Mid-Season Prospect Ranking & Chatter Thread

[Rebels57]

Top 5 ranking of the players I’ve seen play this season:

1. Morgan Frost:
Playing with a lot more pace this season in the NZ when he has the puck on his stick. 1st line NHL upside. Superb vision with an underrated shot.


2. Joel Farabee:
Really rounding into form (production-wise) with BU lately. Much needed shoot-first forward. Deceptive release. Great hockey sense.


3. Philippe Myers:
Top 4 NHL upside who’s defense has been a lot more consistent lately. Pretty spotty DZ play earlier this season. Picking his spots better too (i.e. when to rush the puck up ice). Should get called-up very soon. Very active stick and his skating ability can erase most coverage gaffe’s.


4. Egor Zamula:
Biggest riser among all Flyers prospects for me. Very aggressive defenseman in the NZ & DZ. Confidence with the puck on his stick is growing more and more. Excellent transition defenseman. Had a really bad turnover in every game I’ve seen him play. Not from a hockey sense thing, more from trying to make a play/kickstart transition.


5. German Rubtsov:
The best Phantom prior to his season-ending injury. Played with far more offensive aggressiveness than at any point in just junior career. Showing he could be a very good 3C in the NHL. Bummed that his season is over.

That Rubstov injury is such a bummer.

He had finally made us believers again. Now we have to hope he finds that same level of confidence next season so he can get back on track.

 

[rajiabu]

Is there no love for Sushko?

 

[deadhead]

4th liner, Sushko doesn't have the top scoring skills that allow you to project him to a top 9 spot.
Right now his ticket is using his size/speed combo to be a top forechecker, and follow the Raffl route, prove yourself in that role, then generate enough offense to move up the food chain.

Twarynski had a much better junior career and he is expected to be a 4th liner.

 

[Rebels57]

Is there no love for Sushko?

He seems to be having a really dissapointing Draft +2

Maxim Sushko at eliteprospects.com

 

[Stizzle]

Below is my list. I chose not to include goalies...

1. Morgan Frost
2. Philippe Myers
3. Joel Farabee
4. Egor Zamula
5. Jay O'Brien
6. Misha Vorobyev
7. Tanner Laczynski
8. Wyatt Kalynuk
9. Wade Allison
10. Wyatte Wylie
11. Jack St. Ivany
12. German Rubtsov
13. Isaac Ratcliffe
14. Linus Hogberg
15. David Kase
16. Nicolas Aube-Kubel
17. Mark Friedman
18. Noah Cates
19. Connor Bunnaman
20. Adam Ginning

_____________________

Various Prospect Blurbs
_____________________


**(4) Egor Zamula**

Calgary, and Big Z, started really slow this year. After an initial scoreless 8 games, Zamula absolutely caught fire.

He looks like a high-end prospect to me. A physically immature kid, but he has everything you look for. Zamula has me believing.

This is the type of defenseman you shouldn't mind ranking high, despite not having a long track record. These guys don't grow on trees. I think the upside is actually fairly considerable.

Zamula is smooth, smart, and confident. He has a lot of similarities to a former lanky Hitmen defenseman we know. He has some tricky herky jerky moves to create space and open lanes that are pretty slick. Big Z is a pretty damn nice last signing by Hextall & Pryor. Thank the Calgary Flames for once again gifting us an undrafted free agent defenseman who is awesome.


**(5) Jay O'Brien**

After initially watching all of his available footage, JOB seemed like a more dynamic prospect than Farabee to me.

Unfortunately, 6 months later we don't have much more to go on because of injuries and his near non-existent role at the WJC.

I moved him down slightly just because Farabee seems like such a sure bet and Zamula's big rise. My viewings of him this season have been almost exclusively positive.

JOB is always looking to either create offense or hunt the puck. I said in the WJC thread, during the Sweden game, that when he has the puck it feels like something good is about to happen. He doesn't want to settle, which I appreciate. O'Brien remains a bit of an enigma, but he certainly looks like a real player.


**(6) Misha Vorobyev**

The Pimp is having a bit of a post-demotion hangover in Allentown. After a monster NHL preseason, he was "coached up" by Hak and quickly unceremoniously dumped to Lehigh Valley.

He's been just ok this season in the AHL. He still makes a play or two a game that forces you to sit up and pay attention, but I'd like to see more of what I saw late last season and this preseason. He hasn't been afforded the toolsiest of linemates or any PP1 time, which certainly isn't helping. I also have to assume Fazleev returning to Russia, and Rubtsov off in Voorhees rehabbing, hasn't helped his psyche either.

I've obviously been an ardent believer in Vorobyev, and said his game translates to the NHL better than the AHL. I'd like to think we saw a glimpse of that being true earlier this year. Unfortunately, Misha ran into the Dave Hakstol young player development program.

Misha Vorobyev is a playmaking center, who makes good use of skilled linemates with give and go plays. He anticipates plays in advance and can put himself in positions for good things to happen.

But he isn't a one man show. He doesn't have dynamic skating or finishing ability. Vorobyev really needs a quality wingman to thrive.

He will catch some linemates off guard at times with unexpected passes. I recall a Powerplay sequence, in the preseason game at MSG, where he even suprised Giroux with a quick return pass.

I believe Vorobyev should eventually be a help on the Flyers penalty kill. He has an excellent stick and makes gaining entry to the blue line miserable at times.

Additionally, the Flyers 2nd PP unit could use him, as controlled offensive zone entries are one of his strengths. Both passing and carrying. Although, I must say, he did not acclimate himself well on his brief stint on that unit in the NHL. For some reason he failed in getting back on defense when the opposing PK would gain possession. Although, one would assume, that should be an easy fix for Misha.

In conclusion, free Misha.


**(7) Tanner Laczynski**

Oh, we need a replacement for a right-handed power forward headed to free agency? Here's one that's actually good.


**(10) Wyatte Wylie**

My love of right-handed defensemen is undeniable. Just so valuable and difficult to find.

Wylie is really good, but I almost wish he didn't play for such a well coached and structured team in Everett. I'd like to see how he'd respond to a less friendly environment (i.e. Lehigh Valley) to see if any warts are being hidden. This is a really well rounded and low maintenance prospect. I have hope for him.


**(11) Jack St. Ivany**

This ranking of St. Ivany is not based on much. The WJC only gave us a glimpse of him and I haven't seen any of his games at Yale. My only real thought is his skating looked much better than the one time I saw him last year. But hey, sign me up for a lanky right-handed defense prospect with smarts and skill any day.


**(13) Isaac Ratcliffe**

For me, Ratcliffe is the toughest forward we have to project. He's an unusual prospect because of his unique build and play style. Also, Guelph is a somewhat poorly coached and underachieving team. So that adds to the difficulty in projecting him. I'd love to see what he looks like on a line with a real playmaking center, which Guelph lacks.


**(14) Linus Hogberg**

I have no confidence my ranking on Hogberg is accurate. I don't watch SHL games and only have his Corsi numbers, my few viewings from last years Champions League, and WJC games to go on. A prospect I like but a little bit out of sight, out of mind.


**(17) Mark Friedman**

Friedman looks the part. He can skate, is pretty skilled, and plays with some bite. Despite being a RHD, which is a huge plus, he just doesn't rate highly for me. I question his decision making with the puck.


**(18) Noah Cates**

Safe and reliable. Plays a heavy game. Put in the work. Provides structure to our group.

I just wanted to add on to this post. Hopefully, I can further explain my thought process. Especially after my discourse with a couple posters in the AHL thread and seeing others lists posted here, and elsewhere.

It seems like I covet our defensemen more than the other lists. I thought some were a little dismissive of the impact and value that a 2nd, or even bottom, pair defenseman has.

Personally, when I hear someone describe a prospect as having legit 2nd pair ability and potential it's music to my ears. I'm at the point where I think you really do need a roster of 6 legitimate, puck-moving defensemen. They all don't need to produce points, but they really do need positively impactful transition skills.

The defensemen who don't are just exposed far too easily in the current league. A shortage of capable defensemen exists at the moment and the league seems to have recognized this.

Right-handed defensemen especially are at a premium. Playing defense in the NHL is tough as is. Having to be a lefty playing your off side and fishing pucks off the wall, while trying to break out on your backhand, is often a losing proposition.

Overall, it's just my opinion that Kalynuk, St. Ivany, and Wylie were being sold a bit short. Zamula seems to be a little more polarizing. As some did view him as I did.

Morin and Friedman seemed overrated to me. Morin mostly for his lack of puck skills. Friedman I just question his decision making.

 

[deadhead]

Some agreement and disagreement.
3rd pair defensemen often play 15+ minutes a night, that's about the same PT as a 2nd line forward.
So they have significant value, especially if they're more than placeholders.

It's easy to overrate junior players, and even in college, unless they play in a top conference - a lot of players shine against inferior athletes, then struggle when windows are smaller. So we should be skeptical to some extent of Zamula, Wylie and St Ivany. Kalynuk is playing better competition (compare top college programs with any junior team). Hogberg right now is a better bet than any of them even though he isn't scoring, playing on the top pair of the best team in the SHL at 20 years old is impressive, as I'm sure Appleyard will be happy to tell us!

Friedman hasn't jumped out at me on the Phantoms, but he's been carrying Brennan around - he might well look better in the NHL with a more responsible partner.

 

[Stizzle]

**(6) Misha Vorobyev**

He will catch some linemates off guard at times with unexpected passes. I recall a Powerplay sequence, in the preseason game at MSG, where he even suprised Giroux with a quick return pass.

Below is an excellent animation of exactly the kind of thing I was referencing in my write-up on Vorobyev. An assist from Friday night's game.




Bailey admits afterwards, at the 2:10 mark of this interview, he was not expecting the pass.