The Hockey News "Future Watch" 2011

[madmike77]

I would rank the Flames:
1. Tim Erixon
2. TJ Brodie
3. Greg Nemisz
4. Leland Irving
5. Ryan Howse

I think we'll see
1. Tim Erixon
2. Greg Nemisz
3. Mitch Wahl
4. TJ Brodie
5. Leland Irving.

Wahl was injured pretty much all season so I doubt he makes any lists.

I think your first list is pretty good - although I thought Reinhart's season was almost as impressive as Howse's. Howse did play for a much worse team though.

 

[Benttheknee]

You know how a lot of people thought that the players from the WJC were over rated? The survey was taken.....right after the WJC.

Case closed!

 

[Qvist]

You know how a lot of people thought that the players from the WJC were over rated? The survey was taken.....right after the WJC.

Case closed!

There are actually people out there who think that's a valid chain of argument. They walk among us.

 

[Benttheknee]

I certainly think it applies, and it makes sense, this is human nature we are talking about.

It may may some players under rated if they were not there, or under rated if they had a bad tournament, or over rated if they had a good tourney.

Who had surprisingly good tournaments? Who looked bad? Is it reflected in their rankings?

I have a lot of back issues, I might check them out

 

[Stephen]

ellis (7)
blum
josi
watson
beck
budish
halischuk
geoffrion
bourque
pickard

makes no sense to me that ellis is the only one in the top 75.

Definitely. You'd have to think Jonathon Blum alone is a superior prospect in every way to a Jarred Tinordi, for example.

 

[periferal]

Yeah, I know what you said. That's just the point - those "independent sources" suffer from shortcomings that vastly and massively outweigh the theoretical risk that some NHL scout made let ulterior motives affect how he ranks a particular player.

How the **** would any of those be in a position to submit a viable list of the top 50 prospect playing in the CHL, AHL, ECHL, NCAA, Europe or elsewhere? The only group of people who keeps up an overall overview of that is NHL scouting departments.

No question scouts would provide the best information....But if teams are taking that information and purposely altering it to gain the upper hand in negotiations, then it's useless anyway.

I'd rather have 100% sincerity from someone just outside the scouts who has no ax to grind. There are enough people around the league who know the consensus is amongst teams on prospects. If you have people like McKenzie and McGuire making the list, then no team should have a problem with it.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I don't want to see Minnesota's >.<...

Granlund, Zucker, Larsson, Scandy, Hackett, Kuemper?

Ouch

 

[Faryn]

does anyone have the Oilers complete list? I know that Petry, Pitlick, and Lander are all in the top 65 but I dont know where or the rest of the list.

Thanks

 

[arsmaster*]

Definitely. You'd have to think Jonathon Blum alone is a superior prospect in every way to a Jarred Tinordi, for example.

You're preaching to the converted here!

Blum gets no credit around the league, he's been up with Nashville since the deadline and he is not out of place in the NHL a bit.

I have no clue how either THN or the "18 scouts" failed again to give Blum his due.

 

[Nasty Nazem]

Definitely. You'd have to think Jonathon Blum alone is a superior prospect in every way to a Jarred Tinordi, for example.

I actually think Blum is a better prospect than Ellis. Ellis has the higher upside but he's also a bigger risk. Even as the 2nd best prospect, he should be in top 50 or at least top 75.

I don't like these rankings at all.

 

[princegeorgehockey]

Anyone no tampa bays prospect top 10? are any in the top 75? connolly and tokarski should be IMO.

 

[Stephen]

You're preaching to the converted here!

Blum gets no credit around the league, he's been up with Nashville since the deadline and he is not out of place in the NHL a bit.

I have no clue how either THN or the "18 scouts" failed again to give Blum his due.

I think you might be able to piece together who the 'scouts' are just by reading the comments in the team articles, The personnel quoted in the various team reports are:

Tim Burke (SJ) 1
Lorne Henning (VAN) 2
Darryl Plandowski (TB) 3
Don Maloney (PHX) 3
George McPhee (WSH) 3
Jason Botterill (PIT) 2
Paul Holmgren (PHI) 0
Lou Lamoriello (NJ) 2
Grant McCagg (MTL) 2
Brent Flahr (MIN) 2
Jill Nill (DET) 3
Craig Billington (COL) 3
John Tortorella/Gordie Clark/Jim Schoenfeld (NYR) 3
Stan Bowman (CHI) 2
Jason Karmanos (CAR) 3
Jay Feaster (CGY) 2
Darcy Regier (BUF) 4
Don Sweeney (BOS) 2
Rick Dudley (FLA) 4
Mike Santos (FLA) 4
Ron Hextall (LA) 5

from my skimming detective work. Just doing some guess work here suggesting the guys they quote are probably the ones who are participating in the whole rankings. I also added the number of players they have ranked in the top 75 and the team affiliation to see if there's some possible overrating and homerism going on.

 

[Devils1029]

Finally got mine down here in the states at a local Barnes and noble....better late than never and better than paying $6 shipping!

 

[DuklaNation]

In the issue it provides the breakdown of the top 10 voting by the 18 scouts. 16 of the 1st place votes are accounted which 2 votes were for players not ranked in the top 10. Personally, I cant see who they could have been. Unless it was a pure homer vote that is. Anyone know which player(s) got 1 or 2 votes?

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Can anyone tell me the date this was published?

 

[danishh]

the barcode says feb 2011 display until may 31 2011.

 

[Stephen]

In the issue it provides the breakdown of the top 10 voting by the 18 scouts. 16 of the 1st place votes are accounted which 2 votes were for players not ranked in the top 10. Personally, I cant see who they could have been. Unless it was a pure homer vote that is. Anyone know which player(s) got 1 or 2 votes?

Why is Charlie Coyle ranked so high at 11? He came from a low level of competition in his draft year, he isn't tearing up the NCAA statistically and he isn't a late birthday. What makes him so much better than even a Chris Kreider, who is probably more polished, is only a year younger and producing similar numbers in the same league, let alone guys like Leddy, Hodgson, Kadri, Rundblad who are closer to NHL action, or a Brandon Gormley, Brandon Connolly who were a superior prospect just last June by a wide margin?

 

[matt trick]

He was excellent (though shut out against Canada) in the WJC. He also is playing on the top line on a perennial powerhouse BU team (which I think is rare fro a freshmen, but I must admit I don't follow closely). He was ranked a fair bit higher than I would have expected, and thus far, those are really the only reasons for why.

 

[DJB]

Not sure if I am blind or anything. REad back a dozen pages or so and didn't find the Sens list.

Anyone kind enough to post it?

 

[danishh]

Not sure if I am blind or anything. REad back a dozen pages or so and didn't find the Sens list.

Anyone kind enough to post it?

http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=31368854&postcount=175

and i have full coverage in the sens prospect thread on our board. Check the last few pages, and the initial list comparing our top 75 guys on page 7 or 8 of that thread iirc

edit: post 180 and 534 in that thread.

 

[DJB]

Thanks!!!

 

[Benttheknee]

I guess the HF Futures magazine is beginning to take on a life of its own.

I just got my copy, and I read the Kadri write up. It must be more of a message to Kadri than a real review. They give him a raking of 13th, and then rip him apart.