Prospect Info: Final HFDevils Prospect Poll and Discussion

[Hockey Sports Fan]

It's a joke really.

The poll just took this entire draft plus Lappin (who has almost no history or pedigree) and put them in the top 20...pretty all around ridiculous if you ask me.

2 Mike McLeod
10 Nathan Bastian
11 Nick Lappin
12 Mikhail Maltsev
14 Brandon Gignac
15 Joey Anderson
18 Yegor Rykov

it's the magic of mystery!

 

[VoidCreature]

Does everyone agree, in retrospect, Gignac is way too low on this list?

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Does everyone agree, in retrospect, Gignac is way too low on this list?

No. Even guys like Bobby Farnham can look good for 2 game stretches.

 

[VoidCreature]

No. Even guys like Bobby Farnham can look good for 2 game stretches.

Oh my. That's quite a comparison.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I had him ahead of Wedge and on the same level with Malstev.

You can't reasonably put him higher until he shows more and gets more experience.

I think we have a few guys that will all jump past Blender for example, but not right now as Blender has NHL experience and these kids aren't ready yet.

Comparing him to Farnham is just as dumb as claiming he is NHL ready.

 

[VoidCreature]

I had him ahead of Wedge and on the same level with Malstev.

You can't reasonably put him higher until he shows more and gets more experience.

I think we have a few guys that will all jump past Blender for example, but not right now as Blender has NHL experience and these kids aren't ready yet.

Comparing him to Farnham is just as dumb as claiming he is NHL ready.

Hey now. Ouch. Leave my unbridled optimism alone.

To be fair, I only suggested he get a look in camp. I don't think that's so extreme.

 

[Classic Devil]

Does everyone agree, in retrospect, Gignac is way too low on this list?

No, not really. I think he ended up just about where he should've. At this point I think I'd bump him up over Maltsev but that's about it. Being able to perform in a prospect game or two is a far cry from being able to perform at the NHL level. Don't read too much into a small sample size. If he goes into camp and tears it up there then yes, we underestimated him - and so did everyone else.

 

[HBK27]

Does everyone agree, in retrospect, Gignac is way too low on this list?

I never understood Maltsev being voted ahead of Gignac when the Devils selected Gignac 22 picks higher and neither played a game between the draft and the poll...but aside from that, I don't think Gignac should be much higher.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Always loved the Gignac pick. Its going to be fun watch his progression this season. Can be a steal of a pick.

 

[neelynugs]

who's the biggest riser since the summer? rykov?

 

[NJDevils17]

who's the biggest riser since the summer? rykov?

Anderson, Gignac, Speers and Rykov all move up a bunch.

 

[Devils731]

who's the biggest riser since the summer? rykov?

I think it has to be Rykov. It's tough because he plays overseas but he is having a strong year.

After Santini, is there any Devils defensive prospect you are more excited about at this point? I don't think there can be.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Rykov, Bastian, and Gignac have moved up the most

 

[Emperoreddy]

Rykov, Bastian, and Gignac have moved up the most

Kerfoot is having a hell of a season and didn't even make the list.

Jacobs has to be the biggest faller on the list.

 

[sunnyvale]

Kerfoot is having a hell of a season and didn't even make the list.

Jacobs has to be the biggest faller on the list.

anyone else worried about losing Kerfoot?

 

[OmNomNom]

anyone else worried about losing Kerfoot?

nah, less hype than wood had. he's a senior in college, he SHOULD be dominating

 

[AfroThunder396]

Kerfoot is having a hell of a season and didn't even make the list.

Jacobs has to be the biggest faller on the list.

Good point, I'd put Appleby on the list too since he wasn't ranked in the summer.

Jacobs, White, Coleman, and Pietila are fallers. I'll throw Blackwood, Wedgewood and Kujawinski in there for losing development time to injury. If I had to do look at it now:

Graduated: Zacha, Wood, (Lappin is close but I don't know if we see him again this year, Wood is here to stay)

1. Steven Santini
2. Michael McLeod
3. John Quenneville
4. Nathan Bastian
5. Blake Speers
6. Nick Lappin
7. Joe Blandisi
8. Joey Anderson
9. Mackenzie Blackwood
10. Brandon Gignac
11. Scott Wedgewood
12. Yegor Rykov
13. Alexander Kerfoot
14. Ken Appleby
15. Vojtech Mozik
16. Josh Jacobs
17. Mikhail Maltsev
18. Colton White
19. Blake Coleman
20. Jesper Bratt

 

[Devils Dominion]

anyone else worried about losing Kerfoot?

Yes, me.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Good point, I'd put Appleby on the list too since he wasn't ranked in the summer.

Jacobs, White, Coleman, and Pietila are fallers. I'll throw Blackwood, Wedgewood and Kujawinski in there for losing development time to injury. If I had to do look at it now:

Graduated: Zacha, Wood, (Lappin is close but I don't know if we see him again this year, Wood is here to stay)

1. Steven Santini
2. Michael McLeod
3. John Quenneville
4. Nathan Bastian
5. Blake Speers
6. Nick Lappin
7. Joe Blandisi
8. Joey Anderson
9. Mackenzie Blackwood
10. Brandon Gignac
11. Scott Wedgewood
12. Yegor Rykov
13. Alexander Kerfoot
14. Ken Appleby
15. Vojtech Mozik
16. Josh Jacobs
17. Mikhail Maltsev
18. Colton White
19. Blake Coleman
20. Jesper Bratt

What has Bratt down to stay on the list over someone like Seney who is having a decent season?

I would put Rykov even higher. Only guy playing against men.

 

[MichaelJ]

Good point, I'd put Appleby on the list too since he wasn't ranked in the summer.

Jacobs, White, Coleman, and Pietila are fallers. I'll throw Blackwood, Wedgewood and Kujawinski in there for losing development time to injury. If I had to do look at it now:

Graduated: Zacha, Wood, (Lappin is close but I don't know if we see him again this year, Wood is here to stay)

1. Steven Santini
2. Michael McLeod
3. John Quenneville
4. Nathan Bastian
5. Blake Speers
6. Nick Lappin
7. Joe Blandisi
8. Joey Anderson
9. Mackenzie Blackwood
10. Brandon Gignac
11. Scott Wedgewood
12. Yegor Rykov
13. Alexander Kerfoot
14. Ken Appleby
15. Vojtech Mozik
16. Josh Jacobs
17. Mikhail Maltsev
18. Colton White
19. Blake Coleman
20. Jesper Bratt

Not too much to argue with here. I'd just put Speers ahead of Bastian and Rykov in the top 10

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I would put Rykov even higher. Only guy playing against men.

Should be top 5 imo.

 

[AfroThunder396]

What has Bratt down to stay on the list over someone like Seney who is having a decent season?

I would put Rykov even higher. Only guy playing against men.

I mean, they're both having decent seasons, but for Bratt it's just pure skill and potential at this point. Bratt was a pretty late WJC cut and has speed + skill you can't teach. He's already equaled his production from last year in 10 less games.

Seney is doing well but I don't see him as having a very high ceiling. Quite frankly, I'm not impressed with a 21 year old (in 2 weeks) with a negligible improvement over last year's numbers. I know Merrimack isn't great but most 4 year NCAA forwards that don't distinguish themselves in production don't turn into anything. Look at Hoeffel, Pietila, etc. I see him as a career AHL guy at this point barring some huge spike in production.

 

[Bleedred]

What is the deal with Kerfoot?

Seems like he's been in college forever. Isn't he from the 2012 draft?

 

[sunnyvale]

What is the deal with Kerfoot?

Seems like he's been in college forever. Isn't he from the 2012 draft?

I wouldn't worry to much about that because on a personal standpoint: degree from Harvard>>>extra year or 2 of AHL hockey. But he will be ufa in August I believe which kind of sucks from Devils point of view

 

[Bleedred]

I wouldn't worry to much about that because on a personal standpoint: degree from Harvard>>>extra year or 2 of AHL hockey. But he will be ufa in August I believe which kind of sucks from Devils point of view

That's good for him, it's nice to cover your tracks financially by getting your degree and a good career if your hockey career doesn't turn into anything.

We could still sign him I guess, not sure what the current regime thinks of him though. I'd personally sign him, if not for the AHL, when hopefully we have some guys who are there this year, playing up in the NHL next year. I'm not sure he has an NHL career ahead of him though, so it wouldn't hurt to let him walk. It wouldn't hurt to sign him either though.