Forecaster's Top 75 Stars of Tomorrow

[Wildcat]

http://www.forecaster.ca/aolnetscape/hockey/news.cgi?notebook&x_pagespec=20031115

Top 10
1. Sydney Crosby
2. Alexander Ovechkin
3. Nikolai Zherdev
4. Kari Lehtonen
5. Zach Parise
6. Ryan Miller
7. Braydon Coburn
8. Thomas Vanek
9. Dion Phaneuf
10. Anthony Stewart

Click to read more...

 

[Teemu]

strange that crawford is on the list...

 

[X-SHARKIE]

I agree with Number 1 -2 but after that I spit on this list. If it was on paper I woudl crumple it up and throw it outside a window. UGLY list.

Pathetic comse to mind. Seriosly I've never seen a list so bad! Igor Mirinov over Ryan Suter? Come on!

Kari Lehtonen is surpassed by Zherdev? whats Vanek doing in the top 10 ect. ect. ect.ect. Too many complaints to list...thanks though haha.

 

[dem]

Parise looks um... a little high..

 

[Rico Fatastic]

Oh look at that, 6 of them were taken at this past draft.

 

[MontrealSF]

14. Kastsitsyn
23. Higgins
30. Komisarek
44. Perezhogin
55. Locke
74. Korneev
75. Lambert

How much time before anti-Habs troll whine ?

 

[Steve Latin*]

14. Kastsitsyn
23. Higgins
30. Komisarek
44. Perezhogin
55. Locke
74. Korneev
75. Lambert

How much time before anti-Habs troll whine ?

Locke at 55 is a joke... but so is the fact that Hainsey isn't on the list.

S L

 

[Brock]

My Immediate thought would be that this list is a friggin joke.

 

[Predatore]

fun read though.
The first time ever that I have seen Carolina draftee Magnus Kahnberg (born 1980) get any attention (outside Sweden, that is).
A very underrated prospect and a top sniper in the SEL.. but I wouldn't exactly rank him as the 4th Swede like Forecaster has

 

[Marshall]

The list is bizarre.

 

[Epsilon]

And the overhype machine rolls on. Crosby and Ovechkin get slotted in at 1 and 2 despite not having been drafted and the next highest 2004 or 2005 rated players are Barker and Brule in the 30s? And what, Michael Lambert is a better prospect than Vitali Anikeenko, Robbie Schremp, Evgeni Malkin, or Rostislav Olesz?

 

[DutchLeafsfan]

Parise at 5? Sure, he probably was an extremely smart pick by the Devils, but this whole underrated thing has been way overblown, him surpassing all but 1 player already, including for instance MA Fleury and Eric Staal, who are both making some early impressions in the NHL?

For the rest:
11. Anton Babchuk
12. Corey Perry
13. Jiri Hudler
15. Hannu Toivonen
18. Alexander Steen (Sure, I love Steen, but if they are going to include the next 2 years of draft he'd be hard pressed to make the top 20)
19. Sergei Anshakov
20. Trevor Daley
21. Tomas Fleischmann
24. Igor Mirnov
25. Patrick O'Sullivan (again, a good pick, but too high IMO)
36. Jason Bacashihua
37. Maxime Ouellet (bit too low)
55. Corey Locke
62. Fedor Fedorov
65. Patrik Bartschi
74. Konstantin Korneev

Just to name a few... I thought the HF list on Fox was bad, but this takes the cake...

 

[evman150*]

I'll just copy and paste my thoughts from over at the Edmonton board:

My mom could make a better list than that.

Being on the oilers' board, I will start by objecting to the omission of Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, also Jani Rita. Rita's stock has fallen, but not THAT much. JDD is one of the best goaltending prospects in the world, and I don't see how a guy like Toivonen is rated ahead of him.

The whole list is terrible though, not just for the Oilers. Some guys are missing, and some guys are WAY too high. Zherdev at 3, Parise at 5, Vanek at 8, Babchuk, Perry, Hudler at 11,12,13, Toivonen at 15, LeNeveu, Steen, Anshankov at 17,18,19, Daley, Fleischmann, Mirnov, Kaigorodov, Kronwall, Gervais, Fedorov, Kahnberg (who the hell is this guy?), and Bartschi are all WAY too high. Half those guys don't even belong on the list.

They put Crosby, Ovechkin at 1,2, yet they put Cam Barker at 34? WTF? Where are Malkin and Olesz? Shremp?

Pushkarov, Carter, Harding, Whitney, Koltsov, Perezhogin, Blackburn, Suter, Tjutin, Ouellet, Grebeshkov, Ward, Krajicek, and Lehtonen should all be a lot higher.

Terrible list.

 

[Epsilon]

I'll just copy and paste my thoughts from over at the Edmonton board:

My mom could make a better list than that.

Being on the oilers' board, I will start by objecting to the omission of Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, also Jani Rita. Rita's stock has fallen, but not THAT much. JDD is one of the best goaltending prospects in the world, and I don't see how a guy like Toivonen is rated ahead of him.

The whole list is terrible though, not just for the Oilers. Some guys are missing, and some guys are WAY too high. Zherdev at 3, Parise at 5, Vanek at 8, Babchuk, Perry, Hudler at 11,12,13, Toivonen at 15, LeNeveu, Steen, Anshankov at 17,18,19, Daley, Fleischmann, Mirnov, Kaigorodov, Kronwall, Gervais, Fedorov, Kahnberg (who the hell is this guy?), and Bartschi are all WAY too high. Half those guys don't even belong on the list.

They put Crosby, Ovechkin at 1,2, yet they put Cam Barker at 34? WTF? Where are Malkin and Olesz? Shremp?

Pushkarov, Carter, Harding, Whitney, Koltsov, Perezhogin, Blackburn, Suter, Tjutin, Ouellet, Grebeshkov, Ward, Krajicek, and Lehtonen should all be a lot higher.

Terrible list.

Pretty good analysis, can't say I disagree with anything.

It seems to me that they looked at everyone who is either:

1. a high draft pick
2. tearing up the CHL
3. tearing up the AHL

and just compiled that in to a list.

 

[Foppa_Rules]

I know where to find video of Ovechkin's goals if anyone doubts his talents and ability. hcdynamo.com

 

[Epsilon]

I know where to find video of Ovechkin's goals if anyone doubts his talents and ability. hcdynamo.com

I don't think anyone here doubts Ovechkin's talents or that he should be top 3 on this list, we are just saddened that this end up being another big bl**j** to Crosby and Ovechkin while tossing their fellow future draftees aside to make room for CHL overagers putting up good numbers.

 

[icarus]

JDD is one of the best goaltending prospects in the world, and I don't see how a guy like Toivonen is rated ahead of him.

Why not? Toivonen was drafted ahead of Deslauriers, and has done nothing but improve consistently in the time since (in the process putting up better numbers versus men than Deslauriers has put up against juniors).

 

[evman150*]

(in the process putting up better numbers versus men than Deslauriers has put up against juniors).

The main flaw in that statement is that they are two totally different leagues. Hannu Toivonen plays in a men's league, where the emphasis is on defense. Offensive numbers are low and goalie stats are bloated. Drouin-Deslauriers plays in the LHJMQ, which is known for being offensively wide open. Of course a goalie's stats in the Q will be worse, because nobody really cares all that much about defense and goalies are often left hung out to dry. Therefore there are higher scores and worse goalie statistics.

 

[VO #23]

Where's Fehr?

 

[leafaholix*]

Anyone notice how Pitkanen's missing?

I may have missed something, but if Komisarek's up there (21 games), I don't see a reason why Joni Pitkanen's not on the list.

 

[Epsilon]

Anyone notice how Pitkanen's missing?

I may have missed something, but if Komisarek's up there (21 games), I don't see a reason why Joni Pitkanen's not on the list.

They may have decided to omit him since it's quite obvious he's in the NHL to stay at this point.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I'd like to know the cut-offs since Pitkanen and Fleury aren't on the list.

Two Penguins up there, one too low(Whitney) and one suprise(Bartschi). Confused on Welch being left off but impressed with Bartschi finally getting some press.

 

[Kirk- NEHJ]

The main flaw in that statement is that they are two totally different leagues. Hannu Toivonen plays in a men's league, where the emphasis is on defense. Offensive numbers are low and goalie stats are bloated. Drouin-Deslauriers plays in the LHJMQ, which is known for being offensively wide open. Of course a goalie's stats in the Q will be worse, because nobody really cares all that much about defense and goalies are often left hung out to dry. Therefore there are higher scores and worse goalie statistics.

Are you really arguing that Toivonen is facing an easier situation playing at a high level in the AHL than Drouin-Deslauriers is in the Q?

 

[Dr_Chimera*]

Pretty good analysis, can't say I disagree with anything.

It seems to me that they looked at everyone who is either:

1. a high draft pick
2. tearing up the CHL
3. tearing up the AHL

and just compiled that in to a list.

Bingo!!!

And Konstantin Korneev was tearing up a recent U18 tournament.

That list was made up by some unqualified folks.

 

[Dr_Chimera*]

Are you really arguing that Toivonen is facing an easier situation playing at a high level in the AHL than Drouin-Deslauriers is in the Q?

No and he has a good point. Goaltending numbers are rather low (for GAA) in many European leagues - even if they are men's leagues.

That does not make playing there easier, however.