Which of the 06 drafted players will be in NHL next season?

[bit82]

Will EJ, Kessel, Staal, Toews, Brassad, Mueller, Backstrom, or Tlusty be playing in an NHL sweater this fall?? Are are most of these guys a year or two away??

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[Beukeboom Fan]

Will EJ, Kessel, Staal, Toews, Brassad, Mueller, Backstrom, or Tlusty be playing in an NHL sweater this fall?? Are are most of these guys a year or two away??

Unless a player ready to dominate, I don't think any 18 YO's will be playing in the NHL next year due to the new CBA. Guys become UFA's after 7 years of service, so guys that make the jump right to the NHL after being drafted will be UFA's at 25 YO. It's pretty shortsighted because a team would be forgoing having the player, at least at a non-UFA pricetag, for 2 seasons of their prime. Except for the very rare players - most 18 YO's just aren't ready to compete physically or mentally.

 

[bit82]

Unless a player ready to dominate, I don't think any 18 YO's will be playing in the NHL next year due to the new CBA. Guys become UFA's after 7 years of service, so guys that make the jump right to the NHL after being drafted will be UFA's at 25 YO. It's pretty shortsighted because a team would be forgoing having the player, at least at a non-UFA pricetag, for 2 seasons of their prime. Except for the very rare players - most 18 YO's just aren't ready to compete physically or mentally.

WOW! I didn't know that it was 7 yrs of service at the NHL level. I thought it was just 7 yrs total after being drafted. Thanks for informing me of this.

 

[Crosby=Gretzky]

A few players may play some games during the season(although not from game no.1 IMO), but no more than 9 games, as it's when you play 10 games that the season counts as one of the 7 years.

 

[wpg_habsfan]

The only player that is probably NHL caliber ready in this draft is EJ, but he signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Minnesota next season, so I doubt any player in the first round draft (there might be a 27 year old picked in the last round that might make the NHL ) will get more than a couple of games next season in NHL.

 

[TheRedressor]

I could definetly see Backstrom playing in the NHL next season.

 

[Preds666]

Bäckström is good enough to play NHL hockey, however, he has said that it is his intention to play another SEL season before moving.

 

[FTowwn]

i think the most NHL ready players of these years crop would be backstrom and kessel. but i dont think any will be there next year.

 

[Slitty]

I dont agree. I think the most NHL ready and most likely to see NHL action next year is Nikolai Kulemin.

 

[Talent Analyst]

Claude Giroux .. depend obviously of the team who draft him ..

 

[XploD]

Bäckström is good enough to play NHL hockey, however, he has said that it is his intention to play another SEL season before moving.

I've heard he's leaning towards going over now (this was after that statement).

 

[Kaizer]

Kulemin because he is overager

edit : oh! didn't see slitty's post before

 

[Foy]

Kessel and Johnson have both said they're staying in school. Remember, that if one of the NCAA guys plays in the pros they cannot go back to college, they would have to switch to a junior team or an AHL team after playing in the N.

 

[Chrisd]

actually kessel said he'd wait and see, that he wouldn't mind going pro and that his "dream was to play in the NHL, not the ncaa"- what he said.

Erik Johnson will turn pro also right away if his team wants him too, bank it.

As a gophers fan, believe me I want both of them in minny, but if they get the chances, they will both go to the nhl.

 

[Boston]

EJ and Backstrom

 

[Meat Wave]

Claude Giroux .. depend obviously of the team who draft him ..

Definetely not.

 

[Crosby=Gretzky]

Definetely not.

Agreed. Even though he scored 100+ PTS this year, it was his first year of major junior hockey.
He's still far away from the NHL. I guess two more years in the Q, then one in the AHL. After those three years, he could play in the NHL.
As for the original question, I think both Johnson and Kessel could play in the NHL, but it would probably hurt their development, atleast Johnson's. He hasn't even played a year of college hockey yet.

 

[Habsfan18]

Claude Giroux .. depend obviously of the team who draft him ..

No.

 

[insider]

No.

.

 

[Kritty]

The only player that is probably NHL caliber ready in this draft is EJ, but he signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Minnesota next season, so I doubt any player in the first round draft (there might be a 27 year old picked in the last round that might make the NHL ) will get more than a couple of games next season in NHL.

Johnson is not NHL ready. He was shown up on occasion at the WJC by players his age and is only coming out of high school hockey. He is nowhere near NHL ready. He has alot to learn still. I would expect at least one year, maybe two at Minnesota before he turns pro.

As for the rest of the draft, I don't see anyone playing in the NHL next year. The only ones I see as possibilities would be older Europeans who are deemed ready to step in by NHL teams.

 

[CH Wizard]

Backstrom or Kulemin

 

[LaLaLaprise]

I can only see 1 guy..maybe 2.

Backstrom and Kessel.

Staal -- i dont think hes ready
Johnson - i think he needs more seasoning, and i doubt he'd want to make that huge steap ala Jack Johnson
Mueller -- i can see it, but i dont think it will happen.
Toews -- similar to Mueller, but i think he opts for 1 more season in ND.

 

[Jovofan]

I doubt anybody plays in the NHL next season, most of the people who are deemed NHL-ready already have commitments to play elsewhere next year and I doubt any of the teams will want to rush their prospects. I think it's rare that we'll see guys play straight away after being drafted unless their last name is Crosby.

 

[bullsville]

Kessel and Johnson for me

 

[rt]

Peter Meuller or Bryan Little would be my guesses. They are both already physically developed enough, and have both steadily and rapidly progressed as hockey players in Major Junior.