Craig Button Top 50 NHL Prospects List (Kravtsov #1)

[ChazzMichaelMichaels]

Oof.

Pronman's came out today as well and had Terry right up there too. He also didn't have Liljegren making his list (I believe it was a top 60).

Pretty interesting to see how much the 2 lists differ.

 

[Rebels57]

More terrible than usual for Button.

Button generally stops caring about prospects once they go from Juniors to the AHL.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

I love Kyrou but there are quite a few guys below him I would trade him for and I wouldn't think twice about it.

 

[Peasy]

This list is so bad. You have guys like Formenton and Noel ahead of Frost/Hayton.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

I'm surprised Liljegren isn't on the list but I don't think Craig has ever been high on him.

Also am I the only one who think Terry is much to high? I'll admit I haven't seen him much, but I'm just shocked he is top 5.

Honestly surprised Sandin made the list, he doesn’t like the leafs.. at all unless it’s Marner or Matthews

 

[93LEAFS]

Comparing this list to his draft rankings from half a season a go, you can find some pretty extreme changes.

Firstly, Button had Boqvist as the #2 Prospect in the draft until about mid-season last year, now he isn't even in the top 50?

He's taken Evan Bouchard from his 9th prospect all the way to not in his top 50?

Kravtsov has gone from his 23rd ranked prospect for the 2018 draft to his number 1.

He had Denisenko behind Zadina, Hughes, Hayton, Dobson, Bouchard, Wahlstrom, Boqvist and Farabee, but he's passed every single one of them.

Barrett Hayton who he liked a lot against consensus (probably because he knew the Coyotes and Bernhardt were going to take him), has had a way better year than last year but has somehow dropped behind Sandin, Serron Noel, Romanov, and Dobson. This is probably due to Coyotes firing his buddy Bernhardt.

Wahlstrom has gone from top 10 to unranked.

I'm just sort of amazing how 3 of his top 12 prospects, aren't in his top 50 half a season later, especially once you factor in 4 players graduated (Dahlin, Svechnikov, Kotkaniemi, and Tkachuk).

To have such extreme fluctuations, you have to question the baseline he had on these prospects to begin with.

 

[93LEAFS]

Honestly surprised Sandin made the list, he doesn’t like the leafs.. at all unless it’s Marner or Matthews

Had him at 15 at the draft, and a strong showing at the WJC. Unlikely for a massive change.

 

[PittsburghHustlers]

Saw Pronman’s list first and thought that was pretty bad. This one is way worse.. interesting that both are pretty low on Ty Smith.

 

[RedWingzz]

Terrible list. I usually like Button, but this is bad. There is far too much emphasis on the World Juniors here.

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

Krav is pure dominate. His production on the team he’s on is highly impressive. I hope we luck out on Jack Hughes. Chytil-Hughes-Kravtsov. Would be like those guys on the first line in Colorado if you know who I’m talking bout

Haven’t seen a Rangers prospect in my 24 years this good. I’m excited.

 

[McDNicks17]

Might as well have titled it "Craig Button's Top 50 NHL Prospects based solely on their performance at the most recent WJC".

Some of the rankings are just laughable.

Find me one person who thinks Romanov and Poehling are better prospects than Suzuki.

And it doesn't matter how low you are on Bouchard, there's no way you can agree with having a guy like Mikey Anderson(who is only on the list because of the World Juniors) over him.

 

[Lays]

Denisenko shouldn’t even be on any top 50 prospect lists

 

[ProspectsSTC]

>no Boqvist
Disregard

 

[Brodeur]

Saw Pronman’s list first and thought that was pretty bad. This one is way worse.. interesting that both are pretty low on Ty Smith.

Both had him ranked in the 30s which is fine, they still think he's a good prospect. After watching Smith in person and during the WJC, I can understand where the eye test doesn't scream high end offense like his WHL numbers might suggest.

Button himself usually gives the disclaimer that us as fans perceive a bigger gap between say #15 and #35 than he himself would feel.

 

[tony d]

Thanks for sharing this. Some ? choices there IMO.

 

[GetFocht]

Way too much emphasis from WJC.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

No Ian Mitchell or Martin Kaut? lol okay

You didn’t notice no Boqvist on the list?

This might be the worst list I’ve ever seen. Button is a joke.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Is Kravtsov that good? Ive had very limited viewings of him and am honestly curious

He’s very good, but he’s not that good, in my opinion. He looks like a likely first line forward, but at this point I wouldn’t say he projects like a star forward around the NHL. That’s what he’d be, if he was the #1 prospect in the league.

 

[Lebowski]

Might as well have titled it "Craig Button's Top 50 NHL Prospects based solely on their performance at the most recent WJC".

Some of the rankings are just laughable.

Find me one person who thinks Romanov and Poehling are better prospects than Suzuki.

And it doesn't matter how low you are on Bouchard, there's no way you can agree with having a guy like Mikey Anderson(who is only on the list because of the World Juniors) over him.

Not that surprising honestly. Some might even have him behind Brook.

 

[Hfbsux]

Yes, he reminds me of a bigger stronger Pettersson. His stickhandling & vision are incredible and he has a really deceptive release. He’s the best player on his KHL team at 19. If your limited viewing was WJC he looks way better in the KHL, he was playing with a tricep injury during the WJC. I’m not sure Svechnikov goes before him if Kravtsov played junior in NA & participated in prior international tournaments, he was under scouted and didn’t get talked about enough until his historic playoff run last season

I thought I was the only one.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

About the Pronman/Button lists discussion, there’s a lot you can disagree with on Pronman’s lists, but I never get the sense that he’s poorly uninformed with what he says. He works hard at his job and clearly puts a lot of hours into it.

With Button, I don’t get the sense that he works for TSN as more than a consultant. He has a few times a year he’s required to give an opinion, but the other weeks and months is he watching games and talking to scouts all day? A lot of his lists come off as if he had only watched select big tournaments. He probably watches and pays attention to at least a little more than that, but is he watching Lulea vs. Linkoping on a Thursday in February? I don’t get the sense that he is.

 

[SteelerNation]

About the Pronman/Button lists discussion, there’s a lot you can disagree with on Pronman’s lists, but I never get the sense that he’s poorly uninformed with what he says. He works hard at his job and clearly puts a lot of hours into it.

With Button, I don’t get the sense that he works for TSN as more than a consultant. He has a few times a year he’s required to give an opinion, but the other weeks and months is he watching games and talking to scouts all day? A lot of his lists come off as if he had only watched select big tournaments. He probably watches and pays attention to at least a little more than that, but is he watching Lulea vs. Linkoping on a Thursday in February? I don’t get the sense that he is.

I agree, and get the same sense.

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

I feel like these list are becoming more about hot takes and generating interest than they are for judging actual talent.

 

[MintyFresh88]

Denisenko shouldn’t even be on any top 50 prospect lists

Point totals, or lack thereof can be deceiving. I agree that there's no way he should be this high, but he should be on the list.

 

[Mercedes Benn]

Not that surprising honestly. Some might even have him behind Brook.

Surprising to me. Pretty obvious Suzuki is a better prospect than Brook, and Montreals number 1.