Outstanding Sophmores

[#2]

The following were outstanding rookie last seasons, i was wondering what you guys thought were the upsides and realistic numbers that they could put up in upcoming seasons.

Forwards
Alexander Semin
Nikolai Zherdev
Joffrey Lupul
Tuomo Ruutu
Patrice Bergeron
Eric Staal
Nathan Horton

Defense
Dan Hamhuis
Joni Pitkanen
J.M Liles
Tom Preissing
M.A Bergeron

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[Reilly311]

Way to forget Fleury or Raycroft

 

[Legionnaire]

I'd add Gleason to the D list, and Vermette from Ottawa and Lupul from Anaheim for the forwards.

 

[leafaholix*]

I'd add Stajan, not in the same class as the others offensively, but I think he had an outstanding rookie year and can probably get 40 points in the next season. He's put on size working something like 4 hours a day, 7 days a week over the summer with Gary Roberts.

 

[Sting]

I'd add Stajan, not in the same class as the others offensively, but I think he had an outstanding rookie year and can probably get 40 points in the next season. He's put on size working something like 4 hours a day, 7 days a week over the summer with Gary Roberts.

I'll never understand why guys work out for 4 hours a day...because after 1 hour you don't build muscle quite the same, and overdoing it isn't good. Mind you, it works for Roberts, so hey..

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Way to forget Fleury or Raycroft

Fleury's still a ROOK, IIRC.

 

[Juicer]

The following were outstanding rookie last seasons, i was wondering what you guys thought were the upsides and realistic numbers that they could put up in upcoming seasons.

Forwards
Alexander Semin
Nikolai Zherdev
Joffrey Lupul
Tuomo Ruutu
Patrice Bergeron
Eric Staal
Nathan Horton

Defense
Dan Hamhuis
Joni Pitkanen
J.M Liles
Tom Preissing
M.A Bergeron

How about I just give my offensive output for the freshmen.

1.Hunter
2.Ruutu
3.Zherdev
4.Ryder
5.Malone
6.Staal
7.Dimitrakos
8.Semin
9.Horton
10.Bergeron

1.Zidlicky(I know)
2.Pitkanen
3.Bergeron
4.Hamhuis
5.Liles

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Paul Martin must have raised taxes.

 

[leafaholix*]

Paul Martin must have raised taxes.

:lol

 

[#2]

How about I just give my offensive output for the freshmen.

1.Hunter
2.Ruutu
3.Zherdev
4.Ryder
5.Malone
6.Staal
7.Dimitrakos
8.Semin
9.Horton
10.Bergeron

1.Zidlicky(I know)
2.Pitkanen
3.Bergeron
4.Hamhuis
5.Liles

I purposley left out some guys though cause i wanted some opinons on CERTAIN somphmores. I know all those players are good but didnt want opinons on some of them

 

[TML]

Forwards

Nikolai Zherdev - 65
Eric Staal - 60
Tuomo Ruutu - 55
Alexander Semin - 45
Nathan Horton - 45
Joffrey Lupul - 45
Trent Hunter - 45
Matt Stajan - 40
Ryan Malone - 40
Patrice Bergeron - 35

Defense

Paul Martin - 37
Joni Pitkanen - 35
J.M Liles - 35
Dan Hamhuis - 32
M.A Bergeron - 25
Tom Preissing - 20

 

[Foppa]

I purposley left out some guys though cause i wanted some opinons on CERTAIN somphmores. I know all those players are good but didnt want opinons on some of them

Its funny how often this happens around here. Especially on the poll board. You really have to make it clear when you ask the question that you picked this group specifically or else people will just assume you are either ignorant, an idiot, or a biased, anti-(insert team name here) fan because you didn't list their player.

 

[Rscorpio]

Way to forget Fleury or Raycroft

and Ryder

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

No respect for Mr. Bergeron. He would be on the second line if there was a season and would definately rack up over 40 points.

 

[triggrman]

Its funny how often this happens around here. Especially on the poll board. You really have to make it clear when you ask the question that you picked this group specifically or else people will just assume you are either ignorant, an idiot, or a biased, anti-(insert team name here) fan because you didn't list their player.

That almost never happens.

No respect for Mr. Bergeron. He would be on the second line if there was a season and would definately rack up over 40 points.

Wait, maybe it almost always happens.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

All of the following assuming a full season & stay healthy:

Forwards
Alexander Semin - 45 (has skills for more, but at this point I think that WASH lacks the other bonified offensive players to help out the kids, and their production will suffer in the short term).
Nikolai Zherdev - 60 (assuming he continues his breakout from the end of last season - like Staal his point production very dependant on how his teammates develop).
Joffrey Lupul - 40 (total guess - not sure about changes in ANA except for Prospal leaving - could mean more time for Lupul)
Tuomo Ruutu - 60 (Going to be getting 1st line icetime - and he was the real deal last year after playing with scoring line talent)
Patrice Bergeron - 50 (No Murray or Knuble likely means more icetime & PP time for Bergeron)
Eric Staal - 45 (No Francis & reduced time for B'A means more time for Staal - I do think that there's a lot of risk though because Staal's point production will be based on how O'Neill comes back from the shoulder surgery or how Vrbata develops)
Nathan Horton - 40 (I think he'll produce much more long term, but next year likely to be another year of growing pains in FLA - if Weiss breaks out the Horton will likely score subtantially more than above).

Defense
Dan Hamhuis - 25 (with Timonen & Zdilicky PP time will be limited)
Joni Pitkanen - 35 (he'll be getting plenty of PP time, and likely more ES time as well)
J.M Liles - 40 (1st line PP time + strong Av's team = good point production)
Tom Preissing - ? (not sure what SJ's plan is for Preissing - but with Stuart, Hannan, Rathje, McLaren, he'll be get limited ice & PP time which minimizes his chances to produce unless someone else gets hurt)
M.A Bergeron - 35 (1st line PP time should give him the chance to produce, and he really looked good the last 20 games last year)

 

[Chimaera]

Interesting topic, though I must say I disagree with some of what's being put up there.


Some people say that Ruutu will put out 60+ even with the lack of talent in Chicago, but Semin couldn't do similar.

If Ovechkin is on the Capitals team, which is debateable, Semin will be easily worth the 40 points. (read, I think he could eclipse 50+ with no problem)


I mean... think of this, he's tearing up the Russian Hockey League now. His GM for Lada says he still isn't even up to game playing shape. Last year although he played 52 games, his time in 2/3rds of those was extremely limited. He would play two or three shifts and never see the ice again. He'd be stuck with the offensive Juggernauts that are Kip Miller and Matt Pettinger when he did see time. Finally, at the end of the year he saw plenty of ice time, and he produced. Heck, he basically carried the powerplay for a while there with a little assist from Jeff Halpern. After that, he went down and torched the AHL. This guy is going to be a scoring machine one of these days. Or he could be an amazing bust. But I'm betting on him at least reaching a lot of the numbers probably due to the fact that the burden of the franchise is not going to be on his shoulders. Ovechkin has that task.

Now, I'm not suggesting that the Caps have loads of talent, because they don't. But even on a team without Ovechkin, Semin is going to at least have 2 quality forwards on his line. (Zubrus/Halpern or some combination) And have 5 ok people on th Power Play. Not a perfect situation by any means. And it will hurt his assist tallies, as it did last year when people with stone hands shanked decent setups.


That's ok. Keep underrating Semin.

Oh, And on a side note, the guy who had Semin at 8 is out of his mind.

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

That almost never happens.



Wait, maybe it almost always happens.

Laugh it off. I have a right to say that Bergeron will get more than the 35 points that someone said he would have.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Interesting topic, though I must say I disagree with some of what's being put up there.


Some people say that Ruutu will put out 60+ even with the lack of talent in Chicago, but Semin couldn't do similar.

If Ovechkin is on the Capitals team, which is debateable, Semin will be easily worth the 40 points. (read, I think he could eclipse 50+ with no problem)


I mean... think of this, he's tearing up the Russian Hockey League now. His GM for Lada says he still isn't even up to game playing shape. Last year although he played 52 games, his time in 2/3rds of those was extremely limited. He would play two or three shifts and never see the ice again. He'd be stuck with the offensive Juggernauts that are Kip Miller and Matt Pettinger when he did see time. Finally, at the end of the year he saw plenty of ice time, and he produced. Heck, he basically carried the powerplay for a while there with a little assist from Jeff Halpern. After that, he went down and torched the AHL. This guy is going to be a scoring machine one of these days. Or he could be an amazing bust. But I'm betting on him at least reaching a lot of the numbers probably due to the fact that the burden of the franchise is not going to be on his shoulders. Ovechkin has that task.

Now, I'm not suggesting that the Caps have loads of talent, because they don't. But even on a team without Ovechkin, Semin is going to at least have 2 quality forwards on his line. (Zubrus/Halpern or some combination) And have 5 ok people on th Power Play. Not a perfect situation by any means. And it will hurt his assist tallies, as it did last year when people with stone hands shanked decent setups.


That's ok. Keep underrating Semin.

Oh, And on a side note, the guy who had Semin at 8 is out of his mind.

Just responding to the comparison to Ruutu. Ruutu was a PPG player over the last 30 games when he was playing with Daze & Arnason. I think that Ruutu's projected linemates are much more offensively gifted than Zubrus/Halpern. Add in a 2nd line with Calder, Bell & ? and the Hawks would have a couple of lines with guys who have at least 3-4 years NHL experience, and scoring line skillsets. IMO, those guys should be ready to take the next step forward, and will hopefully continue to develop.

I don't think that that's the case in Washington, but I'm not a huge Cap's fan, so please let me know if that's not the case. I see Halpern as a great 3rd line player, although he put up some very solid numbers last year after everyone got traded away and he was getting major icetime. He might be a guy like Conroy where people pigeon-hole him as a 3rd liner until he gets a chance to play on a scoring line.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Malone, Koltsov, Orpik...what are they, chopped liver?

*sigh*

 

[Chimaera]

Just responding to the comparison to Ruutu. Ruutu was a PPG player over the last 30 games when he was playing with Daze & Arnason. I think that Ruutu's projected linemates are much more offensively gifted than Zubrus/Halpern. Add in a 2nd line with Calder, Bell & ? and the Hawks would have a couple of lines with guys who have at least 3-4 years NHL experience, and scoring line skillsets. IMO, those guys should be ready to take the next step forward, and will hopefully continue to develop.

I don't think that that's the case in Washington, but I'm not a huge Cap's fan, so please let me know if that's not the case. I see Halpern as a great 3rd line player, although he put up some very solid numbers last year after everyone got traded away and he was getting major icetime. He might be a guy like Conroy where people pigeon-hole him as a 3rd liner until he gets a chance to play on a scoring line.

I do feel that Chicago has better offensive components to go with Ruutu, but they're not world beaters by any case. My comments weren't meant as a shot against Chicago, but more the statement that the Caps have a little more than nothing. Just a little. Daze for his own is a great player, but it all depends on whether or not he'll actually play some games. Arnason's a nice player, but I would wonder if he'd be any better than a guy like Ovechkin for a full year.

And it's also no shot on Ruutu. I'm going to enjoy watching him and plenty of other Blackhawk prospects in Norfolk.

 

[Levitate]

although he put up some very solid numbers last year after everyone got traded away

most of those came against the rangers

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

I do feel that Chicago has better offensive components to go with Ruutu, but they're not world beaters by any case. My comments weren't meant as a shot against Chicago, but more the statement that the Caps have a little more than nothing. Just a little. Daze for his own is a great player, but it all depends on whether or not he'll actually play some games. Arnason's a nice player, but I would wonder if he'd be any better than a guy like Ovechkin for a full year.

And it's also no shot on Ruutu. I'm going to enjoy watching him and plenty of other Blackhawk prospects in Norfolk.

I agree with you - Daze has to be healthy, which is anything but guaranteed with back issues.

I'm not an Ovechkin expert by any stretch of the imagination. I just wonder if he will be able to be the immediate impact player that you seem to expect. I would be surprised if AO got to 50 points in the NHL if he plays as a 19 YO. I would also be surprised if Arnanson doens't make it to 50 points this year. (BTW, I'm not comparing TA to AO or anything like that, just that I think that a 25 year-old TA is much more prepared to contribute at this point).

I agree that the Caps have a ton of scary young talent. However, the number of players that immediately contribute when they are that young and expected to carry the offensive load is pretty limited. I think it'll just be tough to throw a bunch of very young talented players on the ice and expect them to immediately contribute. Look out in 3-4 years though!