An Early Look at Updated Prospect Rankings
Here at BWA, we've started doing our prospect rankings as an average. The final ranking is based on the thoughts of myself, The Falconer, and hildymac. I've updated my rankings after camp, but both Falconer and hildy are a bit busy right now. To satiate you guys, here are my rankings (below the fold...) I've included a few basic notes to explain why a player has moved up or down on my list, but I'll gladly answer questions in the comments. Okay, here goes... ::ducks::
- Alexander Burmistrov - very likely going to be a Top-6 center. Good skating, good speed, skates with an incredibly low center of balance. "Shifty" is perhaps the best description of how he looks on the ice.
- Carl Klingberg - most likely a 3rd liner, but could perhaps make it to the 2nd line. Big body, loves to attack the net. Better shot than you might think.
- Arturs Kulda - makes the team this year. Next.
- Patrice Cormier - big body, good skater. Very active with other players on the ice, noticed him chirping with Telegin frequently (which is saying something, as Ivan's English is... poor...) Very likely a future captain or alternate.
- Paul Postma - 2nd pairing offensive D-man as soon as he puts on some weight. Likely to be a call-up this year and on the team next year.
- Chris Carrozzi - looked fantastic in camp, had a fantastic year. I might be too optimistic here, but let's see how this next year goes...
- Julian Melchiori - good skater, great puck-handling, solid defender. Shuts down the guys that most of our D prospects can't shut down. Very aggressive.
- Spencer Machacek - will almost certainly be an NHL player as a bottom-6 guy.
- Ivan Telegin - great shooter, perhaps the best on the ice during the sessions I caught. Huge frame, could be a 2nd or 3rd line guy if he fills out and keeps his speed up.
- Angelo Esposito - comes with huge question marks, but his rehab's been moving smoothly and he's putting on tons of muscle (and benefiting from living with Zach Bogosian.)
- Zach Redmond - not as much of a standout as last year, but still a solid prospect. Could be a bottom pairing guy.
- Ed Pasquale - could have even higher potential than Carrozzi. Reasonable chance he'll be an NHL goalie.
- Ben Chariot - what happened here? Seems to be the most improved from last year's draft class. Looks very good on the ice.
- Eric O'Dell - not at camp due to medical issues. Lots of talent here, we'll watch him closely.
- John Albert - still fast and a good shooter, but now a noticeable increase in size and work ethic. Working his way toward a 3rd line checking/energy role with PK time. Much higher on him now than last year.
- Daultan Leveille - still needs to put on more weight, but the kid has wheels. If he gets his size up, his ranking will go up as well.
- Danick Paquette - This fighter apparently learned how to skate. Much faster, improved shot, finally looking like a guy who could play in the NHL in the bottom-6. Most improved forward.
- Akim Aliu - lots of questions here, except his size. Big, imposing, good shot. He's a raw talent and will need extra time to develop, but he has 2nd or 3rd line potential.
- Jordan Samuels-Thomas - has everything you need to make the NHL (size, shot, puck-handling, nose for the net) but speed. I'm told he picked it up later in camp, but I never saw him show "NHL speed" while I was there. I'd be thrilled to be wrong, because if he can skate at the NHL level, he can earn a spot there.
- Will O'Neill - Dan Marr's really high on Will, and he's shown some good improvement. Another guy to keep an eye on: he could move up this list quickly.
- Vinny Saponari - impressed me a few times in camp, but there are concerns here...
- Jimmy Bubnick - decent moves, needs to work on his skating.
- Levko Koper - could be an energy line/PK guy. Good skater.
- Cody Sol - good size, needs some more time to develop.
- Alex Kangas - had a rough year, but if he can pick his play back up, still has a shot at the NHL, most likely as a backup/call-up.
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Comments
nice
I really hope patrice pans out. He’s a great player who deserves more respect. I’m surprised machacek is so low. I thought he might be with the thrashers this year. No?
"To all the critiques, thank you for the motivation… because it has been an edge for me and will continue to be an edge for me" - Tim 'the Mile High Messiah' Tebow
by ATLbronco on Jul 23, 2010 11:10 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
The guys I put ahead of him are more or less as likely to pan out (almost for sure) but have a bit higher top-end potential. Spencer will be a 3rd liner or strong 4th liner, but he doesn’t have the extras and intangibles some of those other guys have.
by timmyf on Jul 23, 2010 11:26 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
By the way, hildymac just got her rankings in and there’s some significant differences from mine. It’ll be interesting to see the final set…
by timmyf on Jul 23, 2010 11:43 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Alex Kangas may be the most underrated of the three goalies listed in your top-25. I disagree that his year was rough last year. Though unable to match the sterling numbers from his freshman campaign, Kangas was much better in his junior year than his sophomore season.
The Golden Gophers put up 13 less goals on offense in 2009-10 (106) than 2008-09 (119) and Alex’s GAA, total saves, and save percentage all improved. His record may not have been as impressive, but overall Kangas’ personal year in 2009-10 was not much rougher than his sophomore campaign.
I don’t get to watch too many college hockey games, so I have to go from what I see in camp, hear from scouts, and see in stats. Kangas seems to be the clear goalie prospect #3 (since I don’t know where to put Wetzels-Pretzels,) but it’s hard to rank goalies among forwards. One of the reasons he’s so low is because he’s the number three: he’s got a lot of guys to beat to make the NHL.
by timmyf on Jul 24, 2010 11:18 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Great read! I agree about Carrozzi. After watching him in camp last season have some self admitted glove and other issues, and then hearing the year he had, I was excited to see him. I wasn’t disappointed. He definitely lived up to the “OHL goalie of the year.” I was pleased with all of the goalies, even the little high school guy that wasn’t ours lol.
I’m a big Jordan Samuels fan, too. I thought he was outstanding in that second 4 on 4, and would love to see him improve some more.
Nice to see rankings that make some sense. One thing we all need to remember is each of these kids are at different stages of development. Machacek is probably more prepared than Klingberg to play at the NHL level, in part because of two professional seasons in North America. Cormier is a solid prospect but could probably use a season at the AHL level to become the player he can be.
The only thing that is a surprise is Espo being so high just because of his injury history, is his rating based on simply potential form two years ago?
It’s mostly based on his top-end potential. He’s one of very few guys who really projects to be top-6. He’s also a bit of a longshot.
I’ve also heard some very promising things about his recovery from this surgery.
by timmyf on Jul 24, 2010 11:15 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Have heard the same thing but we heard these the last time the knee went. I agree he is a long shot. I give the kid credit he has not given up but we and he really do not know what he is going to be. Part of his game was speed and that has to be effected. 10 is probably a good spot until he gets a AHL season under his belt.
Jordan Samuels-Thomas
I really like Jordan Samuels-Thomas at prospect camp. He can handle the puck and is a smart player (can read and set up plays, etc.). I know he is not the fastest guy on the ice, but neither is Armstrong and he just got a $3 million contract.
Alexander Burmistrov – very likely going to be a Top-6 center
top 2 ;) ?
If everyone thinks that a player is underrated, then he ceases to be one.
A center in the Top-6. You get what I mean!
by timmyf on Jul 28, 2010 9:03 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
























