Prospect Info: Offseason Prospect Ranking #10

[Predsanddead24]

Vote for the best prospect (with whatever reasoning you want) from the above poll.

Rankings:
1. Yaroslav Askarov (G, 11OA, 2020 Draft)
2. Joakim Kemell (RW, 17OA, 2022 Draft)
3. Matthew Wood (LW/C, 15OA, 2023 Draft)
4. Luke Evangelista (RW, 42OA, 2020 Draft)
5. Juuso Parssinen (C/LW, 210OA, 2019 Draft)
6. Philip Tomasino (RW, 24OA, 2019 Draft)
7. Tanner Molendyk (D, 24OA, 2023 Draft)
8. Fedor Svechkcov (C, 19OA, 2021 Draft
9. Zachary L'Heurex (LW, 27OA, 2021 Draft)
10
11
12
13
14
15

Click to read more...

 

[triggrman]

Stastney. I don't believe Chistyakov will ever play in the NHL. So that lowers his value for me. I hope I'm wrong.

Stastney though has NHL skill level and looked good in his brief appearances.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I'm giving Schaefer the benefit of the doubt as our remaining "1st rounder". Although practically speaking, I suspect he'll end up being more of a 4th line grinder like an Austin Watson. But there's just enough sliver of hope for something a little more that I'll stay optimistic based on his draft pedigree.

Realistically, any of Chistyakov, Nilsson, Lind, Afanaseyev, Stastney, and Livingstone could get this vote. If we are stopping at 15, man that's going to end up being a loaded top-15 no matter what the ordering of the last 5 or 6 guys ends up being.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

Stastny, Lind is a much better prospect than Schaefer...Lind at 11 for sure

Lets keep this going until every prospect is ranked. It is right and just

 

[herzausstein]

Stastney. I don't believe Chistyakov will ever play in the NHL. So that lowers his value for me. I hope I'm wrong.

Stastney though has NHL skill level and looked good in his brief appearances.

Personally, i think Chistyakov has the higher ceiling. Unfortunately, like you i dont think we will see him over here

 

[Scoresberg]

I wouldn’t write Chistyakov off completely just yet. I mean, why would you come to play in the AHL for 80k per year when you can shine in the bright lights in the top-pair in your home country? Why not just jump over when you’re pretty much guaranteed a spot in the NHL.

His situation reminds me of Kuzmenko, Kaprizov or Gavrikov.

 

[Viqsi]

I wouldn’t write Chistyakov off completely just yet. I mean, why would you come to play in the AHL for 80k per year when you can shine in the bright lights in the top-pair in your home country? Why not just jump over when you’re pretty much guaranteed a spot in the NHL.

His situation reminds me of Kuzmenko, Kaprizov or Gavrikov.

Gavrikov signed for two years rather than three, and had actually been to a CBJ training camp.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I wouldn’t write Chistyakov off completely just yet. I mean, why would you come to play in the AHL for 80k per year when you can shine in the bright lights in the top-pair in your home country? Why not just jump over when you’re pretty much guaranteed a spot in the NHL.

His situation reminds me of Kuzmenko, Kaprizov or Gavrikov.

Yeah, I don't really understand the rush to pessimism on that front that seems to exist around here.

I have criticized Chistyakov's choice in the past, because I'm not sure he realizes just how good he is, and that the $80k in Milwaukee would probably only be for 1 year, and he'd have a chance at an NHL salary after that, which would then end up paying him out more than he'd get on his KHL deal. But of course, none of us knows anything at all about his personal situation, and maybe it's not a good time in his life to leave home and play for peanuts half way across the world? Maybe he has a girl or family obligations. Who knows.

I doubt it's easy to negotiate with Avangard Omsk either, if you say you just want to stay for 1 year instead of 3, they're not a team that may allow much room for such things. But at the same time, Chistyakov won a Gagarin Cup with that team, and he's a top player for them now. It's a good spot for him to be in. If he had to choose between Milwaukee and 3 years in Omsk, nothing else on the table, then his choice is understandable.

Alexander Nikishin might be the best defenseman in the entire world outside of the NHL, and I don't think Carolina fans are panicking about him "never coming over", despite he also signed a 3-year deal to stay in Russia. Nobody likes it, of course, but at the same time, there's no reason for a completely bleak outlook.

 

[Armourboy]

Nah until he shows up in the US he doesn't even matter. It's like sitting around talking about all the things you will do if you hit the lottery.

 

[wmupreds]

Almost all hockey players have a dream to play in the NHL. Who knows what his situation is, but if he's driven enough to be as good as he is, chances are he will make the jump at some point.

 

[PredsV82]

Currently a 4 way tie....

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Nah until he shows up in the US he doesn't even matter. It's like sitting around talking about all the things you will do if you hit the lottery.

Except it's a lottery where you probably have better than 50% chance of winning it, just you have to wait 3 years. So, actually, not like a lottery at all. We have to wait 3 years for Molendyk to finish playing juniors and a year in Milwaukee. I mean, ALL of these guys are "prospects" so there is some chance they don't work out. That's inherent in the entire process for everybody in this poll.

 

[Dadof5boys]

Nah until he shows up in the US he doesn't even matter. It's like sitting around talking about all the things you will do if you hit the lottery.

I’d be able to afford season tix to Preds again if that happened

 

[maplepred]

I don’t understand how this is not clear cut Schaefer. Is it because we didn’t draft him? I don’t understand. Personally I voted him before L’Heureux as well.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

bc schaeffer didnt produce much better in his D+1 season than 2023 2nd rounder Kalan Lind who is still not accounted for on this poll

Lind over Schaeffer every day

 

[maplepred]

bc schaeffer didnt produce much better in his D+1 season than 2023 2nd rounder Kalan Lind who is still not accounted for on this poll

Lind over Schaeffer every day

I don’t know about that, he averaged under a point per game his draft year and was over a point per game last season. Had more points in less games. That’s improvement. Not massive but it’s improvement.
I agree Lind could be listed as well but at least Fontaine and Knak are lol

 

[triggrman]

Last year

 

[Armourboy]

Except it's a lottery where you probably have better than 50% chance of winning it, just you have to wait 3 years. So, actually, not like a lottery at all. We have to wait 3 years for Molendyk to finish playing juniors and a year in Milwaukee. I mean, ALL of these guys are "prospects" so there is some chance they don't work out. That's inherent in the entire process for everybody in this poll.

You have no clue what the odds are, could be zero and you wouldn't know one way or the other. That's why I said until he makes that choice he doesn't even register.

 

[wmupreds]

You have no clue what the odds are, could be zero and you wouldn't know one way or the other. That's why I said until he makes that choice he doesn't even register.

It's true that nobody knows what the odds are but I disagree that that means he doesn't register. You could theoretically say the same thing about any drafted college player because they could just wait it out and become a free agent. The truth is most Russian players that are good enough end up in North America to at least give it a shot. I don't think we have any specific reason to think Chistyakov is an exception, it might just be a little longer wait than most.

 

[Scoresberg]

You have no clue what the odds are, could be zero and you wouldn't know one way or the other. That's why I said until he makes that choice he doesn't even register.

Weren't you the one who also said Askarov would never come over?

 

[Armourboy]

Weren't you the one who also said Askarov would never come over?

Don't think so, I just said I wouldn't have used our 1st rounder on him.

Now if he had just signed a new 3 year contract I probably would have made that statement, but he never was in the situation.

 

[Scoresberg]

Don't think so, I just said I wouldn't have used our 1st rounder on him.

Now if he had just signed a new 3 year contract I probably would have made that statement, but he never was in the situation.

Even so, crazier things have happened

 

[Armourboy]

View attachment 735706
Even so, crazier things have happened

Guess I did, I was pretty pissed about that pick at the time.

That said I freely admit I have zero trust when we draft a Russian unless they have been playing in the US already.

 

[Scoresberg]

Guess I did, I was pretty pissed about that pick at the time.

That said I freely admit I have zero trust when we draft a Russian unless they have been playing in the US already.

Fair enough, but to completely disregard Chistyakov because he’s Russian is a little ignorant, imo.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

You have no clue what the odds are, could be zero and you wouldn't know one way or the other. That's why I said until he makes that choice he doesn't even register.

I mean, let me know what NHL-drafted Russian prospects who make the top line/top pair in the KHL don't at least try the NHL. They try if they can. It's the default expectation. Maybe you don't follow prospects around the rest of the NHL, fair enough. But some of us here who do are telling you that's the default expectation. There are sensible economic reasons why some wait until later to come over, but they still do eventually try. They aren't dumb and their agents aren't dumb, they want to make the money they need when they can make it, at the time that fits their life circumstances.

To me, if Chistyakov continues the trajectory he has been on so far... and make no mistake a top-pair KHL defenseman on a top team at 21-22 yrs old is EXTREMELY rare... then he's going to be a big star there, and the odds of him coming here jump dramatically closer to 100%, not just 50%. I only said 50% to allow for a little "drop off" in case last year was an anomaly for some reason. Most of us here don't really follow prospects, and I also have ramped that down dramatically in the last decade myself, so I'm in that boat too, at least in terms of trying to watch players. But in terms of following other leagues and other teams from the armchair, I'm telling you what he has done so far is far far above the normal curve, and most Russian players in that category - by FAR most - do come to try their hand in the NHL. If you don't want to believe it, fine, but that's just denying reality.