German Prospects for the NHL Draft

[Maverick41]

Agree with both of you. Merkl is the one I have the highest hopes for at this point and I hate that he’s in the Oberliga right now. Up front, I’m also highest on Pul and have some hopes for Maul. Most likely no NHL picks but for the DEL and national team, these guys are still decent (all the ones @Maverick41 mentioned). I even have some hope for Ficenec.

Ficenec is an interesting one. I have not been too impressed with his play towards the end of last season, but I think his game could translate really well to the pro level. I had not really considered him when I thought about this before, but you may be right, he should be someone to keep in mind.

I wonder if there will be someone completely off my radar, who suddenly breaks through when they make the transition from junior to pro hockey.

 

[pgfan66]

Ficenec is an interesting one. I have not been too impressed with his play towards the end of last season, but I think his game could translate really well to the pro level. I had not really considered him when I thought about this before, but you may be right, he should be someone to keep in mind.

I wonder if there will be someone completely off my radar, who suddenly breaks through when they make the transition from junior to pro hockey.

He wasn’t really on my radar either but he looked solid at the Hlinka. The thing is, when we’re talking about this many players who could make it, it always means that a) none of them are actually good and they’re all closer to average and b) as a result, most of them won’t make it.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Paul Mayer has played the first 3 games of the season for Mannheim. Pedestrian minutes his first 2 games but just over 7 minutes yesterday.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Paul Mayer has played the first 3 games of the season for Mannheim. Pedestrian minutes his first 2 games but just over 7 minutes yesterday.

Those minutes are like Lua Niehus-type of ice time!

No, seriously, as positive as that is, am very curious to see if Mayer finds himself with Bietigheim within the next week or so?

Today is actually his 18th birthday.

Also, Niehus was already out of the line-up the past few games, so there's that after a decent first weekend...

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Those minutes are like Lua Niehus-type of ice time!

No, seriously, as positive as that is, am very curious to see if Mayer finds himself with Bietigheim within the next week or so?

Today is actually his 18th birthday.

Also, Niehus was already out of the line-up the past few games, so there's that after a decent first weekend...

I thought coming into the season he’d play the majority of his games in the DEL2 with Bietigheim, anyway. So seeing him get minutes with Mannheim early was very pleasantly surprising.

 

[Maverick41]

Those minutes are like Lua Niehus-type of ice time!

No, seriously, as positive as that is, am very curious to see if Mayer finds himself with Bietigheim within the next week or so?

Today is actually his 18th birthday.

Also, Niehus was already out of the line-up the past few games, so there's that after a decent first weekend...

I thought coming into the season he’d play the majority of his games in the DEL2 with Bietigheim, anyway. So seeing him get minutes with Mannheim early was very pleasantly surprising.

For now it seems that Mayer has beaten out Dziambor for one of the U23 spots on the team. I hope that changes at some point, as long as it's guaranteed that he will actually play significant minutes in Bietigheim instead.
I believe the Steelers are trying to win promotion back to the DEL and might not spoonfeed any youngsters a ton of minutes. I really wish they would also start tracking ice time in DEL2.

I watched Mannheim vs. Berlin on Sunday, and Mayer played less than 4 minutes. He did alright in those minutes, but it wasn't very revealing. But at least he is getting on the ice every game so far. Others have been spending entire games dressed on the bench without a single shift. And yet in the record books those still count as "Games Played".

So far, almost all the U23 players getting decent minutes were born in 2002. Samanski, Eham, Rutkowski, Schweiger, Leonhardt and Blank are all in the Top7 at this point. The only non-02 in there is Barinka (2001), although Philipp Preto might be up there, but apparently there is no ice time data from the game against Wolfsburg.
The only 03 in the Top10 is Bennet Roßmy at 8th, Oswald is the 04 with the most ice time per game and Niehus still has the highest average for 05s, but he only played in 2 games. Bicker is the best of those appearing in all 4 games, at a little under 7 minutes per game, which is probably not enough to actually be helpful for his development.

It is still very early in the season, but that is usually the time when the young ones actually get more ice time. Over the next few weeks it will probably go down a little, before it ticks up again once injuries become more of an issue which is usually in the second half of the season.
It is kind of sad how much the bigger teams (Mannheim, München, Berlin) have reduced the ice time for their U23 players compared to a few seasons ago.
This season it seems like only two teams are really playing the youngsters, Iserlohn and Düsseldorf. Although Straubing, Ingolstadt and Nürnberg are also playing their U23 players a decent amount they are limiting it to very few players. Düsseldorf plays their U23 less on average, but they have played more of them.
For the following stat I have to exclude Bremerhaven and Wolfsburg, due to the missing ice time data from their game on the second game day.
After 4 games U23 players have accounted for the least total ice time at Mannheim (87:06), Augsburg (84:51) and Berlin (83:21). At the other end of the spectrum are Nürnberg (161:36) and the aforementioned Düsseldorf (221:47) and Iserlohn (265:03). Assuming my calculations are correct.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

For now it seems that Mayer has beaten out Dziambor for one of the U23 spots on the team. I hope that changes at some point, as long as it's guaranteed that he will actually play significant minutes in Bietigheim instead.
I believe the Steelers are trying to win promotion back to the DEL and might not spoonfeed any youngsters a ton of minutes. I really wish they would also start tracking ice time in DEL2.

I watched Mannheim vs. Berlin on Sunday, and Mayer played less than 4 minutes. He did alright in those minutes, but it wasn't very revealing. But at least he is getting on the ice every game so far. Others have been spending entire games dressed on the bench without a single shift. And yet in the record books those still count as "Games Played".

So far, almost all the U23 players getting decent minutes were born in 2002. Samanski, Eham, Rutkowski, Schweiger, Leonhardt and Blank are all in the Top7 at this point. The only non-02 in there is Barinka (2001), although Philipp Preto might be up there, but apparently there is no ice time data from the game against Wolfsburg.
The only 03 in the Top10 is Bennet Roßmy at 8th, Oswald is the 04 with the most ice time per game and Niehus still has the highest average for 05s, but he only played in 2 games. Bicker is the best of those appearing in all 4 gamen, at a little under 7 minutes per game, which is probably not enough to actually be helpful for his development.

In essence, unless you're a Seider/Stützle/Reichel type talent, you're not going to be a 17/18-year-old getting a fairly regular shift in the DEL. It's somewhat telling every season, when things kick off, and we see this type of thing.

I believe Leon Muggli in Switzerland, for example, has not only played 5 games, but was getting over 12 minutes per game (once even 15 minutes) until the latest game against Bern. That's quite impressive, especially considering how ambitious Zug is. Even top prospect Dman Ustinkov has "just" been getting roughly 6:30 per game in 3 outings.

That said, it would already be thrilling and impressive if a player such as Mayer was taking a regular shift with 10-15 minutes a night in the DEL2. I sure wish it was happening more often around that league.

It is still very early in the season, but that is usually the time when the young ones actually get more ice time. Over the next few weeks it will probably go down a little, before it ticks up again once injuries become more of an issue which is usually in the second half of the season.
It is kind of sad how much the bigger teams (Mannheim, München, Berlin) have reduced the ice time for their U23 players compared to a few seasons ago.
This season it seems like only two teams are really playing the youngsters, Iserlohn and Düsseldorf. Although Straubing, Ingolstadt and Nürnberg are also playing their U23 players a decent amount they are limiting it to very few players. Düsseldorf plays their U23 less on average, but they have played more of them.

With Düsseldorf, we shouldn't forget that they've been hit fairly heavy seeing 3 or 4 big names out of the line-up, and that after they already lost Barta, Eder, and Fischbuch in the summer.

They're kind of damned to go with kiddies just now.

Iserlohn and Nuremburg have to as well, basically for economical reasons, if nothing else.

Thus, nice to see top 6 clubs like Ingolstadt and Straubing making rather heavy use of a few U23 players.

PS) VERY NICE seeing Schweiger being given an extended look next to Bokk.

 

[Maverick41]

This is a bit older (late 2022 I think), but I remember it to be an interesting read (in German) about the success or lack thereof of the U23 rule implemented by the DEL. Unfortunately I can no longer find a working link to the full report.

SVE-Report: U23 Regel in der DEL

The Game Is Us: Wir sind die Spielervereinigung Eishockey, der Verein für Eishockeyspieler in Deutschlands. Wir verleihen Profi-Eishockeyspielern eine gemeinsame Stimme und gestalten die Zukunft des deutschen Eishockeys aktiv mit.

www.sv-eishockey.de

Update SVE-Report: U23 Regel in der DEL

The Game Is Us: Wir sind die Spielervereinigung Eishockey, der Verein für Eishockeyspieler in Deutschlands. Wir verleihen Profi-Eishockeyspielern eine gemeinsame Stimme und gestalten die Zukunft des deutschen Eishockeys aktiv mit.

www.sv-eishockey.de

 

[Maverick41]

In essence, unless you're a Seider/Stützle/Reichel type talent, you're not going to be a 17/18-year-old getting a fairly regular shift in the DEL. It's somewhat telling every season, when things kick off, and we see this type of thing.

I believe Leon Muggli in Switzerland, for example, has not only played 5 games, but was getting over 12 minutes per game (once even 15 minutes) until the latest game against Bern. That's quite impressive, especially considering how ambitious Zug is. Even top prospect Dman Ustinkov has "just" been getting roughly 6:30 per game in 3 outings.

That said, it would already be thrilling and impressive if a player such as Mayer was taking a regular shift with 10-15 minutes a night in the DEL2. I sure wish it was happening more often around that league.



With Düsseldorf, we shouldn't forget that they've been hit fairly heavy seeing 3 or 4 big names out of the line-up, and that after they already lost Barta, Eder, and Fischbuch in the summer.

They're kind of damned to go with kiddies just now.

Iserlohn and Nuremburg have to as well, basically for economical reasons, if nothing else.

Thus, nice to see top 6 clubs like Ingolstadt and Straubing making rather heavy use of a few U23 players.

PS) VERY NICE seeing Schweiger being given an extended look next to Bokk.

Unfortunately there is always some context missing. For example, when you look at Straubing it is mostly Samanski who is getting the ice time. Klein and especially Zimmermann are getting less ice time than I thought they would.

Düsseldorf has little choice, but to be fair their top U23 players (Eham, Blank and to a lesser extent Borzecki) have been getting solid minutes for a couple of seasons now. And Roßmy who has been the big beneficiary of the injuries has played so well, that I could see him avoid a huge drop in ice time even as the team gets healthier. Borzecki might not be as fortunate.
The average for Düsseldorf has actually been hurt a little by Junemann who only got a couple of token minutes in the games he played.

Munich will likely move up the list, when and if Szuber and Lutz return from the Yotes camp and Augsburg would likely be a bit higher if Volek wasn't injured.

And overall it is still really early and thing could change substantially for some teams. Right now the ice times can vary a lot fo individual players from one game to the next. At some point (maybe in 6-8 weeks) I will look at the consistency of the ice time the players get, by taking a look at the standard deviation (if I can manage to recall those math and statistics lessons from 20-30 years ago).

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Unfortunately there is always some context missing. For example, when you look at Straubing it is mostly Samanski who is getting the ice time. Klein and especially Zimmermann are getting less ice time than I thought they would.

Düsseldorf has little choice, but to be fair their top U23 players (Eham, Blank and to a lesser extent Borzecki) have been getting solid minutes for a couple of seasons now. And Roßmy who has been the big beneficiary of the injuries has played so well, that I could see him avoid a huge drop in ice time even as the team gets healthier. Borzecki might not be as fortunate.
The average for Düsseldorf has actually been hurt a little by Junemann who only got a couple of token minutes in the games he played.

Munich will likely move up the list, when and if Szuber and Lutz return from the Yotes camp and Augsburg would likely be a bit higher if Volek wasn't injured.

And overall it is still really early and thing could change substantially for some teams. Right now the ice times can vary a lot fo individual players from one game to the next. At some point (maybe in 6-8 weeks) I will look at the consistency of the ice time the players get, by taking a look at the standard deviation (if I can manage to recall those math and statistics lessons from 20-30 years ago).

Naturally, a more "conclusive" assessment will first come in several months. Injuries, slumps, etc. will all play a role in that.

At the moment, I think it's most interesting to see which 19-23-year-olds are getting ample playing time and look like real pieces to their team's puzzles moving forward. But it's still just the beginning. Still, I'm expecting good things from the players you mentioned from DDorf and I think this is the year that i.e. a Justin Schütz breaks the 30-point mark.

As mentioned above, I'm excited about the DEL2 as well. There are a lot of young players who could get serious playing time and I'm very excited to see who'll be the next Reisnecker to make a real breakthrough in a league that would ideally like to compete with the Allsvenskan as Europe's top second tier league.

Really fascinating how important Kaufbeueren and to a degree Landshut, Weißwasser, and Bad Nauheim (whose co-op with Cologne plays a fruitful role) have become as destinations that incorporate U23 German players to a better degree than most.

***
Szuber and Lutz
I'm thinking that they're both going to be in North America this year. After signing his ELC, Szuber isn't surprising (despite an extremely full blueline prospect bin in the Yotes' organization), but I think everyone was fully expecting Lutz to be taking a big step with Munich this year.

Sure looks like he'll be latching on with the Green Bay Gamblers.

 

[Maverick41]

Naturally, a more "conclusive" assessment will first come in several months. Injuries, slumps, etc. will all play a role in that.

At the moment, I think it's most interesting to see which 19-23-year-olds are getting ample playing time and look like real pieces to their team's puzzles moving forward. But it's still just the beginning. Still, I'm expecting good things from the players you mentioned from DDorf and I think this is the year that i.e. a Justin Schütz breaks the 30-point mark.

As mentioned above, I'm excited about the DEL2 as well. There are a lot of young players who could get serious playing time and I'm very excited to see who'll be the next Reisnecker to make a real breakthrough in a league that would ideally like to compete with the Allsvenskan as Europe's top second tier league.

Really fascinating how important Kaufbeueren and to a degree Landshut, Weißwasser, and Bad Nauheim (whose co-op with Cologne plays a fruitful role) have become as destinations that incorporate U23 German players to a better degree than most.

***
Szuber and Lutz
I'm thinking that they're both going to be in North America this year. After signing his ELC, Szuber isn't surprising (despite an extremely full blueline prospect bin in the Yotes' organization), but I think everyone was fully expecting Lutz to be taking a big step with Munich this year.

Sure looks like he'll be latching on with the Green Bay Gamblers.

I would prefer Szuber in the DEL to be honest, because I think he would play a decent role despite a strong blueline in Munich, but there would certainly be advantages to playing in the AHL, so it would not be a big deal.

With Lutz I will be happy, if he goes to the USHL, because I did not have the feeling he would be getting a real shot in Munich. He needs to play some major minutes and I hope he can do that in Green Bay.

To be honest, of all our 04 and 05 prospects I feel like Sumpf and Panocha are in the best situation at this moment. They are likely to play big roles on their respective teams in the Q and while Panocha's performance in Sabres camp had ups and downs, I thought from what I saw he did pretty well for a recent 7th round pick.

 

[Maverick41]

At least statistically some of our prospects in Sweden (Händel, Brunner, Willhöft), had a solid start into the season. Carlos Händel most notably.
Has anybody seen them play and can confirm they are playing well so far?
I really hope they succeed in Sweden. Willhöft and Händel in particular.

 

[pgfan66]

At least statistically some of our prospects in Sweden (Händel, Brunner, Willhöft), had a solid start into the season. Carlos Händel most notably.
Has anybody seen them play and can confirm they are playing well so far?
I really hope they succeed in Sweden. Willhöft and Händel in particular.

Haven't seen any of those guys but I saw Lewandowski and the Koses on the weekend. Lewandowski was kinda "meh" again, similar to the Hlinka. He clearly has some skill and is smart, and the size is intriguing, but he hasn't done anything to really impress me. With the Kose twins, they didn't wow me either but Fabio is really, really intriguing. Needs a lot of work but the ceiling is extremely high.

 

[Maverick41]

Looking a little further ahead, it seems like Niko Fatyka (b. 2010) has left Frankfurt for Dresden, playing on their U15 team. He played 1 game so far and had 4 points in a 9-2 win over Weißwasser.
While the move sucks for me, because I cannot really watch him there, Dresden has made some impressive strides in their youth program and I think it could be a really good place for him.

 

[Sombastate]

So I'm involved in a Dynasty league where I inadvertently drafted Sieder, Stutzle, Peterka and Reichel. And have Lutz in my prospect pool.

I've decided to keep the German theme, so I will be around these boards monitoring new prospects. Very new to German hockey, so feel free to treat me like a 5 year old.

 

[Maverick41]

So I'm involved in a Dynasty league where I inadvertently drafted Sieder, Stutzle, Peterka and Reichel. And have Lutz in my prospect pool.

I've decided to keep the German theme, so I will be around these boards monitoring new prospects. Very new to German hockey, so feel free to treat me like a 5 year old.

Always nice to have more people around on this corner of hfboards.

I can only speak for myself, but I will gladly answer whatever questions you might have to the best of my ability.
However, I must warn you, that I do have a tendency to go on and on and on.

This might be also be a good opportunity for me to share that I will most likely update my rankings on the first page next weekend.
Work might still get in the way, but I am optimistic that I can get it done.

 

[Sombastate]

Always nice to have more people around on this corner of hfboards.

I can only speak for myself, but I will gladly answer whatever questions you might have to the best of my ability.
However, I must warn you, that I do have a tendency to go on and on and on.

This might be also be a good opportunity for me to share that I will most likely update my rankings on the first page next weekend.
Work might still get in the way, but I am optimistic that I can get it done.

Perfect! And I don't mind a good rant. I'm actually targeting Mayer in next year's draft (unsure which round he'll go in, obviously)

 

[Maverick41]

Perfect! And I don't mind a good rant. I'm actually targeting Mayer in next year's draft (unsure which round he'll go in, obviously)

At this point Mayer is a confounding prospect for me. He has some great tools, but I am not sure I trust him to put it all together.
It is actually kind of sad that he is still near the very top of our prospects for the 2024 draft.

The whole class is frustrating. Every time one of the prospects takes a step forward and I think that maybe they can actually establish themselves as the top dog, their development appears to stall or at least slow down.
Mayer was my early favourite, then it looked like Tropmann would take over, but right now neither one inspires much confidence. Although Mayer has done ok in the DEL so far this season in his limited minutes, he needs more ice time to really get me back on the bandwagon.
And yet he will likely rank very high in my October rankings, mainly because I have not been able to watch his main rivals (Merkl, Pul and Schütz) play this season, yet. Of my likely top5 Mayer and Tropmann are the only ones I have seen this year. I have heard some good things about Pul, and I really liked him in the second half of last season. I still hope one of those guys actually breaks out this season, but I am not exactly holding my breath.
I believe the best German hockey fans can hope for is that we have a couple of late bloomers in this group, because unless we have some supremely talented prospects (Seider, Stützle, Reichel, Peterka) we suck at developing players in time for the draft.

As I am working on my rankings it is really funny switching between the 2024 and 2025 drafts. The players I consider for the top spot in the 2024 draft would probably be ranked in the 10-13 range of the 2025 ranking at this point.

 

[MrGuyPerson]

At this point Mayer is a confounding prospect for me. He has some great tools, but I am not sure I trust him to put it all together.
It is actually kind of sad that he is still near the very top of our prospects for the 2024 draft.

The whole class is frustrating. Every time one of the prospects takes a step forward and I think that maybe they can actually establish themselves as the top dog, their development appears to stall or at least slow down.
Mayer was my early favourite, then it looked like Tropmann would take over, but right now neither one inspires much confidence. Although Mayer has done ok in the DEL so far this season in his limited minutes, he needs more ice time to really get me back on the bandwagon.
And yet he will likely rank very high in my October rankings, mainly because I have not been able to watch his main rivals (Merkl, Pul and Schütz) play this season, yet. Of my likely top5 Mayer and Tropmann are the only ones I have seen this year. I have heard some good things about Pul, and I really liked him in the second half of last season. I still hope one of those guys actually breaks out this season, but I am not exactly holding my breath.
I believe the best German hockey fans can hope for is that we have a couple of late bloomers in this group, because unless we have some supremely talented prospects (Seider, Stützle, Reichel, Peterka) we suck at developing players in time for the draft.

As I am working on my rankings it is really funny switching between the 2024 and 2025 drafts. The players I consider for the top spot in the 2024 draft would probably be ranked in the 10-13 range of the 2025 ranking at this point.

I saw a thread on here specifically referencing the German 07 class. Some of their numbers indicate they are worth checking out.

Lewandowski has nearly 2 points per game in the junior league. I hope he makes their world junior team(or gets a stint in the DEL) so I can see him play. I also wouldn't mind seeing the griva twins as well. Are there any other 07 players that you think might be better than those 3? I see another set of twins the Kose brothers have a lot of points for defensemen as well

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

I saw a thread on here specifically referencing the German 07 class. Some of their numbers indicate they are worth checking out.

Lewandowski has nearly 2 points per game in the junior league. I hope he makes their world junior team(or gets a stint in the DEL) so I can see him play.

Well, hard to imagine he'll be anywhere near the WJC team this year, although anything is possible. Abstreiter generally takes 19-year-olds and he's already got a few nice 18-year-olds to chose from this winter as well. Can't see him going anywhere near the 16-year-olds for this tourney.

Also, we got a good look at Lewandoski at the Hlinka Gretzky and then a U17 tourney in Slovakia shortly thereafter. Put simply, there are plenty of holes. Certainly, he can move well for a big kid, but there's so much he still has to learn.

Decision making and awareness were big weaknesses.

Still, hard to think he'll only be playing DNL hockey this year. I see Oberliga action in his future by the time March comes around. There are a few Oberliga outfits out there that'd likely be suiting him up right now. And a showing at the D1A U18 worlds is pretty much a given.

I also wouldn't mind seeing the griva twins as well.

Rihards is the better of the two and looks to have more possibilities at this juncture.

Don't see either playing pro hockey this season, but both should be at the D1A U18 Worlds, perhaps on a line with Lewandowski.

Are there any other 07 players that you think might be better than those 3? I see another set of twins the Kose brothers have a lot of points for defensemen as well

Fabio, the far heavier of the two (roughly 22 kg heavier), is the defenseman. Timo is a forward. Timo had 24 more points last season in U17 play, albeit primarily as a 15-year-old. This season, Fabio is leading the way with 9 points in 8 games thus far.

Gotta think they're under heavy consideration for the U18 team.

All these guys will first be 2025 draft topics.

 

[Maverick41]

I saw a thread on here specifically referencing the German 07 class. Some of their numbers indicate they are worth checking out.

Lewandowski has nearly 2 points per game in the junior league. I hope he makes their world junior team(or gets a stint in the DEL) so I can see him play. I also wouldn't mind seeing the griva twins as well. Are there any other 07 players that you think might be better than those 3? I see another set of twins the Kose brothers have a lot of points for defensemen as well

I think that both Dustin Willhöft and Carlos Händel are currently our two top prospects among the 07s.
Both are playing in Sweden, and have shown the most consistency from this group.
For me Willhöft is the most skilled and most talented, but I am still worried his lack of size could hold him back, mostly because I am concerned for his health. He plays much bigger than his stature, and takes some big hits (most of the time he still makes the play) which could take its toll.
Händel is a safer bet and also very talented and skilled (especially for a defenseman), but just a notch below Willhöft for me.

Lewandowski and both Griva twins (Rihards looking a bit better at the moment, but that could change) are not too far behind, but for the first time I am starting to see some separation and if this continues Willhöft and Händel will be in a league of their own soon.
I don't like that the twins are not playing on the same line in Mannheim, because I really don't understand why. They had such great chemistry and will likely play together for the U18 and U17 teams this season.

Fabio Kose has really impressed me in the viewings I have had this season. He plays a bit too risky for my taste at times, but his skill and physical tools are obvious. Timo did not do nearly as well, when I saw them, but there is a lot of skill there, too. But even Fabio will have trouble breaking into and then staying in the top10. Max Bleicher (Füssen), Mateu Späth (Bad Tölz), Nikita Kessler (Salzburg), Elias Schneider, Maxim Schäfer (both Berlin), Sebastian Zwickl (Rosenheim), Max Ziergiebel (Köln) and late 06 Clemens Seeger (Krefeld) are all candidates I still consider for the top10.

Obviously some of them will fizzle out, but there are so many good prospects in that group that you have to think a couple will make it through.

 

[MrGuyPerson]

I think that both Dustin Willhöft and Carlos Händel are currently our two top prospects among the 07s.
Both are playing in Sweden, and have shown the most consistency from this group.
For me Willhöft is the most skilled and most talented, but I am still worried his lack of size could hold him back, mostly because I am concerned for his health. He plays much bigger than his stature, and takes some big hits (most of the time he still makes the play) which could take its toll.
Händel is a safer bet and also very talented and skilled (especially for a defenseman), but just a notch below Willhöft for me.

Lewandowski and both Griva twins (Rihards looking a bit better at the moment, but that could change) are not too far behind, but for the first time I am starting to see some separation and if this continues Willhöft and Händel will be in a league of their own soon.
I don't like that the twins are not playing on the same line in Mannheim, because I really don't understand why. They had such great chemistry and will likely play together for the U18 and U17 teams this season.

Fabio Kose has really impressed me in the viewings I have had this season. He plays a bit too risky for my taste at times, but his skill and physical tools are obvious. Timo did not do nearly as well, when I saw them, but there is a lot of skill there, too. But even Fabio will have trouble breaking into and then staying in the top10. Max Bleicher (Füssen), Mateu Späth (Bad Tölz), Nikita Kessler (Salzburg), Elias Schneider, Maxim Schäfer (both Berlin), Sebastian Zwickl (Rosenheim), Max Ziergiebel (Köln) and late 06 Clemens Seeger (Krefeld) are all candidates I still consider for the top10.

Obviously some of them will fizzle out, but there are so many good prospects in that group that you have to think a couple will make it through.

Thank you for the detailed response. I love following the German players, so I will definitely check out willhöft and Händel as well. I think the sport as a whole has the most potential for growth in Germany.

I mostly stat watch the German prospects until bigger tournaments or a kid makes the DEL. It might take some time, but I expect a class with similar talent to the 02 birthyear class to pop up eventually

 

[MrGuyPerson]

Well, hard to imagine he'll be anywhere near the WJC team this year, although anything is possible. Abstreiter generally takes 19-year-olds and he's already got a few nice 18-year-olds to chose from this winter as well. Can't see him going anywhere near the 16-year-olds for this tourney.

Also, we got a good look at Lewandoski at the Hlinka Gretzky and then a U17 tourney in Slovakia shortly thereafter. Put simply, there are plenty of holes. Certainly, he can move well for a big kid, but there's so much he still has to learn.

Decision making and awareness were big weaknesses.

Still, hard to think he'll only be playing DNL hockey this year. I see Oberliga action in his future by the time March comes around. There are a few Oberliga outfits out there that'd likely be suiting him up right now. And a showing at the D1A U18 worlds is pretty much a given.



Rihards is the better of the two and looks to have more possibilities at this juncture.

Don't see either playing pro hockey this season, but both should be at the D1A U18 Worlds, perhaps on a line with Lewandowski.



Fabio, the far heavier of the two (roughly 22 kg heavier), is the defenseman. Timo is a forward. Timo had 24 more points last season in U17 play, albeit primarily as a 15-year-old. This season, Fabio is leading the way with 9 points in 8 games thus far.

Gotta think they're under heavy consideration for the U18 team.

All these guys will first be 2025 draft topics.

Thank you for the providing the insights. I look forward to checking them out. The 07 birthyear looks deep for Germany. Hopefully they can produce a Reichel/Peterka level talent from the bunch. There were less 02 birthyear prospects, but it is pretty wild that all 3 02s drafted look like they have bright NHL futures

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Thank you for the detailed response. I love following the German players, so I will definitely check out willhöft and Händel as well. I think the sport as a whole has the most potential for growth in Germany.

I mostly stat watch the German prospects until bigger tournaments or a kid makes the DEL. It might take some time, but I expect a class with similar talent to the 02 birthyear class to pop up eventually

Yes, as @Maverick41 detailed, Handel and Witthöft are currently very exciting - the most exciting - prospects for 07 (both in Sweden just now) and each of Späth, Zwickl, Bleicher, and Schneider are guys worth watching very closely.

In addition, the DEL and DEL2 are now chock full of guys 23 and younger, with the DEL2 logically featuring more U20 players. There are plenty of teenagers throughout the Oberliga as well, although few are full-time players or in anything resembling scoring roles (although keep an eye on Bleicher and Zwickl already this season). This is great for the national team, of course, but should also start producing a few more Dominik Kahuns, as in guys who sign between 23-25 for a look with an NHL organization.

Thank you for the providing the insights. I look forward to checking them out. The 07 birthyear looks deep for Germany. Hopefully they can produce a Reichel/Peterka level talent from the bunch. There were less 02 birthyear prospects, but it is pretty wild that all 3 02s drafted look like they have bright NHL futures

At the same time, it's really hard to look around and see another wave of players coming along that'll come near what we've seen with Seider followed immediately by Stützle, Peterka, and Reichel.

Still, the 07s appear to have more potential for that than other classes.

What Germany will hopefully be delivering soon are more Nico Sturms. There are a good handful of players in the German junior ranks who should be force-fed videos of him playing and told to "do that". The high skill guys aren't nearly as present as those who could be shaped into fairly strong 3rd and 4th line workers with a physical edge.

 

[Maverick41]

I wonder who the next prospects will be who try the NCAA route.
It will be difficult to replicate a career like Nico Sturm, but while a few guys who tried in recent years, have failed to stick in the NCAA (e.g. Stachowiak, Eisenmenger), but even they are looking pretty good right now, especially Stachowiak.
On the other hand looking at Tiffels, Michaelis, Tuomie and now Kälble, they are doing really well, Napravnik is also looking good (I think he might be coming home if he cannot break through in the AHL this season).
We will have to wait and see what happens with Bakos, Pasanen and Münzenberger.

Looking beyond the exciting 07 class, I am getting a bit more optimistic about the 08 group. Still a bit too early to tell if they will end up more like 06 or actually a bit closer to 07 than I expected, but there are some interesting ones in that class.