McKeen's top 30 for February

[turnbuckle*]

While there was just something about Esposito that never has turned me on,in his defense I will point outsomething I was not aware of this season--we all expected him to be a "go to guy" on the #1 line as most teams do with their top "phenoms" --But Patrick Roy has used him as the Ramparts #2 line centre this year--though he doesplay onthe PP---still as the top line centre I expected at least 100 pts at this juncture of the season =about equivalent to Gagner's totals --instead Espo has just 74 --but given he omly is the 2nd line centre that is not shabby....as a 2nd line centre the primary duty is not all out attack,but also some checking of the other teams top 2 lines as well as an offensive attack on transitions...if Esposito's totals are less than we all expected this mere useage on line#2 is self-explanatory...the "selfish " charge is not substantiated by his assists to goals ratio which is 2 to 1 in favour of assists...HOWEVER-I still maintain that if Espo were a true "phenom" --he would have kicked out the incumbent #1 centre--because Jr. teams do not do this to their "star" players who SHOULD be the "go to guy" on the team-is it Espo's fault tht Roy is not using him in the expected role=maybe/maybe not
--it can explain Espo's lack of the "expected" points --but not if he did or did not do anything to deserve not getting the proper "promotion"....IF it is Espo's own fault he did not get the chance as the go to guy at centre --then bad on him;if it his not his fault,then bad on Patrick Roy for putting the kid in an apparent failing (to meet expectations) situation...

Perhaps the very nature of plaing "2nd fiddle" has not inspired Espo to rise above this adversity --had he done that ,perhaps more scouts would have credited him with
overcoming the coach's error;perhaps by apparently not doing enough to overcome this unfortunate situation,scouts are questioning his character and ascrbing a sulking or selfishness to his play that may or may not be really warranted.

So we have 4 views on him

1-has the talent/was mis-used/did not rise above the adversity =AVOID!
2- has the talent/was mis-used/did ok given the circumstances= BARGAIN
if falls further than originally thought in the draft and will blossom
when given the proper "go to " role...
3- has the talent -but had to learn humbleness =coach correct in pegging
him down a notch=he will learn from this and be better for it when he
does get the chance to carry a team as "go to" top line guy = will be
better for this = BARGAIN if falls further than expected originally..

4= nah! talent was over-rated though his attitude not the problem
some make it out to be...he's ok -but overall should be more
ab 8-15 pick than a top 8 pick...


Take your pick of the above...

However the very thought that we must analyze this kid this way suggests
"something" is off --instinct says no way to top 5...perhaps risk it in the 6-10 slots...

)

I'm not sure he fits precisely into any of those four categories. I think his skiil was a bit overblown going into the season because he benefited greatly from playing with Radulov. i also think his attitude is poor...but the biggest strike against him is his work ethic - he dogs it out on the ice the majority of the time. Scouts don't like to see that in their top ten picks unless he's scoring at an incredible rate. Brendl is a prime example - scouts hated his work ethic, but it's kinda tough to pass over a guy that scores 70 goals in his draft year. Scouts are trying not to make that mistake again - look at where Schremp was drafted for instance.

what scouts do however is figure out

 

[Transported Upstater]

You'd have yourself a heckuva solid two-way center. Skating is his only issue, and I've seen worse that's for sure.

I absolutely love what I've seen of Couture, albeit that is admittedly very little.

I always say that in the NHL draft you must always take the best player available regardless of position...but I sure as hell hope the BPA for Toronto come June is a forward with a good skillset.

 

[Legionnaire]

Hasn't been much of a drop with Couture at McKeen's. We had him tenth or so a couple of months ago - we never had him first overall like some scouting services have...

Skating, mononucleosis, and guys playing better than him this season are why he's tenth on the list. Gagner, Sutter, ellerby and Voracek are showing more as prospects right now, so we moved them ahead of him after a strong stretch for Logan around the holidays.

He's injured once again...scouts are also starting to question his durability.

Duribilty question eh? Hard to really tie Mono together with a knee injury or a gash to the face, but I guess I can see the concern. Perhaps it's a case of scouts(in general) not getting to see him enough.

 

[turnbuckle*]

Duribilty question eh? Hard to really tie Mono together with a knee injury or a gash to the face, but I guess I can see the concern. Perhaps it's a case of scouts(in general) not getting to see him enough.

More of a dirigibility question.

He's missed games for reasons other than mono - they're not worried that he's injury prone because of the mono; most of them have a little more medical knowledge than that.

I don't think it's a huge issue; and you're right in that some are frustrated over his limited viewing this season.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

)

I'm not sure he fits precisely into any of those four categories. I think his skiil was a bit overblown going into the season because he benefited greatly from playing with Radulov. i also think his attitude is poor...but the biggest strike against him is his work ethic - he dogs it out on the ice the majority of the time. Scouts don't like to see that in their top ten picks unless he's scoring at an incredible rate. Brendl is a prime example - scouts hated his work ethic, but it's kinda tough to pass over a guy that scores 70 goals in his draft year. Scouts are trying not to make that mistake again - look at where Schremp was drafted for instance.

what scouts do however is figure out

What is it about his attitude that rubs you the wrong way? I can understand the dogging it bit, but has he made any comments that made him sound immature or uncoachable?

 

[turnbuckle*]

What is it about his attitude that rubs you the wrong way? I can understand the dogging it bit, but has he made any comments that made him sound immature or uncoachable?

He dogs it on the ice - does that not make one have a concern about a player's attitude? Don't try to read too much into comments and try to invent things about a player please; it's much too common an occurrence around here,and I'm not insinuating that he's uncoachable or anything like that. I think I've gone into enough negative details about his character. He's still a helluva prospect who could end u first overall if he decides to work, as I stated earlier.

No more questions about Espo's character please - I'm not his psychologist.

 

[rt]

I know this is a difficult question to answer but who are some other players recently drafted, in the NHL, or retired that JVR reminds you of? Who would you compare him to? Why? Thanks, and you don't have to try and be exact.

 

[Hiishawk]

Could you comment on the attractions of Paciorety (USHL) and the goalie from Cedar Rapids (name escapes me) who you have ranked at #43. These are the only ones I haven't seen.

By the way, while everyone has Ellerby in their top 15, many question whether he has much of an upside, whether he can really explode at the next level or if he'll always be just a journeyman type. What's your take?

Thanks.

 

[turnbuckle*]

It's pretty late here guys - I'll answer your questions in the morning.

Cheers

 

[Legionnaire]

More of a dirigibility question.

Well, for the sake of whomever drafts him, let's hope he's not the Hindenburg.

 

[SpecialK]

So do you have any thoughts on Alzner? He's been relatively high on everyones list for a while now but doesnt seem to get alot of talk I dont think

 

[turnbuckle*]

I know this is a difficult question to answer but who are some other players recently drafted, in the NHL, or retired that JVR reminds you of? Who would you compare him to? Why? Thanks, and you don't have to try and be exact.

I'm not really big on the comparison game, as i feel every player brings his own uniques qualities....having said that tho..... ...he reminds me a little bit of Skille...my partner says he reminds him of Bobby Ryan.

But the guy he really plays like - Andy Bathgate.

 

[turnbuckle*]

Could you comment on the attractions of Paciorety (USHL) and the goalie from Cedar Rapids (name escapes me) who you have ranked at #43. These are the only ones I haven't seen.

By the way, while everyone has Ellerby in their top 15, many question whether he has much of an upside, whether he can really explode at the next level or if he'll always be just a journeyman type. What's your take?

Thanks.

Paccioretty is a solid two-way prospect that scouts see as a future third-line NHLer. doesn't possess a pile of NHL offensive upside, but does a lot of things well - good size and skating ability.

the goalie you're referring to is Kent Patterson. we really like him - he is climbing and may end up in the first round when all's said and done. We see him and Jeremy Smith as the top goalie prospects at this time.

 

[BeardyCanuck03]

Just wondering what the thinking on Dana Tyrell is.

 

[Redwingsfan]

Scouts didn't like the way he disappeared in the second round of last year's playoffs versus Vancouver once the physical play and tight checking increased. If a good junior team is going to give him trouble in his third WHL playoff year, what's he going to accomplish against the New Jersey Devils any time of the year?

He's not a great skater for his size (but not bad), he's small, his defence is suspect, and he's not the most willing player to go into traffic. Lots of talent, great hands and vision tho.

I'm not sure he'll be a top two center on a good NHL team; perobably a fourth liner and power play specialist. Do you take a player like that with a top 20 pick? If he ends up leading the WHL in scoring... perhaps...but we are waiting to see his playoff performance to be honest with you. If he craps the bed; he'll probably drop out of the first round. if he has a better performance and shows he can handle tight checking and physical play, he may end up being picked in the teens.

you said before that last year didnt matter. it was all about what you do this season.

 

[Redwingsfan]

where is christopher DiDomenico ranked. he is third among rookies in the Q with 62 points in 59 games behind voracek and perron who will be first round picks in the draft. from he's stats he looks pretty bad defensively with a -21. but some of it might be because he is playing for the worst team in the entire league. its not easy to have a good +/- rating when your team has given up 110 more goals then they have scored.

 

[jay-P]

Just wondering what the thinking on Dana Tyrell is.

Here's HF's feature on him: http://hockeysfuture.com/articles/9215

As a heart-and-soul player and a leader, I think he has similarities with Jamie McGinn (SJ) who was drafted 36th overall last year. Both work very hard and have intangible qualities. But maybe the edge in offensive capabilities would go to McGinn.

 

[turnbuckle*]

you said before that last year didnt matter. it was all about what you do this season.

those were my exact words were they?


I am saying that if he craps the bed in this year's playoffs, there will be a very noticeable pattern occurring based on past history.

when you're looking at potential top 20 players you look at all factors, including how they've done in past playoffs, especially prospects that have been in the league for three+years - Hamill is a special circumstance - this will be his fourth playoff - do you know any other draft eligible prospects in that situation?

If he does well in this year's playoffs, his past performances will be forgotten. But given that he's shown to be a perimeter player in the past, scouts are waiting for this year's playoffs before they'll be comfortable taking him with a high pick.

 

[turnbuckle*]

where is christopher DiDomenico ranked. he is third among rookies in the Q with 62 points in 59 games behind voracek and perron who will be first round picks in the draft. from he's stats he looks pretty bad defensively with a -21. but some of it might be because he is playing for the worst team in the entire league. its not easy to have a good +/- rating when your team has given up 110 more goals then they have scored.

We don't have him ranked right now, but admittedly we haven't had a lot of views and are relying predominantly on what the pro scouts are telling us - poor skater, poor defensively, very small. He's not being considered by the teams I've talked to, but we're gong to be seeing him a couple of times in the next month - hard to ignore the stats - he must be doing something right. I have a feeling his skating has come along.

Keep in mind that there are point producers every year that don't get drafted. The only ones that have ranked Didomenico is Central Scouting, and they have him as a sixth or seventh rounder when you add in goalies and Europeans.

 

[turnbuckle*]

Just wondering what the thinking on Dana Tyrell is.

If Tyrell was two or three inches taller he'd be a top ten pick, perhaps top five. One of those kids that does everything well - he's a great skater, great hustle, gritty, plays a two way game, has some puck skills. You can't help but like the way he plays.

McKeen's noticed his special talents a couple of months ago, and we've had him securely in the first round since the start of the year. More than one scout in the past two months, when told where we had Tyrell ranked, commented "I guess we're not going to be able to steal him in the second round now". Tyrell had been flying under the radar early on in the season, but his sterling play night after night has impressed everyone. I'd be surprised to see him drop out of the first round =- you just know that his game is not going to wane.

 

[Anthony Mauro]

you just know that his game is not going to wane.

And IMO that's what makes him more valuable as a draft pick than an Esposito, Cherepanov, Korostin etc. I wouldn't be surprised to see that kid picked in the 20's and come out as one of the top 7-10 players in the draft if not higher. He's the type of player I rank highly as those guys will make you look good in scouting with good percentage potential's of playing in the NHL. That's why Sutter, Couture, JvR, Sweatt, Legein, Ruth, Moller, Palushaj, Turnbull are are most likely higher on my list than others. They just translate well to the pro game with the way they approach the game. Aside from Sweatt none of those aforementioned players has the gamebreaking ability you normally want from a high pick, but a good amount of them should all churn out long NHL careers in my book.

 

[Erika]

Turnbuckle, do you know at what position Alex Grant is rank ?

Thanks

 

[Hunter Gathers]

That's why Sutter, Couture, JvR, Sweatt, Legein, Ruth, Moller, Palushaj, Turnbull are are most likely higher on my list than others. They just translate well to the pro game with the way they approach the game. Aside from Sweatt none of those aforementioned players has the gamebreaking ability you normally want from a high pick, but a good amount of them should all churn out long NHL careers in my book.

Are you serious? If anyone in that group has any game breaking ability, it would be either Couture or JVR. Both have the offensive capabilities to change the game.

Sweatt I've seen all year and I don't think he'll be much of a game breaker.

 

[MikeC]

John Negrin

I see that you put John Negrin in your top 30...can you tell me more about him.

Thanks

 

[Anthony Mauro]

Are you serious? If anyone in that group has any game breaking ability, it would be either Couture or JVR. Both have the offensive capabilities to change the game.

Sweatt I've seen all year and I don't think he'll be much of a game breaker.

Yep, his speed gives him that edge. I just hope he's able to harness those burners. IMO his range is in between a Cullen and Gaborik as far as impact on the game offensively. I think he'll be a great two-way player with speed to burn at the very least but if he ever reaches his top end, watch out. What makes him stand out to me is being able to create offense at his top end speed. In essence, his hands are just as fast as his feet. That creates a dangerous prospect.

Speed is not everything, I understand. But I just don't see a methodical player like Couture or raw tools guy like JvR as a gamebreaker just yet.