NHL comparisons of top 50 prospects (2011)

[birddog*]

Strome = Tim Connolly.

Reminds me of Brad Richards -- strong stick -- reads the play well.

 

[R S]

Everything I hear about RNH just makes me think of Kyle Turris.

Well then maybe actually watch him play...

 

[AwesomePanthers]

I think B. Richards and RNH is a pretty good comparison, he is not as good defensively as Dats.

Landskog = M. Richards, I think we all can agree on that since his coach and other scouts have said that.

Couturier = Jordan Staal with more offensive upside, more like his brother Eric.

Larsson = I'm gonna say Weber here. A bit better offensively than defensively, and with that bomb from the point on the PPs.

Strome = I'm not gonna say his as good as Kovalchuk, but he plays very much like him at least on the PP. Same kind of fakes and slapshot.

They might be as good as the players I compare them too, but they play a lot like them.

 

[R S]

I think B. Richards and RNH is a pretty good comparison, he is not as good defensively as Dats.

Landskog = M. Richards, I think we all can agree on that since his coach and other scouts have said that.

Couturier = Jordan Staal with more offensive upside, more like his brother Eric.

Larsson = I'm gonna say Weber here. A bit better offensively than defensively, and with that bomb from the point on the PPs.

Strome = I'm not gonna say his as good as Kovalchuk, but he plays very much like him at least on the PP. Same kind of fakes and slapshot.

They might be as good as the players I compare them too, but they play a lot like them.

Well obviously haha

 

[Makaveli]

Ryan Strome-Patrick Kane
Mark McNeill- Ryan Getzlaf
Stefan Noesen-Brendan Morrow
Mike St.Croix-Danny Briere

 

[deanmoriarty]

www.oilersnation.com has rundowns on the top prospects from the Oilers head scout Stu MacGregor

He projects Larsson to be a #1 or #2, probably a #2

On Landeskog: "He's going to be a third-line player who could be a good second-line player."

Many more juicy tidbits at the site

 

[BluechipBulletin]

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Henrik Sedin
Adam Larsson - Fredrik Olausson with a slightly better shot
Gabriel Landeskog - Adam Deadmarsh
Sean Couturier - Poor man's Joe Thornton
Jonathan Huberdeau - A taller Gilbert Brule
Dougie Hamilton - Luke Richardson
Ryan Murphy - John-Michael Liles
Duncan Siemens - Richard Matvichuk
Joel Armia - Poor man's Luc Robitaille
Tyler Biggs - Nathan Horton
Vladislav Namestnikov - Jan Hlavac
JT Miller - Patrick Sharp
Zach Phillips - Zach Parise
Brandon Saad - Bobby Ryan
Alexander Khoklachev - Stan Chistov
Rocco Grimaldi - A short Pavel Datsyuk
Stefan Noesen - Andrew Ladd
Brett Ritchie - Darcy Tucker
Robbie Russo - Mathieu Schneider
Rickard Rakell - Alex Radulov

 

[jkrx]

This is how I view their realistic upsides - obviously if this were ever to be how they actually end up it would be the undisputed best top 10 ever.

1-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins : Datsyuk-lite
2-Adam Larsson : Ryan Suter
3-Gabriel Landeskog : Andrew Ladd
4- Sean Couturier : Jordan Staal
5-Ryan Strome : Briere
6-Jonathan Huberdeau : Claude Giroux
7-Dougie Hamilton : Pitkanen
8-Ryan Murphy : Campbell with a harder shot
9-Duncan Siemens : Seabrook
10-Mark McNeil : Dubinsky

Elaborate the bolded part.

 

[puckfan13]

Elaborate the bolded part.

Is there much to elaborate? Both big bodies who are really fluid skaters and aren't afraid to step up on guys physically and have an innate sense of positioning. Can play on the first unit PP and PK, won't be the go to offensive weapon on the back end but passing ability, heads up plays and shot that gets to the net will make him good for 35-45 pts/yr. Sound fairly similar to me.

 

[BennyBST]

Murphy-Housley
Beaulieu-Dan Girardi
Phillips-Justin Williams
Saad-Kunitz
Ambroz-Clowe

 

[johnnydrum]

NIKITA KUCHEROV ---comparable to Mike Bossy as a shooter --quickest release of any in this draft -and the pucks go in with deadly accuracy ...but unlike Bossy I detect some desire to check and play a 2-way game too...It willbe very interesting to see how much he mise rise in the actual draft after his eye-opening performance at the U-18's...Only the KHL issue might deter teams in delaying taking him ...he has top 3 forward "talent" as anyome else in this draft if not the very top ofthe list...He looks like a very "special" talent.

Wow, he sounds fantastic. Have only saw some very brief clips of him, but from what I have read, he is supposed to be terrific.
Im very intrigued now after reading your post.
Have you saw more of him?

 

[Mr. Hab]

www.oilersnation.com has rundowns on the top prospects from the Oilers head scout Stu MacGregor

He projects Larsson to be a #1 or #2, probably a #2

On Landeskog: "He's going to be a third-line player who could be a good second-line player."

Many more juicy tidbits at the site

thanks for the link (although I can't find the page all the info is on?).

 

[misterjaggers]

thanks for the link (although I can't find the page all the info is on?).

http://oilersnation.com/2011/5/7/fthm-part-vi-adam-larsson

 

[Hurricane Hugo]

2-Adam Larsson : Ryan Suter
3-Gabriel Landeskog : Andrew Ladd
4- Sean Couturier : Jordan Staal
8-Ryan Murphy : Campbell with a harder shot
10-Mark McNeil : Dubinsky

All good comparisons.

 

[Mr. Hab]

http://oilersnation.com/2011/5/7/fthm-part-vi-adam-larsson

thanks for exact page

 

[shadow1]

Landeskog = E. Kane?

I think they're at least similar.

 

[Zaphod]

I think the Andrew Ladd comparison is pretty perfect for Landeskog, yet there he is, at the top of the rankings...

 

[Karlssonlee]

Landeskog = Shane Doan

Murphy = Boyle

 

[headsigh]

Landeskog = E. Kane?

I think they're at least similar.

imo, Landeskog = Brenden Morrow

 

[JHabs]

My comparisons based on people I've spoken to, articles read, discussions had, videos watched, etc...

1-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins : Joe Sakic type
2-Adam Larsson : Nicklas Lidstrom-Lite
3-Gabriel Landeskog : Dustin Brown
4- Sean Couturier : More offensive Jordan Staal
5-Ryan Strome : Jason Spezza
6-Jonathan Huberdeau: Pavel Datsyuk type but maybe less defense
7-Dougie Hamilton :Shea Weber type
8-Ryan Murphy : Lubomir Visnovsky
9-Duncan Siemens : Brent Burns
10-Mark McNeil :Ryan Kesler
12-Mika Zibanejad : more physical Ryan Getzlaf
14-Joel Armia : Alex Kovalev
15-Jamie Oleksiak : Tyler Myers type
16-Ty Rattie : Mason Raymond
17-Sven Bartschi : Zach Parise lite
18-Tyler Biggs : A poor-man's Milan Lucic, or Mike Grier
19-Nicklas Jensen : Marian Hossa
20-Vladislav Namestnikov : Nik Zherdev
21-JT Miller : Jeff Carter
22-Jonas Brodin: Ryan Suter type but less offense
23-Matt Puempel: Brad Boyes
28-Alexander Khoklachev: This years version of Jacob Josefson, could potentially be a Zetterberg, great skill, great set
31-Tomas Jurco: Ales Hemsky
36-Oscar Klefbom: Dustin Byfuglien
37-Rocco Grimaldi: Marty St. Louis
43-Joel Edmundson: Mike Komisarek
49-Victor Rask: Mikko Koivu but with alot of issues
50-Nikita Kucherov: Potential Ilya Kovalchuk


All comparisons are obviously what their ceiling could be in my opinion.

 

[headsigh]

RNH: (very) rich man's Patrick Sharp
Landeskog: Brenden Morrow
Couturier: Taller Brad Richards with a little less offensive ceiling
Mika Zibanejad: Mikko Koivu
Brandon Saad: Dustin Penner is a fair comparison
Seth Ambroz: Guillaume Latendresse - big body, doesn't use it
Jon Huberdeau: Claude Giroux
Khoklachev: Zherdev with a heart

 

[Lion Hound]

I look forward to these threads every year.

Just read through this one and I think these are the following players that don't think have any comparisions yet...

17) Bartschi :
24) Morrow :
25) Jaskin :
29) Mayfield :
30) Musil :
34) C Murphy :
42) Clendening :
48) Bengtsson :
49) Rask :

After reading some of the comparisions I am definately more curios about the following players. Can anyone add anything about the following players...

Mika Zabanejad, so far in this thread has been compoared to Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Patrice Bergeron, and Miko Koivu?

Brett Richie has been compared to Darcy Tucker and Ryan Clowe. Sounds like he likes like to play on the edge and is a physical guy. How is his offense? If anyone can elaboroate it would be greatly appreciated. Is he just a big hitter like say

Lastly, who do you guys this is the best in each of the following categories...

1) Best Skater :
2) Best Pure Goal Scorer :
3) Best Playmaker :
4) Best PMD :
5) Best Physical Defenseman :
6) Best Fighter...that can actually play! :
7) Best Pest/Antagonist/Sean Avery :

 

[DropIt]

No other same comparisons... but when I watch Ryan Nugent Hopkins I see alot of Adam Oates

 

[johnnydrum]

I love this type of thing, so hope more join in!!!
As im in the UK, I cant say I have seen any of these prsopects, apart from highlight packages and from reading all the scouting reports/podcasts etc

1) Best Skater :Ryan Murphy, I heard he can fly!
2) Best Pure Goal Scorer :Kucherov
3) Best Playmaker :RN Hopkins
4) Best PMD :Has to be the Swede, Larrsson
5) Best Physical Defenseman :Siemans
6) Best Fighter...that can actually play! :Not sure, but am very curiuos now.
7) Best Pest/Antagonist/Sean Avery :[/QUOTE]Well I was impressed with the way Huberdeau seems to "bug"--maybe an ultra-ultra skilled pest

I have followed Brett Ritchie, whilst listening into the Sarnia sting games this season.
I had heard great things about him prior to the season.
With his obvious size, I was fully expecting him to be a huge part of the Stings rebuild, but he never seemd to get started, being snakebitten for a month, then went down (for what seemed an age) with "mono".
I was failing to see what the attraction was with this big power forward, when upon his return he went on a red hot goal streak--something like 8 or 9 games.
He finished with 21 goals in 49 games--so he does have hands.

My pondering of him using his big frame to bully players was answered, when he stunned the OHL with a devastating pounding of Barries Lepkoski (who thankfully made full recovery) in a late season fight.

His season was wildly inconsistant- with slumps, injuries, hot streaks,then more injuries.
On his game, he looked like Eric Lindros- Big, burly, powerfull and with a mean streak, but then on other nights- did not factor at all, which hurt a very inexperianced Sarnia team.
I just felt he SHOULD have been an even bigger contributor.

I think with a little luck, and perhaps if he was a little more willing to take a bigger role on this thin club, he would have really jumped up in the rankings, but it was , in a way, a lost season for him.

I listened to several interviews with him, and he seemed a delightfull young man.
If he puts it all together, which I dont doubt he will, he could be a real steal of 2011.

 

[GM17*]

Is comparing Huberdeau to Tavares an accurate assessment?

No, Huberdeau can skate extremely well. Tavares (despite what most will say NOW) has always had trouble in that regard.

Claude Giroux is the most accurate description I've seen of him.

You can say a player plays like someone, but I don't think some of the "predictions" made here are very accurate. e.g. If Kucherov had the slightest possibility of being a Kovalchuk, he'd be #1.