THN Prospect Rankings

[mcarrick16]

I never knew why that o'sullivan is not rated near guys like Richards,carter after all he have 60 points in 37 games in the OHL

 

[triggrman]

I think it's funny that our org ranking here says we have no top end talent, yet two of our players are ranked in the top 15.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Care to elaborate?

Parise is a great prospect but there are still many question marks about his game. He didn't seem to be too strong on the puck, I seen both Finland and Canadian defensmen throw him around like a rag doll, this at the WJC. His speed is average in the NHL making it tough for a smaller player like himself, he may have to make an impact something like Ribero. His endurence has also been questioned by a couple scouts, it seems he got worn out in a short college season, at least thats what Edmonton scouts said. He is an excellent prospect but he does have to work on leg strength.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I REALLY do not understand O'Sullivan at #47. WTF? I'm looking at the guys ahead of him....and I just do NOT get it......

IMO O'Sullivan is still carrying some baggage in the eyes of certain scouts. A little unfair IMO, especially since he is lighting up the OHL this year, was clutch at the WJC's and has been a solid citizen by all accounts.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Parise is a great prospect but there are still many question marks about his game. He didn't seem to be too strong on the puck, I seen both Finland and Canadian defensmen throw him around like a rag doll, this at the WJC. His speed is average in the NHL making it tough for a smaller player like himself, he may have to make an impact something like Ribero. His endurence has also been questioned by a couple scouts, it seems he got worn out in a short college season, at least thats what Edmonton scouts said. He is an excellent prospect but he does have to work on leg strength.

I watched the U.S. play both Finland and Canada, and I don't think it's accurate to say Parise was "thrown around like a ragdoll." He was keyed on by the defenses of both countries, but he was still able to make plays and be a differance maker. As for his speed, it's more than adequete for the NHL game. It's his mind that's the differance maker, and that's something that can't be taught, or often quantified.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I think it is fair to say that Whitney is underrated.

IMO, the Penguins are going to have one of the best future D's in the NHL. Orpik, Whitney, and Welch are going to be dynamite.

 

[MePutPuckInNet]

IMO O'Sullivan is still carrying some baggage in the eyes of certain scouts. A little unfair IMO, especially since he is lighting up the OHL this year, was clutch at the WJC's and has been a solid citizen by all accounts.

Ranger - do you think that's all it is? It can't be based on talent,,,,for sure....or they must not have ever seen him play. And honestly, he really had a pretty lousy WJC overall [if you don't count the Gold winning goals, that is]...So, he didn't really show what he could do there.....Damn, I'm so PISSED!!

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I watched the U.S. play both Finland and Canada, and I don't think it's accurate to say Parise was "thrown around like a ragdoll." He was keyed on by the defenses of both countries, but he was still able to make plays and be a differance maker. As for his speed, it's more than adequete for the NHL game. It's his mind that's the differance maker, and that's something that can't be taught, or often quantified.

RR, his speed is OK for the NHL but for his size? That may be a problem, like I said he is a really good prospect but Leg Strength is "needed"

 

[Chainshot]

I think it's funny that our org ranking here says we have no top end talent, yet two of our players are ranked in the top 15.

Perhaps because scouting and evaluation are subjective? I found it, as with all the work people do in making these sort of lists to be both informative and worthy of inquiry. Taken together as collective bodies of research we can start to draw our own conclussions about players many of us have seen little if anything of. It's just another resource, similar to the one here.

Granted, there is that competitive nature that has people pounding their chests and proclaiming that their team's X is better than another's Y...

 

[mcarrick16]

I thought that O'sullivan played great in the WJC but eaves or the other linemate could not put the puck in the net...

he will be a great player in the nhl you will see

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

OSullivan was too fast for Eaves and Kesler who were his linemates. You need players with matching speed in order to have great chemitry. Brown and OSullivan would have been a better pair.

Brown was placed on the IR again, I don't think this guy has had enough games to play on the World Cup team.

 

[MePutPuckInNet]

O'Sullivan

I'm not arguing that he doesn't have baggage,,,i just think that it proves even more what a great player he is....that he can perform the way he does inspite of all that.....

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Ranger - do you think that's all it is? It can't be based on talent,,,,for sure....or they must not have ever seen him play. And honestly, he really had a pretty lousy WJC overall [if you don't count the Gold winning goals, that is]...So, he didn't really show what he could do there.....Damn, I'm so PISSED!!

I think there is some lingering backlash from his draft freefall last year. Who knows, maybe some of the people that compiled the THN list this year crapped on O'Sullivan last year and don't want to look like turds? Who cares. O'Sullivan is going to prove the naysayers wrong and become a great pro.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

RR, his speed is OK for the NHL but for his size? That may be a problem, like I said he is a really good prospect but Leg Strength is "needed"

He's not really *that* small, and will continue to grow and gain strength. Sure, it takes a bit more drive and determination for a "smaller" player to succeed at the next level, but it's becoming less and less unusual. I can't stress enough how good Parise's skills, and work ethic is though. He's a can't miss IMO.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I thought that O'sullivan played great in the WJC but eaves or the other linemate could not put the puck in the net...

he will be a great player in the nhl you will see

Eaves was the playmaker on that line. His job was making plays, which did to the tune of six points.

 

[Lowetide]

Jani Rita. What a story. He has a legit shot at being ranked HN#1 in a season and spending half a decade on the list AND not getting a job in the NHL.

I don't know about you guys, but imo that's a tremendous accomplishment. He should get his own cult movement, tour, maybe make a move they could run it once a year ala Rocky Horror.

btw, Rita has ranked in HN's Summer Issues on the Oilers prospect list as follows:

Summer 2000-#1
Summer 2001-#1
Summer 2002-#1
Summer 2003-#1


Comrie, Horcoff, Hemsky, Semenov, Chimera, Stoll, Torres and Conklin have all been rated below him in this span. I imagine Salmelainen and Lynch will pass him the next time the Oilers play a full season.

Take your time, Jani.

 

[Riggins]

I just breezed through the rankings but Kesler at #14 really stood out at me


Habs on the list:

15. Kastsitsyn
20. Komisarek
28. Higgins
39. Perezhogin

 

[craig1]

If the list were best players under 22, Kovalchuk and Nash would be 1, 2. The whole list would be full of guys already playing in the NHL.

I think the list is very good. If a guy has played more than 5 or 6 games in the NHL, he didn't make the list. So no Fleury, Staal, etc, but Michalek who only has been in like 4 games. What is wrong with that? Makes sense to me.

Upshall is on the list and he is in the high teens for games played. Why is he still a prospect? I just want to know their exact criteria for a prospect. Id just prefer to see a 22 and under ranking. It would make things a whole lot easier.

 

[triggrman]

Upshall is on the list and he is in the high teens for games played. Why is he still a prospect? I just want to know their exact criteria for a prospect. Id just prefer to see a 22 and under ranking. It would make things a whole lot easier.

They probably used players that at the time were not in the NHL

 

[degroat*]

Weak arguments against the Detroit prospects all around. About what I was expecting. Nothing really to debate there, you didn't give a convincing argument for either of them.

Do you really think I care if I convinced you? You seemed to be quite interested in the reasons why I felt that the Detroit prospects were overrated. I provided my reasoning and you dismissed them without providing any reasoning at all. If I didn't give a convincing argument, then it should be quite easy to make my reasoning look foolish yet you were unable to do so. About what I was expecting. Nothing really to debate here, you didn't give a convincing argument for pretty much anything.

 

[Evilo]

It sucks... as usual...

 

[Doomsday Device]

It's usually interesting to see how THN changes their rankings from their draft preview to their top prospects list, granted however that apparently different individuals contribute to the two lists.

Fleury, Staal, Horton, Zherdev, and Brown were removed from the draft ranking. There's no need to remove Bergeron or Burns since THN didn't have them in their top 100. :p

1. Dion Phaneuf (7)
2. Thomas Vanek (4)
3. Zach Parise (6)
4. Ryan Suter (1)
5. Jeff Carter (11)
6. Milan Michalek (2)
7. Braydon Coburn (3)
8. Ryan Getzlaf (5)
9. Ryan Kesler (12)
10. Andrei Kastsitsyn (8)
11. Anthony Stewart (14)
12. Mark Stuart (16)
13. Dan Fritsche (22)
14. Corey Perry (24)
15. Mike Richards (26)
16. Patrick Eaves (42)
17. Eric Fehr (23)
18. Hugh Jessiman (17)
19. Brent Seabrook (21)
20. Patrick O'Sullivan (15)

Players no longer in top 20
Marc-Antoine Pouliot (9)
Konstantin Glazachev (10)
Robert Nilsson (13)
Richard Stehlik (18)
Steve Bernier (19)
Jeff Tambellini (20)

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Why isn't Jozef Balej on the list. He was drafted the same year as Nedorost and Kronwall and should easily be in the top 25.

 

[West]

There's no need to remove Bergeron or Burns since THN didn't have them in their top 100. :p

Don't laugh to hard. Last year I said that Bergeron might be worth looking at in the second round and everyone here said I was reaching and the he was a 3rd rounder at best.

 

[ginner classic]

OSullivan was too fast for Eaves and Kesler who were his linemates. You need players with matching speed in order to have great chemitry. Brown and OSullivan would have been a better pair.

Brown was placed on the IR again, I don't think this guy has had enough games to play on the World Cup team.

I totally disagree with that conslusion about o'Sullivan's speed. Kesler is just as quick as Sully if not faster. He simply plays his position and errs on the side of defence.