Going into this season I still had hope that one of our better prospect (for my money it was between Brandl, Bicker and Sumpf) would have a breakout season and play themselves onto the radar of NHL teams, but that hasn't really happened.
Don't get me wrong all three of these guys, as well as a few others might have solid careers in Germany, but I don't really see them turning into NHL level prospects any more. I am sure that players will get drafted over them that shouldn't, but NHL teams are still far more likely to pick players from Sweden, Finland, Russia etc. than from countries like Germany even, if the prospects are basically at the same level, and you can't really blame them.
Bicker, like the others, is a guy I would keep an eye on, in case he shows well at the pro level in a couple of years, but I would not really draft him this year.
It 's easier to just wait and see how hew develops, maybe invite him to rookie camp if he goes undrafted.
Other than Bicker, Brandl and Sumpf there is really not much there. Ruckdäschel has shown some promise in the DEL. He could become a useful pro player, but lacks upside in my opinion. Niehus is just so hot and cold when I watch him. At times he has looked really good, but I have not seen it consistently enough from him.
Lastly there are some goalies that look intriguing to me, but goalies are so difficult to project and I am very hesitant to make predictions on their development as goalies still confound me.
Initially I was pretty high on Willerscheid, but he has not been as good as I was expecting, this season. Pertuch is a bit like Niehus to me. Absoulutely stellar one time and then very disappointing the next. This season I have really started to like Ankirchner. I think there is some decent potential there, but again I am not good with goalies.