steblick said:A few more points.
Pouliot ahead of Ryan? Yeah- not by much, but I'll stand by it. Both have good size, excellent hands, elite vision, scoring touch. But Pouliot is so silky smooth on his skates- unlike Ryan- and consistent. And although he's an 86 his rise over the past season or two is amazing.
monster_bertuzzi said:Gauthier should be top 60 at least.
steblick said:Remember that rankings are made of players vis-a-vis other players, not based on the fact player X had a good season. In other words, Tom Fritsche might have played well but there are 60+ other players who did or showed better IMO- although as I said, the NCAA is my black hole.
Right now I'm in Slovenia at the U18 Level 2s wondering if Belarus' Sharhei Kosistsyn should be on that top 60 list or not. There's even a French and a British guy here who could be late rounders.
steblick said:Pouliot ahead of Ryan? Yeah- not by much, but I'll stand by it. Both have good size, excellent hands, elite vision, scoring touch. But Pouliot is so silky smooth on his skates- unlike Ryan- and consistent. And although he's an 86 his rise over the past season or two is amazing.
steblick said:Remember that rankings are made of players vis-a-vis other players, not based on the fact player X had a good season. In other words, Tom Fritsche might have played well but there are 60+ other players who did or showed better IMO- although as I said, the NCAA is my black hole.
Right now I'm in Slovenia at the U18 Level 2s wondering if Belarus' Sharhei Kosistsyn should be on that top 60 list or not. There's even a French and a British guy here who could be late rounders.
steblick said:There's even a French and a British guy here who could be late rounders.
Gwyddbwyll said:What are their names? I havent heard of a British eligible talent but I'm glad to hear there's someone out there.
Fozz said:Also, why did the British forfeit against Belarus in the tourney's first game?
Spectacular_Bid said:Tom Fritsche will most likely be a second rounder but I wouldn't be shocked to see him go lower. Remember his brother Danny, an '85, who was much more highly regarded went 46th overall to Columbus. I really like Tom's game and was disapointed when he didn't get a spot on the US WJC team but if his brother was a second rounder than he's probably a 3rd or 4th round pick.
Rabid Ranger said:Dan Fritsche would have been a sure-fire first round draft pick if not for concerns over his shoulders, so it's kind of difficult to draw the connection you're trying to make with his brother.
SPORTSMANIAC said:Great list. I looked at many mock drafts and Bourret will be gong from any where from 7 to 15. Matieu Aubin anywhere from 3 to 6 round. A question mark w/ injuries but could be a steal. Chad Denny great slap shot speed average aim. He has shown that he can be a defenseman and a forward. He will go 4th to 6th round.
To the people who know Alex Bourret, Does he have enough vision and hands to be a top 2 center in the NHL?sabexx said:I easily see Bourret as a second coming of Claude Lemieux... don't you think.
He dosn't step in front of the net as well as Pepe but is probably just as tough, I just love that kid's spirit
John E. Ringo said:There is a pretty dandy British-born and bred forward playing for the Shattuck-St. Marys U-14 (1990 DOB) national championship team, Tom Duggan. A real sniper. Pretty solid future prospect, if he continues along his current development path.
steblick said:Remember that rankings are made of players vis-a-vis other players, not based on the fact player X had a good season. In other words, Tom Fritsche might have played well but there are 60+ other players who did or showed better IMO- although as I said, the NCAA is my black hole.
Right now I'm in Slovenia at the U18 Level 2s wondering if Belarus' Sharhei Kosistsyn should be on that top 60 list or not. There's even a French and a British guy here who could be late rounders.
steblick said:2. Regarding Tom Fritsche- I'll admit that my NCAA guys might be the most "off" of all the players I've listed, but I know of no rating service (Young Guns, ISS, McKeens or CSB) that has him as a 2nd rounder either. On top of that I haven't heard much about him from hockey people who do follow the NCAA. But your point is well-taken- let's see...
steblick said:Various replies-
1. I didn't call Bobby Ryan "one dimensional" at all- not sure where you got that from. Quite the opposite in fact, I listed his varied skills- that's why I still have him so high on my list- but I also explained why I have Pouliot ahead- the skating.
2. Regarding Tom Fritsche- I'll admit that my NCAA guys might be the most "off" of all the players I've listed, but I know of no rating service (Young Guns, ISS, McKeens or CSB) that has him as a 2nd rounder either. On top of that I haven't heard much about him from hockey people who do follow the NCAA. But your point is well-taken- let's see...
3. Another poster explained the British baggage debacle in Maribor, and yes, Tom Carlon is the British player who looks like he could make a living out of this game at some level. France has a guy named Bennett who is a possible late-rounder too. Kostsitsyn I'm still out on- he's not the game breaker his brother was despite being Belarus' elite player this year but there are a few more games to be played here...
4. Kohn doesn't really excite me, although others speak glowingly of him. He has good puck instincts and looks poised (only 2 Calgary viewings plus Prospects' game, mind you) but I don't see what in his game can translate to the big leagues. He's not strong or physical or a rock in his zone and his offensive instincts are not at the level where you would overlook the muscle, defense etc.
But those of you who've seen him more than I may differ and I'm happy to hear your opinions.
I prefer Borret to Torres- Bourret is more productive and his energy is better focused. But, yes, they are similar players.Lowetide said:I look forward to your lists every year steblick. Thanks. As an Oiler fan I'm looking in the 10-15 area and wondering about Bourret and Staal. Would Bourret be a somewhat similar player to Raffi Torres?
Also, I saw Staal only once and he looked like a million. What iyo would keep him out of the top 10?