Top 20 Forwards for 2011 Draft

[spikelechien]

Top 20 Forwards for 2011 Draft
Here is my stab at naming the top 20 forwards for the 2011 draft which coincides with those I have in the 1st round. It is only a fan’s list so I wouldn’t take it too seriously - however, even professional scouts are having difficulty in really saying there is there is much difference between a player taken at 20 versus a player taken at 50. Therefore, I added the 2nd round guys to give a more complete picture. There are lots of good questions without always good answers:
1. How big is the Russian discount? For NA Russian players, not much; for Russian players playing in Russia, a little for the top guys, a lot for the lesser knowns. Kucherov, a top 10 talent, I have @ 25 - is that right? I don’t know.
2. Will any of the little guys make it and how much of a discount will there be for their size? Grimaldi, Boucher, McColgan. Fast guys with a low center of gravity generally are more likely to make it even if they are diminutive.
3. Are the college guys undervalued because they don’t get the quality ice time the juniors do? Nieto, Shore.
4. Have the fallers been discounted too much? Saad, Jurco, Rask, Lessio, Ambroz - Generally a faller should be avoided but sometimes you can get huge steals when one of them turns it around. e.g. Kabanov is looking better and better for the Islanders.
5. Has the effect of injuries and illnesses been properly evaluated? Couturier, Puempel, Saad, Ritchie, Rakell, McColgan
6. Have the players being properly categorized i.e. top 6 vs bottom 6 - Danault, Noesen or centers who will may be wingers in the NHL - Huburdeau, Zibanejad, Miller, Phillips, Namestnikov?
7. How good are the high schoolers who often have opposition who look like grade schoolers - Lucia, Labate?
8. Are there any potential hugh steals out there not included in the top 60 who potentially could be a top 60? Marek Tvrdon, Justin Thomas, Blake Coleman, Nikita Dvurechensky
Please add your own top 20 or comment on this or other lists which may be provided.

1st round
1. @ 1 (CS-1) - Nugent-Hopkins, Ryan - 6’1 170 L - 69-31-75-106-51-(+30)
2. @ 3(CS-7) - Couturier, Sean - 6’4 191 L - 58-36-60-96-36-(+55)
3. @ 5 (CS-3) - Landeskog, Gabriel - 6’1 207 L - 53-36-30-66-61-(+27)
4. @ 6 (CS-9) - Strome, Ryan - 6’1 183 R - 65-33-73-106-82-(+26)
5. @ 7 (CS-4) - Huburdeau, Jonathan - 6’1 171 L - 67-53-62-105-88-(+59)-still playing
6. @ 9 (CS-10) - Zibanejad, Mika - 6’2 192 R - 26-5-4-9-2
7. @ 10 (CS-33) - Puempel, Matt - 6’0 196 L - 54-34-35-69-49-(-33)
8. @ 12 (CS-20) - Scheifele, Mark - 6’3 174 R - 66-22-53-75-35-(-22)
9. @ 14 (CS-16) - Armia, Joel - 6’4 192 R - 48-18-11-29-24
10. @ 15 (CS 18) - McNeill, Mark - 6’2 209 R - 70-32-49-81-53-(-4)
11. @ 16 (CS-8) - Baertschi, Sven - 5’10 185 L - 66-34-51-85-74-(+23)-still playing
12. @ 18 (CS-27) - Biggs, Ty - 6’2 207 R - 48-17-11-28-112
13. @ 20 (CS-21) - Jaskin, Dmitri - 6’3 198 R - 33-3-7-10-16
14. @ 21 (CS-34) - Khokhlachev, Alexander - 5’10 172 L - 67-34-42-76-28-(+9)
15. @ 22 (CS-22) - Rattie, Ty - 6’0 170 R - 67-28-51-79-55-(+20)-still playing
16. @ 24 (CS-28) - Miller, JT - 6’1 194 L - 48-11-26-37-78
17. @ 25 (CS-104) - Kucherov, Nikita - 6’0 165 L - 41-27-31-58-81-(+42)
18. @ 26 (CS-26) - Jensen, Nicklas - 6’3 186 L - 61-29-29-58-42-(+19)
19. @ 27 (CS-23) - Jenner, Boone - 6’1 204 L - 63-25-41-66-57-(+10)
20. @ 28 (CS-24) - Saad, Brandon - 6’2 206 R - 59-27-28-55-47-(+8)
2nd round
21. @ 31 (CS-19) - Phillips, Zack - 6’1 181 R - 67-38-57-95-16-+(48)-still playing
22. @ 32 (CS-37) - Grimaldi, Rocco - 5’6 161 R - 50-34-28-62-57
23. @ 33 (CS-41) - Ritchie, Brett - 6’3 190 R - 49-21-20-41-47-(-1)
24. @ 36 (CS-13) - Namestnikov, Vladislav - 6’0 170 L - 68-330-38-68-49-(+12)
25. @ 38 -(CS-75) Rask, Victor - 6’1 194 L - 37-5-6-11-8
26. @ 39 (CS-31) - Prince, Shane - 5’11 185 L - 59-25-63-88-18-(+43)
27. @ 40 (CS-25) - Jurco, Tomas - 6’2 193 L - 60-31-25-56-17-(+46)-still playing
28. @ 43 (CS-35) - Rakell, Rickard - 6’1 185 R - 4--19-24-43-12-(+14)
29. @ 45 (CS-39) - Lucia, Mario - 6’2 183 L - 24-25-22-47-14-(+26)
30. @ 46 (CS-32) - Danault, Philip - 6’0 170 L - 64-23-44-67-59-(+17)
31. @ 48 (CS-40) - Noesen, Stefan - 6’1 195 R - 68-34-43-77-80-(+14)
32. @ 50 (CS-71) - Hofmann, Gregory - 6’0 170 L - 41-3-9-12-2
33. @ 52 (CS-167) - McColgan, Shane - 5’9 160 R - 67-21-45-66-62-(+3)
34. @ 53 (CS-149) - Boucher, Reid - 5’9 185 L - 49-24-19-43-25
35. @ 54 (CS-36) - Ambroz, Seth - 6’3 211 R - 56-24-22-46-89-(+2)
36. @ 55 (CS-57) - Lessio, Lucas - 6’1 200 L - 66-27-27-54-66-(+8)
37. @ 57 (CS-54) - Nieto, Matthew - 5’11 183 L - 38-9-13-22-16-(+0)
38. @ 58 (CS-70) - Shore, Nicholas - 6’0 185 R - 33-7-11-18-37-(+0)
39. @ 60 (CS-64) - Labate, Joseph - 6’4 180 L - 25-27-22-49-42-(+27)

The CS numbers are for Central Scouting Final Ranking - combined.

Click to read more...

 

[Leafssss]

Great job although I feel Kucherov is being overrated with his U18 dominance

 

[goodfellas]

I agree with much of your list except for Jonathan Huberdeau, that I rank second overall behind Nugent-hopkins. He is something else.

 

[AwesomePanthers]

Namestnikov and Noesen is too low for my taste. I'd take Namestnikov over Khokhlachev, but Khokhlachev is almost a year younger though.

 

[Bure]

Great job although I feel Kucherov is being overrated with his U18 dominance

How he put up great numbers back in Russia, if he was Canadian he would be all over everybody's radar.

 

[TheNudge]

How he put up great numbers back in Russia, if he was Canadian he would be all over everybody's radar.

Exactly, why would a team risk a 1st or 2nd round on him when he's not even sure that he want to play in the nhl. I bet he will be pick after the 3rd round. He might have top 10 skills but he's russian and there will always be the russian Factor. Also more importantly when there's a league like KHL representing them and most of the talent will stay and represent there favorite team or the team that select them in the khl draft.

 

[Bure]

Exactly, why would a team risk a 1st or 2nd round on him when he's not even sure that he want to play in the nhl. I bet he will be pick after the 3rd round. He might have top 10 skills but he's russian and there will always be the russian Factor. Also more importantly when there's a league like KHL representing them and most of the talent will stay and represent there favorite team or the team that select them in the khl draft.

I'm commenting on the overrated part. Not his draft ranking.

 

[TheNudge]

I'm commenting on the overrated part. Not his draft ranking.

I know he wasn't even rank in the mid ranking on nhl ranking. But now he's rank 17th in the Europien skater. Wich that's insane!!! He should be more of a top 5 at the very least.

 

[Granlund2Pulkkinen*]

Rajala was the last to break the record and he went 4th round... he had some darn good junior numbers his draft year too: 5 points in the SM-Liiga and 31 points in 31 games in the Jr A, played WJC 20 and 18...

Don't get your hopes up guys.

 

[YEGJuniorFan]

1. RNH
2. Landeskog
3. Couturier
4. Huberdeau
5. Strome
6. Zibanejad
7. Bartschi
8. Armia
9. McNeill
10. Scheifele
11. Namestnikov
12. Grimaldi
13. Jensen
14. Khokhlachev
15. Saad
16. Biggs
17. Rask
18. Jenner
19. Phillips
20. Puempel

hm. JT Miller, Jurco, Kucherov

 

[Bure]

1. RNH
2. Landeskog
3. Couturier
4. Huberdeau
5. Strome
6. Zibanejad
7. Bartschi
8. Armia
9. McNeill
10. Scheifele
11. Namestnikov
12. Grimaldi
13. Jensen
14. Khokhlachev
15. Saad
16. Biggs
17. Rask
18. Jenner
19. Phillips
20. Puempel

hm. JT Miller, Jurco, Kucherov

Pretty good list although I don't see Namestnikov going before Khokly, that's just me though

 

[TheNudge]

1. RNH
2. Landeskog
3. Couturier
4. Huberdeau
5. Strome
6. Zibanejad
7. Bartschi
8. Armia
9. McNeill
10. Scheifele
11. Namestnikov
12. Grimaldi
13. Jensen
14. Khokhlachev
15. Saad
16. Biggs
17. Rask
18. Jenner
19. Phillips
20. Puempel

hm. JT Miller, Jurco, Kucherov

I also don't see Kucherov going in the 1st 2 round. Also I don't see Rask going before Jurco,Philipps,Puempel,Jenner.

Nice list but there s a couple spot I disagree like switch 14 for 11!!

 

[SuperSaiyanBeastmode]

Rajala was the last to break the record and he went 4th round... he had some darn good junior numbers his draft year too: 5 points in the SM-Liiga and 31 points in 31 games in the Jr A, played WJC 20 and 18...

Don't get your hopes up guys.

rajala, physically was always an extreme long shot of making the nhl, if kucherov didn't shy away from contact in the U18 he is a lock for at least the 3rd round imo, and kucherov would play in a more competitive league to develop too.

 

[Future]

If Kucherov was Canadian he would go in the top 10 easily, possibly top 5.

 

[Granlund2Pulkkinen*]

rajala, physically was always an extreme long shot of making the nhl, if kucherov didn't shy away from contact in the U18 he is a lock for at least the 3rd round imo, and kucherov would play in a more competitive league to develop too.

...have you ever seen Rajala play?

 

[SuperSaiyanBeastmode]

...have you ever seen Rajala play?

yes... are you telling me someone who was playing in the toughest league in the chl, and decides to go back to finland isn't a long shot physically of making the nhl? i'm not saying he's 100% not going to make the nhl, but if kucherov didn't try to avoid contact at the U18 he will be drafted higher than rajala.

 

[Eytinge]

...have you ever seen Rajala play?

Have you?

 

[Latex*]

yes... are you telling me someone who was playing in the toughest league in the chl, and decides to go back to finland isn't a long shot physically of making the nhl? i'm not saying he's 100% not going to make the nhl, but if kucherov didn't try to avoid contact at the U18 he will be drafted higher than rajala.

He came back because of his Army service...


Rajala was awful this year here in Finland. Playing in the WHL really hurt his game.
I really don't think WHL is that much more physical than SM-Liiga.
But Kuchcherov (or whatever) will not be drafted before 4th round.
Mark my word.