Wings Prospects??

[19 for president]

I was wondering what you guys think about Hudler, Kronwall, Howard, Filppula, and McGrath, in terms of how they will do in the NHL (will the make it etc)??Also any info on their seasons thus far would be great (especially Flippula and McGrath).

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[Senor Rational]

I think Kronwall will be a lesser version of Lidstrom...more physical less solid but still a real rock

i like hudler...he isnt big hes not the best skater but he hustles atleast against the blues he does. I think he'll be a good top six forward.

Ive never seen Mcgrath play but his scouting looks good. He could be a steal.

Never seen Howard but again his scouting looks really good. I dont have a comparison for him but scoutingreports look good. What year is he?

 

[ktownhockey]

I was wondering what you guys think about Hudler, Kronwall, Howard, Filppula, and McGrath, in terms of how they will do in the NHL (will the make it etc)??Also any info on their seasons thus far would be great (especially Flippula and McGrath).

Mcgraths an 86 bday who's having a really good year for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL... he's about 6"0 185 so his size isn't much of an issue considering he's a scorer.. anyways I think he'll pan out to be a ceiling 2nd liner at worst a 4th liner...

 

[HuskyFlames]

I think Kronwall will be a lesser version of Lidstrom...more physical less solid but still a real rock

So in other words he will be at least a top 20 defenseman in the NHL.

 

[raidered]

Not to insult Red Wing posters, but more of you better do your homework and promote the upside of Ryan Oulahen captain of the OHL Brampton Battalion so that you can't say you didn't know about him when he's on your team or in Grand Rapids that he snuck up on you. He could possibly replace Draper's role in 4 or 5 years. In case you've forgotten he was your first forward chosen in the 2003 draft. This year's Canadian World Junior team tells you the talent that Canada had in that draft class. Oulahen could just as easily have played on the 3rd or 4th line as he's as good as Dixon, Fraser, etc. He's more or less a poor man's version of Mike Richards. He has a much more pro style game than McGrath and is almost 6'1" and 185 lbs. As a rookie Oulahen went head to head against Hemelfarb (4th year player at that point) when Brampton beat out Barrie in the first round of the playoffs and Hemelfarb only getting 1 goal in the six game series might have cost him a contract with the Canadians (just speculating here). Oulahen's featured this week on Red Wings Central. Check it out!

 

[A Good Flying Bird*]

Not to insult Red Wing posters, but more of you better do your homework and promote the upside of Ryan Oulahen captain of the OHL Brampton Battalion so that you can't say you didn't know about him when he's on your team or in Grand Rapids that he snuck up on you. He could possibly replace Draper's role in 4 or 5 years. In case you've forgotten he was your first forward chosen in the 2003 draft. This year's Canadian World Junior team tells you the talent that Canada had in that draft class. Oulahen could just as easily have played on the 3rd or 4th line as he's as good as Dixon, Fraser, etc. He's more or less a poor man's version of Mike Richards. He has a much more pro style game than McGrath and is almost 6'1" and 185 lbs. As a rookie Oulahen went head to head against Hemelfarb (4th year player at that point) when Brampton beat out Barrie in the first round of the playoffs and Hemelfarb only getting 1 goal in the six game series might have cost him a contract with the Canadians (just speculating here). Oulahen's featured this week on Red Wings Central. Check it out!

Oulahen has come along nicely.
However, it's a bit premature to label him a replacement for Kris Draper, a Selke winner and a key member of Team Canada's world cup team.
He's a Draper-style forward.
But so was Boyd Devereaux.
People should be cautious about Ryan's game.

 

[ginnungagap]

Oulahen has come along nicely.
However, it's a bit premature to label him a replacement for Kris Draper, a Selke winner and a key member of Team Canada's world cup team.
He's a Draper-style forward.
But so was Boyd Devereaux.
People should be cautious about Ryan's game.

Projecting any prospect is difficult and I agree that picking out a replacement for a heart and soul guy like Draper would be more difficult than just finding a depth player. It seems like its pretty much the same principle as any other boom or bust archetype- smallish skilled players, big defenseman, etc.- either they have the work ethic and/or confidence that separates them from the pack or they can't seem to find it. Only time will tell, but it seems like quite a few people who watch the Battalion think that Oulahen has those intangibles- of course to keep rambling, and throw my money on your number Newsy, nearly the entire hockey community thought Manny Malhotra was an absolute no-brainer for that kind of role, he went in the top ten of his draft, the Rangers (although that might be the key word in all of this) thought he was ready as a teenager and the jury's still out on him seven years later.

 

[BuppY]

Im from Brampton and I do watch Brampton games and I'll tell you right now Oulahen has impressed me a lot he has all the tools to be a great grinder, and will be a great 3rd/4th line player in the NHL if he keeps on working hard. He never quits on the play and will do anything to help his team win. I've seen him score some goals which made me go beacause he never quits on the play he'll be on the ice on his knee and still trying to stay in the play.

 

[Rockstar Life]

It's easy to overrate hometown prospects, but Oulahen has compiled a really nice offensive year while continuing to shut down the opposing top line. For anyone keeping track at home, check the OHL ticker out this Friday as Ryan will be called on as much as possible to shut down McGrath when the Troops invade Kitchener.

 

[raidered]

Didn't it take Draper several years of NHL play to develop into what he is today? Surely a smart team like the Red Wings will give Oulahen time to develop as well. I'm just saying he'll need 2-3 years in the minors to get physically stronger and learn to play against men. He will then be a Draper like player in the NHL, but you got to remember that Draper was a rookie at one time too. McGrath, on the other hand, will have a much tougher time adapting to the pro style game. From what I've seen he likes to play far too much in open spaces if you know what I mean. In Kitchener this Friday it will be interesting to watch Oulahen go head to head with either McGrath or Richards, but it's the home team's decision and Oulahen might just draw a 3rd or 4th line checking center. Oh yah, I forgot to mention that Oulahen went head to head with Corey Locke in a 7 games series in last year's playoffs. Brampton came out on top in this matchup as well. So Hockey's Future experts that suggest to go easy on Oulahen's upside ("people should be cautious about Ryan's game") yah got to go out and watch these kids play instead of going on draft order and points. Do your research and tell me who has a better pro future Wolski or Oulahen? I see them both play a lot (at home and ON THE ROAD hint, hint) and stats and draft order don't tell the tale at all here.

 

[A Good Flying Bird*]

Didn't it take Draper several years of NHL play to develop into what he is today? Surely a smart team like the Red Wings will give Oulahen time to develop as well. I'm just saying he'll need 2-3 years in the minors to get physically stronger and learn to play against men. He will then be a Draper like player in the NHL, but you got to remember that Draper was a rookie at one time too. McGrath, on the other hand, will have a much tougher time adapting to the pro style game. From what I've seen he likes to play far too much in open spaces if you know what I mean. In Kitchener this Friday it will be interesting to watch Oulahen go head to head with either McGrath or Richards, but it's the home team's decision and Oulahen might just draw a 3rd or 4th line checking center. Oh yah, I forgot to mention that Oulahen went head to head with Corey Locke in a 7 games series in last year's playoffs. Brampton came out on top in this matchup as well. So Hockey's Future experts that suggest to go easy on Oulahen's upside ("people should be cautious about Ryan's game") yah got to go out and watch these kids play instead of going on draft order and points. Do your research and tell me who has a better pro future Wolski or Oulahen? I see them both play a lot (at home and ON THE ROAD hint, hint) and stats and draft order don't tell the tale at all here.

Hey, no need to get snarky.
I don't see much OHL action. Whalers games on television, and that's just about it.
I consider Oulahen to be a part of the wings future (I know you've been one of this guy's biggest boosters on these boards, and I always like reading your posts about him) I'm just not prepared to call him the next Kris Draper. Yes Kris Draper spent parts of four years in the AHL.
Yes, he was a fourth liner for the wings for many year (of course, playing behind Fedorov, Yzerman, Primeau, Larionov tends to do that to almost anyone)
But while Draper might have had his coming out party in the NHL this year, we've known how good he is for many years here in Detroit.
Fact is, even if Draper never scored 20 goals or won a Selke, I still find it tough to just pencil in a guy for a solid NHL career.
If Oulahen does that, I'll be happy.
As for McGrath, I know very little except that he was a high-flying prospect who had a downer draft year, and now he's bounced back.
So Wings fans, of course, are excited about that.
Turns out that the 03 picks (Howard/Quincey/Oulahen) might have been pretty darned good afterall.
If so, that's good news for the Wings, who've had terrible luck in North America for the last 15 years or so.

 

[Boomhower]

Turns out that the 03 picks (Howard/Quincey/Oulahen) might have been pretty darned good afterall.

Considering the positioning Detroit put themselves in for the '03 draft, no question.

From what I've seen Oulahen has great speed, is a very good defensive player and smart player in general. He does have a good wrist shot aswell, but obviously high levels of offense aren't expected. The only downer is that he's not as physical as you'd like a checker to be. He's not going to wear anybody down or get under opposition player's skin.

 

[Diaboli]

Filppula has 7+12=19, +8, 10 PIM in 32 games this season.

Here's Pekka's assessment on Filppula's abilities

http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=118949&page=6&pp=15

There's a little more on the 8th page.

 

[Panopticon]

Filppula has 7+12=19, +8, 10 PIM in 32 games this season.

Not to mention that he's in the army at the same time. He played better in the beginning of the season if you ask me.

 

[Sampe]

Filppula IMO is a better prospect than Jussi Jokinen and Jarkko Immonen. He's much more of a sure thing as he hardly has any question marks regarding his ability to handle the rough stuff or play in a defensive role. And when it comes to overall scoring potential, Immonen and Jokinen have got nothing on Filppula, save a couple of special abilities like Jokinen's movement off the puck.

 

[ALF AmericanLionsFan]

When might Filppula come over to Detroit? Any guesses?

 

[Panopticon]

When might Filppula come over to Detroit? Any guesses?

That depends a lot on the NHL I guess.

 

[Chaos]

Filppula IMO is a better prospect than Jussi Jokinen and Jarkko Immonen. He's much more of a sure thing as he hardly has any question marks regarding his ability to handle the rough stuff or play in a defensive role. And when it comes to overall scoring potential, Immonen and Jokinen have got nothing on Filppula, save a couple of special abilities like Jokinen's movement off the puck.

Thats really high praise considering both Immonen and Jokinen have played in several international tournaments this year, and in the case of Jokinen, has lead 2 straight tournaments in scoring.

 

[Sampe]

Thats really high praise considering both Immonen and Jokinen have played in several international tournaments this year, and in the case of Jokinen, has lead 2 straight tournaments in scoring.

I know, but I really like Filppula. Jokinen has developed a little faster if we only look at the stats and their age (while Immonen and Filppula are more or less even), but Filppula is still a year younger than Jokinen and two years younger than Immonen. He is, IMO based on his skillset, virtually destined to dominate the SM-liiga much in the same way as Immonen and Jokinen have. And as an NHL prospect I just see him less likely to disappoint.

Filppula also made his international debut this season, btw. And was easier to spot on the ice than both Jokinen (who nevertheless led the tournament in scoring; this guy is a ghost but a *very* effective one) and especially Immonen.

 

[Zoran Manojlovic]

I know, but I really like Filppula. Jokinen has developed a little faster if we only look at the stats and their age (while Immonen and Filppula are more or less even), but Filppula is still a year younger than Jokinen and two years younger than Immonen. He is, IMO based on his skillset, virtually destined to dominate the SM-liiga much in the same way as Immonen and Jokinen have. And as an NHL prospect I just see him less likely to disappoint.

Filppula also made his international debut this season, btw. And was easier to spot on the ice than both Jokinen (who nevertheless led the tournament in scoring; this guy is a ghost but a *very* effective one) and especially Immonen.

I can also support your thoughts on Filppula. I have seen him with the national team and in the SM-liga. He has been very impressive this season. He has very good potential and seems to have a great attitude and I´m sure that he will be with the Wings for a long time.

I don´t understand how Jokinen can have that many points with the national team and in the sm-liga while playing the way he doas. He looks like a 3rd line grinder to me..

 

[Chaos]

I know, but I really like Filppula. Jokinen has developed a little faster if we only look at the stats and their age (while Immonen and Filppula are more or less even), but Filppula is still a year younger than Jokinen and two years younger than Immonen. He is, IMO based on his skillset, virtually destined to dominate the SM-liiga much in the same way as Immonen and Jokinen have. And as an NHL prospect I just see him less likely to disappoint.

Filppula also made his international debut this season, btw. And was easier to spot on the ice than both Jokinen (who nevertheless led the tournament in scoring; this guy is a ghost but a *very* effective one) and especially Immonen.

Fair enough....Just thought I'd point out that people often say Brett Hull is invisible on the ice, until he comes out of nowhere to score. Not saying Jokinen is Brett Hull, but its a comparison on the 'ghost' comment.

 

[Chaos]

I don´t understand how Jokinen can have that many points with the national team and in the sm-liga while playing the way he doas. He looks like a 3rd line grinder to me..

He just has a knack for being in the right place at the right time to score goals. All good goalscorers do.

 

[Sampe]

Fair enough....Just thought I'd point out that people often say Brett Hull is invisible on the ice, until he comes out of nowhere to score. Not saying Jokinen is Brett Hull, but its a comparison on the 'ghost' comment.

Yeah, Jokinen truly has that sniper sense. But that's only the halfway point as far as goal scoring is concerned and I've never been that impressed by Jokinen's actual finishing skills (although I can guarantee that he's better than Niko Kapanen in that respect ). So only time will tell how useful Jokinen can be in a scoring line.

 

[Chaos]

Yeah, Jokinen truly has that sniper sense. But that's only the halfway point as far as goal scoring is concerned and I've never been that impressed by Jokinen's actual finishing skills (although I can guarantee that he's better than Niko Kapanen in that respect ). So only time will tell how useful Jokinen can be in a scoring line.

I've seen some of his goals from his team in Karpat, and he has scored quite a few nice ones. And unless Patrick Roy is in goal, just about anyone is a better finisher than Niko Kapanen

 

[zecke26]

i'm more and more impressed by jamtin. i'm not good in comparing him to other players, but he could be a nice 3rd line grinder with scoring touch.