I like Lammikko a lot
Not sure why nobody seems to realize Hutsko's potential
I like Hutsko. Another guy with "3rd line guy but you can push him up in a pinch" potential.
His history of injuries does concern me. Guy just has the worst luck. Also, I'd like him to have a dominant last year in college.
I like a lot of the guys we have left on the list. Ludvig probably should have been in that top10. Schwindt as the prototypocal 3C prospect is kinda getting lost now behind Luostarinen but I wouldn't be surprised if he makes a jump in the rankings next year (last year we had him at 21, if he's not top15 this year he's being undervalued). Noel didn't have the best year with a lingering back injury but he's shown in the past that he can do much better than that - I'm hoping a strong AHL showing pushes him back into our top 10 and on the way to being a physical middle 6 guy in the NHL. Priskie's not playing right now unlike Lusto so he's not getting much attention, but he's another promising guy who might get some NHL games this year. Lammikko could be a decent bottom 6 guy. Besides Lundell, none of our newly drafted guys made the top 10, might not even make top15 - no idea who, but I bet one or two of them will be there come next year. Heponiemi is more likely a bust than not, but then again, he was drafted just three years ago - he's quietly rebuilding his confidence in Sweden, and I haven't completely given up on him, even as he takes a deep (and deserved) nosedive in our rankings. I'm not a big Montembeault fan but he is closer to being a full-time NHL player (even if just a backup) that almost any other guy left on our list. Lindmark's got the tools to be a bottom 6 forward. Bednard didn't have a great first year as a pro goalie, but he was excellent in college and I liked his showings in camp - haven't given up on him after one meh year.
Then again this is all mindless fun to pass time until the season starts. Just posting our rankings from 2017:
#1 Henrik Borgstrom (C, 2016 - #23), Univ. of Denver (NCAA) - 56.79% of votes
#2 Owen Tippett (LW/RW, 2017 - #10), Mississauga Steelheads (OHL) - 72.31%
#3 Adam Mascherin (C/LW, 2016 - #38), Kitchener Rangers (OHL) - 22.86%
#4 Samuel Montembeault (G, 2015 - #77), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) - 27.94%
#5 Ian McCoshen (D, 2013 - #31), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) - 47.46%
#6 Denis Malgin (C/RW, 2015 - #102), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) - 47.27%
#7 Jayce Hawryluk (C/RW, 2014 - #32), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) - 51.02%
#8 Jared McCann (C/LW, 2014 - #24), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) - 41.30%
#9 Henrik Haapala (LW/RW, undrafted), Florida Panthers (NHL) - 38.46%
#10 MacKenzie Weegar (D, 2013 - #206), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) - 37.14%
#11 Maxim Mamin (LW/RW, 2016 - #175), Florida Panthers (NHL) - 70.00%
#12 Aleksi Heponiemi (C, 2017 - #40), Swift Current Broncos (WHL) - 52.17%
#13 Juho Lammikko (RW/LW, 2014 - #65), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) - 34.15%
#14 Sebastian Repo (C/RW, 2017 - #184), Florida Panthers (NHL) - 34.29%
#15 Jonathan Ang (C, 2016 - #94), Peterborough Petes (OHL) - 44.12%
#16 Dryden Hunt (LW, undrafted), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) - 37.04%
#17 Riley Stillman (D, 2016 - #114), Oshawa Generals (OHL) - 44.00%
#18 Max Gildon (D, 2017 - #66), Univ. of New Hampshire (NCAA) - 41.67%
#19 Linus Hultstrom (D, undrafted), Djurgårdens IF (SHL) - 31.82%
#20 Tyler Inamoto (D, 2017 - #133), Univ. of Wisconsin (NCAA) - 37.50%
#21 Mike Downing (D, 2013 - #97), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) - 33.33%
#22 Thomas Schemitsch (D, 2015 - #88), Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) - 40.00%
#23 Linus Nassen (D, 2016 - #89), Luleå HF (SHL) - 40.00%
#24 Benjamin Finkelstein (D, 2016 - #195), St. Lawrence Univ. (NCAA) - 31.25%
Re-ranked three years later, the top 10 would be:
1.Weegar (previously n.10) (FrolikFan was pretty bullish on Weegar - good for him)
2. Tippett (n.2)
3.-5. some combination of Gildon (18), Stillman (17) and McCann (8, traded away but he is a decent NHLer)
6. Borgstrom (n.1)
7.10. - ? Who the hell knows...
By my count, three or four of our top5 prospects would not be ranked there now - then again, even this ranking is not final. Who knows how Gildon looks three years from now - he may be an offensive n.3, or he may be a barely NHL-level bust. Who knows how Stillman looks; Tippett hasn't made the jump yet. Maybe Lammikko establishes himself decisively as a bottom6 guy, or Monty has a strong year, maybe Mamin comes back two years from now as a middle 6 guy. Maybe Bednard (not ranked here) establishes himself as an NHL backup. I
hope our current list is better, but what do I know...