Jets Top Prospects Poll: #3 Prospect
- Thread starter puck stoppa
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puck stoppa
Registered User
I was very hesitant about Samberg at this time last year because I wanted to see him play against better competition. My viewings during the year told me I was wrong. This kid can play the position very well. Love the way he moves the puck. He has surpassed my expectations.
Holden Caulfield
Eternal Skeptic
Appleton and Samberg is a toss up for me. Could go either way. The voting doesn't really get interesting until #5 as the top 4 have quite clearly seperated themselves from the pack, IMO.
Add Suess I suppose. He had a real strong senior year, but I am not sure if he will be more than a replacement level player at the NHL level. Perhaps slightly stronger chance of being an NHL regular than a few others, but his age works against him.
Add Suess I suppose. He had a real strong senior year, but I am not sure if he will be more than a replacement level player at the NHL level. Perhaps slightly stronger chance of being an NHL regular than a few others, but his age works against him.
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This one is another real tough choice:
Appelton: Has good wheels, a real solid all around set of tools, plus good hockey IQ and tenacity. He had a great year as a rookie in the AHL and stood above the other players at development camp. I would say he is within a half year to a year of being a full time NHL player and I think a reasonable projection is that he develops into a middle 6 winger.
Samberg: Great skater with a terrific defensive game. He also moves the puck well. He hasn't shown much yet on the offensive side of the game but has some tools that will hopfully allow for some good growth there. I think if he puts it altogether he can be a 2/3 dmen. But the fact does remain that if his offense doesn't develop his ceiling greatly diminishes.
I keep changing my mind but I think I will go for Appelton as he is closer and more project-able at this point.
Add Mckenzie
Appelton: Has good wheels, a real solid all around set of tools, plus good hockey IQ and tenacity. He had a great year as a rookie in the AHL and stood above the other players at development camp. I would say he is within a half year to a year of being a full time NHL player and I think a reasonable projection is that he develops into a middle 6 winger.
Samberg: Great skater with a terrific defensive game. He also moves the puck well. He hasn't shown much yet on the offensive side of the game but has some tools that will hopfully allow for some good growth there. I think if he puts it altogether he can be a 2/3 dmen. But the fact does remain that if his offense doesn't develop his ceiling greatly diminishes.
I keep changing my mind but I think I will go for Appelton as he is closer and more project-able at this point.
Add Mckenzie
puck stoppa
Registered User
The Moose games I saw Appleton did not impress, but you have told me he impressed you with all your viewings. Maybe I saw all his bad games? I don't see him as middle six but bottom six. I have Petan ahead of him for example and people really sour on Petan when he's only one year older. Perspective for me with him. I hope he develops into a regular nhl player but I have Lemieux ahead of him even. I hope he succeeds but I'm one of the few that is cautiously optimistic.
Well I also believe in Petan and see him as a middle 6 player. I would like to see him get a legit shot this season.
I am the opposite of you though in I have little faith/patience in Lemieux. Sure he projects to 4th line grinder with some touch around the net, but the rest of his game is poor imo. Add to that his temper and lack of discipline and I see him more of a detriment to a team at this point.
puck stoppa
Registered User
I don't think discipline will be an issue at the NHL level. But I know there were rumblings that he wasn't the best team mate, don't know if they were true or not but that is the reason I see him moved. I think he can be an effective NHL player, even if it's as a fourth liner, so be it.
Samberg for me. I like Appleton and have for quite some time, but I think he tops out as a good bottom-6 F, while Samberg has top-4 D potential.
MardyBum
Registered User
Also, if the Jets' #4 prospect is Samberg, they aren't doing that bad with their prospect pool...
puck stoppa
Registered User
Appleton is much like a Poolman, late bloomer, which is why I don't mind the Smith draft pick. Didn't we rank Appleton #19 last year? Sounds like HF didn't see the late bloom.
Well in his short stint with us he averaged 2.33 penalty minutes per game which was significantly higher then the next highest Jet in Buff at 1.62 penalty minutes per game. No one else on the team was over 1 penalty minutes per game. That to me doesn't look to promising on his part and falls well in line with his past performance; 1.95 penalty minutes per game as a junior player and 2.56 per game in the AHL. There is enough of a track record here that I don't think he figures it out and positively helps a team. The Jets don't need a player on their team that continually goes to the box.
puck stoppa
Registered User
Small sample and were any coincies? I think he can play hockey at this level without hurting the team.
No idea, just stating that it is a continuation of the same pattern that he has displayed at every other level that he has played so far.
The next 3 for me are
3. Samberg
4. Appleton
5. Gustafsson(Havent actually seen him play much but Scott Wheeler convinced me(paywall))
After those it gets interesting
3. Samberg
4. Appleton
5. Gustafsson(Havent actually seen him play much but Scott Wheeler convinced me(paywall))
After those it gets interesting
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What is the cutoff point on a prospect. Age? number of NHL games? etc. Cottage country is too good and I got in on this thread late.
puck stoppa
Registered User
For HF Board rules, I think it's 25 years old or 65 NHL games for skater or 45 games for goalie before you can graduate. There is a grey area where if we think a guy is a lock for the NHL that he can be exempt, which is why we excluded Roslovic from the voting, but technically he could still be a prospect.
My argument would be that Samberg's impact and trajectory at age 18 is beyond Appleton's. Samberg was a key player for USA at the U-20 WJC and for his NCAA team as a freshman.
I can certainly understand voting for Appleton here, because he's much closer to an NHL player. But I based my selection on the more uncertain expectation of future impact. I think Samberg has more potential, but is further from realizing it, and therefore a less certain prospect.
I think Lemieux fits in before Gustafsson. I think credit is due to a very strong AHL season last year, and the substantial improvement in his skating to go along with his shot / scoring and aggressive style. If he tames his temper, he's going to be an NHLer.
TommyKillian
Registered User
- Dec 12, 2013
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Voted Samberg for potential but I really like Mason Appleton. I went to a number of Moose games this past season and he reminded me a bit of Scheifele: very smart player, sees openings most other guys do not, and able to turn on an extra gear when the game gets tight. He also loves talking to guys to set up plays on the bench and before faceoffs. In the games I saw he seemed to shift back and forth between centre and wing but I think his style of play suits a centreman.
His skating concerns me a bit (though it may just be his lankiness as it isn't pretty) and his age suggests he may not develop much more. However, if he takes another big step forward, as he did last year, then he could become a good middle 6 NHLer.
His skating concerns me a bit (though it may just be his lankiness as it isn't pretty) and his age suggests he may not develop much more. However, if he takes another big step forward, as he did last year, then he could become a good middle 6 NHLer.
Channelcat
Unhinged user
Holden Caulfield
Eternal Skeptic
For me I just can't remember a player who went this long with as many on-ice mental issues like Lemieux that figured it out. I look at guys like Downie, Beach, Aliu, etc. These guys were all well regarded prospects like Lemieux who could just never "get" it. Who is the counter to that worked out? Carcillo (who had a 30g OHL season and 21g in 52gp in AHL)? Even Cooke didn't have the temper/penalty problems like Lemieux in junior/AHL. We'll see I'm not saying it's impossible and every person is unique, but it's looking more and more likely he doesn't figure out how to be a teammate and pro player without hurting the team.
I agree there's a lot of uncertainty with Lemieux. I guess the optimistic view would be that during his limited time with the Jets in pre-season and regular season games, he managed to contain his temper.
Honestly I think that if the guy is good enough he will carve out an NHL career for himself no matter how many PIMs he puts up. Guys like Beach and Aliu never had the AHL production to earn themselves an extended look at the NHL level, and Downie played over 400 games and really only left the league after his production declined.
I personally compare him to Ryan Hartman. Similar draft position and PIMs in the OHL/AHL, and Lemieux's even been more productive at every level. Hartman is no Lady Byng nominee, but he's toned it down a bit since arriving in the NHL and has carved out a niche as a productive bottom-6 agitator, so I have similar hopes for Lemieux.
If the Caps can win the Cup with Tom Wilson getting as much ice-time as he does, I don't see why Lemieux can't help us win some games as well if his talent translates to the NHL.
