End of season prospect rankings

[HoseEmDown]

I don't know how to do it in poll format since I do everything on mobile, so if someone wants to do a poll like the preseason that would work. Here's my ranking for our top 20 prospects after the 15-16 season.

20. Daniel Walcott
19. Jonne Tammela
18. Ben Thomas
17. Joel Vermin
16. Adam Wilcox
15. Anthony Cirelli
14. Matthew Peca
13. Kristers Gudlevskis
12. Matthew Spencer
11. Dennis Yan
10. Tanner Richard
9. Nikita Gusev
8. Matthieu Joseph
7. Dylan Blujus
6. Mitchell Stephens
5. Adam Erne
4. Dominik Masin
3. Anthony DeAngelo
2. Brayden Point
1. Slater Koekkoek

Stock up Blujus, Joseph, Cirelli, Thomas and Walcott

Stock down Macloed, Dotchin, Gudlevskis and Hart

Click to read more...

 

[AimForTopCheddar]

I don't know how to do it in poll format since I do everything on mobile, so if someone wants to do a poll like the preseason that would work. Here's my ranking for our top 20 prospects after the 15-16 season.

20. Daniel Walcott
19. Jonne Tammela
18. Ben Thomas
17. Joel Vermin
16. Adam Wilcox
15. Anthony Cirelli
14. Matthew Peca
13. Kristers Gudlevskis
12. Matthew Spencer
11. Dennis Yan
10. Tanner Richard
9. Nikita Gusev
8. Matthieu Joseph
7. Dylan Blujus
6. Mitchell Stephens
5. Adam Erne
4. Dominik Masin
3. Anthony DeAngelo
2. Brayden Point
1. Slater Koekkoek

Stock up Blujus, Joseph, Cirelli, Thomas and Walcott

Stock down Macloed, Dotchin, Gudlevskis and Hart

IMO, 7. should be Gusev. What makes Joseph better than Yan in your eyes? I haven't seen either play very much.

 

[Rschmitz]

How did you come up with these rankings?

 

[Volodya Krutov]

IMO, 7. should be Gusev. What makes Joseph better than Yan in your eyes? I haven't seen either play very much.

If Gusev was serious about playing in the NHL he should be 1st, easily. What this kid can do against pro players in the KHL is already impressive. Can he adapt to a more physical game though ? Panarin did just fine but that doesn't say a lot, just that that is possible. I already mentioned his shooting arsenal, a very good one. Well he can also pass the puck.

 

[HoseEmDown]

IMO, 7. should be Gusev. What makes Joseph better than Yan in your eyes? I haven't seen either play very much.

Gusev is lower because of the uncertainty if he'll ever come over.

I was extremely high on Yan after the draft, still am, and he had a great first half to his season but went extremely cold the second half of the year with an average playoffs. Joseph was thought of more a two way energy player and he had a monster season offensively, out scoring Yan, and his playoffs were looking good till injury. He still needs to fill out but his game is suited better for the NHL as he can play all over the lineup, Yan is a bit top 6 or bust still.

 

[HoseEmDown]

How did you come up with these rankings?

For me how they project to be at the next level is high, then how they faired this past season, how they looked when I watched and just my opinion on who I thinks better.

It's why I have Blujus higher than you'll likely see him anywhere else. I can see him carving out a pretty good bottom pair NHL career. He's got size, skating and a big shot, needs some positioning work, strength on the boards and to speed up his decision making but he's a right hand shot that is coveted across the league and for that it should get him into the league.

 

[Everblades13]

The odds of Gusev coming over are very slim, correct? Pretty much all that I have read is "who knows, but he seems happy in Russia" or something like that.

Is there anything Yzerman can do to help our chances?

 

[dbieon12]

That list is depressing after 1-5. The future is getting dimmer, window is closing quickly.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

I think at one point we'll see Gusev under the Lightning uniform, the question is when. He already stated he found the NHL very appealing, his best buddy Kucherov wants him to join the club. Gusev in Tampa next season is extremely unlikely unless Yzerman sees in Gusev that finale scoring depth piece "within the system" he was talking about and try to convince Gusev face to face. The most likely is next year IMO. They buy out his final year with St.Petersburgh like it's frequently done with Russian players expected to join the NHL.

 

[HoseEmDown]

That list is depressing after 1-5. The future is getting dimmer, window is closing quickly.

I agree a bit, we don't have much in the way of top end potential. But we have a young top 6, with Hedman and Sustr on the backend so the need for that isn't dire. It would be nice if some of the depth pieces were closer because we could've used them the past few years in the playoffs.

 

[Everblades13]

I think at one point we'll see Gusev under the Lightning uniform, the question is when. He already stated he found the NHL very appealing, his best buddy Kucherov wants him to join the club. Gusev in Tampa next season is extremely unlikely unless Yzerman sees in Gusev that finale scoring depth piece "within the system" he was talking about and try to convince Gusev face to face. The most likely is next year IMO. They buy out his final year with St.Petersburgh like it's frequently done with Russian players expected to join the NHL.

Appreciate the response. Like I said, I am a big fan of his game, but it is really hard to find any information on him, especially anything up to date. Our rights to him expire in the next year or two, don't they? I'm not particularly well informed on how that works.

 

[Everblades13]

That list is depressing after 1-5. The future is getting dimmer, window is closing quickly.

True, but I think that is often the case when a team is good and contending for the Stanley Cup. It is really difficult to maintain a great team and stacked farm system.

I know it is not up to date and we will likely drop due to prospects graduating, but the fact that we had the #6 ranked prospect stable going into this year is impressive in and of itself, given that the teams surrounding us in the rankings are perennial lottery teams like Edmonton, Toronto, etc.

 

[AimForTopCheddar]

That list is depressing after 1-5. The future is getting dimmer, window is closing quickly.

Meh, its just that our top prospects have graduated well and such. We could've used our 2nds better last year but we have a first and two seconds this year to fill the cupboards. Could easily draft some studs.