Which 2015 Draftee Will Move Up the Most?

[Drew75]

Every year, we draft a bunch of kids, and every year most of those kids (selected outside of the first round) are often listed towards the back half of our prospect rankings. Then, every year - one or two take eye opening, huge development strides in their draft +1 year, skyrocketing them up the rankings. (See: Connor Brown, Andreas Johnson, Victor Loov)

Who will it be this year?

#34 - Travis Dermott - a very intelligent, potentially top 4 D
#61 - Jeremy Bracco - don't let the size fool you, a solid 190lbs at 18, and elite level talent!
#65 - Andrew Nielsen - Big, western defender - intriguing potential
#68 - Martins Dzierkals - could this be a Grabovski on the wing?
#95 - Jesper Lindgren - Bergman strikes again ... and much earlier!
#125 - Dmytro Timashov - Dynamic winger who just needs some size.
#155 - Stephen Desrocher - Solid, all round player with a Mem Cup under his belt.
#185 - Nikita Korostelev - Struggled with consistency, but potentially first round talent in the seventh round!

Personally - I think Korostelev will take a big step forward. He apparently relented to the pressure of his draft year, but with the Leafs 'Sports Science' department behind him, and the desire to prove 29 teams screwed up - he could take a significant step forward.

Click to read more...

 

[SprDaVE]

I think Lindgren will rise the most.

 

[Drew75]

I think Lindgren will rise the most.

I'm actually really excited about a few of these kids, and I think next summer our top 10 will be littered with them.

Bracco is awesome. He has elite level talent, good size (yes, I said that!), and could be a bonafide top line winger.

Lindgren has some really nice tools, and with patience - could end up with #3 D potential.

Dzierkals also has me tingling - there is a good chance he can come over and dominate in the Q next year!

It's going to be a fun year for prospect fans! Both watching our slowly improving pool develop, and keeping an eye on the 2016 draft class with so many selections!

 

[Mess]

I'm hoping its Martins Dzierkals because Hunter traded out of the 1st round to add this 3rd round pick #68 overall and passed on some really good players like Nick Merkley to do so.

However I think Jesper Lindgren has the biggest opportunity for improvement as he got lost behind some much more scouted and revered Swedish Dmen prospects in Oliver Kylington, Gabriel Carlsson & Jacob Larsson, which makes Lindgren the sleeper pick of the bunch.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

I think Dermott will make some teams wonder why they did not pick him when they had the chance.

 

[shelf]

I feel like the "don't let the size fool you" should be applied to Nielsen and Desrocher. In todays HF size means limited potential.

 

[Doc300c]

you should edit the OP with when they were drafted for viewing later on in the season/year

 

[deletethis]

Dmytro Timashov is the name I'll choose. There's something about these high assist forwards that can translate to highly adaptable skill.

 

[ToneBone03]

Dzierkals. Everyone will know who he is by the end of the upcoming season.

 

[Mess]

I think Dermott will make some teams wonder why they did not pick him when they had the chance.

Dermott was drafted #34 overall and the 10th Dman taken in the draft so I guess you're predicting he will be better than some of those 9 others.

I'm interested to see Dermott without McDavid this year in Erie, because Connor has the ability to elevate the play of his teammates making them look good. Dermott simply got the puck to McDavid and he did the rest. He will still have Strome and Debrincat this year but I think the whole Erie team will perform differently this season without their franchise superstar in the line-up.

 

[4thline]

I legitimately can't choose, every one of those players has big boom potential.

 

[MJ65]

Even though I have voted for Nikkita Korostalev (7th round pick), simply because of his upside, his scoring ability, and a potential to be a top 6 (though consistency is a question mark)

I believe Martins Dzierkals is going to surprise all of us, He was among the top 10 scorers at WJC (with 1 less game played)

He is a good skater that plays a high skilled puck-possession game. He is very creative with the puck with an accurate bullet shot. He is relentless on the forecheck and do not shy away from the physical game

 

[shelf]

Dermott was drafted #34 overall and the 10th Dman taken in the draft so I guess you're predicting he will be better than some of those 9 others.

I'm interested to see Dermott without McDavid this year in Erie, because Connor has the ability to elevate the play of his teammates making them look good. Dermott simply got the puck to McDavid and he did the rest. He will still have Strome and Debrincat this year but I think the whole Erie team will perform differently this season without their franchise superstar in the line-up.

McDavid was out for 21 games during the OHL season. During that time Dermott had 15 points in 21 games. Dermotts points per game was just a tiny bit worse without McDavid in the Line-up.

 

[MJ65]

Dermott was drafted #34 overall and the 10th Dman taken in the draft so I guess you're predicting he will be better than some of those 9 others.

I'm interested to see Dermott without McDavid this year in Erie, because Connor has the ability to elevate the play of his teammates making them look good. Dermott simply got the puck to McDavid and he did the rest. He will still have Strome and Debrincat this year but I think the whole Erie team will perform differently this season without their franchise superstar in the line-up.

Dermott played total of 61 games and registered 45 points (.74 PPG), but it's interesting to note that Without McDavid in the lineup, Dermott registered 14 points in 21 games this season (.67 PPG) and with McDavid in the line up, he registered 31 points in 40 games (.77 PPG)

Even though his production playing with McDavid was definitely better, but .67 PPG for a defense man is a pretty good number

 

[67Cup]

Andrew Neilson seems to be getting almost no attention at present, even compared to players drafted long after him. Expectations for him on this board are nearly non-existent. That situation could make him the surprise of the draft class if he performs at all well. We are in the midst of a size doesn't matter reaction on this board these days. But size really is an advantage, especially on defense, and he's got it.

Speaking of size, Bracco weighed in at 173 at the draft combine, not 190.

 

[crump]

Dzierkals is my pick. The least known probably has the most room to move up on peoples radar. If he plays in NA he will go from "who" to " whoa" one small letter for Martins, one giant leap for Leaf Nation

 

[ULF_55]

No idea, but I love the draft for skilled approach.

We read about the Leafs scouting overseas and going to their homes to meet their role models, so I hope these kids have character oozing from their pores.

Changing the character issues on the Leafs will be key to how these prospects develop.

This is a group where we don't have to say, "Oh they've got intangibles so we can disregard their stone hands, lack of skating, lack of offense."

These guys have the skill, now if Hunter and gang have correctly read their intangibles (character, heart, drive) I think there are some home runs here.

A 7th. round pick with 1st./2nd. round skill? You'd have to think the biggest riser is the guy picked last.
To suggest a 2nd. round pick is going to be the biggest riser? So people think he's going to be a 1st. round talent, which is not exactly a big move is it?

 

[LeafGrief]

I think people are going to learn who Dzierkals is in a hurry. Hoping he turns some heads when he comes over to the Q.

 

[4thline]

Andrew Neilson seems to be getting almost no attention at present, even compared to players drafted long after him. Expectations for him on this board are nearly non-existent. That situation could make him the surprise of the draft class if he performs at all well. We are in the midst of a size doesn't matter reaction on this board these days. But size really is an advantage, especially on defense, and he's got it.

At first I didn't like the Neilson pick as much, but even he has some serious boom potential. People see :big, physical, not the best skater and write him off as a plug/depth d,

But by all accounts
--> he's actually reasonably mobile and fast, just technically rough
--> solid offensively , good first pass and shot
--> extremely raw and on a phenomenal developmental track -undrafted rookie but finished as teams number 1 in the dub, serious late bloomer

To me that looks like as much of a swing for the fences pick as the rest, going for a Pronger-lite, physical, do it all d-man

 

[WilliamNylander]

Korostelev might be the second of that draft class to play in the NHL (after Marner)

 

[MJ65]

Please vote for Stephen Desrocher, poor kid do not have a vote so far

 

[Mess]

Dermott played total of 61 games and registered 45 points (.74 PPG), but it's interesting to not that Without McDavid in the lineup, Dermott registered 14 points in 21 games this season (.67 PPG) and with McDavid in the line up, he registered 31 points in 40 games (.77 PPG)

Even though his production playing with McDavid was definitely better, but .67 PPG for a defense man is a pretty good number

True but Strome lead the OHL in scoring with 129 points and line Debincat was also over 100pts. So even without McDavid Erie offense was still dynamic and explosive.

If Strome also sticks in the NHL then it will be really interesting to see how Dermott does.

 

[Lauro]

This poll comes too early, because the potential rise is part of doing our prospect Rankings, no?

Dermott and Branco won't be listed towards the back half of our prospect Rankings, they will be Top 10. Thats why my vote goes to Korostelev in this one.

 

[Drew75]

This poll comes too early, because the potential rise is part of doing our prospect Rankings, no?

Dermott and Branco won't be listed towards the back half of our prospect Rankings, they will be Top 10. Thats why my vote goes to Korostelev in this one.

The fun in this is that it IS early - where we rank these guys today vs. even the middle of the season will likely change dramatically - so it's about projecting who will be that surprise riser?

I'll laugh if it's Desrochers because he seems the one guy no one is expecting to rise

 

[deletethis]

Not about any specific prospect but can anyone think of an example of a player whose stock plummeted well out of the 1st round in his draft year who is now a significant player in the NHL? We hear this narrative every year from many teams and I can't recall any happy stories.

These aren't drops from the 1st round but serious drops:

1. Cam Fowler was rated 3rd overall for the 2010 draft for much of the lead up to that draft only to inexplicably drop to 12th. In retrospect, he looks like he should have been a top 5 pick.
2. A year before the 2007 draft Angelo Esposito was seen as the most likely no.1 overall pick. By draft day he had dropped to 20th and it was being called a steal by many. 0 NHL games, 10 goals in 124 AHL games.