Jason Allison said:
Hi,
Please, rank these 2005 Draft prospect
T.J. Oshie
Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Petr Kalus
Paul Stastny
Marc-Andre Cliche
Jonathan Quick
Perttu Lindgren
Shea Guthrie
Marc-Andre Gragnani
Patrick McNeill
Mathieu Aubin
Tomas Popperle
Darren Helm
i need info about this prospects and do you thinks this players have a NHL'rs potentiel?
Thanks for your help !!
T.J. Oshie-Project player. He is a goal-scoring forward who has a very advanced skill set. He has many of the things you "cannot teach" but is severly lacking in many basic areas of the game. Without a doubt, he could effectively use four full years in college to help achieve his top six potential. Concerns about size look to be uneccessary; he plays larger than he is. Having a good first year; could easily bust.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic-Smooth, puck-moving defenseman who has improved somewhat on the defensive end. Shows the traditional great work ethic of a Sharks draft pick. Has justified his draft position and then some with a great year for the Remparts. One of the best in the CHL, Vlasic almost never makes a mistake; he isn't deficient in any areas. Will be money in big games because of his calmness and reliability on the ice, but he is no gamebreaker. Lacks the vision and top-skill set to be a first-pairing defenseman. Could end up being a smoother version of Oleg Tverdosky, or a more defensively-aware Sandis Ozolnish.
Petr Kalus-A good forward who has IMO improved the past year, he is a determined player who is very good offensively. A guy who I labeled a steal on draft day, he has come through for me
. Along with a good all-around skill set, he has above-average vision that could make him a steal. Though primarily a goal-scorer, he has the potential to make a career as a playmaker. While he can also grind it out along the boards, he is more valuable on a scoring line. Relies on his great speed a bit too much, and while he has improved defensively, he needs to improve to crack the NHL, especially since few prospects immediately crack a team's top six. If he can find a team with a hole on the top two lines, he will fit in right away and take off from there. He definitely has first-line upside, if not more.
Paul Stastny- Very, very safe pick who really impressed me. One of the few who is worthy of the "name" selection. Stats themselves are a great indication of his play. Although he is a playmaker, he needs to make better decisions with the puck. Players with his vision always end up to be good NHLers. Could come to the AHL earlier than expected. Isn't afraid to muck it up, but is primarly a scoring guy; he uses his size well though. Has an underrated shot and a decent set of wheels. Benefited from having bluechipper Matt Carle on the blueline; will have to carry the team himself next year. At the very least, should turn out to be a Niklas Sundstrom like forward. A favorite of mine who has come through.
Marc-Andre Cliche- Good skater who is pretty gritty. Shows good scoring instinct. Relies on his speed a bit too much. Very well-rounded; a very "smart" player. Has great instincts and is always doing the little things on the ice. Smarts isn't everything though, and the jury is out on whether or not he has the skillset to play in the NHL.
Jonathan Quick- Saw him play sparingly, and wasn't really impressed in comparison to other NCAA goalies. Though, he still has three years(?) left in the NCAA, and he should take full advantage of that. If he isn't getting playing time, then he should play in the ECHL. Considering the glut of NHL goalies and very good goalie prospects; he will be hard pressed to find a job somewhere. If he does, whoever drafted him (LA?) will only have him for one or two years before he hits free agency. With goaltenders, you never know, and with enough conditioning, Quick could end up looking like a great pick.
Perttu Lindgren- I haven't seen him in over a year, but he has recieved a LOT of attention on HF boards. He might be the new "in" prospect. My few viewings of him gave me the impression of a solid two-way forward whose offensive strength is playmaking, not the offensive dynamo HFboards touts him as. Possesses above-average smarts necessary for a strong two-way game, but nothing super special. Smallish forward who definitely needs to hit the gym.
Shea Guthrie-All I know about him is that he is known for his strong work ethic. I hope he pans out for NYI, who has had bad luck with drafting and prospects over the past few years.
Marc-Andre Gragnani- A less physical version of Vlasic. While he doesn't have Vlasic's skillset or vision, he is a smart player who understands the transitional game very well. Isn't prone to bone-head maneavors, and he pinches very appropriately. He knows what he can and can not do, which is very important for a player. While he clearly isn't as talented as other prospects, he has mastered the fundamentals very well. Also, he is the definition of a two-way defenseman. Usually, that term is thrown around to describe a defensively capable defenseman who is very good offensively, but Gragnani balances the two very well. Has improved his stock, finishing in the top ten among defensemen in QMJHL scoring. Future as a solid 4/5 defenseman. Could make the jump earlier than expected. A sleeper of mine who has come through.
Patrick McNeill-Raw as raw steak
. One of the top offensive defenseman in the OHL, McNeill tends to has inflated stats because he isn't as defensively responsible as other defenseman. However, he has improved significantly defensively; more time and seasoning should make him defensively competent. Needs to add muscle. Will primarly make his living as an offensive defenseman. One concern of mine is that he doesn't seem to have the innate vision and smarts of other defenseman, just a more polished skillset. Some have said he could eventually play on the top-pairing, but he'll probably make it as a #5-7.
Mathieu Aubin- Huge guy. Can't go wrong with that size. Doesn't have the speed that generally follows the top-end power forwards, though. He's primarly an offensive forward who often looks like tons of other high-scoring CHLers who never make the NHL. Needs to add muscle and start punishing forwards down low. Aubin has carried a team that lost its two top forwards in Alex Bourret and Alexander. He had his best season yet, showing that he can play well if given more opportunity and playing time. Possesses average vision, but he has a good shot. If he works his tail off, he could find a home in the NHL, especially as a third-line grinder. Personally, I don't see him making the NHL.
Tomas Popperle-Nothing really special about him, IMO. There are simply so many other choices out there, that I think Popperle will struggle to find a niche in the NHL. But hey, goaltending is an inexact science, and sometimes a goalie's development skyrockets when he is 27 or 28! Many goalies who are superb in juniors flame out. For a fourth/fifth round pick, not a bad chance by Columbus. One thing for sure though is that if Popperle has potential, he will need a lot of seasoning.
Darren Helm-I'm not sold on this guy as a future NHler. Is decent offensively, but is very small, in both height and weight. He has had time to build muscle, and it is very dissapointing that he hasn't. Has shown little improvement over the past few years. As less-than-average speed and vision. No skill of his really makes him stand out.
