Hunter Gathers
The Crown
1. Pat Kane W His incredible scoring gift, shifty skating, and phenomenal puck handling will secure a top 3 pick if not 1st overall. Kane has even surprised me this year as I thought I'd be talking about him being a top 20 pick instead of a potential 1st overall pick. Kane's smart with the puck and has a pinpoint accurate shot.
2. James vanRiemsdyk W Smart, incredible shot, and great instincts -- JVR will be a great top 10 pick for any team looking for top line wing prospect. The NJ prospect has been stellar at every level he's played so far and the tournaments he's participated in.
3. Jonathon Blum D Rising up my rankings a bit with strong play all year long. Looks to be a solid pick anywhere in the top 15. One thing that stands out is that he NEEDS to add weight. He's a stick on the ice!
4. Bill Sweatt W One of my favorites all year long, and he really shot up many rankings with solid WJC play -- pretty safe pick, IMO. Might be the best skating player in this top 10 list. Great all around player would be a great fit on a NHL second line and first PK unit.
5. Nick Petrecki D Dropping slightly but not because of bad play, simply since other guys are getting better. Will be a top 25 pick, no doubt. He's mean, he's nasty, his hits are monstrous, but he needs to pick his spots better and tone his "snaps" down a bit. If he could find his offense, he could be a poor man's Scott Stevens. He certainly has a good shot, to say the least about his offense.
6. Kevin Shattenkirk D Good all around defenseman will be a great 1st round pick. Can do a bit of everything and do it all well. Nothing really stands out about him and he's the kind of guy you don't notice when he's playing well.
7. Tommy Cross D Nearly the same type of player as Shattenkirk -- just a bit meaner in front of the net. Likes to get his nose dirty. Again, does nothing great but everything well. A guy every team needs.
8. James O'Brien C I thought he'd be better this year, but his play has underwhelmed me. Don't know how much NHL upside I see in him, but his defensive skills this year might translate into a 3rd line role if he can't develop more.
9. Ryan McDonagh D Reminds me a bit of Fedor Tyutin on the Rangers -- offensive instincts but has yet to find them. Can get nasty when he wants to, but usually plays a smart game. Has a great 1st pass.
10. Teddy Ruth D As McKeens says, this guy has some major lower body strength. He's a real wildcard right now, because he can go anywhere from the tail end of the 1st round to the 3rd, IMO. Needs to figure out his game and what HE thinks he can do well.
I'll give much better write-ups later in the year after most of the seasons are over. This is just an early ranking of mine that I figured I'd pass along.
I haven't seen much HS hockey this year so I've had limited viewings of guys like McDonagh and Cross, though what I've seen has been very good so far.
Speaking of HS hockey, I've seen Michael Biega a few times this year so far and, even though he can't be ranked on this list, he's looked outstanding. A real sleeper in this draft after somehow falling off the radar for most people.
2. James vanRiemsdyk W Smart, incredible shot, and great instincts -- JVR will be a great top 10 pick for any team looking for top line wing prospect. The NJ prospect has been stellar at every level he's played so far and the tournaments he's participated in.
3. Jonathon Blum D Rising up my rankings a bit with strong play all year long. Looks to be a solid pick anywhere in the top 15. One thing that stands out is that he NEEDS to add weight. He's a stick on the ice!
4. Bill Sweatt W One of my favorites all year long, and he really shot up many rankings with solid WJC play -- pretty safe pick, IMO. Might be the best skating player in this top 10 list. Great all around player would be a great fit on a NHL second line and first PK unit.
5. Nick Petrecki D Dropping slightly but not because of bad play, simply since other guys are getting better. Will be a top 25 pick, no doubt. He's mean, he's nasty, his hits are monstrous, but he needs to pick his spots better and tone his "snaps" down a bit. If he could find his offense, he could be a poor man's Scott Stevens. He certainly has a good shot, to say the least about his offense.
6. Kevin Shattenkirk D Good all around defenseman will be a great 1st round pick. Can do a bit of everything and do it all well. Nothing really stands out about him and he's the kind of guy you don't notice when he's playing well.
7. Tommy Cross D Nearly the same type of player as Shattenkirk -- just a bit meaner in front of the net. Likes to get his nose dirty. Again, does nothing great but everything well. A guy every team needs.
8. James O'Brien C I thought he'd be better this year, but his play has underwhelmed me. Don't know how much NHL upside I see in him, but his defensive skills this year might translate into a 3rd line role if he can't develop more.
9. Ryan McDonagh D Reminds me a bit of Fedor Tyutin on the Rangers -- offensive instincts but has yet to find them. Can get nasty when he wants to, but usually plays a smart game. Has a great 1st pass.
10. Teddy Ruth D As McKeens says, this guy has some major lower body strength. He's a real wildcard right now, because he can go anywhere from the tail end of the 1st round to the 3rd, IMO. Needs to figure out his game and what HE thinks he can do well.
I'll give much better write-ups later in the year after most of the seasons are over. This is just an early ranking of mine that I figured I'd pass along.
I haven't seen much HS hockey this year so I've had limited viewings of guys like McDonagh and Cross, though what I've seen has been very good so far.
Speaking of HS hockey, I've seen Michael Biega a few times this year so far and, even though he can't be ranked on this list, he's looked outstanding. A real sleeper in this draft after somehow falling off the radar for most people.
