ESPN - Pronman's NHL prospect pipeline rankings

[UsernameWasTaken]

All 30 teams are ranked

http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/stor...nhl?ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_PRONMAN_ORGRANKINGS

The top 7 are
1. Buffalo
2. Tampa
3. Islanders
4. Predators
5. Panthers
6. Blue Jackets
7. Jets

The bottom 3 are
28. New York Rangers
29. New Jersey Devils
30. Colorado Avalanche

If Pronman comes to answer questions, my question for him is after Teravainen, what Chicago forward prospects does he think have top 6 potential. Also, what does he think of the Hawks goaltending prospects.

Click to read more...

 

[allan5oh]

It is interesting to see the Jets so high. He really likes ehlers. Had him ranked 3rd or 4th in the draft.

 

[Evolu7ion]

Nice to see Vancouver has made a jump into the top 10 ranking #9. Ahh, the spoils of sucking for a season or two!

 

[couture23]

He is very high on Nashville's group. No real elite talent there IMO, Forsberg is a nice piece but they just have a lot of depth everywhere.

 

[Karlsson2Turris*]

Can't see the whole list because it says I have to be an insider. Can anyone tell me where the Sens are ranked?

 

[EichHart]

Yay! we win at something.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Nice to see Vancouver has made a jump into the top 10 ranking #9. Ahh, the spoils of sucking for a season or two!

Not bad, 20th last year to 9th this year.

 

[Evolu7ion]

Can't see the whole list because it says I have to be an insider. Can anyone tell me where the Sens are ranked?

23rd.

 

[Whileee]

It is interesting to see the Jets so high. He really likes ehlers. Had him ranked 3rd or 4th in the draft.

The Jets had a pathetic pipeline three years ago from the Thrashers' legacy. So their pipeline has been developed over the past 4 drafts, and they haven't traded any core players for picks or prospects. It's interesting to note that the Jets have invested a lot in scouting, doubling the number of amateur scouts that were employed by the Thrashers.

 

[Karlsson2Turris*]

The Jets are rightfully placed IMO. Over the last four drafts they've drafted core pieces that will be building blocks in the future. They got a potential 1C (Scheifle looks like the real deal), a future top pairing in Trouba and Morissey (not to mention it looks like Trouba will be a top-5 D one day), and also picked up a high potential guy in Ehlers. That to me is amazing drafting. Now if they can just start making some moves and get a goaltender they're set.

 

[Sojourn]

Interesting that he doesn't even have Anaheim in his top 7.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Anyone know where Pittsburgh ranks?

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

Interesting that he doesn't even have Anaheim in his top 7.

I don't think its a knock on anaheim, I think prospects have just graduated, and other teams have surpassed them in prospect pool.

Edit: Question for Pronman, if he swings by. Corey, where do you see Finn's ceiling, and how far from being an NHL regular is he? Thanks!

 

[Tankadelphia]

Not sure how the flyers don't have high end talent, they have 3 defensive prospects that have a top pairing ceiling...

 

[Evolu7ion]

Interesting that he doesn't even have Anaheim in his top 7.

You mean top 10, because ANA is currently 11th right now. I agree, I feel they are undervalued as well and would have them around 6-7 myself.

Gibson
Andersen
Kerdiles
Noesen
Karlsson
Theodore
Montour
Ritchie

All fit the mold of top 6 F, top 4 D, or starting goalie potential, and haven't yet graduated. If you look at the mix, the true strength lies in goal there, so perhaps goal tending wasn't assigned as a high a value given the unpredictability of the position.

 

[Whileee]

The Jets are rightfully placed IMO. Over the last four drafts they've drafted core pieces that will be building blocks in the future. They got a potential 1C (Scheifle looks like the real deal), a future top pairing in Trouba and Morissey (not to mention it looks like Trouba will be a top-5 D one day), and also picked up a high potential guy in Ehlers. That to me is amazing drafting. Now if they can just start making some moves and get a goaltender they're set.

Hellebuyck (Pronman's #7) looks like he has a lot of potential. He dominated the NCAA as a Freshman and Sophomore. Comrie (Pronman's #13, HM) has been very strong in the WHL. This coming season they will have Michael Hutchinson, who had a very strong AHL season backstopping his team to the Calder Cup final series.

So they've really added some good pieces up front (Scheifele, Petan, Ehlers, etc.), on D (Trouba, Morrissey, etc.) and in goal.

 

[Evolu7ion]

Anyone know where Pittsburgh ranks?

22nd; right behind LA, Dallas, Boston, and right ahead of Ottawa, Minny, Philly.

 

[Evolu7ion]

I think systems with more forwards are rewarded, and systems with stronger goalies or defensemen are punished in this ranking system due to more unpredictability. Pronman himself even states right in his individual prospect ranking this much:

"Defensemen are given slightly less value than forwards of equal skill level because of higher projection uncertainty inherent in the position. Goaltenders are valued even more harshly, due to significantly higher projection uncertainty."

So a team like Philly who has a lot of their best prospect at the D position suffers, whereas a team like Nashville or Vancouver with a lot of their strength at forward jumps a few spots. This also explains why Anaheim may be slightly lower at 11 than expected as they have two great goalie prospects.

 

[Tripod]

Not sure how the flyers don't have high end talent, they have 3 defensive prospects that have a top pairing ceiling...

Where is Philly?

In reality, they have a:
3rd line C that was Captain of WJC TC
a dman that was named Top Dman at the U18 this year
a dman that was a #11 overall pick and expected TC WJC this X-Mas
a dman that was named Outstanding Player in the Frozen 4 this year
a goalie that led the OHL in Sv% and was 2nd in GAA
a dman that I believe was the 2nd youngest player in the SEL this past year
a winger that was a memeber of TC at the WJC this year

 

[Tankadelphia]

Where is Philly?

In reality, they have a:
3rd line C that was Captain of WHC TC
a dman that was named Top Dman at the U18 this year
a dman that was a #11 overall pick and expected TC WJC this X-Mas
a dman that was named Outstanding Player in the Frozen 4 this year
a goalie that led the OHL in Sv% and was 2nd in GAA
a dman that I believe was the 2nd youngest player in the SEL this past year
a winger that was a memeber of TC at the WJC this year

mid 20s

 

[boredmale]

Where is Philly?

In reality, they have a:
3rd line C that was Captain of WJC TC
a dman that was named Top Dman at the U18 this year
a dman that was a #11 overall pick and expected TC WJC this X-Mas
a dman that was named Outstanding Player in the Frozen 4 this year
a goalie that led the OHL in Sv% and was 2nd in GAA
a dman that I believe was the 2nd youngest player in the SEL this past year
a winger that was a memeber of TC at the WJC this year

Not to knock Philly, I think they have alot of good prospect but they lack high end prospect(mainly because they haven't drafted top 5 in the past few years). I don't think it's a coincidence that 4 of the top 5 teams had high draft picks the past few years(that are still considered prospects).

As an Islanders fan I am guessing if we take Reinhart(4th in 2012) and Dal Colle(5th in 2015) out of the equation and replace them with guys picked 15-20th in their respective drafts years, they would probably fall 15-20 spots even with our nice depth on defensive prospects

I should also add I know Pronman is high on Fiala, but how are Nashville so high(I assume Seth Jones is not included)?

 

[Tripod]

Not to knock Philly, I think they have alot of good prospect but they lack high end prospect(mainly because they haven't drafted top 5 in the past few years). I don't think it's a coincidence that 4 of the top 5 teams had high draft picks the past few years(that are still considered prospects).

Well I knew that they would be way down when his original list didn't have Morin in the top 100 despite being drafted #11 1 year ago AND having a good year last year.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Where is Philly?

In reality, they have a:
3rd line C that was Captain of WJC TC
a dman that was named Top Dman at the U18 this year
a dman that was a #11 overall pick and expected TC WJC this X-Mas
a dman that was named Outstanding Player in the Frozen 4 this year
a goalie that led the OHL in Sv% and was 2nd in GAA
a dman that I believe was the 2nd youngest player in the SEL this past year
a winger that was a memeber of TC at the WJC this year

...and the worst forward on the team.

 

[Tankadelphia]

...and the worst forward on the team.

How can you call him the worst forward on the team? He was a first round pick and just got finished scoring 90 points in the regular season.

 

[Random Forest]

...and the worst forward on the team.

He's talking about Scott Laughton...not Taylor Leier.

If you think Laughton was the worst forward on that team, well...