Prospect Info: 2024-2025 Rangers Prospects Thread (Prospect Stats in Post #1; Updated 10/13/2024)

[SnowblindNYR]

Agreed. That's a better phrase. It's all about financial security. Winning a Cup is nice, but it comes second.

I hope you realize I was poking fun of another poster with my post who said "so they don't want to win a cup?"

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I hope you realize I was poking fun of another poster with my post who said "so they don't want to win a cup?"

Of course. But I wanted to highlight it anyway since it's been a topic of discussion before.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Production in the NCAA is never a bad sign but it is a far cry from a solid determinant of pro success.

As someone who has followed the NCAA for ages, you really have to look at the underlying characteristics of a player and try to see how they could mold and shape their game to fit at the NHL level. As I say so often, Smith, not McDonagh, was the big point producer for Wisconsin in the NCAA. But with the lack of time and space at this level, McDonagh ended up with more offense simply by the virtue of being able to use his mobility to earn space in a way Brendan Smith never was.

We look at Carl Hagelin- he used his speed in the NCAA and you could see he had it- but he was much more of a east-west possession player for Michigan. He didn't have the hands (or vision) for that in the NHL and so he used his best natural asset to reform his game and become a long term bottom 6 winger.

Kreider scored at a modest pace for most of his time in the NCAA, and did not do as much around the net work as he does now. He speed was his skill set, and the poor bastard couldn't find the puck when it was between his skates at the NHL level for years before he was able to redifine his game.

So when you look at Laba, it's great news that he's a top scorer and drawing attention. But the big thing you want to look at is what kind of player and role do we think with his skill set that her can carve out at this level. Because the number of mid round picks that have solid NCAA careers that become 70 point scoring wingers is pretty low. So with Laba, my biggest question is whether his defense can come along enough at this level to be much more than an Anthony Duclair clone.

These are all really good examples. Skjei had a very similar path as McDonagh as well.

Only argument I would make is that scoring at a good clip as an underclassman in the NCAA has proven to be a decent indicator of becoming an NHLer in some capacity. The Rangers in particular have done really well in this regard (one of like two compliments I would give them as it relates to drafting). You mention Hagelin, but you’ve also got guys like Miller, Jones and Barron recently that have panned out. Berard is looking poised to do the same.

It’s still a crapshoot, but I trust it more than a player dominating in the CHL (Thomas, St Croix, McColgan, Werek, etc). The NCAA has always played a more structured game and the players are much stronger and more well rounded. Maybe it hasn’t had the same level of talent historically, but it has a good track record of graduating more polished products.

I’m pretty skeptical Laba is going to become an offensive player at the NHL level, but I think he’s projecting nicely into a bottom 6 role at the moment. That’s a great outcome.

 

[CTTribe73]

Production in the NCAA is never a bad sign but it is a far cry from a solid determinant of pro success.

As someone who has followed the NCAA for ages, you really have to look at the underlying characteristics of a player and try to see how they could mold and shape their game to fit at the NHL level. As I say so often, Smith, not McDonagh, was the big point producer for Wisconsin in the NCAA. But with the lack of time and space at this level, McDonagh ended up with more offense simply by the virtue of being able to use his mobility to earn space in a way Brendan Smith never was.

We look at Carl Hagelin- he used his speed in the NCAA and you could see he had it- but he was much more of a east-west possession player for Michigan. He didn't have the hands (or vision) for that in the NHL and so he used his best natural asset to reform his game and become a long term bottom 6 winger.

Kreider scored at a modest pace for most of his time in the NCAA, and did not do as much around the net work as he does now. He speed was his skill set, and the poor bastard couldn't find the puck when it was between his skates at the NHL level for years before he was able to redifine his game.

So when you look at Laba, it's great news that he's a top scorer and drawing attention. But the big thing you want to look at is what kind of player and role do we think with his skill set that her can carve out at this level. Because the number of mid round picks that have solid NCAA careers that become 70 point scoring wingers is pretty low. So with Laba, my biggest question is whether his defense can come along enough at this level to be much more than an Anthony Duclair clone.

Same applies to CHL big time point producers. Some are the real thing and some are illusions.

 

[bhamill]

Production in the NCAA is never a bad sign but it is a far cry from a solid determinant of pro success.

As someone who has followed the NCAA for ages, you really have to look at the underlying characteristics of a player and try to see how they could mold and shape their game to fit at the NHL level. As I say so often, Smith, not McDonagh, was the big point producer for Wisconsin in the NCAA. But with the lack of time and space at this level, McDonagh ended up with more offense simply by the virtue of being able to use his mobility to earn space in a way Brendan Smith never was.

We look at Carl Hagelin- he used his speed in the NCAA and you could see he had it- but he was much more of a east-west possession player for Michigan. He didn't have the hands (or vision) for that in the NHL and so he used his best natural asset to reform his game and become a long term bottom 6 winger.

Kreider scored at a modest pace for most of his time in the NCAA, and did not do as much around the net work as he does now. He speed was his skill set, and the poor bastard couldn't find the puck when it was between his skates at the NHL level for years before he was able to redifine his game.

So when you look at Laba, it's great news that he's a top scorer and drawing attention. But the big thing you want to look at is what kind of player and role do we think with his skill set that her can carve out at this level. Because the number of mid round picks that have solid NCAA careers that become 70 point scoring wingers is pretty low. So with Laba, my biggest question is whether his defense can come along enough at this level to be much more than an Anthony Duclair clone.

Duclair was never the defensive forward of the year in any league, on any team at any level. Hahaha. They play so completely different of a style I don’t get the comparison. But for a pick at his draft spot to become a 6’4” 225lb Tony Duclair clone would actually be a bit of a home run. Hahahah

But yeah, expectations can get a bit higher than warranted with pretty offensive numbers in College.

 

[Graves94]

For what it's worth, Cory Pronman of the Athletic, made a 2022 re-draft.

He has Laba ranked 62nd, instead of 111th (where he was selected);
and BMB is ranked 94th, instead of 97th (where he was selected)

Both are under Tier #7, "Has a chance to play NHL games"

 

[GAGLine]

For what it's worth, Cory Pronman of the Athletic, made a 2022 re-draft.

He has Laba ranked 62nd, instead of 111th (where he was selected);
and BMB is ranked 94th, instead of 97th (where he was selected)

Both are under Tier #7, "Has a chance to play NHL games"

Where does he have Mancini?

Edit: I checked the article. He doesn't have either Mancini or Sykora listed in his top 115 ranking.

How can he have a grouping of "Has a chance to play games" and then leave off a guy who has already played 3 games in the NHL and projects to get considerably more over the course of the season?

And Sykora, despite being undersized, held his own as the youngest player in the AHL last year. He has no chance to play NHL games?

 

[Graves94]

Where does he have Mancini?

Edit: I checked the article. He doesn't have either Mancini or Sykora listed in his top 115 ranking.

How can he have a grouping of "Has a chance to play games" and then leave off a guy who has already played 3 games in the NHL and projects to get considerably more over the course of the season?

And Sykora, despite being undersized, held his own as the youngest player in the AHL last year. He has no chance to play NHL games?

Yeah, that's why I said "for what its worth"...
Sykora was drafted 62nd, I believe and I'm certain he hasn't slipped out of the top 115 players listed.
As for Mancini, the only explanation I have is he was drafted in the 4th round, and maybe that's why he's not mentioned

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Yeah, that's why I said "for what its worth"...
Sykora was drafted 62nd, I believe and I'm certain he hasn't slipped out of the top 115 players listed.
As for Mancini, the only explanation I have is he was drafted in the 4th round, and maybe that's why he's not mentioned

It's obvious that these guys stat surf. It's damn near impossible to have an informed opinion on that many prospects spread across like 20 different development leagues. Mancini had 10 points in 40 games during his junior season in the NCAA. Those are underwhelming numbers unless you actually have the context of having watched him play, which I guarantee Pronman didn't. In 95% of cases, you can probably write a guy off based on that stat line.

It's these guys jobs to churn out content. They don't keep the lights on by being thorough. They need clicks, and they do that by producing as much content as possible with slightly more depth to fool the average joe into thinking they're an expert. By and large, they're not.