Stewart vs. Perry vs. Richards

Which of these 3 prospects has the brightest NHL future?

 

Perry at the moment looks better than the other two, pointwise. Stewart is more of a force though, and Richards isn't far off. I'll go homer on this one and say Perry, mainly because of his stats and the job he's doing.

 

Haven't seen Richards play yet (Will Friday)

Perry is good, but not outstanding.

Stewart is a force and is so fast.

1. Stewart
2. Perry
n/a- Richards

 

Anthony or Danny

 

Sorry... I meant Anthony... I should have specified!

 

Richards - A solid 2-way forward, kind of like Ron Francis just not nearly as many points. Perfect 3rd line centre.

Perry - Outstanding scorer, no question about it but he is honestly the skiniest hockey player that I've ever seen. On the London Knights web site he's listed at 6'3 and 195 but he's honestly not even close to that. Maybe the 6'3 part is correct but he's closer to 175 if that. The kid needs to eat something. He still gets knocked around at the OHL level. I don't see him becoming an impact scorer on the NHL level but maybe a 20 goal man. He also is the biggest diver (Peter Forsberg mold) and whines about everything. With all that said, when he puts on some muscle I can still see him developing into a top 6 forward but not an all star

Stewart - He's an absolute physical force outhere, he'll be a solid checking line guy who'll throw some big hits and drop the gloves when needed. Also scores the big goals.

I'd rank them like this,

1. Stewart - Just because I prefer physical hockey players
2. Perry - With added weight
3. Richards - Just a solid all around player

But I think all 3 will be sure fire NHLers, just not stars.

 

I don't expect a lot of people will vote for Richards. I probably wouldn't either but I think the guy will surprise. He's simply not a sexy selection. He doesn't have dazzling, flashy skills nor impressive size but I really like what little I have seen of him.

He's got solid skills, seems smart on the ice and delivers. He is low maintenance and versatile. I think this guy is going to end up being a very valuable player that doesn't get a lot of hype but has a great career in the NHL as an affordable warrior.

I like Anthony Stewart's overall upside and would be tempted to choose him. But I have a feeling Richards will be better than many hyped 2003 draftees over the length of his career.

 

I suspect this will change following the World Juniors - I think Richards will gain a lot of fans during the tournament.

 

Agreed. I like Richards' play a lot and expect him to develop into a fine scoring line center in the NHL. I would rank the three players as follows:

1. Richards
2. Stewart
3. Perry

Stewart has plenty of potential, but Richards has a better chance of fulfilling his and is a safer bet long-term IMO. From what I've seen Richards comes across as a winner with a strong work ethic and a dedication to doing what it takes to win. He seems to have the fundamentals and the hockey sense to succeed in whatever role is placed on him.

 

Perry has bulked up in the offseason and he isn't overly skinny anymore. Last year he was maybe the skiniest player in the OHL but from seing him without his equipment on this year it is obvious he has put on some weight.

 

I really don't think that Stewart has enough hockey sense to do anything but go up and down the wing's at the NHL level although he seems to have the size and speed to make him a good bet to do that.

Both Richards and Perry strike me as players that are skilled and smart enough to make real impact at the NHL level. I'll give the edge to Richard's because he play's away better without the puck than Perry at the moment but Perry does have a noticable size advantage that could give him the edge if his defensive game improves as much as his offensive game has.

1 Richards - right now
2 Perry - could develope to be the better but probably not

3 Stewart - way behind

 

I posted a poll to settle this in a much easier way:

http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=34949

 

That's my opinion too. I've seen Richards play a couple of times, and I was very impressed. He's intense, a player with heart!

And I'll just quote a part of his profile on HF

 

I'm a big fan of both Anthony Stewart and Mike Richards.

Stewart has the higher potential IMO simply because he's a big monster who can skate and who can score. But I'm not sure he's quite skilled or smart enough to become an impact power forward or anything.

I'd personally take Mike Richards of the three, and to save some time, I'll echo pretty much everything Vlad the Impaler said. He's essentially my favourite player in the OHL right now. He works hard, he's skilled. He pretty much does everything right. I like what was said about him not being a sexy pick because he's not really incredibly flashy (although his playmaking skills are among the best in the OHL). I think he's one of these guys whom as a prospect is going to be tagged as a future third line center, but in the future when he carves out an NHL career, he'll be much more than just a third line center.

I see a lot of Cliff Ronning (at the peak of his career) in Richards.

 

I like all 3 of these players. I wont try and predict what type of impacts they will make in the NHL, as thats too difficult.

Stewart at times seems a little raw, and his hockey sense can certainly be considered a bit of a question. He still can be a physical force, and a real tough guy to play against. Getting in quick on the forecheck, taking the body, forcing turnovers, all of that good stuff. Park him in front of the net on the PP, opposing defenders certainly wont have a fun time trying to move him. His hands are average to above average from what I've seen, and he has a pretty good shot, so he does have some offensive upside.

Richards, a real heads-up player who can give you a bit of everything, contributing in lots of different ways. Good skills, to go along with a great work ethic, and character. Lots to like about his game. I agree with those who feel he is the safest pick of the 3.

Perry, I feel is the most offensively gifted of the 3 of these players. Capable of making some real jaw dropping, magician-like plays out there, while also having a nice finishing ability. His offensive upside may be higher then the others. I also like the slight edge that I've seen him play with in the limited opportunites I've had to see him play this year.

All I can really say for sure is I would certainly be willing to take my chances on having any of the the three in my prospect system.

 

I've read some right-ups on Richards were he is compared to Mike Ricci....is this a reasonable comparison?

 

I've seen alot worse comparisons.

They play similar styles of hockey. Richards could very well end up developing into a player who fills a similar role to Ricci. Not a bad comparison at all, if you ask me.

 

It's interesting to see the change in opinion that has happened with Mike Richards. I remember when Kitchener selected him in the OHL Draft, there was a lot of noise made over the Rangers selecting an unknown like Richards, who most OHL followers hadn't heard of, over more well known talent like Corey Perry and Anthony Stewart. I think the Rangers' GM at the time, Jamie McDonald, might even have been fired for making the pick. I think Richards' success has to give him some vindication, even if it didn't help him keep his job.

 

To the best of my knowledge, McDonald was fired because the team had 26 wins to 36 losses and missed the playoffs his last year. I've never heard anything that linked Richards being drafted to McDonald's exit.

 

I'm not sure, my memory is a bit fuzzy so you're probably right. But I do remember that he was criticized for the Richards pick, and it probably didn't help his job security.

 

I would have go with Richards...only because i have seen him play and seen his skill! He has great leadership and a natural with the puck! He isn't the crazy superstar right now but everyday he gets better and better! He has the attitude and love for the game to make in the the big show!

 

He's not a huge fighter but just ask Horton what he freaking did to his jaw.

Stewart freaking knocked him out of action for a month with a broken jaw. How ironic. To panther first round pick from 03 fighting. WHat was really funny was when a reporter at the draft asked Stewart what it was like playing with his longtime buddy from juniors on the same NHL team. LOL They hadn't really met formally yet and Stewart tried to aviod the issue by saying that he hadn't been friends with him that long (it was really only like 20 minutes after Stewart was picked onto the same team) and that he's looking forward to playing with Nate.

 

Seeing him on the ice with his equipment on many times this year he's still as skinny as ever. Sure he may have gained some weight during the off season but last season he was probably a buck 60. Don't get me wrong though, all this kid needs is to go on some kind of weight gaining program and he'll be fine but even as of right now, I'd still consider him the skiniest player in the O.

 

According to all the draft previews I read, they were friends and that's more of the reason why Horton's jaw broke, because he didn't think Stewart would really give him a good slug.

 

I lived in Kingston until recently and went to a lot of Fronts games...and Stewart can't skate! At all! I'd be stunned if he had a successful career as anything more than a 3rd line checking centre.