Today's Slapshot Flyers updated top 5 prospects

[StevenToddIves]

I thought you folks would enjoy my latest column, just up at TSS:

https://www.todaysslapshot.com/nhl-prospects-2/nhl-prospects-flyers-updated-top-5-for-2015/

I clearly thought the Flyers were a big winner at the 2015 draft. Getting both Provorov and Konecny was outstanding, but Hextall and co. shined in the late rounds as well. I'd love to hear what you all think!

Click to read more...

 

[BillDineen]

C'mo. Not worth clicking. The top 5 is: 1- Provorov 2- Konecny 3- Sanheim 4- Tomek 5- Ghost.

 

[Stizzle]

Tomek is our 4th ranked prospect? He's rated over Gostisbehere, Morin, etc? That is so off the wall, either you just did that to get attention and web hits, or you know something no one else does.

 

[Juicy Pop]

Goalies just aren't worth ranking until they're well into their 20's.

Take a look at Vasilevskiy or Gibson and tell me if either will ever be a bonafide starter for more than 5 years at this point. I bet you'll be significantly off on your predictions, despite them being two of the most advanced goalie prospects in the entire league at this point in time.

 

[Curufinwe]

Tomek will be lucky to be 14th in our poll. 4th is absurd.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Tomek is probably three years away from playing in the AHL. I don't know how you can rank him over other players who have good upside themselves & should be playing in the NHL these next couple of upcoming seasons.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Tomek is probably three years away from playing in the AHL. I don't know how you can rank him over other players who have good upside themselves & should be playing in the NHL these next couple of upcoming seasons.

The fact that I like Tomek is by no means a slight on your other prospects.

Red Line Report had Tomek as the #1 goaltender in the 2015 draft, over Samsonov and Blackwood. Though it is something of a challenge getting film on NAHL prospects, everything I have seen of Tomek proves he is a legit prospect.

I agree that projecting goaltenders amounts to as much dice rolling as scouting. But I don't think my #4 Flyers prospect is going to overwhelm me with hits. My top 3 is probably in line with the rest of the universe.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

The fact that I like Tomek is by no means a slight on your other prospects.

Red Line Report had Tomek as the #1 goaltender in the 2015 draft, over Samsonov and Blackwood. Though it is something of a challenge getting film on NAHL prospects, everything I have seen of Tomek proves he is a legit prospect.

I agree that projecting goaltenders amounts to as much dice rolling as scouting. But I don't think my #4 Flyers prospect is going to overwhelm me with hits. My top 3 is probably in line with the rest of the universe.

I get that but I still find it insane. He might not even crack our top 15 community list currently going on. We also have had reports out of our development camp that just took place that stated Stolarz & Sandstrom were better than Tomek.

Unless it's like a Vasilevskiy, Mrazek, Gibson, etc. type of goalie where the potential is high & they're on the cusp of making the NHL I just don't understand ranking a goalie that high.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I get that but I still find it insane. He might not even crack our top 15 community list currently going on. We also have had reports out of our development camp that just took place that stated Stolarz & Sandstrom were better than Tomek.

Unless it's like a Vasilevskiy, Mrazek, Gibson, etc. type of goalie where the potential is high & they're on the cusp of making the NHL I just don't understand ranking a goalie that high.

That's a fair point, indeed. Hopefully, six years from now Tomek will be a stud goalie for the Flyers and I can say I won this debate, ha.

 

[FLYguy3911]

My top 3 is probably in line with the rest of the universe.

Not really. I don't think Konecny is a better prospect than Morin or Gostisbehere, but if you think so, more power to ya. There's no shot he's a better prospect than Sanheim though. Not really close in my opinion.

 

[Jray42]

C'mo. Not worth clicking. The top 5 is: 1- Provorov 2- Konecny 3- Sanheim 4- Tomek 5- Ghost.

Thanks for saving me from clicking the link. That's hilarious, he isn't going to find one person on here who agrees.

 

[Stizzle]

My top 3 is probably in line with the rest of the universe.

Not really. I don't think Konecny is a better prospect than Morin or Gostisbehere, but if you think so, more power to ya. There's no shot he's a better prospect than Sanheim though. Not really close in my opinion.

Pretty much what FLYguy said. Maybe you can rank Konecny ahead of Ghost or Morin. But ranking him ahead of Sanheim is very far fetched.

 

[OrangeAndBlackMetal]

Regardless of how much you like tomek, ranking him above an 11th overall selected behemoth of a defenseman who's game has improved every year since getting drafted, is pretty indicative of the validity of these rankings...

I won't even comment on Konecny above Sanheim...

 

[TerrapinFlyers]

1 - Provorov
2 - Sanheim
3 - Morin
4 - Ghost
5 - Konecny

 

[duffy9748]

Konecny is underrated around here. I wouldn't place him above Provorov/Sanheim but he could very easily be the organization's 3rd best prospect.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Konecny is underrated around here. I wouldn't place him above Provorov/Sanheim but he could very easily be the organization's 3rd best prospect.

It's funny, but the nature of fan perception regarding the draft is closely tied to where a player has just been drafted.

If Hextall traded up to, say, the #12 pick and taken Konecny there (he was rated that high by several scouts and scouting bureaus), Konecny would be held in higher esteem by most hockey fans. The assumption that, because he fell to #24, he can not possibly be an immense all-star talent... well, Flyers fans can ask Claude Giroux about that.

Two of the biggest "fallers" in the 2015 first round were because of injury marred draft-eligible seasons -- Mathew Barzal and Konecny. Having watched several games from the Ottawa 67's season and the CHL prospects game, I saw enough to know that, once healthy, Konecny displayed just incredible talent.

Morin and Gostisbehere have the potential to be very good NHL players. They do not have the game-breaking upside of Konecny. Sanheim has an argument for #2 -- I had him and Konecny ranked very closely.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Gostisbehere doesn't have game-breaking potential?

I don't think people are underrating Konecny at all. He's just in a system with some really high end defense prospects.

 

[santapore]

he must never has seen gostisbehere. over the years i never seen nothing like him. its my really first "wow" moment for prospect when i saw frozen four game and last years training camp. he's special. prov/sanheim > ghost >konec/morin > rest..

 

[CutOnDime97]

Gostisbehere is the definition of game breaking upside.

 

[DrHamburg]

That's the top 5? Oh boy....

 

[Hockeypete49]

1 - Provorov
2 - Sanheim
3 - Morin
4 - Ghost
5 - Konecny

1. Provorov
2. Sanheim
3. Konecny
4. Morin
5. Laughton
For me Ghost is 6. I really believe that Konecny is going to be a special player in time. Still all in all a really nice group.

 

[TerrapinFlyers]

Hockeypete, I'm not going to argue that Konecny is going to be special I think he's going to be a great player. I just think that what we have is going to give our defenders a chance to shine a bit brighter.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Well written. Thanks for posting.

Taking way too much heat.

I disagree with Tomek being near the top 5, & I'd have Sanheim in the top two, but Konecny is certainly a good enough prospect that you could make a solid argument for based on personal opinion.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Well written. Thanks for posting.

Taking way too much heat.

I disagree with Tomek being near the top 5, & I'd have Sanheim in the top two, but Konecny is certainly a good enough prospect that you could make a solid argument for based on personal opinion.

Thanks! I understand how passionate Philly fans are about their team and appreciate their knowledge of hockey. I think it's always tough projecting goalies, but I had Tomek as one of my top 5 sleepers of the 2015 draft. If I would've ranked Gostisbehere in the top 5 the month after he was drafted, Philly fans would have called me crazy then, too.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Thanks! I understand how passionate Philly fans are about their team and appreciate their knowledge of hockey. I think it's always tough projecting goalies, but I had Tomek as one of my top 5 sleepers of the 2015 draft. If I would've ranked Gostisbehere in the top 5 the month after he was drafted, Philly fans would have called me crazy then, too.

Not really. Our prospect pool in 2012 was a fraction of what it is today. Look at those names:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1240921

He finished 6th in our voting and got a bunch of votes for the 5th spot.