Prospect Info: Coyotes Top Prospects 2017 - #1 (Poll closes @ 6PM}

SniperHF

Rejecting Reports
Mar 9, 2007
42,632
21,042
Phoenix
There's not much point in including others in this one and I'll probably skip voting on #2. Who ya got?

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2016 Prospect Rankings
#1 - Dylan Strome (36 votes - 87.80%)
#2 - Christian Dvorak (37 votes - 68.52%)
#3 - Clayton Keller (44 votes - 70.97%)
#4 - Jakob Chychrun (40 votes - 80.00%)
#5 - Anthony DeAngelo (30 votes - 44.78%)
#6 - Lawson Crouse (Special Election)
#7 - Christian Fischer - (32 votes - 68.09%)
#8 - Brendan Perlini - (30 votes - 53.57%)
#9 - Ryan MacInnis - (25 votes - 46.3%)
#10 - Nick Merkley - (34 votes - 60.71%)
#11 - Kyle Wood (18 votes - 34.62%)
#12 - Conor Garland (16 votes - 32%)
#13 - Henrik Samuelsson (19 votes - 43.18%)
#14 - Cam Dineen (22 votes - 48.89%)
#15 - Laurent Dauphin (23 votes - 53.5%)

For the record I'm using HF's criteria for the poll

Coyotes Official Prospect list for reference (It's out of date)
 

PhoPhan

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
14,724
100
Went with Keller, but it's close. I'll probably change my mind at least a couple times between the start of camp and opening night, but my enthusiasm for Keller hasn't cooled.

Neither is a slam dunk, of course. Strome still has to prove he has the wheels and motor to be effective at the NHL level, while it's unclear to what extent Keller's flashy puck skills will compensate for his limited size. The good news is their skill sets seem to complement each other well, especially in the offensive zone. Keller's potent transition game should make zone entries a breeze even if Strome can't keep up, and his possession-heavy style should work well with Strome's off-the-puck hockey sense. Both of them are ridiculously intelligent players with great vision and skill. Should be fun to watch at any rate.
 

zerekstar

Registered User
Dec 5, 2010
2,468
425
Thunderbay, On (Kakabeka Falls)
I voted Strome but really I think Keller will be the more exciting of the two. Strome however wins because his size and I'm not worried about his skating because Braid will fix that. He already has pretty much everything else.

Keller has the complete package minus size. Size is starting to mean less and less in the NHL but it will always make a difference in reach and a few other aspects pf the game/
 

SniperHF

Rejecting Reports
Mar 9, 2007
42,632
21,042
Phoenix
Amusingly Keller didn't receive a single 1st place vote in the last poll. Proving one could dominate the NCAA does wonders for your stock :laugh:.

I'm also with Pho in that it's a 51/49 situation and I could probably change my mind. I'm sticking with Strome for now mostly because he didn't really do all that much wrong last season. His stint in the NHL wasn't good but the circumstances there were beyond far from ideal. I'd have probably voted Keller in March but Strome's postseason for Erie eased a few lingering doubts to put him back over the edge.
 

PhoPhan

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
14,724
100
Amusingly Keller didn't receive a single 1st place vote in the last poll. Proving one could dominate the NCAA does wonders for your stock :laugh:.

I'm also with Pho in that it's a 51/49 situation and I could probably change my mind. I'm sticking with Strome for now mostly because he didn't really do all that much wrong last season. His stint in the NHL wasn't good but the circumstances there were beyond far from ideal. I'd have probably voted Keller in March but Strome's postseason for Erie eased a few lingering doubts to put him back over the edge.

I had high expectations for Strome and Keller this season, and both did what they should have done at the OHL and NCAA levels respectively. Strome's playoff run was phenomenal. He came a long way just from the WJCs, where he looked good but not quite dominant. Keller on the other hand had a better WJC (only one more point, but from what I could see, he was better in transition, puck possession and generating scoring chances) but not much of a postseason to go on.

They each had brief stints against grown men, too. Tiny sample sizes (7 games for Strome and 11 for Keller), disparate circumstances (8 of Keller's 11 were in the World Championship tournament, while all 7 of Strome's were in the NHL), different times of the year (Strome's NHL stint was at the beginning of the year while Keller's NHL and WC games were all after his NCAA season finished) and different deployments/usages make them hard to compare meaningfully, but if it's a coin toss, I'll take Keller's 2 points in 3 NHL games and 7 points in 8 WC games to Strome's 1 point in 7 NHL games.

Also worth mentioning that while they have different strengths, both players are particularly adept at creating turnovers in the defensive zone. Strome uses his size and reach to break up passes and get the rush moving the other way, while Keller uses an active stickto swipe pucks off opposing puckhandlers and deceptive acceleration to intercept passes and create breakaway opportunities. Neither seems likely to be a liability defensively.
 

XX

Waiting for Ishbia
Dec 10, 2002
54,886
14,502
PHX
Voted Strome.

His issues were mental in terms of learning to compete and finding his work ethic. Seems he has done exactly that in the last six months. Helps that Tocchet will probably give him consecutive games with skilled players.
 

Matias Maccete

Chopping up defenses
Sep 21, 2014
9,645
3,525
Wow I thought I was one of the few who still preferred Strome. Shocked to see him in the lead, I thought it would be overwhelmingly in favor of Keller.
 

Tad Mikowski

Hail to the King Baby
Sponsor
May 31, 2012
1,534
667
Phoenix, AZ
I voted Keller. I just think he's more dynamic of a player. While C is a need I think Keller will end up being our best forward on the team sooner rather than later. It was a tough call though and I had to think about for a few minutes.
 

Lilhoody

Registered User
Nov 25, 2016
1,149
460
Peoria, AZ
I had high expectations for Strome and Keller this season, and both did what they should have done at the OHL and NCAA levels respectively. Strome's playoff run was phenomenal. He came a long way just from the WJCs, where he looked good but not quite dominant.

Wait, what? Hinterland said he was slow-mo, painful to watch and and something else... You mean he did good in the OHL? ;)
 

WrinkledPossum

Play Dead
Apr 23, 2016
3,367
1,068
I think once Keller develops, he'll lead the team in scoring. I think he has70+ point potential. While with Strome I see him being around 60. I'm also more confident in Keller being successful in reaching his potential than Strome.
 

Lilhoody

Registered User
Nov 25, 2016
1,149
460
Peoria, AZ
I think once Keller develops, he'll lead the team in scoring. I think he has70+ point potential. While with Strome I see him being around 60. I'm also more confident in Keller being successful in reaching his potential than Strome.

I hope, he still looks like a child, which has nothing to do with stature/height.
 

Sinurgy

Approaching infinity
Sponsor
Feb 8, 2004
12,425
3,877
AZ
I don't think either will ever surpass 80pts but >60pts regularly would be very nice. If either could ever hit 70, I'd be overjoyed.
You're probably right but it's going to be a bit depressing if yet another rebuild once again fails to deliver a PPG forward. I view Keller and Strome as equal so I went with Strome because I think the franchises hope rest more on him making it than Keller.
 

jacobhockey13

used to watch hockey, then joined HF Boards
Apr 17, 2014
3,108
98
on the bench
Keller's a positive force. Every time he touches the puck, he advances the team offensively. I don't think he'll be anonymous like his stint year. I think he'll be a difference maker on the team this year. With Strome, there's a lot more questions.
 

SniperHF

Rejecting Reports
Mar 9, 2007
42,632
21,042
Phoenix
I think most players who are >60 points regularly have it in them to put up closer to point per game numbers once in a peak year. They don't for a variety of reasons but the potential is there.

But also the way scoring is right now, there were only 14 forwards and 3 defensemen who were above .9 last season. So it's pretty uncommon in a single year. But over a career quite a good number of the players in between that .7 and .9 area have been at or above .9 in one or more seasons in their career just looking at the list on NHL.com

I'm sure someone could pull all the data from say 10 years and test it, but I'd bet that if you're in that .7 to .8 range regularly in your career the chances are very very high you peak above that as opposed to having a flat prime.


tl;dr - If Strome/Keller end up real first liners they probably do peak closer to point per game than staying more in the .8 range.
 

Mosby

<3 Uncle Gary
Feb 16, 2012
23,378
18,085
Toronto
You're probably right but it's going to be a bit depressing if yet another rebuild once again fails to deliver a PPG forward. I view Keller and Strome as equal so I went with Strome because I think the franchises hope rest more on him making it than Keller.

Fair point, but PPG forwards are rare nowadays. There were only 8 last season. Nine if you include Stamkos, who put up 20 in 17.
 

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