Prospect Info: Marlies/Prospects- Early Off Season time

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Thats true, but he did mention the previous regime picked big guys which didn't fit the way the team wants to play, so he has to be talking about Lou and Hunter.
I looked at it, and all those statements in level 1, seems to point at Hunter.

Pretty sure it was Babcock pushing Lou into adding a bunch of those big guys. A couple of them were guys Hunter would like too, but we picked a lottt of big guys with very little hockey sense and skill in those two drafts.

 

[stickty111]

 

[stickty111]

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Kokkonen did have a really rough year, but he will be in his 5th season (3rd full) in Liiga next year at still just age 19 and will likely be one of the top guys for Finland at the world juniors.

Coming off a year that he started with an injury I would expect a big bounce back from him.

He actually has the 2nd most games played ever in that league before their age 19 season and would have had the most if not for the injury.

 

[LeafChief]

Kokkonen did have a really rough year, but he will be in his 5th season (3rd full) in Liiga next year at still just age 19 and will likely be one of the top guys for Finland at the world juniors.

Coming off a year that he started with an injury I would expect a big bounce back from him.

He actually has the 2nd most games played ever in that league before their age 19 season and would have had the most if not for the injury.

I'm really excited about him. He had a freak injury at the WJSS before last season started (just after being drafted) and it f***ed up his entire season.

Expect a Dermott-like trajectory for Kokko.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Do they account for team on those numbers? Remember that Kokkonen played on one of the worst teams in the Liiga last year, so don't expect his possession numbers to be all that great.

Relative to his team, he's pretty damn good from the numbers I have seen.

 

[stickty111]

Kokkonen did have a really rough year, but he will be in his 5th season (3rd full) in Liiga next year at still just age 19 and will likely be one of the top guys for Finland at the world juniors.

Coming off a year that he started with an injury I would expect a big bounce back from him.

He actually has the 2nd most games played ever in that league before their age 19 season and would have had the most if not for the injury.

I'm really excited about him. He had a freak injury at the WJSS before last season started (just after being drafted) and it f***ed up his entire season.

Expect a Dermott-like trajectory for Kokko.

Do they account for team on those numbers? Remember that Kokkonen played on one of the worst teams in the Liiga last year, so don't expect his possession numbers to be all that great.

Relative to his team, he's pretty damn good from the numbers I have seen.

He had a slow start, but his 2nd half was really good. I can't evaluate his underlying numbers because of his team. Aside from Robertson, I have Kokkonen as most likely to become an NHL player even after the great seasons by Abramov and Abruzzese. Nothing against them, I love them too, but Kokkonen's defensive game is so advanced at his age, and the rest of his game is really translatable. If we have hockey, I wouldn't be surprised to see Kokkonen have an amazing season next year.

 

[Kiwi]

He had a slow start, but his 2nd half was really good. I can't evaluate his underlying numbers because of his team. Aside from Robertson, I have Kokkonen as most likely to become an NHL player even after the great seasons by Abramov and Abruzzese. Nothing against them, I love them too, but Kokkonen's defensive game is so advanced at his age, and the rest of his game is really translatable. If we have hockey, I wouldn't be surprised to see Kokkonen have an amazing season next year.

I think Abramov is the #4 prospect in the pool behind Sandin, Liljegren and Robertson

I like Kokkonen and Abruzzese but the jump Abramov took on a very average team was pretty spectacular, give me the guy with the puck on his stick and play running through him every day of the week, those tend to be the players that end up surprising you imo

 

[Prominence]

Repost

 

[daethfromabove1979]

I think Abramov is the #4 prospect in the pool behind Sandin, Liljegren and Robertson

I like Kokkonen and Abruzzese but the jump Abramov took on a very average team was pretty spectacular, give me the guy with the puck on his stick and play running through him every day of the week, those tend to be the players that end up surprising you imo

You could also make an argument for Korshkov at 4, I think he has a solid future with the Leafs.

 

[stickty111]

Kloke had a nice article on Loponen today in the Atheletic. Brief points from it.
Loponen is an extremely confident player. He loves playing the PP, and takes risks to try and generate offense.
OHL scouts and executives said Loponen was passive in the beginning of the season, but was a bit more confident near the end of the season.
Loponen will go to Liga this season and try and make a stacked team in Karpat.

Apparently Robidas made multiple visits to Loponen this season to watch videos of his performances, along with developmental staff.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Kloke had a nice article on Loponen today in the Atheletic. Brief points from it.
Loponen is an extremely confident player. He loves playing the PP, and takes risks to try and generate offense.
OHL scouts and executives said Loponen was passive in the beginning of the season, but was a bit more confident near the end of the season.
Loponen will go to Liga this season and try and make a stacked team in Karpat.

Apparently Robidas made multiple visits to Loponen this season to watch videos of his performances, along with developmental staff.

Yea I don't really see a spot for him on Karpat. They have a bunch of returning guys on their roster and a few other young talented defensemen fighting for jobs.

Would be nice to get him on Jukurit with Kokkonen, or at least a team that could give him some ice time.

 

[Kiwi]

You could also make an argument for Korshkov at 4, I think he has a solid future with the Leafs.

I think his skating is going to hold him back

The size skill combo is really nice but until the skating catches up I think that caps his ceiling

 

[stickty111]

This could affect Abruzzese's future plans.

 

[stickty111]

Wheeler released his top 50 prospects list, and he has Robertson at #10.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Yea I don't really see a spot for him on Karpat. They have a bunch of returning guys on their roster and a few other young talented defensemen fighting for jobs.

Would be nice to get him on Jukurit with Kokkonen, or at least a team that could give him some ice time.

I am not sure he is good enough for any Liiga team at this point. He will likely spend at least another full year in the Mestis and go from there.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Wheeler released his top 50 prospects list, and he has Robertson at #10.

Apparently Liljegren was right on the cusp around #50 as well

 

[stickty111]

Apparently Liljegren was right on the cusp around #50 as well

Interesting I didn't read that part.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Interesting I didn't read that part.

It was in the comments. Personally I would've had him in over at least Honka and maybe some others

 

[LeafChief]

Apparently Liljegren was right on the cusp around #50 as well

I didn't read the rules but was Sandin not eligible?

 

[stickty111]

I didn't read the rules but was Sandin not eligible?

He had Sandin as a full time NHLer according to his criteria.

 

[stickty111]

It was in the comments. Personally I would've had him in over at least Honka and maybe some others

Thanks. Looking at it, I could have made a case at #49/50, but overall I don't disagree with him.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I do not have an Athletic subscription, but I really don't see how Anttoni Honka would be ranked higher than Liljegren after putting up about the same kind of D+1 production in a weaker league as an offensive defenseman (and he was almost 7 months older during his D+1 year than Liljegren was). Can he even be considered a top 50 prospect out of that 2019 draft? Like if we are looking at him vs. Kokkonen, Kokkonen did not produce nearly as much, but he was much better defensively and played on a much weaker team. I bet if you swapped their teams, Honka would have nothing on Kokkonen, nevermind Liljegren.

 

[deletethis]

I think his skating is going to hold him back

The size skill combo is really nice but until the skating catches up I think that caps his ceiling

Not drafted to be a late bloomer, he was supposed to be readier than most of his draft class, but he still might be a late bloomer. He had a much better year in the AHL than at least I expected. He's surprisingly game to mix it up in the corners and initiate contact - sometimes a little too much. He may get himself in trouble some time down the road with some tough guy type. He has good hands and yes he's a bit lumbering out there although the skating isn't very far off being acceptable.

 

[Kiwi]

I do not have an Athletic subscription, but I really don't see how Anttoni Honka would be ranked higher than Liljegren after putting up about the same kind of D+1 production in a weaker league as an offensive defenseman (and he was almost 7 months older during his D+1 year than Liljegren was). Can he even be considered a top 50 prospect out of that 2019 draft? Like if we are looking at him vs. Kokkonen, Kokkonen did not produce nearly as much, but he was much better defensively and played on a much weaker team. I bet if you swapped their teams, Honka would have nothing on Kokkonen, nevermind Liljegren.

That's the problem with prospect lists, at the end of the day it's completely subjective and tends to come down to what the person putting together the list values trait wise

We're comparing guys over different leagues with completely different playing styles, how do you compare a defensive defenseman playing against men in Finland to a forward in the CHL playing against guys his own age who took an offensive jump this season?

I don't take those lists over the entire league seriously, hell we don't even have a consensus view of our own prospects, @SeaOfBlue @stickty111 and myself don't always agree on our own guys and that's only over 1 team rather than 31