Winnipeg Jets Top 20 Prospects 2015 - #19

[Hank Chinaski]

1. Nikolaj Ehlers, RW/LW, Halifax (QMJHL)

84.8% of vote (Petan 9.5%, Hellebuyck 3.8%)

2. Connor Hellebuyck, G, St. John's (AHL)

29.1% of vote (Petan 26.0%, Connor 22.0%)

3. Josh Morrissey, D, Kelowna (WHL)

Won tiebreaker (59.3% of vote) vs. Nic Petan

4. Nic Petan, C/LW, Portland (WHL)

Lost tiebreaker (40.7% of vote) vs. Josh Morrissey

5. Kyle Connor, C, Youngstown (USHL)

86.6% of vote (Armia 11.3%)

6. Joel Armia, RW, St. John's (AHL)

65.2% of vote (Roslovic 13.4%, Chiarot 4.5%)

7. Jack Roslovic, C/RW, U.S. National U18 Team (USDP)

41.5% of vote (Chiarot 15.3%, Harkins 11.9%)

8. Jansen Harkins, C, Prince George (WHL)

35.0% of vote (Comrie 19.0%, Lemieux 15.0%)

9. Eric Comrie, G, Tri-City (WHL)

33.9% of vote (Chiarot 30.4%, Lemieux 17.0%)

10. Ben Chiarot, D, Winnipeg (NHL)

51.9% of vote (Lemieux 16.0%, Copp 13.2%)

11. Andrew Copp, C, U. of Michigan (NCAA)

40.2% of vote (Lemieux 28.6%, Kosmachuk 12.5%)

12. Jan Kostalek, D, Rimouski (QMJHL)

31.7% of vote (Lemieux 28.5%, Kosmachuk 24.4%)

13. Brendan Lemieux, LW, Barrie (OHL)

44.2% of vote (Kosmachuk 41.4%, Spacek 4.8%)

14. Scott Kosmachuk, RW, St. John's (AHL)

70.8% of vote (Spacek 11.2%)

15. Michael Spacek, C, HC Dynamo Pardubice (Czech)

36.3% of vote (De Leo 17.7%, Foley 14.7%)

16. Chase De Leo, C, Portland (WHL)

34.5% of vote (Foley 25.0%, Kraskovsky 10.7%)

17. Erik Foley, LW, Cedar Rapids (USHL)

36.5% of vote (Kraskovsky 21.2%, Poolman 8.2%, Kichton 8.2%)

18. Pavel Kraskovsky, C, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)

26.7% of vote (Kichton 17.8%, Lipon 16.8%)

Click to read more...

 

[heilongjetsfan]

....but the poll for 18th is still open?

 

[Hank Chinaski]

....but the poll for 18th is still open?

It's closed. Each poll is open for 24 hours.

 

[jetsforever]

Going with Kichton again, but he, Lipon, Glover and Phillips should all be in this discussion

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Going with Kichton again, but he, Lipon, Glover and Phillips should all be in this discussion

I agree with this level of prospects but Glovers easily has the highest upside so that's who I'm going with.

 

[Jets4Life]

I'm going with the late bloomer C.J. Franklin. This was a very hard choice. Phillips, Glover, Poolman, Lipon, and Kichton were all valid choices, but it's anyone's guess by now. Franklin looks like a young Jarome Iginla, too.

 

[janneydraketkachuk]

someone sell me on glover.

 

[truck]

I voted Niku. I think he has top 4 potential.

I have serious doubts about everyone carrying any real upside beyond bottom pair or bottom six.

EDIT

Niku then Glover. Lodge is probably soon too. Others may be more likely take the Jets, but there odds they'll be meaningful contributors is low. I'm all about upside now.

 

[GJF]

Niku or Lipon


went with Niku

 

[scelaton]

someone sell me on glover.

LWS ranked him at #32 OA in 2014
Holden ranked him #27
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1698325&highlight=jack+glover

(but I voted Niku)

 

[heilongjetsfan]

It's closed. Each poll is open for 24 hours.

There was definitely some overlap there. I actually checked before I posted. I guess I just happened to check in during that narrow window where they were both open. Looks like it was 9 minutes, but at the time I thought it was 13 hours. I never realized that hfboards uses the user's local time for the time on posts. Confusing...

 

[heilongjetsfan]

Also, voted Lipon. He had a good year on the rock. I'm surprised other guys are getting so many votes compared to him, especially Glover. I have a good feeling about Jack, but Red Berensen buried him last season, so we can't really be sure what we've got with him.

 

[theamazingchris]

Ok time for Lodge. I've loved this pick forever, so I gotta rep it now in the crunch. Too many decemt prospects!

 

[Romang67]

I can't believe you guys are voting for a Finn when there are 18 prospects that you can vote for who aren't Finnish. Including a Swede!

 

[Huffer]

Also, voted Lipon. He had a good year on the rock. I'm surprised other guys are getting so many votes compared to him, especially Glover. I have a good feeling about Jack, but Red Berensen buried him last season, so we can't really be sure what we've got with him.

Pretty sure Glover plays for Minnesota, and Berensen coaches Michigan.

 

[Romang67]

Pretty sure Glover plays for Minnesota, and Berensen coaches Michigan.

I'm okay with blaming Berensen anyway.

 

[garret9]

I'm going with the late bloomer C.J. Franklin. This was a very hard choice. Phillips, Glover, Poolman, Lipon, and Kichton were all valid choices, but it's anyone's guess by now. Franklin looks like a young Jarome Iginla, too.

Only 2.53% of players at Franklin's age that scored like he did in the NCAA make the NHL.
Another way to look at that: Franklin's scoring isn't special enough to consider a solid prospect given his age and league.

Too much of a looooooooooooong shot for me at this point given the better players on the board.

To compare, guys % for last season:
Kichton 26.72
Olsen 20.13
Lipon 19.48%
Blomqvist 19.05
Lodge 15.66
Niku 14.29
Glover 10.45
Poolman 5.67

 

[AngelicAssassin*]

Have to keep pimping Jimmy Lodge

 

[Romang67]

Only 2.53% of players at Franklin's age that scored like he did in the NCAA make the NHL.
Another way to look at that: Franklin's scoring isn't special enough to consider a solid prospect given his age and league.

Too much of a looooooooooooong shot for me at this point given the better players on the board.

To compare, guys % for last season:
Kichton 26.72
Olsen 20.13
Lipon 19.48%
Blomqvist 19.05
Lodge 15.66
Niku 14.29
Glover 10.45
Poolman 5.67

Those numbers for Olsen are surprising to me. I mean, he looked good in camp, but he never really stuck out to me when I was watching the IceCaps.

 

[garret9]

Those numbers for Olsen are surprising to me. I mean, he looked good in camp, but he never really stuck out to me when I was watching the IceCaps.

Having a 20% in Jr is different than a 20% in the AHL.

The later is easier as only 30% of CHL players play 1 AHL game. You get a massive bump just by being one of the players who made it to the AHL.

In the CHL, only about 8% make the NHL for 200+ games.
In the AHL, 31.8% of 20-year olds will make the NHL for 200+ games (72.5% for those with 0.7 or greater pts/gp).

 

[Huffer]

I'm okay with blaming Berensen anyway.

Agreed, pretty sure we'll get some more chances with Connor going there too.

 

[AngelicAssassin*]

I've heard some detractors of the Connor selection say that the University of Michigan and Berenson is a bad pick for a landing spot for Kyle as Berenson doesn't really teach fundamentals but rather pretty much just lets his players do their own thing on the ice.

Anyone have any insight into whether this might be true or not and whether connor's development might be slower at Michigan than elsewhere?

 

[Holden Caulfield]

I've heard some detractors of the Connor selection say that the University of Michigan and Berenson is a bad pick for a landing spot for Kyle as Berenson doesn't really teach fundamentals but rather pretty much just lets his players do their own thing on the ice.

Anyone have any insight into whether this might be true or not and whether connor's development might be slower at Michigan than elsewhere?

It tends to be less of an issue with forwards since they have less positional responsibility. But Michigan has a history of producing great skating players that just play all around the ice with no positioning. Guys like Jon Merril, Carl Hagelin, Steven Kampfer, Brandon Burlon, Jack Johnson, Matt Hunwick, TJ Hensick, Andrew Cogliano (when he came to pro), etc.

It's not the end of the world but Michigan despite being a great recruiter is not the best producer of NHL talent. I wouldn't worry about it too much though he will likely only be there a year or two.

 

[DEANYOUNGBLOOD17]

It tends to be less of an issue with forwards since they have less positional responsibility. But Michigan has a history of producing great skating players that just play all around the ice with no positioning. Guys like Jon Merril, Carl Hagelin, Steven Kampfer, Brandon Burlon, Jack Johnson, Matt Hunwick, TJ Hensick, Andrew Cogliano (when he came to pro), etc.

It's not the end of the world but Michigan despite being a great recruiter is not the best producer of NHL talent. I wouldn't worry about it too much though he will likely only be there a year or two.

I agree with your post.but there are always exceptions.

Andrew Copp ..... A defensive 2- way fwrd who was acclaimed to be one of the Jets prospects most likely to make the Jets because ........ " he plays a pro style game" must be the exception.

I have heard a lot of people complain about Red B. development of D men in particular.

 

[Evil Little]

It's sorta been done to death, but most famously Dean Lombardi (later claiming he didn't know he was on the record) lambasted Berenson for the development of Jack Johnson.