Prospect Info: Penguins #9 prospect

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

Bjorkqvist beats Almari this time around and wins the runoff. Both players make a huge leap in the rankings. Bjorkqvist gains 6 spots, while Almari moves up 4.

Added Alex D'Orio & Tobias Lindberg.

Results so far (and change from last year):
#1 Daniel Sprong (87.6%) (-)
#2 Tristan Jarry (52.6%) (-)
#3 Jordy Bellerive (72.8%) (new)
#4 Calen Addison (54.7%) (new)
#5 Filip Hallander (79.2%) (new)
#6 Teddy Blueger (44.0%) (-1)
#7 Kasper Bjorkqvist (22.4% in poll #7, 57.6% in runoff) (+6)
#8 Niclas Almari (26.9% in poll #7, 42.4% in runoff) (+4)

Click to read more...

 

[Jacob]

Usually takes longer than 8th for these polls to jump the shark.

 

[Andy99]

This is a really uninspiring list of prospects...

To my mind it was between Johnson and Almeida because they both have speed and the most offensive skills....I went with the younger player.... hopefully Almeida turns out to be Marty St Louis but even if he can nearly match the exalted career of Conor Sheary, he will by far eclipse the rest of these guys....

 

[Doogle]

The fact that the last two jumped so high is more of a testament to our lack of prospect depth than anything they did in particular.

I voted cough drop btw

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

The fact that the last two jumped so high is more of a testament to our lack of prospect depth than anything they did in particular.

I voted cough drop btw

I agree, I love the top 5 prospects but after that it is a crap shoot. I just hope from the rest of those prospects we get a couple to make it to the big club and help in some fashion. I still am fine with that because the Pens really have done a nice job of adding to the NHL roster with prospects even with drafting near the end of the rounds and with trading picks and prospects each year. Adding top end players like Murray, Guentzel, Dumoulin, Maatta, along with other players like Rust, Sheary, Zar, Sprong, Simon, Jarry, DeSmith, etc. to go along with the players added by trading prospects and picks like Kessel, Hagelin, Schultz, Oleksiak, Brassard, and Sheahan the Pens have really added to the NHL roster over the past 5 years better than anybody.

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

The fact that the last two jumped so high is more of a testament to our lack of prospect depth than anything they did in particular.

I voted cough drop btw

Tbf Lauzon, Johnson and Tiffels have all dropped.

 

[Peat]

Cough drop. I don't think anyone's likely ceiling outweighs going with the most certain and ready prospect, which is Cough drop by a country mile.

And I'm going to keep saying add Dea because, for all the doubts people have on him, he's still done more to indicate a future that a lot of our prospect pool.

The fact that the last two jumped so high is more of a testament to our lack of prospect depth than anything they did in particular.

I voted cough drop btw

16 goals as a college freshman is a decent achievement; better than I realised when I sat down to vote tbh. I think it justifies the jump. Almari's just a case of perceptions catching up to his ability to play men's hockey already - there's not a lot of difference between Almari's career to date and Vaakanainen's.


I find myself defending a prospect pool a lot in these threads. I don't think its amazing, but I think people are overly down on it. It mightn't be filled with blue chippers but there's clearly guys with potentially NHL level tool kits in there.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I find myself defending a prospect pool a lot in these threads. I don't think its amazing, but I think people are overly down on it. It mightn't be filled with blue chippers but there's clearly guys with potentially NHL level tool kits in there.

Yeah. The top 5 actually looks pretty damn good all things considered IMO. After that there's a pretty steep dropoff, but a couple could surprise.

 

[UnrealMachine]

16 goals as a college freshman is a decent achievement; better than I realised when I sat down to vote tbh. I think it justifies the jump. Almari's just a case of perceptions catching up to his ability to play men's hockey already - there's not a lot of difference between Almari's career to date and Vaakanainen's.

It was actually done as an age 20 sophomore. Still a good achievement, but I also seem to recall that he scored most of them in bunches very early in the season? If he nets close to 20 goals next season I promise to stop throwing shade.

 

[Peat]

It was actually done as an age 20 sophomore. Still a good achievement, but I also seem to recall that he scored most of them in bunches very early in the season? If he nets close to 20 goals next season I promise to stop throwing shade.

Urgh, you're right, sophomore. Brain fade. I also can't remember when he scored his goals and don't know of a way of checking. Although I get the impression more and more players are 20 year old sophomores, lot of guys playing in the USHL or where ever for a year before going to college.

I'd like to see him up his assists more than I'd like more goals. Scoring goals when you're a hard working forward with a strong defensive game gives you a shout, but having the puck skills to set other people up takes you a lot closer to probable imo.

 

[PensandCaps]

Idk
.I think our top 20 prospects have alot of NHLers imo. No great peice
..but certainly some quantity.

 

[jmelm]

Torn between Riikola and Angello. Went with the former and will vote the other next.

 

[The GM]

When is Spinozzi getting added?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

It's like tossing a dart blindfolded. Mine landed on Angello.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Cough drop. I don't think anyone's likely ceiling outweighs going with the most certain and ready prospect, which is Cough drop by a country mile.

And I'm going to keep saying add Dea because, for all the doubts people have on him, he's still done more to indicate a future that a lot of our prospect pool.



16 goals as a college freshman is a decent achievement; better than I realised when I sat down to vote tbh. I think it justifies the jump. Almari's just a case of perceptions catching up to his ability to play men's hockey already - there's not a lot of difference between Almari's career to date and Vaakanainen's.


I find myself defending a prospect pool a lot in these threads. I don't think its amazing, but I think people are overly down on it. It mightn't be filled with blue chippers but there's clearly guys with potentially NHL level tool kits in there.

How does he compare to Bengtsson? Alot of similarities from what I read

 

[Peat]

How does he compare to Bengtsson? Alot of similarities from what I read

I can really only tell you what you already know/what can be seen on their EP pages. From what I've read, they do sound similar. The big differences I can see are

- Riikola is officially two inches taller and 18 lbs heavier
- He doesn't have Lymes disease or whatever the hell it was Bengtsson had (... yet)

I feel like it's a decent shout that a bigger healthier Bengtsson would have cracked the NHL.

 

[Andy99]

I don't get the love for most of the forwards we have in the prospect pool, Bjorkqvist included....they are all some version of Eric Tangradi, and the dream upside for some of the smaller guys is Conor Sheary....we'd be crazy lucky if any turn out as good...

as for defensemen, I see no one who will crack the NHL as anything other than a 7th D man at this point...at least they have a longer leash to grow as a player....we will not have anyone worth talking about until we start sucking again but I'm fine with that...it's all good

 

[RizzleMcRib]

I was voting Angelo Esposito but I couldn't find him on the list.

 

[Tom Hanks]

3 years ago Jake was #9 (Sheary #8, Rust #10)

 

[Peat]

I don't get the love for most of the forwards we have in the prospect pool, Bjorkqvist included....they are all some version of Eric Tangradi, and the dream upside for some of the smaller guys is Conor Sheary....we'd be crazy lucky if any turn out as good...

as for defensemen, I see no one who will crack the NHL as anything other than a 7th D man at this point...at least they have a longer leash to grow as a player....we will not have anyone worth talking about until we start sucking again but I'm fine with that...it's all good

By smaller guys, you mean Almeida and only Almeida. He's the only prospect we have that size.

I'm not gonna keep talking up our prospect pool/the uncertainty of player development if people don't want to hear it. But, if you think we've got multiple guys that small, I kinda question how much attention you've been paying to the write ups of these guys.

 

[Andy99]

By smaller guys, you mean Almeida and only Almeida. He's the only prospect we have that size.

I'm not gonna keep talking up our prospect pool/the uncertainty of player development if people don't want to hear it. But, if you think we've got multiple guys that small, I kinda question how much attention you've been paying to the write ups of these guys.

I was thinking of Bellerive too....the small ones have the upside of Sheary at best and the rest with size lack speed and skill...I’ve seen the write ups and I just don’t think we have any prospects right now that have a good chance of playing in the top 9 (obviously outside of Sprong)..I hope I’m wrong...

 

[dogthateats]

I know the odds are against it, but I have a feeling Olund is going to be a solid NHL player.

 

[Tom Hanks]

I know the odds are against it, but I have a feeling Olund is going to be a solid NHL player.

 

[Peat]

I was thinking of Bellerive too....the small ones have the upside of Sheary at best and the rest with size lack speed and skill...I’ve seen the write ups and I just don’t think we have any prospects right now that have a good chance of playing in the top 9 (obviously outside of Sprong)..I hope I’m wrong...

Bellerive is 20 lbs heavier than Sheary and 5 lbs heavier than Hornqvist. If you think he's Sheary small/he lacks NHL size, you are factually wrong.