play wing in juniors don't switch to center in the pros. Foligno was a center in junior. Perhaps Thurkauf's play at the WJC shows that he might be an exception to that rule.

 

[The Wheelchair]

I agree Peeke is being slept on. Folks just lump him in with Collins and have no idea what his game is like. I think he's the total package and I can easily see him in next year's top 5.

Random stab at next year's list:

Stenlund
Abramov
Peeke
Sherwood
2018 1st

Gavrikov
Davidsson
Merzlikins
Thurkauf
Texier

Bemstrom
2018 2nd
Kivlinieks
2018 3rd
Milano

2018 4th
Tarasov
Vigneault
Bittner
Meyer

I don't really know what exactly that exercise is, am I predicting something? But I hope to convey where I see most of the potential for growth.

With you on Stenlund. We all expect (or expected) Dubois to turn into that future #1C, but the more I see of Stenlund the more I think he might wind up being that guy. He really does check every box.

Abramov is back in juniors this season unless he makes the NHL, right? Assuming he doesn't make the team I can't see him dropping at all unless he gets hurt. Has to be a good bet for #1 considering he's put up video game numbers in the QMJHL the last two seasons and being another year older won't hurt.

Sherwood is a hard one to project. I don't think he'll find the AHL overwhelming but being a scoring wing he'll have to put up numbers to maintain interest. Look at how many of us are already souring on Milano. If Sherwood doesn't score many goals I'm not sure he's going to get people more excited than they are already. Of course, if he scores 30 he could jump even higher than #4.

Davidsson kind of feels like Nutivaara part 2. He's older than most draftees, but he's shown he can compete against good competition and he's got a genuine plus NHL tool in his shot. I think he's getting the attention Nutivaara didn't because he's a forward and it's much easier to get excited about a forward's statline.

I don't think Texier will fall next year, or at least I don't think he should. He'll be playing Liiga games as an 18-year-old. That alone should keep him at least as high as he was this year.

I think Bemstrom will probably come in about where he did this year or even slide out of the rankings because of the Swedish fourth-line factor. He'll be playing against adults but probably won't put up a ton of points, and people will just see the numbers like we did with Stenlund last year. Or maybe he'll tear it up (Leksands did get demoted to the second tier) and he'll catapult into the top ten.

As far as guys not on the list this year, I think Vainio has a good shot at making it next year. Peter Thome also, if he can get the starting goalie spot at North Dakota. And you never know, maybe Bittner or Collins will remember/learn how to play hockey in the AHL.

 

[Samkow]

Shoutout to DarkandStormy for taking the lead on this.

For Posterity's Sake:

FWIW
Simply vote for the prospect you think is the best prospect of the above. This poll will be open 24 hours.

This uses HF Criteria, hence why some players have spent time in the NHL.

2014

Rank | Player | Position #1 |Alexander Wennberg|C
#2 |Kerby Rychel|LW
#3 |Sonny Milano|LW
#4 |Tim Erixon|D
#5 |Oliver Bjorkstrand|RW
#6 |Mike Reilly|D
#7 |Marko Dano|C
#8 |Anton Forsberg|G
#9 |Dillon Heatherington|D
#10 |Oscar Dansk|G
#11 |Simon Hjalmarsson|RW
#12 |Daniel Zaar|RW
#13 |Michael Chaput|C
#14 |Ryan Collins|D
#15 |Josh Anderson|RW
#16 |Jerry D'Amigo|RW
#17 |Markus Soberg|RW
#18 |Thomas Tynan|C
#19 Elvins Merzlikins|G
#20 Blake Siebenaler|D

2013

Rank | Player | Position #1 |Ryan Murray|D
#2 |Cam Atkinson|RW
#3 |Alexander Wennberg|C
#4 |Boone Jenner|C
#5 |Tim Erixon|D
#6 |Kerby Rychel|LW
#7 |Dalton Prout|D
#8 |Marko Dano|C
#9 |Oscar Dansk|G
#10 |Cody Goloubef|D
#11 |Anton Forsberg|G
#12 |Dillon Heatherington|D
#13 |David Savard|D
#14 |Oliver Bjorkstrand|RW
#15 |Mike Reilly|D
#16 |Michael Chaput|C
#17 |Jonathan Audy-Marchessault|C
#18 |Daniel Zaar|RW
#19 |Joonas Korpisalo
#20 |Nick Moutrey

2012

Rank | Player | Position #1 |Ryan Murray|D
#2 |Cam Atkinson|RW
#3 |Tim Erixon|D
#4 |David Savard|D
#5 |Boone Jenner|C
#6 |Oscar Dansk|G
#7 |Matt Calvert|LW
#8 |Michael Chaput|C
#9 |Tomas Kubalik|RW
#10(T) |Anton Forsberg|G
#10(T) |Cody Goloubef|D
#12 |Jonathan Audy-Marchessault|LW
#13 |Thomas Tynan|C
#14 |Mike Reilly|D
#15 |Allen York|G
#16 |Will Weber|D
#17 |Joonas Korpisalo|G
#18 |Dalton Prout|D
#19 |Daniel Zaar|RW #18 |Lukas Sedlak|C

2011

Rank | Player | Position #1 |Ryan Johansen|C
#2 |Matt Calvert|LW
#3 |David Savard|D
#4 |John Moore|D
#5 |Tomas Kubalik|RW
#6 |Cam Atkinson|RW
#7 |Maksim Mayorov|LW
#8 |Boone Jenner|C
#9 |Cody Goloubef|D
#10 |Allen York|G
#11 |Petr Straka|RW
#12 |Michael Chaput|C
#13 |Will Weber|D
#14 |Theo Ruth|D
#15 |Thomas Tynan|C
#16 |Anton Blomqvist|D
#17 |Oliver Gabriel|LW
#18 |Seth Ambroz|LW
#19 |Dalton Smith|LW
#20 |Thomas Larkin|D

2010

2009

09

10

11

 

[Hockeybent]

At WJC I think so, but as far as I know he barely played center, if at all, for Kelowna. And as a general rule guys who play wing in juniors don't switch to center in the pros. Foligno was a center in junior. Perhaps Thurkauf's play at the WJC shows that he might be an exception to that rule.

If ya watch the highlights in the Rockets webpage it looks like Thurkauf played center all year. He was the top scorer of the team and MVP too. He may be under the radar a bit. He looks good.

 

[major major]

With you on Stenlund. We all expect (or expected) Dubois to turn into that future #1C, but the more I see of Stenlund the more I think he might wind up being that guy. He really does check every box.

Abramov is back in juniors this season unless he makes the NHL, right? Assuming he doesn't make the team I can't see him dropping at all unless he gets hurt. Has to be a good bet for #1 considering he's put up video game numbers in the QMJHL the last two seasons and being another year older won't hurt.

Sherwood is a hard one to project. I don't think he'll find the AHL overwhelming but being a scoring wing he'll have to put up numbers to maintain interest. Look at how many of us are already souring on Milano. If Sherwood doesn't score many goals I'm not sure he's going to get people more excited than they are already. Of course, if he scores 30 he could jump even higher than #4.

Davidsson kind of feels like Nutivaara part 2. He's older than most draftees, but he's shown he can compete against good competition and he's got a genuine plus NHL tool in his shot. I think he's getting the attention Nutivaara didn't because he's a forward and it's much easier to get excited about a forward's statline.

I don't think Texier will fall next year, or at least I don't think he should. He'll be playing Liiga games as an 18-year-old. That alone should keep him at least as high as he was this year.

I think Bemstrom will probably come in about where he did this year or even slide out of the rankings because of the Swedish fourth-line factor. He'll be playing against adults but probably won't put up a ton of points, and people will just see the numbers like we did with Stenlund last year. Or maybe he'll tear it up (Leksands did get demoted to the second tier) and he'll catapult into the top ten.

As far as guys not on the list this year, I think Vainio has a good shot at making it next year. Peter Thome also, if he can get the starting goalie spot at North Dakota. And you never know, maybe Bittner or Collins will remember/learn how to play hockey in the AHL.

I forgot about Bemstrom and the 4th line factor, it's funny he'll get more votes if he's not promoted.

Texier is talented but super young and raw. I expect his breakthrough to come later.

I just like how well rounded Sherwood is becoming. And his physique is great. He's added a lot of power to his game. Milano is an instructive comparison. But the reason I soured on Milano is not his AHL scoring, which was actually fine in my book, but the way he handles himself in traffic. I only ever like him in open space. I see him as a top player someday (for SKA not the Jackets).

 

[major major]

If ya watch the highlights in the Rockets webpage it looks like Thurkauf played center all year. He was the top scorer of the team and MVP too. He may be under the radar a bit. He looks good.

Thanks I'll take your word for it. And I agree he had a great year and is a serious prospect.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

abramov is back in juniors this season unless he makes the nhl, right? Assuming he doesn't make the team i can't see him dropping at all unless he gets hurt. Has to be a good bet for #1 considering he's put up video game numbers in the qmjhl the last two seasons and being another year older won't hurt.

 

[DarkandStormy]

^^'09 looks awful!

 

[CBJx614]

It's so weird seeing "Cameron Atkinson"

And then to see him behind Calvert in multiple polls!

I mean Clitsome and Wesslau are ahead of Cam!

 

[Viqsi]

It's so weird seeing "Cameron Atkinson"

And then to see him behind Calvert in multiple polls!

I mean Clitsome and Wesslau are ahead of Cam!

Heh. I remember being extremely skeptical of him at first... and then voting for him as #1 in 2012.

That and my quietly sitting out of 2014 in protest after getting disgusted with the process after Savard was dropped out of the top 10 and Tynan, Anderson, and Melart were dropped out of the top 20 altogether in favor of folks like Dansk and Chaput and Moutrey.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Heh. I remember being extremely skeptical of him at first... and then voting for him as #1 in 2012.

That and my quietly sitting out of 2014 in protest after getting disgusted with the process after Savard was dropped out of the top 10 and Tynan, Anderson, and Melart were dropped out of the top 20 altogether in favor of folks like Dansk and Chaput and Moutrey.

*doesn't play well with others*

 

[Old Guy]

That and my quietly sitting out of 2014 in protest after getting disgusted with the process .........

At least you didn't stomp your feet and hold your breath.

 

[major major]

^^'09 looks awful!

Part of that is the boards fault for not ranking what became the two best players of the group - Atkinson and Savard - in favor of a bunch of Maclean leftovers that totally busted.

 

[Old Guy]

Part of that is the boards fault for not ranking what became the two best players of the group - Atkinson and Savard - in favor of a bunch of Maclean leftovers that totally busted.

So you are saying we are at fault for not seeing what those two players would contribute?? That's rich.

I recognize you are including yourself by saying that "the board is partly at fault", but your comment just feels like a whole bunch of Monday Morning quarterbacking. Actually with the passage of the 8 years since, it feels like Thursday Morning quarterbacking.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Part of that is the boards fault for not ranking what became the two best players of the group - Atkinson and Savard - in favor of a bunch of Maclean leftovers that totally busted.

That, and #20 (Holden) turned out to be pretty good as well.

 

[major major]

So you are saying we are at fault for not seeing what those two players would contribute?? That's rich.

I recognize you are including yourself by saying that "the board is partly at fault", but your comment just feels like a whole bunch of Monday Morning quarterbacking. Actually with the passage of the 8 years since, it feels like Thursday Morning quarterbacking.

I'm just saying that the prospect pool was actually better at the time than what the boards' top 20 shows. I'm not actually expecting anyone to have ranked them, I have no idea if I would have ranked those two.

 

[Samkow]

Part of that is the boards fault for not ranking what became the two best players of the group - Atkinson and Savard - in favor of a bunch of Maclean leftovers that totally busted.

So you are saying we are at fault for not seeing what those two players would contribute?? That's rich.

I recognize you are including yourself by saying that "the board is partly at fault", but your comment just feels like a whole bunch of Monday Morning quarterbacking. Actually with the passage of the 8 years since, it feels like Thursday Morning quarterbacking.

Agreed. Sorry Major Major but that's a bad take.

And if you'd polled this board in Summer 2013, Savard would have won most overrated prospect.

 

[major major]

Agreed. Sorry Major Major but that's a bad take.

And if you'd polled this board in Summer 2013, Savard would have won most overrated prospect.

Okay my words clearly didn't convey what I was thinking there. I have no expectation that we're going to correctly predict the future course of prospect development. When I say "at fault" I mean that's the reason why the list looks bad (which others pointed out). No one did a bad thing.

 

[CBJx614]

Savard might be the best defenseman we fully developed. Still too early for Werenski and I'd wager Savard has a better career than Murray.

 

[stevo61]

Savard might be the best defenseman we fully developed. Still too early for Werenski and I'd wager Savard has a better career than Murray.

A comment like this instantly makes me think of Klesla and what could have been. Dude was a beast in Brampton and in the WJC. I was 100% concvnced he was going to become the player Weber ended up becoming.That draft was the moment Columbus got on my radar as a team to follow and of course drafting Nash sealed the deal and ever since ive been one of those weird Canadians to follow the Jackets since the early years

 

[pled]

A comment like this instantly makes me think of Klesla and what could have been. Dude was a beast in Brampton and in the WJC. I was 100% concvnced he was going to become the player Weber ended up becoming.That draft was the moment Columbus got on my radar as a team to follow and of course drafting Nash sealed the deal and ever since ive been one of those weird Canadians to follow the Jackets since the early years

same here lol Nash was the first prospect I fully followed and it made me a random canadian jackets fan.

and what about Methot/Russel they aren't that bad

 

[Viqsi]

At least you didn't stomp your feet and hold your breath.

No, that was during the 2013 voting.

 

[CBJx614]

same here lol Nash was the first prospect I fully followed and it made me a random canadian jackets fan.

and what about Methot/Russel they aren't that bad

No theyre not. But methot was the perfect partner for Karlsson. And they are no longer jackets. Savard was drafted in what 09? And he's developed into at the very least a top 4D. I could see him being traded in 3-5 seasons if we get lucky with Peeke. As long as he can keep up with his play I could see a desperate team making him their#1RHD

 

[major major]

As long as he can keep up with his play I could see a desperate team making him their#1RHD

If you're talking Savard keeping up his level from last year, it won't be just desperate teams wanting him as their top RHD.