Prospect Info: '24-'25 Prospects Thread: Generation Z

[Gurglesons]

this post otoh is the opposite of bringing receipts

It's really easy for nobodies on Twitter to criticize respected voices.

I'm not a big fan of Pronman's, but he's doing an exercise on 139 prospects.

Nitpicking the difference between "elite" and "high-end" is told dork level stuff from somebody who thinks their work is better.

All I learned from this is this Pronman character is not someone I should concern myself with.

He is who he is.

At least he isn't Craig Button.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Pronman hustles and gets to rinks in person. Never have taken him for a box score watcher.

The flaws are both in the model- as no single person can cover every player so how tf can they rank them? The way the Athletic does it is dumb. Wheeler should cover an area of NA, Pronman another, and then a Euro guy.

Other flaw- grading system. It always contradicts what he writes and never has made sense, even when he was doing number grades.

He is good at describing play styles and strengths/weaknesses/concerns/upside and who is playing well. His grading system and tiers are always junk but whatever.

If you’re actually worried about if he rated a prospect he just raved about in the written blurb high-end instead of elite because you think there’s no way he’s worse than Connor McConnor you are the problem lmao.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Bringing recipes.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Really nice play from McGroarty

 

[Turin]

Pronman just released his top-140 NHL players and prospects under 23 and the Penguins had Brunicke (94), Pieniniemi (97) and Pickering (116) on it. Yager is ranked 88th and McGroarty is not on the list, but Pronman has never been high on McGroarty due to McGroarty's skating.

Pronman is an actual reterded person.

 

[Jacob]

Ilyin’s scoring is down but his PPG is up, and he’s 3rd on Severstal in points. Last year he finished 8th.

 

[Rudy Russo]

Updated- Penguins Prospects:

Player​	Games Played​	Goals​	Assists​	Total Points​
Mac Swanson- LW​	22​	2​	10​	12​
Chase Pietila- RD​	23​	4​	11​	15​
Harrison Brunicke RD​	15​	3​	9​	12​
Tanner Howe- LW Calgary Hitman/ Pats​	19​	8​	9​	17​
Tanner Howe- LW Team Canada U20​	5​	1​	0​	1​
Finn Harding- RD​	40​	5​	31​	36​
Emil Pieniniemi- LD​	35​	5​	32​	37​
Emil Pieniniemi- Finland U20​	6​	2​	1​	3​
Cooper Foster- C​	40​	15​	24​	39​
Cruz Lucius- RW​	3​	0​	2​	2​
Mikhail Ilyin- (KHL) LW/RW​	44​	4​	19​	23​
Zam Plante- C​	21​	4​	6​	10​
Kirill Tankov- (VHL) C​	18​	4​	3​	7​
Daniel Laatsch- LD​	22​	2​	3​	5​
Joona Vaisanen- RD (Western Michigan)​	19​	1​	8​	9​
Taylor Gauthier- Goalie (ECHL)​	10​	GAA 2.31​	SV % .917​	Win/Loss 6-4​
Sergei Murashov- Goalie (ECHL)​	19​	GAA 2.50​	SV % .923​	Win/Loss 15-2-1​
Mathieu De. St. Phalle-LW/RW (AHL Deal) ECHL​	34​	12​	18​	30​
Atley Calvert-Center (AHL Deal) ECHL​	33​	12​	22​	34​
Jack Beck- RW/LW​	33​	7​	25​	32​
Avery Hayes- C/RW (AHL Deal)​	22​	9​	7​	16​
Ville Koivunen- LW/C​	33​	10​	17​	27​
Mac Hollowell- D​	29​	0​	19​	19​
Rutger McGroarty- C/W​	31​	5​	13​	18​
Vaslli Ponomaryov​	24​	6​	13​	19​
Tristan Broz-C​	27​	12​	7​	19​

 

[Ulf5]

Updated- Penguins Prospects:

Player​	Games Played​	Goals​	Assists​	Total Points​
Mac Swanson- LW​	22​	2​	10​	12​
Chase Pietila- RD​	23​	4​	11​	15​
Harrison Brunicke RD​	15​	3​	9​	12​
Tanner Howe- LW Calgary Hitman/ Pats​	19​	8​	9​	17​
Tanner Howe- LW Team Canada U20​	5​	1​	0​	1​
Finn Harding- RD​	40​	5​	31​	36​
Emil Pieniniemi- LD​	35​	5​	32​	37​
Emil Pieniniemi- Finland U20​	6​	2​	1​	3​
Cooper Foster- C​	40​	15​	24​	39​
Cruz Lucius- RW​	3​	0​	2​	2​
Mikhail Ilyin- (KHL) LW/RW​	44​	4​	19​	23​
Zam Plante- C​	21​	4​	6​	10​
Kirill Tankov- (VHL) C​	18​	4​	3​	7​
Daniel Laatsch- LD​	22​	2​	3​	5​
Joona Vaisanen- RD (Western Michigan)​	19​	1​	8​	9​
Taylor Gauthier- Goalie (ECHL)​	10​	GAA 2.31​	SV % .917​	Win/Loss 6-4​
Sergei Murashov- Goalie (ECHL)​	19​	GAA 2.50​	SV % .923​	Win/Loss 15-2-1​
Mathieu De. St. Phalle-LW/RW (AHL Deal) ECHL​	34​	12​	18​	30​
Atley Calvert-Center (AHL Deal) ECHL​	33​	12​	22​	34​
Jack Beck- RW/LW​	33​	7​	25​	32​
Avery Hayes- C/RW (AHL Deal)​	22​	9​	7​	16​
Ville Koivunen- LW/C​	33​	10​	17​	27​
Mac Hollowell- D​	29​	0​	19​	19​
Rutger McGroarty- C/W​	31​	5​	13​	18​
Vaslli Ponomaryov​	24​	6​	13​	19​
Tristan Broz-C​	27​	12​	7​	19​

I hate Cs with more goals than assists lol. Reminds me of the likes of Brandon Sutter.

 

[Jacob]

Probably borderline but I think Foster should get an ELC. He’s improved his production pretty significantly and he plays for Dave Cameron so those numbers might need an asterisk. And the goals and points he gets seem like the kinda plays that would work in the pros, if not the NHL. A lot of top-ins, for example:

 

[PensFutures]

Foster will be playing in Erie on March 22 for anyone wanting to get a closer look, I think I will be going.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Foster will be playing in Erie on March 22 for anyone wanting to get a closer look, I think I will be going.

I went to the Otters game on the 10th and no one on the Otters looked too decent.

 

[PensFutures]

I went to the Otters game on the 10th and no one on the Otters looked too decent.

I believe Schaefer has a broken collarbone and is currently out long term

 

[Empoleon8771]

FYI Wheeler is releasing his top prospect pool rankings and the Penguins have still not been released yet. They just released Vancouver at #21, so the Penguins will be ranked 20th or better.

 

[PensFutures]

Wheeling splits the weekend in Worcester, both games were 4-3. Murashov takes the loss yesterday, Gauthier wins today.

Big weekend for Ortiz(1g, 1g 3a) and De St Phalle (1a, 1g 2a). Matt Koopman with a goal in each game. Just saw Jack Beck was put on 14 day IR. Earlier this year they were running a forward on D. Now they have a D at 4C. Gotta love minor league hockey..

 

[cookthebooks]

Pittsburgh Penguins are No. 20 in 2025 NHL prospect pool rankings

The Penguins lack a truly high-end talent but their pool is deeper and stronger than it has been in a while.

www.nytimes.com

pens #20

 

[Jacob]

I'd probably agree with that.

 

[cookthebooks]

guentzel trade a constant topic, so heres the results

2 brunicke
3 koivunen
5 lucius
10 ponomarev

 

[HandshakeLine]

guentzel trade a constant topic, so heres the results

2 brunicke
3 koivunen
5 lucius
10 ponomarev

this is pure gibberish, can you tell it to us in pkability?

I'd probably agree with that.

ask what it’s out of, first

 

[Empoleon8771]

Honestly I'm surprised that Wheeler is that low on Broz and that high on Lucius, but I guess technically they're all on the same tier. His points regarding Broz do make sense though:

He’s capable of being a creator and using space to find openings. He understands how to pull defenders in so that he can make a play through them into the gaps in coverage they’ve left behind. And he has started to do that more in the last year and a half, with good offensive results coming out of it. He’s also getting off the perimeter more. The difficulty is that while he’s got skill (the Penguins weren’t the only team that had him as a second-round talent) and while I like his one-timer from the flank on the power play, he’s not likely going to get those kinds of opportunities up levels — in which case, what is he?

Wheeler's description basically sounds like Broz is a "not talented enough for the top-6, but not what you want out of a bottom-6" type of guy. That said, he did note that Broz has been getting much better with that since turning pro, so maybe he's a guy that can move upwards and surpass Wheeler's expectation. I also think it's worth wondering if Broz would be more acceptable as a complementary top-6 winger in the Sheary mold, I think the requirements for that would be less than a full blown top-6 center.

Edit: total list for anyone interested:

1. McGroarty
2. Brunicke
3. Koivunen
4. Pickering
5. Lucius
6. Howe
7. Blomqvist
8. Murashov
9. Pieniniemi
10. Ponomarev
11. Ilyin
12. Swanson
13. Pietila
14. Broz
15. Väisänen

 

[Ulf5]

this is pure gibberish, can you tell it to us in pkability?

You rang?
No. 10: Malcolm Spence, LW, 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, Erie Otters (OHL)Even if you don’t project top-six NHL production, Spence’s 'B' game will allow him to fit comfortably in a third line role where he will be able to match-up and kill penalties.
:sully drooling all over himself:

 

[Andy99]

Honestly I'm surprised that Wheeler is that low on Broz and that high on Lucius, but I guess technically they're all on the same tier. His points regarding Broz do make sense though:



Wheeler's description basically sounds like Broz is a "not talented enough for the top-6, but not what you want out of a bottom-6" type of guy. That said, he did note that Broz has been getting much better with that since turning pro, so maybe he's a guy that can move upwards and surpass Wheeler's expectation. I also think it's worth wondering if Broz would be more acceptable as a complementary top-6 winger in the Sheary mold, I think the requirements for that would be less than a full blown top-6 center.

Edit: total list for anyone interested:

1. McGroarty
2. Brunicke
3. Koivunen
4. Pickering
5. Lucius
6. Howe
7. Blomqvist
8. Murashov
9. Pieniniemi
10. Ponomarev
11. Ilyin
12. Swanson
13. Pietila
14. Broz
15. Väisänen

Yeah, I disagree heartily with him on Broz…Broz’s pace of play is very similar to McG’s…a weakness for them both, but McG is #1 and he’s #14? I don’t see a great chasm between their NHL prospects except one was a first round pick and the other a second who had a poor college start…I think Wheeler has a predetermined dislike of Broz kinda like the complaints people had of Pronman and McG lol

 

[Jacob]

I haven't looked into Spence much but being 6'2" 205 already probably helps his "safety" as well. And he has more SH goals than PP goals in the OHL.

 

[Gurglesons]

Pittsburgh Penguins are No. 20 in 2025 NHL prospect pool rankings

The Penguins lack a truly high-end talent but their pool is deeper and stronger than it has been in a while.

www.nytimes.com

pens #20

Us at 20 makes us sound like we have a decent prospect pool.

Then you read the actual article and it's largely what I agree with Pickering, McGroarty, and Brunicke are the only players that look like legitimate NHLers and even then Pickering and McG have question marks around if they'll be anything beyond bottom pairing / bottom six players.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I was surprised to see Koivunen and Broz so far apart. I think they're a bit closer in terms of what caliber prospect they are. Not exactly huge impact guys but I think there's a solid chance they both carve out somewhat of an NHL career. Think Lucius is also quite a bit higher than I'd expected--kinda feels like a bit of a throwaway longshot at best.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Us at 20 makes us sound like we have a decent prospect pool.

Then you read the actual article and it's largely what I agree with Pickering, McGroarty, and Brunicke are the only players that look like legitimate NHLers and even then Pickering and McG have question marks around if they'll be anything beyond bottom pairing / bottom six players.

Wheeler is very conservative with how he talks about everyone's prospects rather than saying they're all going to be elite. With the Canucks, D-man Elias Pettersson was their #3 ranked prospect and this is what he said about his upside:

He looks like he’s on track to becoming a reliable depth defenseman. At the very least, he probably becomes organizational depth/a No. 7/8. He’s not just a defense-first guy, either (though that’s where it starts). There’s potentially some two-way value there as well.

He just uses very conservative language to describe prospect upsides rather than saying every single prospect will become elite like a lot of other prospect guys do.