Most underrated prospect?

[monster_bertuzzi]

The Moose better do whatever it takes to get him signed again next year, as he expressed interest in going back to Russia. The Moose already lost a few D-Men to Europe.

Nonis will do anything to get him signed.

 

[Crosbyfan]

That's hilarious.

I don't remember Gretzky in his youth, as I wasn't even born... but if I recall correctly, he was pretty damn fast and a hell of a skater.

Sorry, but damn fast??? Gretzky was/is a hockey genius who had incredible athletic talent but not speed.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Noah Welch

 

[bossy22]

Alexei Shkotov, Blues prospect. No Blues prospects get any love. Or Kostya Barulin? I hear some good things about David Backes as well. And while you guys are talking Kastsitsyn then you should mention Zakharov also, who has equaled his linemate at every stage of play in their mutual careers.

Zakharov better hope he gets traded to the Habs so he can continue to play with Kastsitsyn. IMO Kats is considerably more talented and has the brighter future. Zakharov has been playing with Kats for years during international tourneys and sometime gets more ice time. Since his Dad is the Belarus' head coach I'd say he's made sure to lineup his son with Kats.

 

[LaVal]

Does anyone take this guy seriously any more?

i do. thestonedkoala is one of the best posters here

 

[Legionnaire]

Sorry, but damn fast??? Gretzky was/is a hockey genius who had incredible athletic talent but not speed.

Yeah, I guess he was just camped out on the redline for all of those breakaways

 

[Crosbyfan]

Yeah, I guess he was just camped out on the redline for all of those breakaways

TIMING?

 

[Crosbyfan]

Who is the most underated prospects? Not in 2004 draft but the one that are already drafted by NHL teams.

To me, it's Maxime Talbot. There's no way this guy won't make the NHL.

Talbot is well respected. Most think he will make NHL.

My pick is Bergeron. Highest results to hype ratio for any 18 year old.

 

[H3ro]

Talbot is well respected. Most think he will make NHL.

My pick is Bergeron. Highest results to hype ratio for any 18 year old.

I would not consider Patrice a prospect anymore...
As of May 24th, 2004, I say:
I will pick Bergeron over any 2003 draftee.

 

[Epsilon]

I would not consider Patrice a prospect anymore...
As of May 24th, 2004, I say:
I will pick Bergeron over any 2003 draftee.

And people are saying he's UNDERrated?

 

[Alex Kovalev]

For my pens I would say Noah Welch, Maxim Talbot and Andy Chiodo.

 

[Jeff Goldblum]

That's quite a bold statement. But, i respect it. I disagree with it, but i respect it.

But I do think Bergeron will be one of the top 10 players out of this draft.

 

[Jeff Goldblum]

Patrik Bartschi is underrated for the Pens. But thats how I like it. Who heard of Ryan Malone before this year?

Also, Goepfert, Talbot (though he is getting recognition), and Anshakov.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I will only do this for some of the teams I like in the NHL:

Perezhogin...I don't care what he did. Many Habs fans even underate this guy. He will be a pure sniper in the NHL once his situation is finished. He is lighning quick, knows where the puck will be and will go to the gritty areas to get it.

Vrana...Not many care about the Q or any of their prospects. Has heard, leadership and loads on skills. He may make NJ as a 20 year old, can play any position up front. Great playmaking abilities and will score his share of goals.

Deslauriers...Edmonton will pick a goaltender this and that, pfffft they have a star goaltender for the future in Deslauriers. He eliminated two teams in the Q playoffs by himself including powerhouse and potential memorial cup team Cape Breton.

Nystrom...Many didn't like this pick but he is Sutter type player and will do well under Sutter. This kid is a playoff type winger that will do everything the coach asks of him. May make team out of camp next year.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Patrik Bartschi is underrated for the Pens. But thats how I like it. Who heard of Ryan Malone before this year?

Also, Goepfert, Talbot (though he is getting recognition), and Anshakov.

Not really underated, you hear his name quite a bit come WJC time when he rips the place up for Swiss. I have to see how he performes in the AHL before I can give a solid opinion.

 

[leafaholix*]

Other underrated prospects from Toronto.

JF Racine and Dominic D'Amour.

Racine's an unknown but he's slowly become the Leafs #2 goaltending prospect behind Mikael Tellqvist. D'Amour improved his game tremendously over the last 12 months... and he's moving up in the rankings rapidly.

 

[SmokeyClause]

One guy that comes to mind is Shea Weber. If I'm not mistaken, he was voted most underrated player and best defensive defenseman in the 2004 Best of the West awards. Shea was a 2nd round pick last year as a 17 year old. He gets little mention these boards as he got very little press before the draft. He wasn't one of almost 10 Nashville picks in the THN's top 60 but he might turn out to be one of the best. He's big and strong at 6'3" 208 and while he is noted as a great defensive defenseman, he picked up 17 points in 17 games in the WHL playoffs despite playing on a defensive team. He was also tied for the Rockets lead in scoring with 4 points in 4 games in the Memorial Cup. He didn't have a shabby regular season either netting 12 goals and 20 assists in 60 games. Pretty good for a guy who is said to be a defensive defenseman.

 

[Hossa]

6'0", 177 lbs...Compared to Locke who is what? 5'10"...something around there...

Look at Bouchard and how hard it is for him to adjust to the NHL. Granted he is about 2 inches shorter than Locke but he's quicker and probably has more skill than Locke!

Bouchard's troubles have as much to do with Lemaire and that defensive system that IMO doesn't exactly foster young skilled players well. I think Lemaire's stunted the kid's growth a bit.

Locke and Bouchard is an interesting comparison though. Locke's bigger, but Bouchard is infinitely quicker. But I don't buy that Bouchard has more skill than Locke. Having seen as much of Locke as anybody here, I can say his skills, especially those intangible skills, are exceptionally good.

I honestly don't know what to expect with Locke. Somebody said he will be a bust, but IMO if you're a fourth rounder, you can't bust, you can only boom. Locke is not a top prospect. The Habs don't expect him to be a stud (unlike Bouchard for example). That being said, Locke has improved his skating becuase he works extremely hard. He's also not a soft, perimiter player like Kyle Wellwood for example. For his size, Locke is very willing to go into heavy traffic, and he's a heart and soul type of guy.

All and all, Locke gets a lot of talk around here. Has there ever been a 4th round pick who's had more talk on these boards than him?

 

[Slats432]

Wow, there are so many that will likely jump out and bite people when they develop...

I like the picks of Jimmy Howard...also like Wisniewski...Talbot looks strong as people have said. No one even talks about Kyle Brodziak of the Oilers.

 

[clefty]

Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers
Igor Radulov
Bobby Goepfert
Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau

 

[V for Voodoo]

Zakharov better hope he gets traded to the Habs so he can continue to play with Kastsitsyn. IMO Kats is considerably more talented and has the brighter future. Zakharov has been playing with Kats for years during international tourneys and sometime gets more ice time. Since his Dad is the Belarus' head coach I'd say he's made sure to lineup his son with Kats.

No kidding, and who cares? Steen may be a better prospect than Eriksson but that doesn't mean the latter is not underrated himself and doesn't make him any less of a prospect.

My choices..

Anton Babchuk - Not a top 50 prospect according to HF? Get real.
Timo Shishkanov - See above
Patrick Ehelechner - Best goalie in the OHL - nobody knows him.

 

[Hossa]

Other underrated prospects from Toronto.

JF Racine and Dominic D'Amour.

Racine's an unknown but he's slowly become the Leafs #2 goaltending prospect behind Mikael Tellqvist. D'Amour improved his game tremendously over the last 12 months... and he's moving up in the rankings rapidly.

The biggest difference with D'amour is his foot speed. Watching him back in 2001-02, he was a pylon at times. He'd try and play physical, but take him to the outside with speed and he'd be in serious trouble. Agility, quickness, sharp turns- anything related to skating was an issue with D'amour. Now, while he's not as quick as guys like Cola and Bell, he's certainly not as vulnerable in that regard as before.

He used to remind me of former Ottawa 67 Jeremy Van Hoof who went in the 2nd round to the Penguins I think (that's by memory, don't hold me to it). A smart, physical, defensively steady type of d-man...but he never got his foot speed up to par. He started off faster than D'Amour was in his draft year...but the improvement wasn't there. Becuase of that, he never developed an offensive game either, and Van Hoof re-entered the draft and went in the 8th round to T-Bay and now toils the ECHL. D'Amour improved his foot speed and it made all the difference in my mind. He's hardly a speedster, and he will have to keep working on it, but that's the reason he put up points in my mind, becuase of his foot speed. He became a viable option on the powerplay, the shot was always there, but he wasn't mobile enough before.

 

[Hossa]

No kidding, and who cares? Steen may be a better prospect than Eriksson but that doesn't mean the latter is not underrated himself and doesn't make him any less of a prospect.

My choices..

Anton Babchuk - Not a top 50 prospect according to HF? Get real.
Timo Shishkanov - See above
Patrick Ehelechner - Best goalie in the OHL - nobody knows him.

On the top goalies in the OHL issue...Paulo Colaiacovo is better than Ehelechner (at least he was this year, not as a prospect), and I really hope somebody signs that guy. He was at the Sens Rookie Camp a year or two ago, and he was absolutely oustanding. With Guard signed, he'd probably get burried in the ECHL, but I like this other Cola a lot.

 

[Beakermania*]

Yeah, I guess he was just camped out on the redline for all of those breakaways

Interestingly enough the two line pass rule we hear about as a candidate to be abolished all the time was put in to prevent gretzky and the oilers from making that long breakaway pass. Look it up!!!

If anyone thinks Gretzky was top 5 in terms of speed on his own team, you are sadly mistaken.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

I don't think Talbot is underrated anymore. I think Ondrej Nemec, Daniel Fernholm, and Bobby Geopfert are underrated.