Tampa Bay Lightning prospects run deep at every position

[HF Article]

Photo: Anthony DeAngelo leads all CHL defencemen with 71 points in 51 games this season. (Courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)


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Owning quality NHL-bound prospects at all five positions, the Tampa Bay Lightning appear to be set for the future. Beyond top prospects Jonathan Drouin, Andrey Vasilevskiy and Anthony DeAngelo, many of the organization’s prospects are ready for the next level, with recent call-ups Luke Witkowski and Nikita Nesterov performing well in the NHL.

1. (1) Jonathan Drouin, LW, 9.0 C
Drafted: 1st round, 3rd overall, 2013

Often looking dangerous offensively as a rookie this season, but with only two goals in 49 games, Jonathan Drouin has proven that he is likely to become*a top-line winger in the NHL.… read more

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[HoseEmDown]

Koekkoek at 11, Hart above Peca and Wilcox, wrong in so many ways.

 

[JamieG]

Koekkoek at 11...

Or perhaps you're just in denial and can't see the writing on the wall? Koekkoek was a bad pick and is certainly headed towards to being a huge bust.

Some people are so optimistic about everybody that they convince themselves that guys who fail to progress year after year after year are just on the cusp of becoming a star...next year.

There comes a point where you have to face reality.

Koekkoek was drafted so close to Jacob frigging Trouba.
Koekkoek has failed to make any progress and isn't even close to playing regularly for Tampa.

He's been surpassed by several guys in the organization's prospect pool.

The chances of him turning it around and living up to the potential some people had thought he possessed is growing slimmer by the day.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Or perhaps you're just in denial and can't see the writing on the wall? Koekkoek was a bad pick and is certainly headed towards to being a huge bust.

Some people are so optimistic about everybody that they convince themselves that guys who fail to progress year after year after year are just on the cusp of becoming a star...next year.

There comes a point where you have to face reality.

Koekkoek was drafted so close to Jacob frigging Trouba.
Koekkoek has failed to make any progress and isn't even close to playing regularly for Tampa.

He's been surpassed by several guys in the organization's prospect pool.

The chances of him turning it around and living up to the potential some people had thought he possessed is growing slimmer by the day.

By whom exactly? Drouin, Paquette or Vasilevskiy were drafted later but aren't defensemen. Nesterov was drafted a year before Koekkoek in 2011 and just broke into the NHL. Barbs was drafted in 2008...
Admittedly Koekkoek's development was slowed down a bit by shoulder injuries. But that doesn't necessarily take away from his potential and the ability of reaching it. Not yet. He's played 54 solid games for 'Cuse so far this season.

From BP (who rank him 4th BTW):

It's been a season of steady progress for 20-year-old Slater Koekkoek as he transitions from junior to professional hockey. Formerly dogged by multiple shoulder injuries that compromised each of his last three seasons in the OHL, Koekkoek's settled nicely into his role as a minute-eating top four defenseman with the Crunch. While he hasn't put up the numbers of an offensive juggernaut, Koekkoek has shown himself to be reliable and steady defensively against top AHL competition. The next step for Koekkoek will be to show his offensive talents, which we know he has from some prolific numbers put up in junior, can translate to pro. Given the time he lost to injury, it's not entirely surprising Koekkoek is looking more like a project who will take a little longer to reach his ultimate potential. He's big, rangy, and talented, though, and he has the potential to be at least a 20-minute a night, second pair, two-way defenseman at the NHL level.

http://boltprospects.com/content/bolt-prospects-2014-2015-midterm-rankings

 

[Werewolf]

Or perhaps you're just in denial and can't see the writing on the wall? Koekkoek was a bad pick and is certainly headed towards to being a huge bust.

Some people are so optimistic about everybody that they convince themselves that guys who fail to progress year after year after year are just on the cusp of becoming a star...next year.

There comes a point where you have to face reality.

Koekkoek was drafted so close to Jacob frigging Trouba.
Koekkoek has failed to make any progress and isn't even close to playing regularly for Tampa.

He's been surpassed by several guys in the organization's prospect pool.

The chances of him turning it around and living up to the potential some people had thought he possessed is growing slimmer by the day.

LMAO...do you even watch or do any research before posting? So much wrong on one post. Koekkoek is playing #1D on one of the top 3 teams in the AHL. Kid is a beast. He was ahead of Nesterov in both play time and defensive assignments against AHL's top lines when Nesterov and Witko got called up. Witkowski and Barberio are 4 years older. Koekkoek can play for the Lightning right now and be on the second pairing - no problem.

Drouin is a bust ... cause 4th line right? But Paquette has higher ceiling 'cause third line? You have to see the bigger picture man...

 

[MattM92]

Koekkoek is going to be our #3 defenseman to start 2017-18. He'll be right behind Hedman on the left side and will be excellent in that role. Chad from BP thinks he has top 2 potential. There is absolutely no reason to think that he is a bust and the surgery excuse is tired and resolved. Both of his shoulders are fixed and the kid is handling big minutes in Syracuse just fine. Plus, he's 20 years old.

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

Or perhaps you're just in denial and can't see the writing on the wall? Koekkoek was a bad pick and is certainly headed towards to being a huge bust.

Some people are so optimistic about everybody that they convince themselves that guys who fail to progress year after year after year are just on the cusp of becoming a star...next year.

There comes a point where you have to face reality.

Koekkoek was drafted so close to Jacob frigging Trouba.
Koekkoek has failed to make any progress and isn't even close to playing regularly for Tampa.

He's been surpassed by several guys in the organization's prospect pool.

The chances of him turning it around and living up to the potential some people had thought he possessed is growing slimmer by the day.

What? This is based on what exactly?

Let's review. 10 months ago, the official OHL coaches Poll had him 2nd and 3rd in both the best offensive and defensive dmen categories in the west. Then he was 2nd in OHL Dman of the year award voting. The winner was some guy named Ekblad. 9 months ago he was named an OHL 1st Team All-Star. Stacy Roest called him, "the best defenseman in the (league)." He's been playing in Syracuse's top 4 for the majority of the season. I don't don't know how anyone could be unsatisfied with him.

Staying in the AHL at age 20 while Nesterov and Witkowski get call ups doesn't make him a bust or tarnish his status at all. Rookies usually don't get called up here wit the way Yzerman does things. Look at last year. Witkowski and Nesterov were the rookies last season, so they stayed in Syracuse while Cote, Taormina, and Korobov got the calls. I think it's also important to note besides this being Nesterov's 2nd year as an AHL pro, this is technically his 3rd year pro since he spent a season in the KHL. And Witkowski who went the college route is 24 turning 25 in April. So besides experience, both are obviously further ahead of a 20 year old rookie in development.

Koekkoek is right on track with where he should be.

 

[Coopers Gum]

I swear this guy is Hose on steroids.

 

[Jacko95]

So basically whoever has had a few hot weeks the last few months rises up like hell and who has a cold streak is in free fall mode? Yeah seems about right.

Some facts are sooo wrong in this ranking, I mean Chris Roberts has actually but on some decent articles about the Lightning the last 1,5 years, but he is so off on Koekkoek or Marchesault (who is missing) or quit a few other guys here.