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

[Habs 4 ever]

I graduated Slaf, Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris and left out Fairbrother due to being out all year to injury. With so many prospects and the stock market being crazy, I wasn't able to get to see every prospect play at least twice to start the new season, which is what in a normal year I would do so some I had to rank without seeing yet which makes it feel like names just thrown around but it takes a lot of time to put this together on top of all the other games going on since we have so many prospects.


Top 25

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16. Luke Tuch
17. Xavier Simoneau
18. Cayden Primeau
19. Jayden Struble
20. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard
21. Blake Biondi
22. Frederik Dichow
23. Oliver Kapanen
24. William Trudeau
25. Jan Mysak

HM - Jared Davidson, Dmitri Kostenko, Petteri Nurmi

I graduated Slaf, Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris and left out Fairbrother due to being out all year to injury. With so many prospects and the stock market being crazy, I wasn't able to get to see every prospect play at least twice to start the new season, which is what in a normal year I would do so some I had to rank without seeing yet which makes it feel like names just thrown around but it takes a lot of time to put this together on top of all the other games going on since we have so many prospects.


Top 25

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16. Luke Tuch
17. Xavier Simoneau
18. Cayden Primeau
19. Jayden Struble
20. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard
21. Blake Biondi
22. Frederik Dichow
23. Oliver Kapanen
24. William Trudeau
25. Jan Mysak

HM - Jared Davidson, Dmitri Kostenko, Petteri Nurmi

I graduated Slaf, Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris and left out Fairbrother due to being out all year to injury. With so many prospects and the stock market being crazy, I wasn't able to get to see every prospect play at least twice to start the new season, which is what in a normal year I would do so some I had to rank without seeing yet which makes it feel like names just thrown around but it takes a lot of time to put this together on top of all the other games going on since we have so many prospects.


Top 25

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16. Luke Tuch
17. Xavier Simoneau
18. Cayden Primeau
19. Jayden Struble
20. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard
21. Blake Biondi
22. Frederik Dichow
23. Oliver Kapanen
24. William Trudeau
25. Jan Mysak

HM - Jared Davidson, Dmitri Kostenko, Petteri Nurmi

Loved the YouTube video for this

 

[montreal]

Loved the YouTube video for this

thanks, they are a pain to put together as it takes a lot of time but I cheated a bit this time as I just don't have the free time I'm used to having.

 

[montreal]

 

[Lockin17]

Top 25

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Joshua Roy
7. Emil Heineman
8. Justin Barron
9. Adam Engstrom
10. Riley Kidney
11. Jesse Ylonen
12. Vinzenz Rohrer
13. Cedrick Guindon
14. Mattias Norlinder
15. Jakub Dobes
16. Luke Tuch
17. Xavier Simoneau
18. Cayden Primeau
19. Jayden Struble
20. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard
21. Blake Biondi
22. Frederik Dichow
23. Oliver Kapanen
24. William Trudeau
25. Jan Mysak

So top 5 who would you put ?

Beck
Mesar
Farrell
Hutson
Mailloux

 

[26Mats]

So top 5 who would you put ?

Beck
Mesar
Farrell
Hutson
Mailloux

Beck, Hutson, Mailloux are my top 3. Not in that order.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Beck, Hutson, Mailloux are my top 3. Not in that order.

I agree, but in the reverse order as listed.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

These lists are always super subjective and I can guarantee you that Hughes, Gorton, Bobrov and Lapointe would have lists that would greatly vary from each other.

IMO the top 3 are Beck, Farrell and Mesar with the edge to Beck and Farrell as they are closer to playing in the NHL. I think Mailloux and Hutson have more question marks and are riskier prospects. I would still have Barron ahead of these two defenders.

 

[WatchfulElm]

I graduated Slaf, Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris and left out Fairbrother due to being out all year to injury. With so many prospects and the stock market being crazy, I wasn't able to get to see every prospect play at least twice to start the new season, which is what in a normal year I would do so some I had to rank without seeing yet which makes it feel like names just thrown around but it takes a lot of time to put this together on top of all the other games going on since we have so many prospects.


Top 25

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Joshua Roy
7. Emil Heineman
8. Justin Barron
9. Adam Engstrom
10. Riley Kidney
11. Jesse Ylonen
12. Vinzenz Rohrer
13. Cedrick Guindon
14. Mattias Norlinder
15. Jakub Dobes
16. Luke Tuch
17. Xavier Simoneau
18. Cayden Primeau
19. Jayden Struble
20. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard
21. Blake Biondi
22. Frederik Dichow
23. Oliver Kapanen
24. William Trudeau
25. Jan Mysak

HM - Jared Davidson, Dmitri Kostenko, Petteri Nurmi

I certainly don't watch as many prospects as you, but at first glance :

Too high :
Engstrom (don't know much about him)
Ylonen (no NHL potential to me)
Tuch (4th line ceiling?)
Simoneau (hard working but too small)

Too low :
Barron (deceiving start but he's been better recently)
Rohrer
Primeau (bad season but he had dominant streches. Goalies take time to put it all together)
RHP
Trudeau (pretty high on him despite his name)
Mysak

 

[montreal]

 

[BenchBrawl]

My Top 15, mostly on gut feeling:

1. Logan Mailloux
2. Owen Beck
3. Joshua Roy
4. Adam Engstrom
5. Lane Hutson
6. Emil Heineman
7. Filip Mesar
8. Cayden Primeau
9. Jayden Struble
10. Sean Farrell
11. Justin Barron
12. Jakub Dobes
13. Vincent Rohrer
14. William Trudeau
15. Jesse Ylonen

Toughest to deal with was Mathias Norlinder, so consider him ignored for this list. I don't have a good feel for where he's at right now (not that I have a truly informed opinion about the others, but at least I have gut feelings).

Can't shake my impression that Engstrom will be a great player.

Still a believer and supporter of Roy. Same for Struble.

Mailloux and Beck are an easy Top 2.

Hutson is 5th because of the obvious challenges he's facing; on talent, he's #1.

Primeau has shown many times he was clutch, and I respect clutchness in a goalie.

I only write this list down to remember it later and see how much my hunches are right or wrong.

 

[Habs Halifax]

These lists are always super subjective and I can guarantee you that Hughes, Gorton, Bobrov and Lapointe would have lists that would greatly vary from each other.

IMO the top 3 are Beck, Farrell and Mesar with the edge to Beck and Farrell as they are closer to playing in the NHL. I think Mailloux and Hutson have more question marks and are riskier prospects. I would still have Barron ahead of these two defenders.

I think Habs management don't have a one after another list. It's a waive of talent list separated in groups. And within each group, they have a list of development flaws they want each player to improve at.

2D thinking is a standard list one after another. 3D thinking is a matrix with moving parts that have depths to it.

Remember when Norlinder was better than Harris? Fans debating who should be listed ahead of the other when the truth was they should have been listed in parallel. At least pre NHL.

 

[ottawa]

I certainly don't watch as many prospects as you, but at first glance :

Too high :
Engstrom (don't know much about him)
Ylonen (no NHL potential to me)
Tuch (4th line ceiling?)
Simoneau (hard working but too small)

Too low :
Barron (deceiving start but he's been better recently)
Rohrer
Primeau (bad season but he had dominant streches. Goalies take time to put it all together)
RHP
Trudeau (pretty high on him despite his name)
Mysak

Ylonen has no NHL potential? He has 5 points in 15 games in the NHL and just turned 23...he might not be a top 6 but I think he can grow into a bottom 6 player.

If Simoneau can be shifty and use his small size + speed to his advantage like Caufield, he can find a way to make it work but idk really

 

[Maitz]

Most people won’t like that but I don’t think Roy is in our top 10 prospect list

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Ylonen has no NHL potential? He has 5 points in 15 games in the NHL and just turned 23...he might not be a top 6 but I think he can grow into a bottom 6 player.

If Simoneau can be shifty and use his small size + speed to his advantage like Caufield, he can find a way to make it work but idk really

Simoneau is a poor skater, especially for his size.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Most people won’t like that but I don’t think Roy is in our top 10 prospect list

possibly but it's more a tribute to our absurd prospect pool than anything.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I agree, but in the reverse order as listed.

love your sober takes, General but I feel confident Hutson will be the better player. Mailloux has an edge in his lack of games played (possibly more room for growth in his game) shot and size but I think what Hutson is doing in the tougher league at a younger age is more impressive.

As I write this I am kind of second guessing myself haha but I'll go with the gut. It'll be more telling next year obviously. We can see if Hutson can take a leap and shore up what he has to. It's a fantastic problem to have though in the end. I still think Hutson is our #1 prospect.

 

[HuGort]

Sean Farrelll: 15 points in 10 games
Lane Hutson: 17 points in 13 games

These two will both be regulars and impact players on the Habs very soon.

 

[WeThreeKings]

The top 3 for me (excluding guys in the NHL right now) is clearly Farrell, Hutson and Beck.

 

[montreal]

To me my top 6 you could make a case for any as the Habs top prospect not counting the guys in the NHL. I also had my 1-2 before considering anyone graduated,

1. Hutson
2. Slaf

Hutson just reminds me so much of Caufield, he just gets it and is just so much fun to watch.

 

[ReHabs]

To me my top 6 you could make a case for any as the Habs top prospect not counting the guys in the NHL. I also had my 1-2 before considering anyone graduated,

1. Hutson
2. Slaf

Hutson just reminds me so much of Caufield, he just gets it and is just so much fun to watch.

I don’t follow prospects but you seem passionate about them — how would you say Hutson compares to Mac Bennett from some years ago? And I’m not asking this to set you up, but I remember some similar things said about Bennett’s ability to see the game, etc.

 

[Zilo44]

The top 3 for me (excluding guys in the NHL right now) is clearly Farrell, Hutson and Beck.

Same here with Mailloux as a not so distant 4th

 

[hardcorehabs]

Hutson is so far out producing Makar’s rookie season in H- East. By a lot.

If he grows to 5’11 (longshot), we have ourselves our own version of Makar.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Hutson is so far out producing Makar’s rookie season in H- East. By a lot.

If he grows to 5’11 (longshot), we have ourselves our own version of Makar.

He will also need to make incredible improvements in his skating to reach Makar's level.

I think this board is over rating him as he has enormous physical hurdles to jump in order to play in the NHL. He is definitely determined to be the best that he can be so I would not bet against him but Makar comparison's are silly at this point.

I love watching him with the puck but it is just ugly watching him skate without the puck. Hopefully just adding strength will help to correct most of his issues. I personally am not surprised at all that he is producing at such a high level, I just don't think it is translatable yet. He just looks so tiny and frail out there and does not have the speed to create separation at the next level. I know that people around here put stats on a pedestal but he is exactly who he was when we drafted him and until he puts on some muscle and improves his skating he should be considered further down our depth chart.

 

[Goldenhands]

Thats a very strong prospect pool and highly subjective since you have kids with really high upside coming with some question marks, while some others have a bit less upside, but more likely to reach their celling.

Hutson has insane offensive upside, but has defensive limitations, so how much improvement he does at defending and limit the mistakes under pressure will be the key of his development and how many minutes he is going to play per night. But Im excited about this kid as much as anyone.

Hutson, Engstrom and Mailloux all have top 4 upside with PP quarterback potential and make our prospect pool ridiculous, not to mention the fowards group + Dobes.

 

[montreal]

I don’t follow prospects but you seem passionate about them — how would you say Hutson compares to Mac Bennett from some years ago? And I’m not asking this to set you up, but I remember some similar things said about Bennett’s ability to see the game, etc.

he doesn't compare since at 18 Mac Bennett was in the USHL.