2024 Prospect Poll #8

[Fezzy126]

Komarov, add Leinonen

 

[old kummelweck]

I guess my question at this point for those who are high on Komorov, does he jump ahead of Johnson on the depth chart and get a callup before RyJo?

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I guess my question at this point for those who are high on Komorov, does he jump ahead of Johnson on the depth chart and get a callup before RyJo?

No, he needs seasoning playing against men. He may be rated higher than the others but RyJo and Novikov are definitely ahead on the depth chart

 

[Chainshot]

Strbak + Miedema

Really...?

 

[Chainshot]

I guess my question at this point for those who are high on Komorov, does he jump ahead of Johnson on the depth chart and get a callup before RyJo?

I don't think he's the first call-up without having an outlandishly good camp and pre-season, that's Johnson now and for likely this entire season.

 

[Jacob582]

I guess my question at this point for those who are high on Komorov, does he jump ahead of Johnson on the depth chart and get a callup before RyJo?

My question is: can you make the argument that Johnson is a first- round talent at this point when you compare him to everyone else in his draft class?

Two months ago, AGM Jerry Forton said he could make that argument for Komarov.

 

[Bobby Bottle Service]

Novi, add Miedema

 

[HOOats]

My question is: can you make the argument that Johnson is a first- round talent at this point when you compare him to everyone else in his draft class?

Two months ago, AGM Jerry Forton said he could make that argument for Komorov.

Pronman had Johnson at 52 in a 2019 redraft from October. Granted that was before he had a nice season.

(Cozens was 2, Byram 7, Krebs 21, Rousek 68)

 

[CowbellConray]

I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of bottom 4 defensive prospects we have (Johnson, Strbak, Komarov, Novikov, Kleber). If you can project 2-3 of those 5 (6 if you include McCarthy) to the bottom pair, you now have Dahlin/Power/Byram and a collection of young talent on the backend.

2-3 years from now the Sabres may have a very solid, young, cost controlled defense. Credit to Adams for his drafting here.

 

[HOOats]

Curious what those voting Strbak (last poll #13) over Novikov (#9) saw last year to cause the jump? I'm struggling to think of any way that Strbak's season was more impressive.

Novikov is becoming the most underrated prospect in the system.

 

[Chainshot]

My list that I've had and been making mild adjustments every now and then:

*Yes, I know Metsa is not signed to an NHL deal.

Rank	Player	Position	Total
1​	Devon Levi	G	4.325​
2​	Konsta Helenius	C/RW	4.275​
3​	Jiri Kulich	C	3.925​
4​	Viktor Neuchev	LW	3.825​
5​	Isak Rosen	RW	3.7​
6​	Noah Ostlund	C	3.7​
7​	Anton Wahlberg	C/LW	3.6​
8​	Vsevolod Komarov	RD	3.6​
9​	Nikita Novikov	LD	3.5​
10​	Ryan Johnson	LD	3.475​
11​	Scott Ratzlaff	G	3.375​
12​	Viljama Marjala	LW	3.375​
13​	Ryerson Leenders	G	3.375​
15​	Maxim Strbak	RD	3.225​
14​	Adam Kleber	RD	3.175​
16​	Zach Metsa	RD	3.125​
17​	Jake Richard	RW	3.1​
18​	Alexander Kisakov	F	3.075​
19​	Vasili Zelenov	RW	3.025​
20​	Prokhor Poltapov	RW	3​
22​	Brody Ziemer	RW/C	3​
21​	Lukas Rousek	LW/RW	2.975​
23​	Tyson Kozak	C	2.925​
24​	Gavin McCarthy	RD	2.925​
25​	William Von Barneknow	LW/C	2.875​
26​	Aaron Huglen	C	2.85​
28​	Matteo Costantini	C	2.775​
33​	Luke Osburn	LD	2.775​
31​	Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson	RW	2.7​
30​	Olivier Nadeau	RW	2.675​
32​	Jakub Konecny	C	2.55​
34​	Patrick Geary	LD	2.525​
35​	Topias Leinonen	G	2.5​
27​	Sean Keohane	LD	2.45​
29​	Ethan Miedema	LW	2.45​
36​	Simon-Pier Brunet	RD	2.45​
37​	Stiven Sardarian	C	2.425​
38​	Gustav Karlsson	C	2.35​
39​	Norwin Panocha	LD	2.275​
			0​

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Curious what those voting Strbak (last poll #13) over Novikov (#9) saw last year to cause the jump? I'm struggling to think of any way that Strbak's season was more impressive.

Novikov is becoming the most underrated prospect in the system.

Strbak has a higher ceiling and defensive defensemen don't shiver many timbers unless they're laying waste to bodies left and right.
I don't base my grade solely on what did you do but where are they going to be in a few years

 

[HOOats]

Strbak has a higher ceiling and defensive defensemen don't shiver many timbers unless they're laying waste to bodies left and right.
I don't base my grade solely on what did you do but where are they going to be in a few years.

I understand that. I'm just not sure why Strbak's or Novikov's projected ceiling/floor materially changed from last summer's poll to warrant the change in rank. What do you regard each's ceiling to be?

It's not like Strbak had a productive NCAA season that revealed a higher offensive potential. I like his skill set to develop more offense eventually, but it still has a long way to go and is no sure thing.

If anything, Novikov's 3-20-23 in 65 AHL games with no PP time showed that he at least has a chance to be more than a total black hole offensively. That combined with the underrated instincts jumping into plays that Chain mentioned, and his defensive acumen, equals a very underrated kid who has a pretty obvious path to a decade-long career in the league.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

I understand that. I'm just not sure why Strbak's or Novikov's projected ceiling/floor materially changed from last summer's poll to warrant the change in rank. What do you regard each's ceiling to be?

It's not like Strbak had a productive NCAA season that revealed a higher offensive potential. I like his skill set to develop more offense eventually, but it still has a long way to go and is no sure thing.

If anything, Novikov's 3-20-23 in 65 AHL games with no PP time showed that he at least has a chance to be more than a total black hole offensively. That combined with the underrated instincts jumping into plays that Chain mentioned, and his defensive acumen, equals a very underrated kid who has a pretty obvious path to a decade-long career in the league.

We’re now in the territory where it’s the B prospects and people are voting who they like more. There’s no criteria now other than who they like more.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I understand that. I'm just not sure why Strbak's or Novikov's projected ceiling/floor materially changed from last summer's poll to warrant the change in rank. What do you regard each's ceiling to be?

It's not like Strbak had a productive NCAA season that revealed a higher offensive potential. I like his skill set to develop more offense eventually, but it still has a long way to go and is no sure thing.

If anything, Novikov's 3-20-23 in 65 AHL games with no PP time showed that he at least has a chance to be more than a total black hole offensively. That combined with the underrated instincts jumping into plays that Chain mentioned, and his defensive acumen, equals a very underrated kid who has a pretty obvious path to a decade-long career in the league.

Novikov looks like he'll cap at a 5/6 while Strbak could be a 4. Being a RHD also tips the scale a bit

 

[Sabre the Win]

Novikov, Hoooats pretty much said why. The what have you done so far factor is why he's at the top of the next group.

Novikov looks like he'll cap at a 5/6 while Strbak could be a 4. Being a RHD also tips the scale a bit

I don't like judging based of projections, it's not accurate and it's based off favoritism or feeling.

 

[HOOats]

We’re now in the territory where it’s the B prospects and people are voting who they like more. There’s no criteria now other than who they like more.

I mean, there's not much objective about any of this and it's just for fun. Whether "A" prospects or "B" prospects, the only criteria ever is who we like more. I'm just interested in drilling down into the "why" sometimes. That's where we actually learn and start to figure things out imo.

Novikov, Hoooats pretty much said why. The what have you done so far factor is why he's at the top of the next group.


I don't like judging based of projections, it's not accurate and it's based off favoritism or feeling.

You have to make projections, that's largely what this exercise is. There's no real use in just ranking "what have they accomplished to date." That's just one part of the puzzle.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

I'm Komarov-Novikov-Klebber-Strbak-Neuchev from here. Definitely into the 3rd tier of prospects at this point.

Below this they'll be lucky to have 2 players taste NHL ice.

I don't like judging based of projections, it's not accurate and it's based off favoritism or feeling.

That's certainly fair for you, but for a lot of people that's why they come here and watch non-NHL games.

 

[debaser66]

My list that I've had and been making mild adjustments every now and then:

*Yes, I know Metsa is not signed to an NHL deal.

Rank	Player	Position	Total
1​	Devon Levi	G	4.325​
2​	Konsta Helenius	C/RW	4.275​
3​	Jiri Kulich	C	3.925​
4​	Viktor Neuchev	LW	3.825​
5​	Isak Rosen	RW	3.7​
6​	Noah Ostlund	C	3.7​
7​	Anton Wahlberg	C/LW	3.6​
8​	Vsevolod Komarov	RD	3.6​
9​	Nikita Novikov	LD	3.5​
10​	Ryan Johnson	LD	3.475​
11​	Scott Ratzlaff	G	3.375​
12​	Viljama Marjala	LW	3.375​
13​	Ryerson Leenders	G	3.375​
15​	Maxim Strbak	RD	3.225​
14​	Adam Kleber	RD	3.175​
16​	Zach Metsa	RD	3.125​
17​	Jake Richard	RW	3.1​
18​	Alexander Kisakov	F	3.075​
19​	Vasili Zelenov	RW	3.025​
20​	Prokhor Poltapov	RW	3​
22​	Brody Ziemer	RW/C	3​
21​	Lukas Rousek	LW/RW	2.975​
23​	Tyson Kozak	C	2.925​
24​	Gavin McCarthy	RD	2.925​
25​	William Von Barneknow	LW/C	2.875​
26​	Aaron Huglen	C	2.85​
28​	Matteo Costantini	C	2.775​
33​	Luke Osburn	LD	2.775​
31​	Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson	RW	2.7​
30​	Olivier Nadeau	RW	2.675​
32​	Jakub Konecny	C	2.55​
34​	Patrick Geary	LD	2.525​
35​	Topias Leinonen	G	2.5​
27​	Sean Keohane	LD	2.45​
29​	Ethan Miedema	LW	2.45​
36​	Simon-Pier Brunet	RD	2.45​
37​	Stiven Sardarian	C	2.425​
38​	Gustav Karlsson	C	2.35​
39​	Norwin Panocha	LD	2.275​
			0​

Why is Neuchev so high on your list, I don't have much info about him, may you elaborate why he is nearly the same as Kulich for you?
Thank you!

 

[Chainshot]

Why is Neuchev so high on your list, I don't have much info about him, may you elaborate why he is nearly the same as Kulich for you?
Thank you!

I really liked his second half of the season so that gave him a little bump in the development pace part of the equation. I was surprised when I saw him there too.

I also don't have Sardarian listed. Weird. Updating it again.

 

[Chainshot]

Found the issue but it pulls Neuchev closer to Rosen but didn't reorder things. *shrug*