Prospect Info: HFCBJ 2023 Summer Prospect Rankings: #8

[Viqsi]

HFCBJ's annual prospect polls continue. A quick reminder as to how this goes:
Vote for the best prospect from the above poll (listed alphabetically) and post who you think should be added from the full (remaining) list below. Criteria is that they are under 25 and haven't spent the majority of a season in the NHL. (This criteria may not match any particular service's/outlet's, or anyone's here who makes a list. Be that as it may...)

There are no set guidelines to determine how you vote. Peak potential, likelihood of NHL career, pathway to playing time, expectations based on draft status -- any/all of these can be used at your discretion. There is no right/wrong way to vote.

1) Adam Fantilli (C)
2) David Jiricek (RD)
3) Denton Mateychuk (LD)
4) Dmitri Voronkov (C)
5) Stanislav Svozil (LD)
6) Gavin Brindley (C)
7) Jordan Dumais (RW)

Added: Hunter McKown (C)

Select your add from the list below:

Tyler Angle (C)
Ole Julian Bjørgvik Holm (LD)
Ben Boyd (C)
Cameron Butler (RW)
Jacob Christiansen (LD/RD)
Kirill Dolzhenkov (RW)
Joshua Dunne (C)
James Fisher (RW/MOD)
Trey Fix-Wolansky (RW)
Jet Greaves (G)
Aidan Hreschuk (LD)
Sergei Ivanov (G)
Oiva Keskinen (C)
Samuel Knazko (LD)
Nolan Lalonde (G)
Nikolai Makarov (LD)
Tyler Peddle (LW/C)
Mikael Pyyhtia (LW/C)
Luca Pinelli (C)
Guillaume Richard (LD)
Martin Rysavy (RW)
Melvin Strahl (G)
Andrew Strathmann (LD)
Robbie Stucker (RD)
William Whitelaw (RW)

Add votes as of Byrral:
Whitelaw - 10
Makarov - 5
Ivanov - 3
Dolzhenkov - 3
Pyhhtia - 2
Fisher - 1

Click to read more...

 

[CBJx614]

Tarasov has had 28 AHL starts where he's posted an .890 save %. He has a .900 save % in 21 NHL appearances. No shutouts at either level.

He can't stay healthy and hasn't been good since coming to NA over two years ago. He hasn't played more than 40 games over the course of a season since before covid.

He also hasnt ever really played on a decent team, nor has he been able to get into a rhythm between call-ups and injuries. He hasn't even played a full season between both the NHL and AHL. But the fact that he's got better numbers in the NHL than in the AHL is a good sign.

I'm not so much worried about his play as I am his ability to stay healthy (which long term severely effects his play as he can't get into a rhythm or groove)






Ceulemans, add Whitelaw. His potential is greater than anyone that's left, but his attitude/character drops him significantly in this poll as it did in his draft stock.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Really wish I saw what others see in CC. He’s very flawed

 

[Cowumbus]

Add Pyyhtia

 

[stevo61]

Really wish I saw what others see in CC. He’s very flawed

And very talented. He has the size, skating, puck skills and shot. It will take time and coaching to reel him in and bring structure to his game but even if hes not ready until hes 22/23 thats fine. I feel like defenseman are getting like forwards where young guys are coming in early and skewing peoples opinions of how long it should take a prospect to make it. Ill bet on the physical skills to eventually shine through and I think he'll be a Severson type guy. I would have put him higher on my list

 

[Viqsi]

I'm simply stunned by how many people have written off Tarasov. I get the concern that he could be the next Pascal "groins of glass" Leclaire. But I don't think we've seen the best of him yet.

Does Tim Berni count as a prospect? If so, add him. If not, add Ivanov.

Berni played more than half the season last year, so he's not on the list.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

And very talented. He has the size, skating, puck skills and shot. It will take time and coaching to reel him in and bring structure to his game but even if hes not ready until hes 22/23 thats fine. I feel like defenseman are getting like forwards where young guys are coming in early and skewing peoples opinions of how long it should take a prospect to make it. Ill bet on the physical skills to eventually shine through and I think he'll be a Severson type guy. I would have put him higher on my list

I guess, idk I just haven’t seen it. I see big kid with offensive tools, and average to below average at everything else. You see plenty of kids like that. Just another guy, to me at least. The way he ended his season two years ago did give me some optimism (I was way higher on him last year), so maybe it’s in there.

 

[DarkandStormy]

Really wish I saw what others see in CC. He’s very flawed

Are there any "not flawed" prospects once you get out of the top 5 or so?

Virtually every publication - CBJ centric or otherwise - has him in the top 10 of Jackets prospects. Some national guys have him as a ~top 100 prospect overall for the entire NHL.

 

[stevo61]

I guess, idk I just haven’t seen it. I see big kid with offensive tools, and average to below average at everything else. You see plenty of kids like that. Just another guy, to me at least. The way he ended his season two years ago did give me some optimism (I was way higher on him last year), so maybe it’s in there.

Its all good, it was just a year ago I was defending Svozil's upside

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Are there any "not flawed" prospects once you get out of the top 5 or so?

Virtually every publication - CBJ centric or otherwise - has him in the top 10 of Jackets prospects. Some national guys have him as a ~top 100 prospect overall for the entire NHL.

Sure, but some flaws are harder to overcome than others. Malatesta can’t overcome his size, but he doesn’t play small. Tarasov is huge in the net and naturally takes away a lot of it, but can’t stay healthy or stop pucks very well. I’d say that means there are more red flags with Tarasov than Malatesta. With regards to Ceulemans, I think his stature among the community (here and out) is a bit overrated because he was a first round pick. I’d love to be wrong and we’ll know some stuff this year in a full season in Cleveland.

I had him 11th or 12th on my list so this isn’t an outrageous jump. But I do think it’s a bit premature.

 

[stevo61]

Sure, but some flaws are harder to overcome than others. Malatesta can’t overcome his size, but he doesn’t play small. Tarasov is huge in the net and naturally takes away a lot of it, but can’t stay healthy or stop pucks very well. I’d say that means there are more red flags with Tarasov than Malatesta. With regards to Ceulemans, I think his stature among the community (here and out) is a bit overrated because he was a first round pick. I’d love to be wrong and we’ll know some stuff this year in a full season in Cleveland.

I had him 11th or 12th on my list so this isn’t an outrageous jump. But I do think it’s a bit premature.

How many of those flaws arent coachable? I simply think structure and a stronger emphasis on defense from the coach will round out his game.

 

[Caser]

Can you give your opinion on his current game if you have had recent viewings?

At this point he seems to be a bit of a meat-and-potatos type of guy with reliability being his most notable asset, but maybe something more can be developed too. However as I wrote in one of the previous threads playing at the age of 19/20 on the CSKA team's D that won the KHL championships and being a more or less regular in the playoffs for them - I kind of don't remember who was the last guy to achieve something like that.

 

[SavesEmNot]

Add Whitelaw.

Can't wait until Rimer calls him "Outlaw".

 

[koteka]

add Kirill Dolzhenkov

 

[CoachWithNoTeam]

Yeah, Ceulemans, add Whitelaw

 

[AndBoomGoesTheCannon]

At this point he seems to be a bit of a meat-and-potatos type of guy with reliability being his most notable asset, but maybe something more can be developed too. However as I wrote in one of the previous threads playing at the age of 19/20 on the CSKA team's D that won the KHL championships and being a more or less regular in the playoffs for them - I kind of don't remember who was the last guy to achieve something like that.

Thanks for sharing!
We have a fair amount of offensive leaning D prospects so he could be a nice future partner for one of them.

 

[majormajor]

At this point he seems to be a bit of a meat-and-potatos type of guy with reliability being his most notable asset, but maybe something more can be developed too. However as I wrote in one of the previous threads playing at the age of 19/20 on the CSKA team's D that won the KHL championships and being a more or less regular in the playoffs for them - I kind of don't remember who was the last guy to achieve something like that.

Can you give us more intel on Ivanov and Dolzhenkov? And why do you have Makarov ahead of them?

We have very little information on all of these players.

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

Tarasov add Dolchenkov

 

[majormajor]

Really wish I saw what others see in CC. He’s very flawed

I'd say Malatesta and the rest of them all have longer odds than Ceulemans.

We've seen it before where you have a big defenseman who can skate and he figures out how to contribute at age 22-24.

I personally wouldn't guess that Ceulemans is ever more than a #4/5 guy but that's already more valuable than my best hopes for Malatesta.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I'd say Malatesta and the rest of them all have longer odds than Ceulemans.

We've seen it before where you have a big defenseman who can skate and he figures out how to contribute at age 22-24.

I personally wouldn't guess that Ceulemans is ever more than a #4/5 guy but that's already more valuable than my best hopes for Malatesta.

I hope you’re right about him. I just don’t see it. Malatesta has legit bottom 6 upside

 

[rotsbu]

Add Makarov

 

[Byrral]

Add Whitelaw

 

[tunnelvision]

At this point he seems to be a bit of a meat-and-potatos type of guy with reliability being his most notable asset, but maybe something more can be developed too.

My general impression of him from watching the KHL finals was a solid defensive D who consistently skates and battles well in own zone but isn't the most reliable guy in retrievals. I saw him more than once struggling to corral pucks off the boards and give an easy first pass. I didn't see him often carrying pucks up ice or having a lot of ozone puck touches either.

Based on that I thought his defensive upside in the NHL could fall somewhere between Gavrikov and Berni. Right now I can't expect him to be better offensively than those two. So maybe with a steady development curve he could grow into a third pair LD or 7D with regular PK duties?

He's in the 11-16 range for me this year, just haven't made up my mind yet on whether should I place him higher than some of the more popular choices here such as Dumais, Malatesta and Tarasov. Probably lower than Dumais and Malatesta but ahead of Tarasov.

 

[Caser]

Can you give us more intel on Ivanov and Dolzhenkov? And why do you have Makarov ahead of them?

We have very little information on all of these players.

Dolzhenkov's upside is obvious due to all the size and solid skill, but I'm totally not convinced in his ability to process the game. Ivanov has been good and I like him, but 5'11" is an automatic question mark for me. Makarov isn't something wow to me, I also have sometimes questions about his overall awareness and I'm totally not sure if there won't be a sophomore slump in the coming season, but what he has done in the second half of the season and in the playoffs is really impressive for his age.

 

[Caser]

My general impression of him from watching the KHL finals was a solid defensive D who consistently skates and battles well in own zone but isn't the most reliable guy in retrievals. I saw him more than once struggling to corral pucks off the boards and give an easy first pass. I didn't see him often carrying pucks up ice or having a lot of ozone puck touches either.

Based on that I thought his defensive upside in the NHL could fall somewhere between Gavrikov and Berni. Right now I can't expect him to be better offensively than those two. So maybe with a steady development curve he could grow into a third pair LD or 7D with regular PK duties?

He's in the 11-16 range for me this year, just haven't made up my mind yet on whether should I place him higher than some of the more popular choices here such as Dumais, Malatesta and Tarasov. Probably lower than Dumais and Malatesta but ahead of Tarasov.

Reliability is sort of a relative term, for a 20 year old rookie he showed that he can keep up with the pace and I'd say in general when he was on the ice, except for some occasional brainfarts, he was doing well at his own end, obviously if he would be older and more experienced my judgements would be more strict in that way. As for the puck carrying stuff it would be too much to ask from him at this point, it is the CSKA after all, however during the season he has done stuff like that:



I'd say I can't compare him to Gavrikov, as Gavrikov was a very smart D already at his age, but yeah, a serviceable third pair guy could be the upside here.

 

[tunnelvision]

Reliability is sort of a relative term, for a 20 year old rookie he showed that he can keep up with the pace and I'd say in general when he was on the ice, except for some occasional brainfarts, he was doing well at his own end, obviously if he would be older and more experienced my judgements would be more strict in that way. As for the puck carrying stuff it would be too much to ask from him at this point, it is the CSKA after all, however during the season he has done stuff like that:



I'd say I can't compare him to Gavrikov, as Gavrikov was a very smart D already at his age, but yeah, a serviceable third pair guy could be the upside here.

Wow I hadn't seen that goal before. I recall him scoring an end-to-end goal in MHL but wasn't aware he had done it in KHL as well.

To me that looked pretty similar to what Berni was able to pull off last year at times with CBJ. Good wheels and decent puck protection ability to move puck in transition but not a lot of shooting or playmaking skills or vision to do anything really creative with the puck beyond that.