Rate this goalie prospects please!

[neelynugs]

Yes overhyped. Other goalies have been just as impressive but get virtually no credit in comparision. (Leneveu and Harding to name two) Its not really surprising if you remember that the Boston board on HF is one of the biggest by far.

Im not saying Toivonen is bad or anything, he's great.. but he isnt wildly better than some other top goalie prospects like HF hype seems to be.

i'd say overhyped is definitely the wrong word...maybe guys like harding and ward and others don't get too much press, but how does that make hannu overhyped? i think he's getting a pretty reasonable amount of credit, considering his success in N.A. so far.

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

Hey hey now, Ive had season tickets to the Falcons the last 9 years and LeNeveau didnt really shine at all to me. Sure he was an all-star, but the only reason was, is because every team needed a representative and noone else from those god-awful Falcons was closed to deserving.

He didnt shine at all to you? Not at all? Really? Did someone else post this then?

Lenny was excellent today. He made some truely "oh my god" type saves.One, he was on his back and threw his gloves in the air with a shot coming from about a foot outside the crease. Another he slid across perfectly post to post to make a great save..

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

i'd say overhyped is definitely the wrong word...maybe guys like harding and ward and others don't get too much press, but how does that make hannu overhyped? i think he's getting a pretty reasonable amount of credit, considering his success in N.A. so far.

He's overhyped in the way that Comrie was overhyped by Oiler fans. I remember pointing out Danny Briere was very similar (in fact you could hardly get two more similar players statistically) and I got blasted for even thinking they were on the same level.

I cant remember exactly the kind of things being said but there are statements that Raycroft and Toivonen are 1a and 1b now which I find kinda ridiculous. Raycroft is an established NHL starter and Calder winner. Toivonen hasnt even played a NHL game yet? He might be better or as good but he's still got to do it.

I did say "overhyped".. not "overrated".. there's an important difference. Its not a bad thing.. it just happens when you have a lot of posters who follow a certain team - Boston, Montreal, Oilers.

Its like the group of 2002 goalies - Toivonen, JDD, Ward, Leneveu, Harding. All are class prospects, all doing well.. there is not much between them at all.. its pretty hard to pick who will be the best and worst. You'd expect any thread rating them to have quite a lot of different orders. Yet almost invariably HF posters will pick Toivonen and JDD as 1 and 2 and the other three behind them in drafted order. Why? Because there are about ten times as many Boston and Oiler posters than the other three combined which has created more hype. Its natural.

 

[Legionnaire]

1. Lehtonen
2. Fleury
3.Toivonen
4. Bryzgalov
5. Lundqvist
6. Ouellete
7. Nittymaki
8. LeNevue
9. Harding
10. Ahonen
11. Ward

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

Well, atleast Toivonen is getting some respect. I can't think for the life od me why some would call him overhyped (not being biased here, Toivonen is just THAT good).

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

Yes overhyped. Other goalies have been just as impressive but get virtually no credit in comparision. (Leneveu and Harding to name two) Its not really surprising if you remember that the Boston board on HF is one of the biggest by far.

Im not saying Toivonen is bad or anything, he's great.. but he isnt wildly better than some other top goalie prospects like HF hype seems to be.

So? I have seen a lot of fans from other teams say great thing about Toivonen. I hate when people bring these points into a discussion about TALENT.

 

[Vyse64]

can't say he's wrong or right

but over-hype is over-hype, it's done a lot on HF

 

[Levitate]

not sure what the lundqvist lovefest is about until this guy comes to N.A. and proves himself, he's nothing more than hype IMO

gee don't let the fact that he's regularly stoned NHL caliber scorers in tournaments and in his league (which is probably no worse than the 2nd best league in europe right now) get in the way of your judgement...don't mind that he's been spectacular this year, last year, the previous year...

i'd be more inclined to agree with you if he was just stopping regular swedish league players and not facing NHLers...but he's faced star goal scorers from the NHL and acquitted himself very well. the change in ice size isn't going to be a huge factor IMO, it'll take some adjustment but if he has the skill that's not gonna stand in his way...and i think he has definatly proven he has the skill

 

[Barney Stinson76]

First thanks for the info´s!

But if you should choose between Harding,Lenevue and Lundqvist who would you pick??

That´s the situation I´ve been!!

 

[thestonedkoala]

That's hard...

Harding is out with an injury and his future right now is in question
Lundqvist is in Europe and I don't know what his situation is, if the Rangers are actively trying to bring him over here or trade him
LeVenue might be a safe bet.

 

[Legionnaire]

Lundqvist

 

[SedinFan*]

1.Lehtonen
2.Fleury
3. Ouellet
4. Toivonen
5. Bryzgalov
6. Nittymaki
7. Ward
8. Harding
9. Ahonen
10. Lundqvist
11. LeNevue

 

[Levitate]

Lundqvist is in Europe and I don't know what his situation is, if the Rangers are actively trying to bring him over here or trade him

the rangers were talking to him about bringing him over last year but with the lockout, and the issue of his contract buyout, i think they decided it'd be better to leave him in sweden for another year. expect him to be over next year...there's really no reason for him not to be. he's publically stated he wants to come over and would have no problem playing in the AHL to get adjusted.

 

[rikker]

Lehtonen

Fleury
Toivonen
Nittymaki
Lundqvist

Harding
Bryzgalov
Ouellet
Ward

Ahonen
LeNevue

 

[icelord6]

Lehtonen
Fleury
Toivonen
Lundqvist
Bryzgalov
Nittymaki
LeNevue
Ouellet
Harding
Ward
Ahonen

 

[thestonedkoala]

the rangers were talking to him about bringing him over last year but with the lockout, and the issue of his contract buyout, i think they decided it'd be better to leave him in sweden for another year. expect him to be over next year...there's really no reason for him not to be. he's publically stated he wants to come over and would have no problem playing in the AHL to get adjusted.

That'll be interesting since Montoya would probably be coming in too and Blackburn???

 

[Masterovic]

Lehtonen
Fleury
Lundqvist
Toivonen
Bryzgalov
Oullet
Nittymaki
LeNeveau
Ahonen
Harding
Ward

 

[IkeaMonkey*]

He didnt shine at all to you? Not at all? Really? Did someone else post this then?

That was what...5 games into last season??? He was BRILLIANT for his first 7-8 games, then showed wear and eventually totally broke down over the course of the season.

 

[FLYLine27*]

That'll be interesting since Montoya would probably be coming in too and Blackburn???

Nope.

Blackburn will be returning to the AHL this season and will be back in the NHL next season. Montoya will still be in college next season leavng Lundqvist as starting goalie in the AHL.

 

[Levitate]

That'll be interesting since Montoya would probably be coming in too and Blackburn???

well blackburn *probably* won't be in hartford next year...because of waivers issues. there might be some way to sneak him in but if he plays this year in hartford, he'll have used up all his waiver exemption.

and yeah, they might bring in montoya...and then lundqvist over...it is a bit of a logjam. i would guess, assuming there's a season, that you'll see blackburn in the NHL as a backup, and montoya and lundqvist splitting time in hartford, which leaves labarbera out in the cold.

 

[Levitate]

Montoya will still be in college next season leavng Lundqvist as starting goalie in the AHL.

it's definatly not certain montoya will be in college next year...it's a possibility but the rangers seemed to want to bring him in this year even so there's a big possibility they'll be looking to do it next year.

 

[thestonedkoala]

That is assuming he is in playing condition correct?

I can most certainly tell you that Montoya will be in the AHL next year. I hope the Rangers don't screw his development ala Fleury and Blackburn by throwing him into the NHL, if there is an NHL next year.

Lundqvist would have to play behind Montoya, if he comes over, so I guess Lundqvist is a few years away from playing, if he plays for the Rangers.

 

[NYRangers]

No, I believe Lundqivst/Weekes could start next season as a tandem. But since there trying to be smart about everyone now they'd probably send Lundqvist down to the AHL at the start of the year, even if its just for a few games. What I think will happen is Lundqvist gets his 15-20 starts in the AHL. Then comes right to NY.

 

[Levitate]

of course the lundqvist/weekes thing assumes that they managed to do something with blackburn, anything.

they're not gonna just ditch the guy...at the very least they'll try to get him some games and then trade him.

lundqvist is also probably a lot closer to the NHL than montoya right now...remember he's several years older. he really just needs to adjust to the smaller rink and he's ready to go more or less, he might not spend much time in hartford at all if there's an opening for him in the NHL. depends on how he does though