Is it just me.or do these ratings seem low.
All of Cowan, Minten, and Danford appear to be undervaluations. Even Hildeby as a possible #2 comes across as pessimistic. The rest of the chumps listed here are hardly consequential so not worth getting worked up over.
But I'd like to think the blue chips have more upside.
Why draft a guy in the first round if he only projects as a bottom pair defenseman or fourth line centre. Those types of players are available in free agency every year. The whole point of drafting is to be able to beat the market.
Don't waste a valuable pick on a player who has high probabilty to make the NHL in some capacity but limited upside.
That's why seeing these projections has me kinda confused. In particular I thought Cowan had first line potential. Classifying hom as a top 9 forward really takes the shine away from what he has accomplished since being drafted.
I already have him pencilled in as Marner's replacement next year.
They're not low at all, they're perfectly reasonable "most likely outcome" predictions, and if you have Cowan penciled in as Marner's replacement next season I don't know what to tell you. His junior resume is not so impressive that he's a guaranteed top line forward.
The top 7 prospects all have projections of "NHL player" and the rest have a chance, maybe. What's wrong with that? Some will make it, some will bust. I mean look at one of his lists from 2018:
1. Rasmus Sandin, LHD, 18 (Toronto Marlies)
2. Timothy Liljegren, RHD, 19 (Toronto Marlies)
3. Carl Grundstrom, LW, 20 (Toronto Marlies)
4. Jeremy Bracco, RW, 21 (Toronto Marlies)
5. Sean Durzi, RHD, 20 (Owen Sound Attack)
6. Pierre Engvall, RW/LW, 22 (Toronto Marlies)
7. Yegor Korshkov, RW, 22 (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl)
8. Mac Hollowell, RHD, 20 (Sault Ste. Greyhounds)
9. Filip Kral, LHD, 19 (Spokane Chiefs)
10. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C, 18 (Peterborough Petes)
11. Joseph Woll, G, 20 (Boston College)
12. Ian Scott, G, 19 (Prince Albert Raiders)
13. Adam Brooks, C, 22 (Toronto Marlies)
14. Eemeli Rasanen, RHD, 19 (Jokerit)
15. Pontus Holmberg, LW/C, 19 (Växjö Lakers HC)
Prospects #4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 are all busts - that's 8/15. Of the remaining 7, Sandin is now a top 4D but certainly didn't make it with us, Liljegren is still a question mark, Durzi's a top 4D (again with another team), Grundstrom is an okay bottom 6 forward, Engvall is waiver fodder and Holmberg is likely to be soon too, and Woll's a good goalie albeit injury-prone. So 7 are NHLers right now but 2-3 are on the bubble depending on your opinion of Grundstrom. Is our current crop really any better as prospects? I don't think so.