Prospect Info: My Top 20 Hab Prospects List (Updated #538)

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

all due respect to Primeau but I can't imagine having him over Caufield.

 

[26Mats]

one of the problems with young players is you can never really predict with much accuracy when they will peak. Guys like Collberg, Leblanc, etc.. that were so good at 16, 17, but by the time they were say 21 they had already peaked. The hope is that in the case of Brook, that he's just struggling with the speed and his decision making while needing to get his confidence going. With Poehling I never saw him as a high end guy but someone that plays such a solid game and right now we just aren't seeing anything close to that. It's troubling that both haven't shown much in the AHL but how they are doing by the end of the season will hopefully look better.

Harris I had a lot of questions about the offensive upside going into the season, so far those questions are being answered in a big way. It doesn't matter where someone ranks him but he's got to be one of our best prospects, the kid is just so good. If he were only bigger/stronger.

Even if Poehling doesn't become a play driver, I feel like he has the potential to become a power forward that can score: good shot, speed to get to the net, has the heart to battle and get his nose dirty, etc...

I really don't think he's a hands of stone Chad Kilger type. Or a clueless offensively DLR type.

And this is actually fine if it's the case - because we really need players with size, speed, and who can score, on the wings.

 

[BenchBrawl]

would be tougher since I haven't gotten to see much of Suzuki/Kotka this year. But perhaps something like,

1. Caufield
2. Primeau
3. Suzuki
4. Kotka

I would still have Caufield at the top because at 18 he's doing something i've never seen from any Hab prospect. Then it gets real tough, I would lean towards Primeau at 2 because not only is he doing great but he's one of the very best goalie prospects in the world. With Kotka's struggles I would put him 4th for now until he shows more.

Thanks for the response.

It's depressing to see Kotkaniemi being handled the way he is. This kid should be dominating a lower level and working on his craft—not struggle in the NHL.

His style of play is conducive to excelling after age 25 ; a late-20s/early-30s kind of game when his body is fully mature and he has gained experience.

A Plekanec-like progression, except better (Plekanec blew up at age 25 playing with Kovalev). This is just my two cents but I fear he might be destroyed psychologically before reaching his peak.

 

[montreal]

all due respect to Primeau but I can't imagine having him over Caufield.

I will say it's closer then I thought it would be, I've been a big fan of Primeau and felt many were underrating him and not just Hab fans. That said I did not expect him to do what he's going in Laval, granted it hasn't been that many games but so far he's only had a few weak goals (2 or 3 or so) and has just looked so good that all I can really say about him is WOW.

Not taking a shot or comparing them but take a look at the stars 1st round pick Oettinger, same draft (though he's 8 months older then CP), they faced each other several times since they were on rival teams in the Hockey East. He's got a .894 save % and a 3.34 gaa now of course you have to look at the team and defense in front of said goalie but just shows how sick Primeau's numbers are so far.

Even if Poehling doesn't become a play driver, I feel like he has the potential to become a power forward that can score: good shot, speed to get to the net, has the heart to battle and get his nose dirty, etc...

I really don't think he's a hands of stone Chad Kilger type. Or a clueless offensively DLR type.

And this is actually fine if it's the case - because we really need players with size, speed, and who can score, on the wings.

I don't know if he can be a power forward, he has the size/strength for it but he doesn't really play a power game per say, as he will use his size for sure but it's not a major part of his game at least not in the NCAA. I also don't think he has a good shot. In the NCAA he wasn't a guy that got his nose dirty all the time, as it makes me think more of a grinder which he was not. His game was about using his speed and vision to set up plays mostly.

He doesn't have hands of stone, he should easily be a better DLR. My question has been how good is the offense, Eller with the Habs or Danault last year. I never saw him as better then that unless his offensive game were to progress a notch or two or more higher. With Poehling it's not a question of him being say a better DLR as even if it goes really wrong I still think he won't have much trouble being a good bit better but just how good is the offense really and what role does he end up in. If he's on a line with Caufield (say in 2 years or so) then he's going to get his points.

If he's on a line with say Leks and Byron or Armia next year then will he put up more then say 30 pts? It would be tough and not the end of the world if that's around where he ends up. Of course I hope he ends up better, I do think he can be a 50ish pt center if put in the right role but I would be surprised at this point in time at least, if he were to turn into say a 70+ pt player. Granted that would be outstanding.

Thanks for the response.

It's depressing to see Kotkaniemi being handled the way he is. This kid should be dominating a lower level and working on his craft—not struggle in the NHL.

His style of play is conducive to excelling after age 25 ; a late-20s/early-30s kind of game when his body is fully mature and he has gained experience.

A Plekanec-like progression, except better (Plekanec blew up at age 25 playing with Kovalev). This is just my two cents but I fear he might be destroyed psychologically before reaching his peak.

I always preach not to rush these kids but moreso with how badly it's gone for us. I don't get how anyone can keep repeating a mistake and think we'll get them next time for sure. Not to say that it's a mistake 100%, but if you got water dumped on you every time you walked out your front door, after so many times wouldn't you say to yourself maybe I should try going out the back door?

 

[DangerDave]

would be tougher since I haven't gotten to see much of Suzuki/Kotka this year. But perhaps something like,

1. Caufield
2. Primeau
3. Suzuki
4. Kotka

I would still have Caufield at the top because at 18 he's doing something i've never seen from any Hab prospect. Then it gets real tough, I would lean towards Primeau at 2 because not only is he doing great but he's one of the very best goalie prospects in the world. With Kotka's struggles I would put him 4th for now until he shows more.

Interesting though you should definitely watch a few more Habs games. Suzuki seems like he has the "IT" factor.

If those 4 can reach their potential, the future is pretty bright. Especially with how deep this prospect pool is.

 

[montreal]

Interesting though you should definitely watch a few more Habs games. Suzuki seems like he has the "IT" factor.

If those 4 can reach their potential, the future is pretty bright. Especially with how deep this prospect pool is.

I still don't know if Suzuki is going to be elite though, I could see him being a 60-70+ player in his prime, but can he be a 90+ point player? I don't know. With Caufield I see a guy that can score 50 goals or close to it and Primeau as a Price level goalie. But yes if those 4 reach and several of our D prospects end up around where we expect them to be this should bode very well for the future.

 

[DangerDave]

I still don't know if Suzuki is going to be elite though, I could see him being a 60-70+ player in his prime, but can he be a 90+ point player? I don't know. With Caufield I see a guy that can score 50 goals or close to it and Primeau as a Price level goalie. But yes if those 4 reach and several of our D prospects end up around where we expect them to be this should bode very well for the future.

Yeah I see your point. I think Suzuki becoming a 60 to 70 point center is incredibly good given his defensive play though. We haven't had one of those since prime Pleky or Koivu.

I could see those two being together on a line someday and putting up crooked numbers. A smart two way center that can execute passes at an elite level is exactly what's needed for an undersized but potentially elite goal scorer.

As for Primeau, I'm no goalie expert. I know the basics but I wouldn't be able to give an accurate assessment. Looks like an absolute steal in the 7th round though.

 

[montreal]

Yeah I see your point. I think Suzuki becoming a 60 to 70 point center is incredibly good given his defensive play though. We haven't had one of those since prime Pleky or Koivu.

I could see those two being together on a line someday and putting up crooked numbers. A smart two way center that can execute passes at an elite level is exactly what's needed for an undersized but potentially elite goal scorer.

it would be very good for sure but the problem is unless we have a number of very good players, we need a top 10 scorer in the league plus good depth so in several ways we are a far from being a contender. They are going to need a lot of help to get there imo.

 

[DangerDave]

it would be very good for sure but the problem is unless we have a number of very good players, we need a top 10 scorer in the league plus good depth so in several ways we are a far from being a contender. They are going to need a lot of help to get there imo.

Well the good news is that we have really good depth in the NHL and in the prospect pool. The team, for the most part, is young and the culture in the room seems really good. I don't remember the last team the Habs had a team that gave such a good effort consistently.

I still think Suzuki, Primeau, KK, and Caufield could become elite. Maybe some of the others could be too. I'm not of the opinion that any need to be top 10 scoring, especially given that the Blues just won the cup. More important that they step up when it counts. As long as they develop properly.

The scariest thing for me is actually the RD going forward surprisingly. While we have many good prospects there, Petry and Weber are big shoes to fill. Domi, Drouin, Tatar and Gally looks fine going forward on the wing. Suzuki, KK and Danault is promising at center. Primeau I feel could take the reins. LD sucks anyways so it's not like it'll get worst. RD is where I fear we'll regress a lot so it's essential that we develop them properly.

 

[montreal]

Well the good news is that we have really good depth in the NHL and in the prospect pool. The team, for the most part, is young and the culture in the room seems really good. I don't remember the last team the Habs had a team that gave such a good effort consistently.

I still think Suzuki, Primeau, KK, and Caufield could become elite. Maybe some of the others could be too. I'm not of the opinion that any need to be top 10 scoring, especially given that the Blues just won the cup. More important that they step up when it counts. As long as they develop properly.

The scariest thing for me is actually the RD going forward surprisingly. While we have many good prospects there, Petry and Weber are big shoes to fill. Domi, Drouin, Tatar and Gally looks fine going forward on the wing. Suzuki, KK and Danault is promising at center. Primeau I feel could take the reins. LD sucks anyways so it's not like it'll get worst. RD is where I fear we'll regress a lot so it's essential that we develop them properly.

They don't need a top 10 scorer if everything works out in terms of Kotka, Suzuki, Poehling, Primeau, Caufield, and a few D prospects all either hit their ceiling or get close to it. The blues were an odd case since how many times do you see a team go from that low to winning it all. But having a Crosby, AO, etc.. would be huge if it could ever happen.

The top RD, top line center, top LD, these are all very hard positions to fill on a contender and the odds are very much against us filling all 3 so the question will be how many can we fill either by prospect, trades or UFA's, and if not how close do we get on them that will likely tell if we are to be a contender or not.

 

[montreal]

So I was thinking about this last night when I saw Fairbrothers stats and started digging into them a bit more. It's looking like I should have put him higher in Juulsen's spot and dropped everyone above him down one. Also looks like I should of put McNiven a little higher as I think I put Vejdemo too high as I've never believed in him as other then a 4th liner or NHL/AHL bubble guy so we'll see what kind of season he has as he flashes the tools that make you think NHLer but then goes invisible for periods.

This year i didn't get to spend as much time in watching the CHL guys and no ECHL games. Usually I don't have to worry about the ECHL but McNiven is on fire with 8 goals against in his last 6 games and I so badly wanted him to backup Primeau this year. But for Fairbrother I worried about only seeing him once this year as I try to watch all the prospects play at least 2 games before my 1st ranking of the season. He's off to such a great start, he's 4th in the WHL in U-20 scoring for defensemen, take a look at the names below him,

Elite Prospects - WHL Stats 2019-2020

I should have known better as I went against one new rule I came up with last year after watching Romanov and Harris impress me so much, never doubt Timmins when he drafts a defensemen. Not saying he's got the golden touch but the man clearly does better at picking blueliners then forwards.

Now of course i know with prospects there's no telling how they will pan out but holy shit is the future looking very bright for our blueline. Romanov, Norlinder, Harris, Brook, Fairbrother, Juulsen, Struble plus Mete and Fleury. At some point we will need to exchange a few for forward help I'm guessing and we are likely looking at a few years before we really see good results from the group and of course it should be in stages since some are much closer then others although most are not far away imo as i could see as early as next year we start to see some good things from this group.

The problem of course is the upside or high end talent and while some could turn into top pairing D's, it's unlikely due to where they were picked. Of course it doesn't mean just because they were picked outside the top 10, 20, 30 in most cases that they can't turn into top pairing D's just that the odds are very stacked against them in terms of the statistics. So we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out which is a tough way to build a contender but what I could see happening is that instead of having a great #1, perhaps they just excel as a collective group of whoever makes it as I would bet at least a few turn into solid to very solid NHLers if not better while of course some will disappoint. This team has been in so much trouble trying to find a replacement to Markov and maybe they never do as it's extremely hard to replace that kind of talent but maybe they won't need to if you have several of these D prospects come in and just play a very solid overall game.

 

[montreal]

I wasn't going to do a year end top 20 with the way the season ended but I'm bored so f*** it. I left out guys that were injured for 90% to 100% of the season. No Juulsen, Ikonen, Teasdale.


Top 20

1. Cole Caufield
2. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
3. Alexander Romanov
4. Caden Primeau
5. Mattias Norlinder
6. Jordan Harris
7. Jayden Struble
8. Jesse Ylonen
9. Ryan Poehling
10. Josh Brook
11. Cale Fleury
12. Cam Hillis
13. Jake Evans
14. Rhett Pitlick
15. Gianni Fairbrother
16. Jacob Olofsson
17. Lukas Vejdemo
18. Brett Stapley
19. Arsen Khisamutdinov
20. Otto Leskinen


HM - Federik Dichow, Jacob LeGuerrier, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard

 

[montreal]

for me it was tough decision at 1-2 as it could have flipped had Kotka been healthy and had a better year. Romanov is right there though I still wonder how much offensive upside he has. Primeau and Norlinder were neck and neck as either could be at #1 next year but that could be said for others as well like Struble or Brook, etc..

I debated putting Struble over Harris due to the physical and offensive upside of Struble but I'm not ready yet perhaps I would have if he didn't get injured as he was really coming on but I'm also a big fan of Harris although he's got to add mass and strength for sure and there's a question of how offensive upside he has as well.

One things for sure this shit is deep, then you add up to 14 picks in a month or whenever, yikes. Guys like Poehling, Brook, Fleury could rocket back up the rankings next year if he can show a good deal of improvement.

Then you still have the 3rd/4th liners, 3rd pairing D's like Evans, Pitlick, Olofsson, Fairbrother who all could be NHLers over the years to come because of what they bring defensively, and or other aspects.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I wasn't going to do a year end top 20 with the way the season ended but I'm bored so f*** it. I left out guys that were injured for 90% to 100% of the season. No Juulsen, Ikonen, Teasdale.


Top 20

1. Cole Caufield
2. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
3. Alexander Romanov
4. Caden Primeau
5. Mattias Norlinder
6. Jordan Harris
7. Jayden Struble
8. Jesse Ylonen
9. Ryan Poehling
10. Josh Brook
11. Cale Fleury
12. Cam Hillis
13. Jake Evans
14. Rhett Pitlick
15. Gianni Fairbrother
16. Jacob Olofsson
17. Lukas Vejdemo
18. Brett Stapley
19. Arsen Khisamutdinov
20. Otto Leskinen


HM - Federik Dichow, Jacob LeGuerrier, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard

Solid top 20.. I agree most part, I probably would have Kotkaniemie at 1. I like Hillis enough to put him ahead of Fleury and I'd put Olofsson just behind Evans.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

for me it was tough decision at 1-2 as it could have flipped had Kotka been healthy and had a better year. Romanov is right there though I still wonder how much offensive upside he has. Primeau and Norlinder were neck and neck as either could be at #1 next year but that could be said for others as well like Struble or Brook, etc..

I debated putting Struble over Harris due to the physical and offensive upside of Struble but I'm not ready yet perhaps I would have if he didn't get injured as he was really coming on but I'm also a big fan of Harris although he's got to add mass and strength for sure and there's a question of how offensive upside he has as well.

One things for sure this shit is deep, then you add up to 14 picks in a month or whenever, yikes. Guys like Poehling, Brook, Fleury could rocket back up the rankings next year if he can show a good deal of improvement.

Then you still have the 3rd/4th liners, 3rd pairing D's like Evans, Pitlick, Olofsson, Fairbrother who all could be NHLers over the years to come because of what they bring defensively, and or other aspects.

That, coupled with the almost unprecedented vulnerability of the poorer teams in the league, is precisely why MB has to trade some of these guys for expensive NHLers that the likes of Arizona and Florida have to part with in order to stay solvent. I believe that there are bargains to be had this summer, where Yandles and Ekman-Larssons could be going on sale and where Montreal, through its unique combination of cap space and deep pockets, is in a position to prey on these teams. Soon, perhaps next year, will also be a good time to sell Weber, who could shortly bring one of these teams to the cap floor at a fraction of the cost of his cap space!

Unfortunately for them, many of these poor teams are stuck with boat anchor contracts that are virtually untradable. Kessel, Bobrovsky, etc. The contracts will force these teams to trade a star player to stay solvent, unless these boat anchors can be bought out.

That said, I would want to keep Norlinder and Romanov, as well as Kotka and Caufield, but any of the others could be part of the conversation.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Here's my projection for the pool after this year's draft

Top 20

1. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
2. Cole Caufield
3. Pick #8
4. Alexander Romanov
5. Caden Primeau
6. Mattias Norlinder
7. MTL 2nd
8. Jordan Harris
9. CHI 2nd
10. Jesse Ylonen
11. Jayden Struble
12. Ryan Poehling
13. Josh Brook
14. STL 2nd
15. Cam Hillis
16. Cale Fleury
17. Jake Evans
18. Rhett Pitlick
19. Jacob Olofsson
20. MTL 3rd

I think if Jacob Olofsson is your 19th best prospect, you're in impeccable shape.

 

[Benstheman]

Here's my projection for the pool after this year's draft

Top 20

1. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
2. Cole Caufield
3. Pick #8
4. Alexander Romanov
5. Caden Primeau
6. Mattias Norlinder
7. MTL 2nd
8. Jordan Harris
9. CHI 2nd
10. Jesse Ylonen
11. Jayden Struble
12. Ryan Poehling
13. Josh Brook
14. STL 2nd
15. Cam Hillis
16. Cale Fleury
17. Jake Evans
18. Rhett Pitlick
19. Jacob Olofsson
20. MTL 3rd

I think if Jacob Olofsson is your 19th best prospect, you're in impeccable shape.

I would say the 8OA pick might become our best prospect down the stretch depending on how KK evolves. The top 10 is so strong this year, we could end up with a top 3 quality player on any other draft.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I would say the 8OA pick might become our best prospect down the stretch depending on how KK evolves. The top 10 is so strong this year, we could end up with a top 3 quality player on any other draft.

I feel the opposite.

I don't see a center in this draft outside of Byfield with higher potential than KK. Stutzle and Lafreniere would obviously go to the top of the list but we're not getting them at 8. I really like Raymond and Holtz, but I would debut both of them at #3 to start.. and then anyone else like Perfetti, Rossi, Sanderson, Quinn.. they definitely wouldn't get ahead of Caufield or KK for me.

 

[Vachon23]

Here's my projection for the pool after this year's draft

Top 20

1. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
2. Cole Caufield
3. Pick #8
4. Alexander Romanov
5. Caden Primeau
6. Mattias Norlinder
7. MTL 2nd
8. Jordan Harris
9. CHI 2nd
10. Jesse Ylonen
11. Jayden Struble
12. Ryan Poehling
13. Josh Brook
14. STL 2nd
15. Cam Hillis
16. Cale Fleury
17. Jake Evans
18. Rhett Pitlick
19. Jacob Olofsson
20. MTL 3rd

I think if Jacob Olofsson is your 19th best prospect, you're in impeccable shape.

I hope 8oa will be before Caufield after the draft

 

[WeThreeKings]

I hope 8oa will be before Caufield after the draft

I doubt it at 8.

If it goes.
1. Laf
2. Byfield
3. Stutzle
4. Drysdale
5. Raymond
6. Holtz

Right then and there, I don't have anybody left I could conceivably put ahead of Caufield.

 

[The Great Weal]

Here's my projection for the pool after this year's draft

Top 20

1. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
2. Cole Caufield
3. Pick #8
4. Alexander Romanov
5. Caden Primeau
6. Mattias Norlinder
7. MTL 2nd
8. Jordan Harris
9. CHI 2nd
10. Jesse Ylonen
11. Jayden Struble
12. Ryan Poehling
13. Josh Brook
14. STL 2nd
15. Cam Hillis
16. Cale Fleury
17. Jake Evans
18. Rhett Pitlick
19. Jacob Olofsson
20. MTL 3rd

I think if Jacob Olofsson is your 19th best prospect, you're in impeccable shape.

A lot of quantity, not much quality. No playoffs in 4 of the 5 years and still no player/prospect that looks to be a consistent 70+ point player. As a matter of fact, this was going to be the first season that a player that Timmins drafted scores at least 70 points in a season. Since 2003, he's drafted ONE player that's about to hit the 70 point mark for the first time in his career. Suzuki and maybe our 2020 1st are pretty much our best bet, but I'm still doubtful that will happen. I expect KK to be a RyJo if everything goes perfectly for him. Timmins is a disgrace that is still riding high from 2007. Don't expect our drafting to be good with him in charge.

 

[Eegs]

I wasn't going to do a year end top 20 with the way the season ended but I'm bored so f*** it. I left out guys that were injured for 90% to 100% of the season. No Juulsen, Ikonen, Teasdale.


Top 20

1. Cole Caufield
2. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
3. Alexander Romanov
4. Caden Primeau
5. Mattias Norlinder
6. Jordan Harris
7. Jayden Struble
8. Jesse Ylonen
9. Ryan Poehling
10. Josh Brook
11. Cale Fleury
12. Cam Hillis
13. Jake Evans
14. Rhett Pitlick
15. Gianni Fairbrother
16. Jacob Olofsson
17. Lukas Vejdemo
18. Brett Stapley
19. Arsen Khisamutdinov
20. Otto Leskinen


HM - Federik Dichow, Jacob LeGuerrier, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard

Montreal, did you get a chance to see Ylonen play much this past season? If so, is there a player in the NHL currently he reminds you of, or a player who's style/production that would be his ceiling if all goes right? Thanks.

 

[montreal]

Solid top 20.. I agree most part, I probably would have Kotkaniemie at 1. I like Hillis enough to put him ahead of Fleury and I'd put Olofsson just behind Evans.

If Kotka didn't have such a terrible season he would have been above, or better yet he wouldn't be on the list as he would have graduated. So while it was tough to put him at 2nd, I had to take into account such a brutal season vs Caufield who just had one of the best 18 year old seasons a NCAA forward has had for us.

Olofsson if he didn't get injured likely would be higher as he was just starting to come on but I can't discount how terrible he was offensively for such a long period.

Have you seen much of Pitlick, with his speed being plus plus, he shouldn't have too much trouble making the NHL down the road as long as he adds mass and strength.

Montreal, did you get a chance to see Ylonen play much this past season? If so, is there a player in the NHL currently he reminds you of, or a player who's style/production that would be his ceiling if all goes right? Thanks.

not as much as I had hoped since the games were in the Champions league. I'd have to think about a comp, not a big fan of comps for prospects to NHLers. I'll get to see a ton of him next year though.

 

[WeThreeKings]

If Kotka didn't have such a terrible season he would have been above, or better yet he wouldn't be on the list as he would have graduated. So while it was tough to put him at 2nd, I had to take into account such a brutal season vs Caufield who just had one of the best 18 year old seasons a NCAA forward has had for us.

Olofsson if he didn't get injured likely would be higher as he was just starting to come on but I can't discount how terrible he was offensively for such a long period.

Have you seen much of Pitlick, with his speed being plus plus, he shouldn't have too much trouble making the NHL down the road as long as he adds mass and strength.



not as much as I had hoped since the games were in the Champions league. I'd have to think about a comp, not a big fan of comps for prospects to NHLers. I'll get to see a ton of him next year though.

I'll see more of Pitlick when he gets into the NCAA. If I'm going to watch a USHL game, I'm typically going to watch the draft eligible guys.

 

[montreal]

I'll see more of Pitlick when he gets into the NCAA. If I'm going to watch a USHL game, I'm typically going to watch the draft eligible guys.

I got to see a decent amount, he was inconsistent offensively but showed some real flashes. His game is all about the speed though, as he's got Byron level burners. If he can develop his offensive game a bit more they might have a solid 3rd liner in the future. I think with Evans, Pitlick, Olofsson, you are going to likely get 2 or 3 NHLers, just a question of can they make it to the 3rd line, or are the DLR like 4th liners or NHL/AHL tweeners.