NHL comparisons of top 50 prospects (2011)

[hawksfan50]

NIKITA KUCHEROV ---comparable to Mike Bossy as a shooter --quickest release of any in this draft -and the pucks go in with deadly accuracy ...but unlike Bossy I detect some desire to check and play a 2-way game too...It willbe very interesting to see how much he mise rise in the actual draft after his eye-opening performance at the U-18's...Only the KHL issue might deter teams in delaying taking him ...he has top 3 forward "talent" as anyome else in this draft if not the very top ofthe list...He looks like a very "special" talent.

 

[Johny Drama]

Well, going by some of the scouting reports you see on the internet.

Nugent Hopkins: Gretzky
Murphy: Bobby Orr
Hamilton: Shea Webber
Landeskog: Cam Neeley
Larsson: Lidstrom

 

[puckfan13]

This is how I view their realistic upsides - obviously if this were ever to be how they actually end up it would be the undisputed best top 10 ever.

1-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins : Datsyuk-lite
2-Adam Larsson : Ryan Suter
3-Gabriel Landeskog : Andrew Ladd
4- Sean Couturier : Jordan Staal
5-Ryan Strome : Briere
6-Jonathan Huberdeau : Claude Giroux
7-Dougie Hamilton : Pitkanen
8-Ryan Murphy : Campbell with a harder shot
9-Duncan Siemens : Seabrook
10-Mark McNeil : Dubinsky

 

[puckfan13]

Mike St. Croix plays exactly like Doug Gilmour

No, he doesn't at all. I attend many Oil Kings games and this could not be farther from the truth. If you went to the AHL website and picked out a random name that would be a lot closer.

He is a good junior player but will have to transform his game if he ever hopes to become a successful pro.

 

[saska sault]

Dan Catenacci = Darren Helm with a lil' extra offensive potential

 

[Bicepus McMaximus]

Ryan Murphy - Tomas Kaberle

Landeskog: Richards is the easy comparison, and probably his ceiling. I see more of a David Booth, however he can step in and play right away.

Hamilton: Chara without the mean streak. Sort of an awkward skating style and a good outlet pass. Maybe more of a Myers.

Strome: Toughest call as I am not his biggest fan. I think a Stephen Weiss comparison is fair.

Murphy: Is there a comparison? I would say MA Bergeron until he figures out to play D.

Scheifele: U18s he looked like a future 1 centre. A Jason Spezza. The majority of times I have seen him, he disappeared at some point in the game and was a soft player. Wait that is Jason Spezza...

2-Adam Larsson : Ryan Suter
3-Gabriel Landeskog : Andrew Ladd
6-Jonathan Huberdeau : Claude Giroux
8-Ryan Murphy : Campbell with a harder shot
10-Mark McNeil : Dubinsky

I love these comparisons! Never heard them before. Most realistic, in my opinion (if they all make it). Very much agree!

I don't agree with any Couturier comparisons however. I see a lot of Jason Allison in him.

RNH: I seriously have no idea. Brad Richards would be the closest but still far off.

 

[flamebird]

Jenner = M. Richards with a different skating style, has the pedigree to be a captain, good offensive skills and doesn't excell is a particular area of his game, plays with his heart on his sleeve. Plays sound defensive game as well, see him as a PPG player in his prime, otherwise a 60-70 guy

 

[calcal798]

Couterier=Jordan Staal
RNH=Backstrom

Thats all I got

 

[calcal798]

Well, going by some of the scouting reports you see on the internet.

Nugent Hopkins: Gretzky
Murphy: Bobby Orr
Hamilton: Shea Webber
Landeskog: Cam Neeley
Larsson: Lidstrom

You forgot Couterier=Lemiux

 

[puckfan13]

For Jenner, I see him as a better version of Max Talbot. Maybe his numbers can get up around where Brooks Laich's are if he is on a good team. That's the type of player he is though - fearless leader who will throw hits, block shots and take a bullet for a win.

Side note: a crazy thing I just noticed about Talbot is that regardless of what league he has been in, he has never missed the playoffs since he was 16. That's crazy, he's played 10 straight years of playoff hockey.

 

[regehr]

I don't see why people say Couturier has only about the same (or maybe a little more) offense than Jordan Staal. Jordan was 0.42 ppg and 1.00 ppg in his draft yr. He was never regarded as a big offensive guy. Couturier was 1.41 and 1.66 ppg in his draft yr. Quality in OHL was a bit better than QMJHL but not to acct for that difference. Wouldn't Eric be a better comparison? He was 1.11 ppg and 1.48 ppg in his draft yr. It seems to me that Couturier is being overly discounted here.

 

[Man Hole Inspector*]

I don't see why people say Couturier has only about the same (or maybe a little more) offense than Jordan Staal. Jordan was 0.42 ppg and 1.00 ppg in his draft yr. He was never regarded as a big offensive guy. Couturier was 1.41 and 1.66 ppg in his draft yr. Quality in OHL was a bit better than QMJHL but not to acct for that difference. Wouldn't Eric be a better comparison? He was 1.11 ppg and 1.48 ppg in his draft yr. It seems to me that Couturier is being overly discounted here.

Drafting players out of the QMJHL is always a question mark. Couturier could either end up being a very good two-way forward or a third liner at worst.. There's always a risk with any prospect you draft though

 

[puckfan13]

I don't see why people say Couturier has only about the same (or maybe a little more) offense than Jordan Staal. Jordan was 0.42 ppg and 1.00 ppg in his draft yr. He was never regarded as a big offensive guy. Couturier was 1.41 and 1.66 ppg in his draft yr. Quality in OHL was a bit better than QMJHL but not to acct for that difference. Wouldn't Eric be a better comparison? He was 1.11 ppg and 1.48 ppg in his draft yr. It seems to me that Couturier is being overly discounted here.

Who cares about points... Rob Schremp had more points than either of them. It comes down to watching them play and projecting how their skills will translate at the next level, and when you watch Couturier play, there's a lot of Jordan Staal in there.

Truly, I don't even know why stats are brought up in arguments half the time, particularly points-per-game. Stu MacGregor, head scout for the Edmonton Oilers was interviewed a few weeks ago and couldn't even remember how many points RNH scored this year, and we're likely selecting him first overall. So that should give a pretty good idea to the stat-munchers.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

1-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins : GRETZKY
2-Adam Larsson : LIDSTROM
3-Gabriel Landeskog : CLARK
4- Sean Couturier : LEMIEUX
5-Ryan Strome : BOSSY
6-Jonathan Huberdeau : BELEVIEU
7-Dougie Hamilton : COFFEY
8-Ryan Murphy : ORR
9-Duncan Siemens : BOURQUE
10-Mark McNeil : NEELY
11-Nathan Beaulieu : HARVEY
12-Mika Zibanejad : SUNDIN
13-Mark Scheifele : GILMOUR
14-Joel Armia : BURE
15-Jamie Oleksiak : ROBINSON
16-Ty Rattie : DIONNE
17-Sven Bartschi : KURRI


WHO YOU WANT

 

[nick942]

Siemens- Jovanovski
McNeill- Kesler
Rattie- Sharp or Pavelski
RNH- Datsyuk or B Richards

I would say more of a Brad Richards and less of a Datsyuk style oof play

 

[lebdafor norris]

Larsson=Lebda

 

[Juzmo]

Joel Armia: Artem Anisimov

I'm seeing more Jeff Carter than Anisimov.

 

[Cophy]

Have seen Mika Zibanejad 20+ times live and he remind me of Ryan Getzlaf/Jeff Carter..but he hits more then they do..

 

[urho]

I'm seeing more Jeff Carter than Anisimov.

Definately. Armia is not as good skater but has softer hands.

 

[Roof Daddy]

7-Dougie Hamilton : Pitkanen

All your other comparisons were pretty decent, but this one seems WAY off to me. IMO he's somewhere between Schenn and Peitrangelo. More offence, less physicality than Schenn OR more physicality, less offence than Petro. But Pitkanen????

 

[Roof Daddy]

1-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins : Claude Giroux
2-Adam Larsson : A better version of a young Roman Hamrlik
3-Gabriel Landeskog : a mix of a young Jamie LAngenbrunner and Brenden Morrow
4- Sean Couturier : A slightly more offensive Jordan Staal
6-Jonathan Huberdeau : A bigger Pat Kane but Kane has better ice vision.
7-Dougie Hamilton : Jack Johnson with better skill on D but less offensively
8-Ryan Murphy : Rafalski with a greater vision
9-Duncan Siemens : A more physical Meszaros to me is a solid comparison
10-Mark McNeil : Jason Arnott
12-Mika Zibanejad : A bigger Patrice Bergeron but doesn't have his elite 2way skill yet
13-Mark Scheifele : Ryan Getzlaf at the same age

These are upside's only.

This is the best run down in this thread. Realistic, with a couple of interesting comparisons.

- Scheifele as a potential Getzlaf. Big, smooth skating center with a good release. Its not out of the question that he goes somewhere around 15th and in 5 years we all ask how the hell the kid dropped to 15th.

- Murphy as Rafalski with GREATER vision. Either you are selling Rafalski short, or you think this kid could be elite (which I have heard some say).

 

[BHD]

Is comparing Huberdeau to Tavares an accurate assessment?

 

[Stawks]

Everything I hear about RNH just makes me think of Kyle Turris.

 

[deanmoriarty]

Everything I hear about RNH just makes me think of Kyle Turris.

...like what??

I've heard "best vision since Gretzky" and comparisons to Joe Sakic

 

[birddog*]

tomas jurco= ales hemsky

Rob Shremp