Prospect Info: Should MacEachern be Considered a Prospect for the Top 20 Poll?

[Bluesnatic27]

I've had a lot of back-and-forth regarding MacEachern's inclusion onto the list. I'm not upset, mind you, but I would like to finalize it from here on out just to solidify if he should be included for all future polls.

I think he is still a prospect simply because I don't take much stop in 1/3 of a season of work with no playing time since, like, mid-March. I think he had a great streak, but I believe he needs at least 15 more games before labeling him a graduate. This was feeling regarding Sanford and Blais in years prior.

But, again, I'm more than willing to remove him from all future polls if the majority here thinks that's the right move. Heck, it will make my life that much easier when making the polls from here on. So what say all you?

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[Stupendous Yappi]

If he isn’t a prospect, it means we now have ANOTHER definition of ‘prospect’. I’m not saying it’s the best definition, but it’s certainly cleaner to stick with HF’s unambiguous numerical definition. At least then we’re all speaking the same language and not just going by subjective feeling from one situation to the next.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

The fact that he's now 25 in addition to being on a one way contract classifies him as graduated in my opinion. The contract is somewhat of a big deal in my mind for determining his status as guys like Blais and Sanford were still on their ELCs last season, which at least on the surface made them feel more like prospects than someone on a non-ELC.

 

[Majorityof1]

NHL's definition of a rookie for Calder trophy is as follows:

"To be considered a rookie, a player must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons. Any player at least 26 years of age (by September 15th of that season) is not considered a rookie." (Bolded for emphasis) NHL Operations guidelines

I think that is a good working definition for prospect as well. If they would no longer be a rookie, they are no longer a prospect. MacMack has over 25 games and is no longer, by NHL definition, a rookie. So I vote he is no longer a prospect.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

NHL's definition of a rookie for Calder trophy is as follows:

"To be considered a rookie, a player must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons. Any player at least 26 years of age (by September 15th of that season) is not considered a rookie." (Bolded for emphasis) NHL Operations guidelines

I think that is a good working definition for prospect as well. If they would no longer be a rookie, they are no longer a prospect. MacMack has over 25 games and is no longer, by NHL definition, a rookie. So I vote he is no longer a prospect.

Have to agree, but now we can't come up with 10 prospects for our team.....Worst prospect pool in quite awhile.

 

[Hrkac Circus]

Have to agree, but now we can't come up with 10 prospects for our team.....Worst prospect pool in quite awhile.

Could we include Helt, Kaspick, Christensen, Michel, Poganski, Anderson, or Zherenko? Are they all considered too much of a longshot?

 

[David Dennison]

A poll about a poll. Mac^2 poll^2

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

NHL's definition of a rookie for Calder trophy is as follows:

"To be considered a rookie, a player must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons. Any player at least 26 years of age (by September 15th of that season) is not considered a rookie." (Bolded for emphasis) NHL Operations guidelines

I think that is a good working definition for prospect as well. If they would no longer be a rookie, they are no longer a prospect. MacMack has over 25 games and is no longer, by NHL definition, a rookie. So I vote he is no longer a prospect.

This only illustrates that you can be a prospect but no longer a rookie. I actually don’t disagree with that.

To me “prospect” means ‘undifferentiated’ in a sense. The player hasn’t yet shown enough to project their ceiling with much confidence. For some players, doing that takes more than 1 or 2 seasons.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Hockey's Future is a website dedicated to prospects. To establish uniformity among all the team pages and to increase the credibility of all the articles, all players listed on HF will follow the "Prospect Rules" to help editors and writers in determining who is and isn't considered a prospect anymore. Players who no longer qualify as prospects will be removed from team lists and rankings.

A player will be considered a prospect until he meets the following criteria:
If a prospect is a skater (forward, defenseman) and has played in 65 NHL games or more before the completion of the season of his 24th birthday; or, if a goaltender has played in 45 NHL games before the completion of the season of his 24th birthday, that player will be considered graduated to the NHL. Conversely, if a player completes the season of his 24th birthday without passing those milestones, then that player will no longer be considered a prospect by Hockey’s Future, regardless of the player’s status with his NHL club.

An NCAA player who signs his first contract at or above the age of 22 has three years to meet the above criteria (65/45), while those NCAA players that turn pro under the age of 22 will be subjected to the criteria above.
European players who sign their first NHL contract at or above the age of 22 have three seasons from the time they sign that contract to meet the above criteria. Those European players below the age of 22 that have signed a NHL contract will be subjected to the criteria in section one.

Section one is the meat of the criteria as it will govern the majority of players that vie for a NHL roster spot. Sections two and three are simply an acknowledgement that some prospects arrive on the scene a bit later than their peers, thus needing some time past their 24th birthday to develop into an NHL-caliber player.
The graduated list on team pages will consist of players who are considered graduated to the NHL. A skater prospect may sit on the graduated list until he has played 130 games in the NHL. A goalie prospect may sit on the graduated list until he has played 90 games in the NHL.

NOTE: These are general guidelines and should be followed the majority of the time but certain players may still be listed as prospects if circumstances warrant. Also, for players that are close to either the 65-game (skaters) or 45-game (goaltenders) benchmark but have also clearly "arrived" as NHL players, HF reserves the right to remove these players from consideration as prospects and instead consider these players graduated.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I didn’t realize MacEachern was 25. I think regardless of games played, he may have aged out of prospect status.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I’m still confused/surprised the Blues gave MacMac a one-way deal after his first stint in the NHL of 29 games and then wasn’t good enough to stay in the lineup once some guys got healthy. The way I see it, just because the Blues gave him a one-way, he’s still an unproven prospect IMO. 29 games, plenty of healthy scratches and all minor league play before that. Still a prospect IMO and his contract status doesn’t change that for me.