The Hockey News "Future Watch" 2011

[JiriHrdina]

I find the most surprising omission to be Jon Blum. Seems like his progression is right on track. For people closer to the Preds - is this a legitimate omission or an oversight?

 

[Chainshot]

He never even played in this years World Juniors....

He played in last year's tournament and went from being an afterthought (13th forward) to a contributor. Add in how he ended his tenure in the Q' and how well he transitioned to the A, he has made his own press. Is he a bit too high? IMO, yes. But I'm not making a living as a talent evaluator either....

 

[Dave33]

I keep trying to buy the digital version and get a message saying the issue is not available.

anyone able to actually purchase it?

Nope, couldn't buy it yet. Smart move by THN to link to an issue that we can't actually buy...

 

[WangMustGo]

anyone mind listing the top 10 isles prospects? Thank you if you do it.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Does anyone have a pdf of the '09 edition (I have 10 and 11 in physical form but don't have '09 and would love to read it). Also, can someone tell me when Brayden Schenn's ELC starts? I know an year was not shaved off of Niederreiter's contract because he was sent back to juniors after 9 games, but Schenn did the same but he was sent to the AHL for a bit so did that use up a year on his ELC?

EDIT: Apparently it doesn't star till next year according to the 2nd page of this: http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=843039&page=2

For those who asked:

Bruins in order:
Caron
Colborne
Spooner
Bartkowski
Hamill (lol)
Knight
Arniel
Sauve
Button
Cunningham

NYI:
Nino
De haan
Poulion
Ullstrom
Rakhshani
Katic
Donovan
Koskinen
Ness
Nelson

 

[Brodeur]

Also, can someone tell me when Brayden Schenn's ELC starts? I know an year was not shaved off of Niederreiter's contract because he was sent back to juniors after 9 games, but Schenn did the same but he was sent to the AHL for a bit so did that use up a year on his ELC?

Schenn's ELC will start next year. The Kings used a loophole to send Schenn to the AHL as a conditioning assignment which doesn't trigger the first year of his contract.

 

[periferal]

NYI:
Nino
De haan
Poulion
Ullstrom
Rakhshani
Katic
Donovan
Koskinen
Ness
Nelson

If this is what the Hockey News put out as the Isles top 10 prospects then they've lost all credibility. The OBVIOUS issues:

• No Petrov, Lee, or Cizikas, or Gregoire
• ...And yet Ullstrom, Rakhshani, Katic, and Ness?
• Mikko Koskinen OVER Anders Nilsson!?! Wrong.

What the Islanders top 10 list should be:

1. Niederreiter
2. DeHaan
3. Poulin
4. Petrov
5. Cizikas
6. Lee
7. Nilsson
8. Gregoire
9. Donovan
10. Nelson

 

[Habsfan18]

If this is what the Hockey News put out as the Isles top 10 prospects then they've lost all credibility. The OBVIOUS issues:

• No Petrov, Lee, or Cizikas, or Gregoire
• ...And yet Ullstrom, Rakhshani, Katic, and Ness?
• Mikko Koskinen OVER Anders Nilsson!?! Wrong.

What the Islanders top 10 list should be:

1. Niederreiter
2. DeHaan
3. Poulin
4. Petrov
5. Cizikas
6. Lee
7. Nilsson
8. Gregoire
9. Donovan
10. Nelson

The top 10 list that you think is an absolute joke is from your own organization.

 

[arsmaster*]

The top 10 list that you think is an absolute joke is from your own organization.

that would explain it being a joke....haha

 

[BondraTime]

He played in last year's tournament and went from being an afterthought (13th forward) to a contributor. Add in how he ended his tenure in the Q' and how well he transitioned to the A, he has made his own press. Is he a bit too high? IMO, yes. But I'm not making a living as a talent evaluator either....

Sorry, I should have specified, I know he played in the 2010 tourny, and he moved up their depth chart throughout the tourny. I was just pointing out that he never played this year, to show that he has accomplished big things in his year since the WJC, to warrent his posistion. Its not like they put him up this high because of the tournament he had more then a year ago, it is because he is the top rookie in the AHL at 20, and was the best player in the Q last year.

 

[Brodeur]

If this is what the Hockey News put out as the Isles top 10 prospects then they've lost all credibility. The OBVIOUS issues:

• No Petrov, Lee, or Cizikas, or Gregoire
• ...And yet Ullstrom, Rakhshani, Katic, and Ness?
• Mikko Koskinen OVER Anders Nilsson!?! Wrong.

The top 10 list that you think is an absolute joke is from your own organization.

With last year's issue, Chris Botta (islanderspointblank.com) seemed to indicate that the Islanders omitted Kevin Poulin on purpose because he was unsigned. So allegedly they didn't want to give him any press clippings to give him any leverage in negotiations, but privately they knew he was a top 10 prospect in their system.

Offhand, it looks like Cizikas would be in a similar spot as he needs to be signed in the next few months or else end back in the 2011 Draft.

The cross-referencing of the lists may only apply to the blue chippers, so it wouldn't be surprising if teams left unsigned 2nd tier guys off their list on purpose.

 

[WangMustGo]

If this is what the Hockey News put out as the Isles top 10 prospects then they've lost all credibility. The OBVIOUS issues:

• No Petrov, Lee, or Cizikas, or Gregoire
• ...And yet Ullstrom, Rakhshani, Katic, and Ness?
• Mikko Koskinen OVER Anders Nilsson!?! Wrong.

What the Islanders top 10 list should be:

1. Niederreiter
2. DeHaan
3. Poulin
4. Petrov
5. Cizikas
6. Lee
7. Nilsson
8. Gregoire
9. Donovan
10. Nelson

I disagree with you, Ullstrom is a top 5 prospect for the Isles, Cizikas probably is to though.

I would go something like this
1. Niederreiter
2. DeHaan
3. Poulin
4. Cizikas
5. Ullstrom
6. Lee
7. Donovan
8. Nelson
9. Kessel
10. Gregoire

Until Petrov actually comes to North America I won't put him on my top 10 list. Kabanov has to prove he is mature enough, and that he has enough heart/motivation to make the NHL.

 

[JeffShibley]

did gardiner end up in the top 60?

 

[Brodeur]

did gardiner end up in the top 60?

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articl...rdiner-no-longer-of-first-round-pedigree.html

Future Watch polls scouts from around the league – 18 of them this year, no more than one from each team – and has them rate the top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects based on long-term (five to 10 years) NHL upside. Gardiner didn’t finish among the final top 75 and received just two votes as a top 50 prospect.

 

[Dave33]

Was just able to buy it on Zinio, and reading now. Screw work

 

[periferal]

With last year's issue, Chris Botta (islanderspointblank.com) seemed to indicate that the Islanders omitted Kevin Poulin on purpose because he was unsigned. So allegedly they didn't want to give him any press clippings to give him any leverage in negotiations, but privately they knew he was a top 10 prospect in their system.

Offhand, it looks like Cizikas would be in a similar spot as he needs to be signed in the next few months or else end back in the 2011 Draft.

The cross-referencing of the lists may only apply to the blue chippers, so it wouldn't be surprising if teams left unsigned 2nd tier guys off their list on purpose.

If that's the case then at least it explains things, but how can you really put out a report claiming each team's best prospects...And then leave out some of the best prospects?

 

[DaveG]

hate to ask, but can someone post up the Canes list? I haven't found Future Watch in stores yet.

 

[YEGJuniorFan]

Canes:

1. Dalpe
2. Faulk
3. Dumoulin
4. Bowman
5. Nash
6. Sanguinetti
7. Alt
8. Biega
9. Rissanen
10. Jordan

 

[Qvist]

If that's the case then at least it explains things, but how can you really put out a report claiming each team's best prospects...And then leave out some of the best prospects?

Because these are the players the team's own scouting departments says are your best prospects? What do you think they should have done? Call you and ask?

This thread has a never-ending supply of *******s who're convinced they know it all and that if their own team's scouts have a different opinion, then it's some kind of conspiracy.

Finally got the issue off Zinio yesterday. Some observations:

An interesting indicator is how many players from a draft class's 1st round did not make either make the NHL or the FW Top 75. Usually, this number is very low for the most recent draft class, and then gradually increases with most drafts ending up somewhere around 15 players as the players age. Gives a pretty fair indicator of the strength of recent draft classes.

- The 2010 Draft class isn't doing too badly. Only four players from the first round did not make it . (Austin Watson, Kevin Hayes, Riley Sheahan and Brock Nelson). That is fairly normal.

- The 2009 1st round class is missing the same number of players (Olsen, Paradis, Holland and Glennie), and hence might look a bit stronger.

- 2008 has taken a bit of a beating though: There are now ten players who are out of that group.

- 2007 isn't improving its image, with 13 such players.

- 2006 now has 12, which is very good considering that nearly all of the remaining 18 are now in the NHL and not prospects.

- 2008:

 

[Qvist]

New players in the top 75 since last year, other than 2010 1RPs:

Andrei Loktionov, Kings
Tyler Toffoli, Kings
Viacheslav Voinov, Kings
Justin Schultz, Ducks
Alex Chiasson, Stars
TJ Brodie, Flames
Anton Lander, Oilers
Tyler Pitlick, Oilers
Calvin Pickard, Avalanche
Luke Adam, Sabres
Marcus Foligno, Sabres
Simon Despres, Penguins
Jon Merrill, Devils
Zac Dalpe, Hurricanes
Brian Dumoulin, Hurricanes
Cody Eakin, Capitals
Braden Holtby, Capitals
Richard Panik, Lightning
Carl Klingberg, Thrashers

 

[Chainshot]

If that's the case then at least it explains things, but how can you really put out a report claiming each team's best prospects...And then leave out some of the best prospects?

The comment from Botta isn't the first time I've heard of teams doing this to their guys as negotiating or motivational tactics, particularly if they're looking to save a few bucks on the ELC bonus structure. Years ago, in speaking with the late Jim Kelley, he mentioned it as something he knew was done for that issue and Mike Brophy has mentioned it in a couple of audio segments over the years.

 

[Gutchecktime]

Bruins in order:
Caron
Colborne
Spooner
Bartkowski
Hamill (lol)
Knight
Arniel
Sauve
Button
Cunningham

Interesting. I had a Bruins fan tell me yesterday that Colborne was their 5th or 6th best prospect before the trade.

 

[Vujtek]

Could somebody post the Pittsburgh list? Thanks.

 

[SidGenoMario]

Could somebody post the Pittsburgh list? Thanks.

1. Bennett
2. Despres
3. Tangradi
4. Jeffrey
5. Samuelsson
6. The Kuhn
7. Strait
8. Bortuzzo
9. Thiessen
10. D'Agostino

The top 2 are clearly reversed in my opinion.

 

[Dutchy]

Where is Toffoli ranked?