Predict the top 10 05-06 ROY candidates

[JohnnyRyall]

This is, assuming there's no season in 04-05. How do you see the 05-06 NHL ROY race playing out? Pick 10 players, and if you like, supplement with imaginative commentary.

1. Alexander Ovechkin. Often times double-shifted in Washington, AO tires down the stretch, but still manages to have a hand in an insane percentage of the Caps' total offensive output (which, to be sure, is not a whole lot).
2. Kari Lehtonen. Takes the starting job early on, and never lets go, appearing in the bulk of Thrasher contests, and leading them to a playoff berth.
3. Marc-Andre Fleury. See above, Lehtonen -- except no playoffs ... enough stellar games to balance out some horrid ones.
4. Milan Michalek. Leg is fine, and Michalek finds himself playing on a scoring line for the bulk of the season.
5. Ryan Getzlaf. Eventually stakes his claim to the second-line pivot, and has some fantastic showings with Lupul.
6. Jeff Carter. Injuries to (fill in other Flyer center here) solidify Carter on the second line, and the goals come regularly, coupled with a nice plus/minus.
7. Dion Phaneuf. Steps right in to a top-four role on the blueline, starts collecting points, pims, and plusses early on, and doesn't let up.
8. Niklas Kronwall. Some key departures in Detroit open up some prime ice time for Kronwall, who apprentices full-time with the other "Nick," and makes good.
9. Thomas Vanek. Appears regularly on the second line (in between the occasional vacation in the press-box), grabs a handful of "first star awards," and piles up the goals bunches at a time.
10. Robbie Schremp. While the Edmonton brass is in continued negotiations for a top-line center, Schremp sneaks his way onto the team, then creeps up the depth chart, even taking some turns centering the top line -- and the offense keeps pace with the attitude, the only knock on him coming as a result of a lacrosse style goal scored on a break-away that has his teammates forced to watch his back for the remainder of the season.

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[ChemiseBleuHonnete]

Crosby!

 

[NYRangers]

It will be nobody you'd expect to win.

 

[CrossCheck]

4. Milan Michalek. Leg is fine, and Michalek finds himself playing on a scoring line for the bulk of the season.

Forget it... His leg won't be fine... Can't believe this guy is still carrying the hype with those IMPORTANT injuries

 

[PanthersRule96]

Ovechkin
Lehtonen
Stewart
Krajicek
Phaneuf
Michalek
Fleury
Crosby
Malkin
Olesz

Not in order. Sure there's a bit of homerism there but I do feel that Stewart will have a solid rookie year. Krajicek is ready for the NHL IMO. Olesz may be a darkhorse but may not even be in the NHL in a year .

 

[markov`]

No question it will be Crosby.

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

No question it will be Crosby.

Not for sure.

 

[PanthersRule96]

No question it will be Crosby.

No way will it be Crosby IMO. The rookie crop will be ridiculously talented. Ovechkin, Malkin, Olesz, Lehtonen, Fleury. Ovechkin has already played against men and is used to it. He will step right in and I'd bet he or Lehtonen win it. Lehtonen has played in the AHL. Crosby has only played in the Q. Had he put up the #'s in the W it'd be different, even in the OHL, but it was the Q. I think he will have a good rookie year, but he will also be targeted. The hype here for him is just ridiculously overwelhming. No one here knows how he will handle 6-5 240 pound dmen who can skate coming at him. Ovechkin is experienced in those situations. He's absolutely amaizing. So is Crosby, but Ovechkin will have the better rookie year IMO.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

No question it will be Crosby.

Whaaat? No question? Are you kidding me?

 

[markov`]

There will be a very good crop of rookie, but it is Crosby who will stand out. I think he will be on the Top 10 in league scoring in his rookie year... at least.

 

[markov`]

No way will it be Crosby IMO. The rookie crop will be ridiculously talented. Ovechkin, Malkin, Olesz, Lehtonen, Fleury. Ovechkin has already played against men and is used to it. He will step right in and I'd bet he or Lehtonen win it. Lehtonen has played in the AHL. Crosby has only played in the Q. Had he put up the #'s in the W it'd be different, even in the OHL, but it was the Q. I think he will have a good rookie year, but he will also be targeted. The hype here for him is just ridiculously overwelhming. No one here knows how he will handle 6-5 240 pound dmen who can skate coming at him. Ovechkin is experienced in those situations. He's absolutely amaizing. So is Crosby, but Ovechkin will have the better rookie year IMO.

? Why would putting up good stats in the Q would be less valuable than in the O or the W ? It just doesn't make sense. And do you think there is no 6-5 defenseman in the Q ? Crosby will be fine in the NHL, each and every game the other team try to get under his skin and hit him hard. You'll see... he won't get a lot of goals but give him good linemates, and he's good for 50 assists in the NHL imo.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

There will be a very good crop of rookie, but it is Crosby who will stand out. I think he will be on the Top 10 in league scoring in his rookie year... at least.

Wow. This is ridiculous. Top 10 in the league? Yeah right.

 

[markov`]

Wow. This is ridiculous. Top 10 in the league? Yeah right.

Nostradamus is everywhere on this board.

Maybe he won't be top 10. Maybe he won't be the Calder winner. I'm just saying what I think will happen.

Again... let's all bow to Reveille, the man who can tell our future.

(reveille, esti...)

 

[NYRangers]

Nostradamus is everywhere on this board.

Maybe he won't be top 10. Maybe he won't be the Calder winner. I'm just saying what I think will happen.

Again... let's all bow to Reveille, the man who can tell our future.

(reveille, esti...)

Top 10 in the league is pretty insane. I wouldn't try to make it seem like hes the crazy one. In today's NHL, Crosby, or any other rookie, will be lucky to break 50 points.

 

[NYRangers]

...and let me say Crosby will be lucky to be in the top 10 in scoring at any time in his career. He's not the next coming of Jesus Christ.

 

[moosefan]

No way will it be Crosby IMO. The rookie crop will be ridiculously talented. Ovechkin, Malkin, Olesz, Lehtonen, Fleury. Ovechkin has already played against men and is used to it. He will step right in and I'd bet he or Lehtonen win it. Lehtonen has played in the AHL. Crosby has only played in the Q. Had he put up the #'s in the W it'd be different, even in the OHL, but it was the Q. I think he will have a good rookie year, but he will also be targeted. The hype here for him is just ridiculously overwelhming. No one here knows how he will handle 6-5 240 pound dmen who can skate coming at him. Ovechkin is experienced in those situations. He's absolutely amaizing. So is Crosby, but Ovechkin will have the better rookie year IMO.

he gets targeted every game here in the Q, at the Canada Games Nova Scotia only had Sidney Crosby and no one else, the Manitoba team had Cam Barker lined up against him everyshift and also double teammed him all through the game, Crosby couldn't breath and he set up the goal to send the game to OT then scored the OT winner with Barker dragging off his back trying to pull him down. He had WEs O'Neill trying to Contain him in the Onatrio game and Crosby had like 6 points in that one. In the World Junior Camp Crosby did great with guys like Phaneuf, Coburn, Green, etc etc. At the World Juniors he was facing good defense as well and he pulled of one of the best showing for a 16 year old. The OHL actually there is a higher scoring league than the QMJHL right now, your WHL isn't as far back from the points either. You say Crosby wouldn't cut it in the other league...at the Canada Winter Games he was the leading scorer of the whole thing over guys like Evan McGrath, Wolski, Brule, Bertram, Chipchura, Rabbit, Bourrett, Dustin Boyd and the list goes on, he was the best player on the U18 team as well. Yeah I hate when all this guy does is succeed and prove people like you wrong. I know you never said he won't do good, thing is he would be doing the exact same in anyother CHL league right now.

 

[moosefan]

...and let me say Crosby will be lucky to be in the top 10 in scoring at any time in his career. He's not the next coming of Jesus Christ.

that just made 0 sense at all. SO everyone in the top 10 has holy ability eh... sometimes people say things just to get attention on these boards IMO.

 

[PanthersRule96]

? Why would putting up good stats in the Q would be less valuable than in the O or the W ? It just doesn't make sense. And do you think there is no 6-5 defenseman in the Q ? Crosby will be fine in the NHL, each and every game the other team try to get under his skin and hit him hard. You'll see... he won't get a lot of goals but give him good linemates, and he's good for 50 assists in the NHL imo.

....? Because the OHL and WHL are much lower scoring leagues with better defense and defensmen

There are no Phaneufs or Coburns in the Q by any stretch. There aren't even any Mike Greens or Jeff Schultz's.

If he put up those numbers in the WHL, they'd mean more to me. Anyone who has any skill whatsoever puts up great numbers in the Q. Like every small fast player who toiled in the minor leagues from Quebec was once an 120 point scorer in the Q. Remember Alex Daigle, Christian Dube etc.... on defense, Michel Periard got 100 points. Look at him now. I think Crosby will be great, but he will not be top 10 in scoring in his rookie year. His linemates will not be good enough on the crappy team he goes to, to score 50 goals combined so there's no way he gets 50 assists. Maybe in his prime he gets 50-60 assists and 30-40+ goals which are great numbers, but he's not like the second "coming of Jesus Christ" as NYRangers put it.

Even if he put up those numbers in the WHL, look at Pavel Brendl and Byron Ritchie's numbers in the W. All in all, junior stats mean little, but especially in the Q. He's overrated because he's scoring like crazy in the Q. In the NHL, everyone is so so so good. Crosby is not THAT much better than any othe talented forward in the NHL. The difference between the best player in the league and a 3rd line player is very minimal when you look at it in perspective. Crosby will not be far and away amaizing compared to everyone else. Ovechkin IMO will be a better NHL player. He's awesome. Crosby could lead the league in scoring several different seasons maybe, but no way will he break 60 points in his rookie year. I think it'd be great for him if he reached 45, maybe 50. He's smaller and smaller players need to adjust to the NHL.

 

[PanthersRule96]

he gets targeted every game here in the Q, at the Canada Games Nova Scotia only had Sidney Crosby and no one else, the Manitoba team had Cam Barker lined up against him everyshift and also double teammed him all through the game, Crosby couldn't breath and he set up the goal to send the game to OT then scored the OT winner with Barker dragging off his back trying to pull him down. He had WEs O'Neill trying to Contain him in the Onatrio game and Crosby had like 6 points in that one. In the World Junior Camp Crosby did great with guys like Phaneuf, Coburn, Green, etc etc. At the World Juniors he was facing good defense as well and he pulled of one of the best showing for a 16 year old. The OHL actually there is a higher scoring league than the QMJHL right now, your WHL isn't as far back from the points either. You say Crosby wouldn't cut it in the other league...at the Canada Winter Games he was the leading scorer of the whole thing over guys like Evan McGrath, Wolski, Brule, Bertram, Chipchura, Rabbit, Bourrett, Dustin Boyd and the list goes on, he was the best player on the U18 team as well. Yeah I hate when all this guy does is succeed and prove people like you wrong. I know you never said he won't do good, thing is he would be doing the exact same in anyother CHL league right now.

No no no, I think Crosby would lead every single Canadian Junior league in scoring, but when people say look at his stats in the Q, it's the highest scoring league. Look at it relative to the WHL and OHL. K, maybe the O is higher scoring, but it's also a higher level of hockey right now, no offense, but it is. He wouldn't be putting up like 160 points in the OHL or WHL I would be willing to bet.

I think Crosby will be a great NHL player and good for him when he succeeds. I don't doubt his ability. I just doubt those who say that he will automatically be a top 10 player in the league in scoring in his rookie year. You know how many players can do that??? I don't even remember last time someone did that. Maybe was Selanne or there may have been someone more recently, whatever, I'm not going to look it up, but the rookie scoring is lower compared to what it was a few years ago. Playing up against guys like Pronger or Lidstrom, or even guys like Andy Sutton, is a lot different than playing against Cam Barker or Wes O'Neil in all star game between the WHL and OHL. Let's wait and see how he does. Ovechkin is more NHL ready IMO than him.

 

[Epsilon]

No no no, I think Crosby would lead every single Canadian Junior league in scoring, but when people say look at his stats in the Q, it's the highest scoring league. Look at it relative to the WHL and OHL. K, maybe the O is higher scoring, but it's also a higher level of hockey right now, no offense, but it is. He wouldn't be putting up like 160 points in the OHL or WHL I would be willing to bet.

I think Crosby will be a great NHL player and good for him when he succeeds. I don't doubt his ability. I just doubt those who say that he will automatically be a top 10 player in the league in scoring in his rookie year. You know how many players can do that??? I don't even remember last time someone did that. Maybe was Selanne or there may have been someone more recently, whatever, I'm not going to look it up, but the rookie scoring is lower compared to what it was a few years ago. Playing up against guys like Pronger or Lidstrom, or even guys like Andy Sutton, is a lot different than playing against Cam Barker or Wes O'Neil in all star game between the WHL and OHL. Let's wait and see how he does. Ovechkin is more NHL ready IMO than him.

Selanne was the last player to do it, and he was a mature 22 year old who had played 4 seasons in the FEL. And he also had to post the best season ever by any rookie to do it.

 

[NYRangers]

that just made 0 sense at all. SO everyone in the top 10 has holy ability eh... sometimes people say things just to get attention on these boards IMO.

Saying he will be top 10 in scoring in his rookie year is insane. The last reference wasn't a direct statement to what he said, but how everyone praises Crosby in general.

 

[BuppY]

Crosby!!!!!!!

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Nostradamus is everywhere on this board.

Maybe he won't be top 10. Maybe he won't be the Calder winner. I'm just saying what I think will happen.

Again... let's all bow to Reveille, the man who can tell our future.

(reveille, esti...)

And we haver our own troll here. Nice pot shots. Tell me why you think Crosby will be top 10 in scoring. Humor me.

 

[markov`]

...and let me say Crosby will be lucky to be in the top 10 in scoring at any time in his career. He's not the next coming of Jesus Christ.

Crosby will be a great player and the NHL ambassador for years to come. He won't be as good as Lemieux or Gretzky, but will win the Art Ross trophy year in and year out.

 

[Epsilon]

There will be a very good crop of rookie, but it is Crosby who will stand out. I think he will be on the Top 10 in league scoring in his rookie year... at least.

Which of the following players will Crosby outscore:

Naslund
Kovalchuk
Iginla
Jagr
Heatley
Sakic
Thornton
St. Louis
Richards
Forsberg (if he's back)
Lemieux (if he's back)
Bertuzzi (if he's back)
Lecavalier
Hossa
Elias
Hedjuk
Palffy
Demitra
Fedorov
Tanguay
Lang

That's just for starters.