HF Penguins Top Prospect update

[Brent Burns Beard]

Updated Penguin Prospect list ... had some fun with the Comparables. ;-)

Top 10 Prospects
RANK PLAYER POS NHL RIGHTS

1 Spencer Knight G FLA
One of the top Goalie prospects in the world, Knight is having a very strong rookie season in the NCAA. A superior athlete with excellent size for a goaltender, he is usually in perfect position to make the routine save. He thinks the game well and can anticipate shooters' tendencies.

NHL Comparable: John Gibson

2 Victor Soderstrom D ARZ
Has a tremendous hockey IQ and overall feel for the game, which are traits that set him apart. Is also extremely mobile and a great skater. Excels at both ends of the ice and can be relied upon to eat up chunks of ice time in any game situation

NHL Comparable: Hampus Lindholm

3 Eeli Tolvanen RW NSH
Has a tremendous release and excellent shot, so he can score a plethora of goals at all levels. Is also shifty and very elusive. Is quite adept at getting into scoring areas. Can play either wing position effectively. His hot start in the KHL as an 18 year old has led some people to be disapointed in his development but he is right on track with his draft pedigree and class.

NHL Comparable: Tomas Tatar

4 Jaret Anderson - Dolan C LAK
Can score goals at any level and also boasts excellent skating ability. Works very hard when on the ice and leads by example. Is fairly strong on his skates, as well. Forechecks well and provides a lot of energy to his team.

NHL Comparable: Ryan O'Reilly

5 Sasha Chmelevski C SJS
Knows how to score goals and is the owner of a great, accurate shot. Is a pure offensive talent with excellent instincts when inside the opponents' blue line.

NHL Comparable: Mike Hoffman

6 Alex Khovanov C MIN
Thinks the game incredibly well, so his hockey IQ is off the charts. Is at his best when the puck is on his blade. Relies on his instincts to produce points. Is an excellent passer.

NHL Comparable: Tyler Bozak

7 Karl Henriksson C NYR
His hands are soft and he can stickhandle well in tight situations and move the puck an inch to make a perfect tape-to-tape pass. Small and needs to work on his defensive coverage.

NHL Comparable: Mats Zuccarello

8 Albin Grewe RW DET
He’s a strong skater, who’s relentless on the forecheck, and a serious trash talker who gets under the skin of his opponents each night

NHL Comparable: Brad Marchand

9 Will Lockwood RW VAN
A hard-nosed two-way winger that thinks ahead of the play and seeks to be proactive whenever he is on the ice. In every situation, he exhibits haste, quickness, and urgency. He utilizes his high end footspeed to gain position on the opposition, and inherently knows how to create time and space for himself and teammates.

NHL Comparable: Tobias Reider

10 Gustav Lindstrom D DET
He reads lanes quickly from the back-end and is remarkably fast in executing accurate outlet passes

NHL Comparable:Andrej Sekera

Honorable Mentions (in no order):
HM Toni Utunen D VAN
HM Ilya Nikolaev C CGY
HM Milos Roman C CGY
HM Adam Ruzicka C CGY
HM Mikael Hakkarainen C CHI
HM Stuart Skinner G EDM
HM Rickard Hugg C UD
HM Tag Bertuzzi C UD
HM Igor Shvyrev C COL
HM Michael Spacek C WPG
HM Ville Husso STL
HM Beck Malenstyn D VAN
HM Adam Brooks C TOR

players in BOLD have seen some NHL time.

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[Hossa]

I'd have Khovanov even higher, but can see the arguments for JAD and Chmelevski. The latter has come on lately after a tough start to his pro career. Not sure I see the skating to compare him to Hoffman, but he's a good player.

Having dealt him to you, I'm curious to see how Lockwood does as a pro. The numbers aren't there this year, but every time I've seen him I like his play. Especially with a good run of health, I'm not sure what is holding him back.