Your Top 50 Prospects List

[One Winged Angel]

Steve Downie should be somewhere on that list IMO. He is a better prospect than, Yandle, Latendresse, Zagrapan, Grigorenko, possibly Skille, and Kostitsyn.

You're TERRIBLY overrating Downie, his upside is NOWHERE near Latendresse's and Latendresse has THE LEAST upside of any of the other prospects mentioned. Kostitsyn's stock has dropped a bit, if you ask me, but still is a great prospect. Impressive at the World Juniors. Grigorenko has 1st line potential, but some injuries, big car accident mainly, have hampered him. Yandle could possibly be a top pairing defenseman. Zagrapan I don't know as much about as I do the others, but he is Buffalo's top prospect, ahead of Drew Stafford by a slight edge. And Skille, haha, I can't believe you said he's better than Skille, get real, homer.

nobodys mentioning nigel dawes.....he could surprise people and put up some points

I agree, he could possibly have a real good rookie season. He'll turn heads one day.

Pogge is not on the same level as goalies like Toivonen, Raskk and Montoya.

I agree, but he's still a great prospect to have. #1 potential, but I don't know if he has the potential to be an elite goalie one day. I'd love to have him behind Montoya in our system. We could deal one of them off for the center we need.

 

[HFNHL Canadiens]

yep cause a Leafs fan would love Steve Downie, the dude was argubaly Canada's best forward at the WJC's, he is still eligible to play with them again this year. This kid is gonna lead the OHL in points this year, wait and see.

 

[HFNHL Canadiens]

You're TERRIBLY overrating Downie, his upside is NOWHERE near Latendresse's and Latendresse has THE LEAST upside of any of the other prospects mentioned. Kostitsyn's stock has dropped a bit, if you ask me, but still is a great prospect. Impressive at the World Juniors. Grigorenko has 1st line potential, but some injuries, big car accident mainly, have hampered him. Yandle could possibly be a top pairing defenseman. Zagrapan I don't know as much about as I do the others, but he is Buffalo's top prospect, ahead of Drew Stafford by a slight edge. And Skille, haha, I can't believe you said he's better than Skille, get real, homer.



I agree, he could possibly have a real good rookie season. He'll turn heads one day.



I agree, but he's still a great prospect to have. #1 potential, but I don't know if he has the potential to be an elite goalie one day. I'd love to have him behind Montoya in our system. We could deal one of them off for the center we need.

I said possibly. I have seen Kostitsyn many times (Hamilton Bulldogs season ticket holder last season), he has some skill, but is extremley overrated. There are a couple Bulldogs who are better prospects than Kostitsyn, Jacques and Pouliot for example showed more skill to me than Kostitsyn did last season. Kostitsyn prolly has more upside, but he is way too inconsistent.

Also why is Skille so special? Has he ever dominated any league? 21pts is pretty good for a freshman, but when your a top 7 pick one would think you would produce more

 

[Ted Hoffman]

yep cause a Leafs fan would love Steve Downie, the dude was argubaly Canada's best forward at the WJC's, he is still eligible to play with them again this year. This kid is gonna lead the OHL in points this year, wait and see.

Does he have 40-60-100 upside in his NHL future? Does he have NHL First Team written all over him?

Does he even have 30-45-75 upside in his NHL future? Does he even have NHL Second Team on his horizon?

Judging from everything I read on him this past year: no, no, no, and no. As such, I can't see where he'd rate anywhere on an overall Top 50 Prospects list, besides "not on it".

 

[Redwingsfan]

i cant believe how low rask is on some of these lists. i saw him at 48 on one list he is freakin dominating the FEL at 19. i would have him in my top 15 maybe even top 10. and perttu lindgren should be on every list.

 

[HFNHL Canadiens]

Does he have 40-60-100 upside in his NHL future? Does he have NHL First Team written all over him?

Does he even have 30-45-75 upside in his NHL future? Does he even have NHL Second Team on his horizon?

Judging from everything I read on him this past year: no, no, no, and no. As such, I can't see where he'd rate anywhere on an overall Top 50 Prospects list, besides "not on it".

yeah cause every single prospect that makes HF's top 50 list is going to be a 1st or 2nd team allstar. Also, he had pretty damn good numbers in the OHL last season, better numbers than Wolski and Radulov had at the same age and look how high there praised. Check out the top 50 list from a few years back, I am sure you will find 50 allstars on it...

 

[Stealth JD]

i cant believe how low rask is on some of these lists. i saw him at 48 on one list he is freakin dominating the FEL at 19. i would have him in my top 15 maybe even top 10. and perttu lindgren should be on every list.

make a list then.

 

[kingpest19]

yeah cause every single prospect that makes HF's top 50 list is going to be a 1st or 2nd team allstar. Also, he had pretty damn good numbers in the OHL last season, better numbers than Wolski and Radulov had at the same age and look how high there praised. Check out the top 50 list from a few years back, I am sure you will find 50 allstars on it...

They are highly praised because they are known as players with offensive abilities that go above and beyond Downie. Downie is a good prospect just not offensively on the level of Wolski and Radulov.

 

[SpItFiReZ]

yep cause a Leafs fan would love Steve Downie, the dude was argubaly Canada's best forward at the WJC's, he is still eligible to play with them again this year. This kid is gonna lead the OHL in points this year, wait and see.

Not a chance. He will have a solid year but will not lead the league in points. I love Downie, watched him play in Windsor and actually know him. Great guy etc but not a player to lead the league in scoring. Should have a career in the NHL but more like a lesser Darcy Tucker. Same player just not as much offense.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

1) Evgeni Malkin
2) Kari Lehtonen
3) Erik Johnson
4) Jack Johnson
5) Patrick O'Sullivan
6) Phil Kessel
7) Alexander Radulov
8) Gilbert Brule
9) Bobby Ryan
10) Jonathan Toews
11) Nicklas Backstrom
12) Jordan Staal
13) Shea Weber
14) Nicklas Backstrom
15) Matt Carle
16) Wjotek Wolski
17) Luc Bourdon
18) Rob Schremp
19) Anze Kopitar
20) Tuuka Rask
21) Cam Barker
22) Andrei Kostitsyn
23) Braydon Coburn
24) Alexander Semin
25) Dustin Penner
26) Jack Skille
27) Rostislav Olesz
28) Corey Perry
29) Nicklas Begfors
30) Derick Brassard
31) Ladislav Smid
32) Keith Yandle
33) Devon Setoguchi
34) Marc Staal
35) Michael Frolik
36) Josh Harding
37) Ondrej Pavelec
38) Benoit Pouliot
39) Peter Mueller
40) Kyle Okposo
41) Carey Price
42) Guillaume Latendresse
42) Marek Zagrapan
43) Ondrej Pavelec
44) Cory Schneider
45) TJ Oshie
46) Ty Wishart
47) Jiri Tlusty
48) Alexander Perezhogin
49) Al Montoya
50) Marc-Edouard Vlasic

I left out some big names because I don't consider them prospects,
Flame away!

So good you had to put him twice?

Just a general note, that FWIW, Mike Green is pretty much universally considered a better prospect than Eric Fehr amongst Caps fans.

 

[Victory Ali*]

I don't know how most of you can continue putting lethonen so high on your lists considering his poor fitness and injury history.

 

[Gags1288]

Does he have 40-60-100 upside in his NHL future? Does he have NHL First Team written all over him?

Does he even have 30-45-75 upside in his NHL future? Does he even have NHL Second Team on his horizon?

Judging from everything I read on him this past year: no, no, no, and no. As such, I can't see where he'd rate anywhere on an overall Top 50 Prospects list, besides "not on it".

I think he's got 20-55-75 potential at the NHL level along with a lot of other things that he brings to the table. He's physical, he's a very good PK'er, and he knows how to win. If you can keep him focused, he'll be a tremendous asset to the team. He might not have the pure upside of others, but he's MUCH more likely to reach his potential and be a very good NHL contributor then some of the guys I've seen on the lists. He's a better prospect then Letandresse and others.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

1) Evgeni Malkin
2) Kari Lehtonen
3) Erik Johnson
4) Jack Johnson
5) Patrick O'Sullivan
6) Phil Kessel
7) Alexander Radulov
8) Gilbert Brule
9) Bobby Ryan
10) Jonathan Toews
11) Nicklas Backstrom
12) Jordan Staal
13) Shea Weber
14) Nicklas Backstrom
15) Matt Carle
16) Wjotek Wolski
17) Luc Bourdon
18) Rob Schremp
19) Anze Kopitar
20) Tuuka Rask
21) Cam Barker
22) Andrei Kostitsyn
23) Braydon Coburn
24) Alexander Semin
25) Dustin Penner
26) Jack Skille
27) Rostislav Olesz
28) Corey Perry
29) Nicklas Begfors
30) Derick Brassard
31) Ladislav Smid
32) Keith Yandle
33) Devon Setoguchi
34) Marc Staal
35) Michael Frolik
36) Josh Harding
37) Ondrej Pavelec
38) Benoit Pouliot
39) Peter Mueller
40) Kyle Okposo
41) Carey Price
42) Guillaume Latendresse
42) Marek Zagrapan
43) Ondrej Pavelec
44) Cory Schneider
45) TJ Oshie
46) Ty Wishart
47) Jiri Tlusty
48) Alexander Perezhogin
49) Al Montoya
50) Marc-Edouard Vlasic

I left out some big names because I don't consider them prospects,
Flame away!

Bourdon above M. Staal? And by that much? wow...I don't see how Bourdon would be ahead of Staal...

 

[Pens75]

It was nice to see Noah Welch make one persons list.

I guess he is #51 on the other lists.

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

No Steve Downie or Claude Giroux on the list? While others on here might not like Downie, he is easily one of the top 50 prospects in the NHL. I'd also like to think that Giroux is on that list as well. Giroux did more in his first year of major junior than some of the players have done in all three years that made the list.

 

[David A. Rainer]

So good you had to put him twice?

Just a general note, that FWIW, Mike Green is pretty much universally considered a better prospect than Eric Fehr amongst Caps fans.

There is a Nicklas Backstrom goalie as well as the forward. I don't know it was a duplicate or if the poster thinks that highly of the goalie.

 

[JiriHrdina]

No Steve Downie or Claude Giroux on the list? While others on here might not like Downie, he is easily one of the top 50 prospects in the NHL. I'd also like to think that Giroux is on that list as well. Giroux did more in his first year of major junior than some of the players have done in all three years that made the list.

21 other players went ahead of Giroux in the draft, so those 20 would presumably be ahead of him already...factor in about 2-3 years worth of other prospects and he's nowhere near the top 50.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

There is a Nicklas Backstrom goalie as well as the forward. I don't know it was a duplicate or if the poster thinks that highly of the goalie.

Isn't the goalie like 30 years old though?

 

[Ted Hoffman]

yeah cause every single prospect that makes HF's top 50 list is going to be a 1st or 2nd team allstar. Also, he had pretty damn good numbers in the OHL last season, better numbers than Wolski and Radulov had at the same age and look how high there praised. Check out the top 50 list from a few years back, I am sure you will find 50 allstars on it...

Should I go through the last 10-20 years (or more) and point out all the guys who were in the top 10 in scoring in the WHL, OHL and QMJHL and who went on to do squat nothing in the NHL? (Hint: it's a long list) I can narrow this down top "top 5" or even "top 3" and there will still be a lot of guys who put up fantastic numbers in juniors and did squat in the NHL.

Numbers, schumbers. Production in juniors is one thing - production in the NHL is quite different, and Downie has never been touted as even a 70-point guy. Sure, not every guy who cracks the top 50 will put up a 70-point season in the NHL ... but assuming everyone hits their upside, there's a slew of guys who'll have more productive careers than Downie.

As such, he shouldn't be in a list of the overall top 50 prospects.

 

[David A. Rainer]

Isn't the goalie like 30 years old though?

You're right. I didn't notice his age, just that there were two of them. Then it is indeed a duplication.

 

[Bernier 26]

Bourdon above M. Staal? And by that much? wow...I don't see how Bourdon would be ahead of Staal...

That's just my opinion because I've seen him play so many times and I think highly of him. As for Backstrom, my bad so I think that I will replace him with Downie.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

No love for the Devils I see. Well, at least "The Hockey News" thought highly enough of Zajac and Bergfors to include them in their top 50.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

No love for the Devils I see. Well, at least "The Hockey News" thought highly enough of Zajac and Bergfors to include them in their top 50.

Zajac is definately, definately top 50. Top 30, even. I can't picture a list in which he isn't. Bergfors is debatable, but I think that I'd put him in the 41-50 area, possibly.

 

[Dominator13]

No Steve Downie or Claude Giroux on the list? While others on here might not like Downie, he is easily one of the top 50 prospects in the NHL. I'd also like to think that Giroux is on that list as well. Giroux did more in his first year of major junior than some of the players have done in all three years that made the list.

only Flyers fans would put Giroux and especially Downie on any top50 list. Giroux could become the next Briere but still has a long way to go before coming anything close. He's really on the small style but still young so could grow a few inches, Downey' the next Tootoo, a fan favorite hardworking 4th line player. He doesn't have upside anywhere near the players mentioned in everyone's list

 

[Gags1288]

only Flyers fans would put Giroux and especially Downie on any top50 list. Giroux could become the next Briere but still has a long way to go before coming anything close. He's really on the small style but still young so could grow a few inches, Downey' the next Tootoo, a fan favorite hardworking 4th line player. He doesn't have upside anywhere near the players mentioned in everyone's list

Ignorance at it's highest level. Downie is a significantly better offensive player then Tootoo was (and is) at the same age. He is tenacious like Tootoo and will never back down, but they aren't that similar. Downie is a very good set-up man, he's very good on special teams, and if he's assigned to shut someone down he's very very good at that as well (see Malkin, Evgeni and Carter, Jeff). The guy was a WJC all-star and a first round pick for a reason, he's going to be a lot more then a 4th line player.

BTW, it's spelled DOWNIE.