Jake Gardiner tops first grouping of HF's Top 50 NHL prospects

[haelwho]

Why do it that way? I thought this was supposed to be a list of the 50 best prospects, regardless of what team they belong to.

It is. For the sake of consistency we try to form a list that agrees with the order of team lists, but it doesn't always work out that way.

 

[Korpse]

Well I am smarter then anyone from Ontario. Not that its hard to be though

I think you mean than.

 

[Roof Daddy]

I think you mean than.

No. He invented the Dictionary. That is just how smart he is.

 

[Dylbot]

It is. For the sake of consistency we try to form a list that agrees with the order of team lists, but it doesn't always work out that way.

The list is based off your individual teams top 20 prospects list, right?

So if team A has a player listed as their #3 overall prospect and their #2 overall prospect is already on the list, there is no chance that that #3 overall prospect makes the top 50, right?

You basically just confirmed that if a team already has two guys in the top 50, they won't get a third.

If that is true, then this simply isn't a pure top 50 prospect list.

 

[KingLB]

You basically just confirmed that if a team already has two guys in the top 50, they won't get a third.

If that is true, then this simply isn't a pure top 50 prospect list.

Not sure how you came to that conclusion...consider the Kings already have 2 in and Schenn isn't listed so they are going to have atleast 3.

 

[Dylbot]

Not sure how you came to that conclusion...consider the Kings already have 2 in and Schenn isn't listed so they are going to have atleast 3.

The HF staff member confirmed that that second post I quoted was right. Unless I'm reading it wrong. I guess the staff member misunderstood.

 

[Warden of the North]

What a hilarious thread. 5 pages of people panty twisting about a Leafs prospect being rated as the 41st best prospect in the NHL.

Leafs hate knows no bounds.

 

[The Podium]

The HF staff member confirmed that that second post I quoted was right. Unless I'm reading it wrong. I guess the staff member misunderstood.

I think he is trying to say that some prospects may improve beyond the level of others above them after the top 20 lists, so some #3 prospects may make their way on the list while #2 does not. I could be wrong but thats how i read it.

 

[CapsWolverinesUSA]

shocker that as soon as Gardiner leaves the Ducks he makes this list.

We call this being "Tangradi'd". I predicted this would happen the day of the trade.

 

[Warden of the North]

We call this being "Tangradi'd". I predicted this would happen the day of the trade.

Or, you know, its the end of an NHL season so high ranking prospects may have graduated to player status? Thus moving up prospects drafted highly in recent drafts who may not have made the top 50 before. Cause you know prospects in the top 50 do have a pretty good chances of graduating the longer they are the list.....

 

[Comely]

What a hilarious thread. 5 pages of people panty twisting about a Leafs prospect being rated as the 41st best prospect in the NHL.

Leafs hate knows no bounds.

Well when there are a few Leaf fans on this board who will take this article and shove it down a peoples throats you can likely understand where it is coming from.

When you combine this when there are some of us who don't agree with him being ranked so highly. I for one don't think he is any better then Patrick Wiercioch so it annoys me that he is ranked over him

Patrick Wiercioch
Defense
Born Sep 12 1990 -- Maple Grove, BC
Height 6.04 -- Weight 185 -- Shoots L
2008-09 U. of Denver WCHA 36 12 23 35 26
2009-10 U. of Denver WCHA 39 6 21 27 34
2010-11 Binghamton Senators AHL 64 4 12 16 25 -14
2010-11 Ottawa Senators NHL 7 0 2 2 4 0



Jake Gardiner
Defense
Born Jul 4 1990 -- Deephaven, MN
Height 6.02 -- Weight 181 -- Shoots L
2008-09 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 39 3 18 21 16
2009-10 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 41 6 7 13 20
2010-11 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 41 10 31 41 24 0
2010-11 Toronto Marlies AHL 7 0 2 2 2 1

I know stats don't say everything and Patrick has oddly enough performed better with the O-Sens then he has with the B-Sens

 

[Static]

Or, you know, its the end of an NHL season so high ranking prospects may have graduated to player status? Thus moving up prospects drafted highly in recent drafts who may not have made the top 50 before. Cause you know prospects in the top 50 do have a pretty good chances of graduating the longer they are the list.....

Only he was outplayed by a younger prospect on his own team. That guy is nowhere to be found, at least until Anaheim decides to trade him.

 

[lebdafor norris]

Looking at some people's post in here, I guess (using their logic) Reimer is a better prospect than Jonathan Bernier, right? I mean Reimer does have a better save % than Bernier on a worst team and both of them is roughly about the same age.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

While you work on the write ups, maybe you should work on the list. A guy whos been so solid at the NHL level is behind 9 other guys who either haven't even had their cup of tea yet or cant consistently stay up.

There is no way Mcdonagh can be at 50 and Gardiner at 41.

The list is about long term potential. If the writers feel that Gardiner has better long term potential than RM - I don't understand the problem. Because by that measure - RM should be better than every non-NHL'er still on the prospect list.

 

[RStar*]

By that argument, Would you have Gomez over Crosby? Because after all he's playing in the NHL right now, and Crosby is still out.

That is bar none the stupidest thing I've ever head in my life.

 

[Leafidelity]

That is bar none the stupidest thing I've ever head in my life.

You head it here first, folks.

 

[mooseOAK*]

Gardiner looks very good in the AHL. Arguably the best skater on both teams in the games I have seen.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

We call this being "Tangradi'd". I predicted this would happen the day of the trade.

Only he was outplayed by a younger prospect on his own team. That guy is nowhere to be found, at least until Anaheim decides to trade him.

Maybe some people should look at recent history and realize that Leafs prospects haven't been ranked high or talked about much. Maybe then you'll realize that deep down it's just pure hate for our team and fanbase. Only around here would people complain that a Leafs prospect made the top 50 prospects. TOP 50.

 

[magic school bus]

Bjugstad should be higher.

 

[Mansfield]

Can't say much for the others but I just saw a Marlies game the other day, and like others have said, Gardiner was by far the best skater on either team. That said, he didn't look overly comfortable. Still got a ways to go but definitely a great prospect.

 

[Selanne138]

Maybe some people should look at recent history and realize that Leafs prospects haven't been ranked high or talked about much. Maybe then you'll realize that deep down it's just pure hate for our team and fanbase. Only around here would people complain that a Leafs prospect made the top 50 prospects. TOP 50.

if you read the posts you'd realize that no one is complaining that a Leafs prospect is on the list. we Ducks fans are saying that Gardiner would not be on this list if he were on the Ducks. I would have posted the exact same thing if he got traded to the Rangers, no leafs hate at all.

 

[KingLB]

So this is 5 pages of arguments made on a hypothetical guess?

 

[zeke]

It's true...but this one is kind of timely. Gardiner always struck me as basically irrelevant until he got traded to Toronto. Whether I'm right or wrong to think that way...I dunno. But I can't blame anyone for finding it "interesting" that as soon as he gets traded to Toronto he gets into this list. Considering these lists are always criticized for bias and what not....

I don't get the problem, really.

Being picked 17th overall doesn't seem to me to make him irrelevant.

Being rated an 8.0C (one of the highest rankings on this site) before the leaf trade doesn't strike me as him being deemed irrelevant.

By virtue of his 8.0C ranking last year, we can assume he was at least a top-75 prospect on this site last year - and then when he goes on to have a huge season this year, it doesn't seem like much of a surprise that he'd (barely) crack the top-50 this year.

 

[zeke]

I think in general, and what the more detailed writeups will likely indicate, is that Gardiner's skating is an elite asset that other prospects like McDonaugh and Wiercioch can't match with any of their assets.

Gardiner has very little downside, given that he has the size and defensive play to be a solid depth defenseman even if his offense doesn't pan out - which is the same as McDonagh and Wiercioch, but he also has some tantalizing upside with his elite skating and his breakout offensive year, that those guys just don't have.

Gardiner may well flop, but I'm assuming that skating is what's giving him the edge here, as it should.

 

[zeke]

if you read the posts you'd realize that no one is complaining that a Leafs prospect is on the list. we Ducks fans are saying that Gardiner would not be on this list if he were on the Ducks. I would have posted the exact same thing if he got traded to the Rangers, no leafs hate at all.

His 8.0C rating was already a top-60ish rating last year while he was a duck.

With his breakout year this year combined with all the prospects graduating around the league, I think it's safe to say he'd be on this list this year even if he was a duck.