Penguins Prospect Rating #1 2022

[SomeDude]

There isn't really anyone that stands out above the rest which wouldn't be terrible if it wasn't such a mediocre group.

I'm going with Puustinen since I have been bullish on him for awhile and he led WBS in points and goals his first year over here.

 

[Pancakes]

I went with Pickering mostly because I think he has the most projectable NHL skill set. Big and can skate. That's about as can't miss as it gets. He might only be a third pair guy, but I'd be surprised if he didn't make it as a regular.

POJ would be a close second for the same reasons but he's not quite as big as Pickering.

Poulin seems very pedestrian so far in terms of his development. I think he'll probably get NHL games at some point as well but the wow factor is not remotely there with him right now.

 

[jmelm]

Think I have it as

Tier
Pickering

Tier
Poulin
DOC
Joseph

Tier
Puustinen
Blomqvist
Hallander

Tier
Svejkovsky
Broz
Tankov
Ansons
Glover

Poulin has a ways to go before he's in the second tier, and Puustinen and Blomqvist belong there instead of him. I'd probably have Svejkovsky in the 3rd tier as well.

 

[OtherThingsILike]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn that Poulin drop off...... what happened!?

He did okay at the end of the season, but he was extremely underwhelming for the 1st 1/2-2/3 of the season.

 

[jmelm]

He did okay at the end of the season, but he was extremely underwhelming for the 1st 1/2-2/3 of the season.

And he was also only average in his D+1 and D+2 seasons in the Q. His performance was commensurate with a 2nd or 3rd rounder, not a 1st rounder.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Poulin has a ways to go before he's in the second tier, and Puustinen and Blomqvist belong there instead of him. I'd probably have Svejkovsky in the 3rd tier as well.

Nah. Don’t agree.

 

[Malkinstheman]

I feel like Poulin is getting a bit underrated by some. In his D+1 year he produced at a rate of 1.67 PPG which is higher than other players drafted from the QJMHL in similar draft positions in his year and other recent years (Pelltier, Lappiere, Lavoie, Mercer etc). His D+2 year it was a weird year and he barely played so whatever. As a 20/21 year old he came in second on a fairly low scoring WBS team. He was also only 5 points behind Pustinen despite being 2 years younger.

You'd like to see a bit more production in the AHL but I dont really see a reason to be so down on him yet. I have a feeling he shows up to camp hungry and makes it interesting.

 

[jmelm]

Nah. Don’t agree.

Well then the only explanation is that I’m right and you’re wrong

 

[ColePens]

I feel like Poulin is getting a bit underrated by some. In his D+1 year he produced at a rate of 1.67 PPG which is higher than other players drafted from the QJMHL in similar draft positions in his year and other recent years (Pelltier, Lappiere, Lavoie, Mercer etc). His D+2 year it was a weird year and he barely played so whatever. As a 20/21 year old he came in second on a fairly low scoring WBS team. He was also only 5 points behind Pustinen despite being 2 years younger.

You'd like to see a bit more production in the AHL but I dont really see a reason to be so down on him yet. I have a feeling he shows up to camp hungry and makes it interesting.

I'm not one of these fans who thinks progression is linear. I expect it to be up/down and all around as a kid turns into a grown man playing a game with the best in the world.

That being said, I remember people marking out when he was in preseason and I remember saying to myself "Yikes... I don't see much at all." But when you saw guys like Sheary, Rust, or obviously Jake in preseason/scrimmage games before they came up - all you could do was think "Hmm.. there is something noticeable there!"

So hey maybe he lights it up. In all of my time at HF, I've never seen a guy go from 62 votes to 0 votes in 1 single year. That is some crazy shit.

 

[Peat]

The thing about Poulin in terms of this vote is

1) He's giving the heavy impression of regression from D+1. He's regressed numbers wise, and he's regressed in the eyes of prospect watchers because his skating has regressed. From day one, the consensus has been probable middle six winger if he sorts the skating. He sorted it and unsorted it.

Now to a certain extent he was showing upwards trajectory in the second half of his AHL season, but I'm still not sure he's back to where he was D+1 in terms of sheer athleticism. So yeah, of course he's losing votes.

2) It's real tight at the top and the other guys up there had good seasons while Poulin had a bad one. Blomqvist laid down a marker in the Liiga. POJ had a good AHL season. Pickering didn't have a wonderful junior season, and I think we're probably overrating him, but he is theoretically a physical unicorn and that gives three candidates to move past.

I think what's happening is fair. If he falls outside out top 5 prospects I'll think he's getting underrated, but right now the correction seems exactly that.

 

[Gurglesons]

I agree with @Peat as per usual in regards to Poulin. I typically vote on these polls in terms of highest upside. I gotta go Blomqvist # 1. POJ seems like a good bottom pairing D, but kinda whatever. I could see Flower 2.0 being a 1B.

Ansons IMO has big reward value. Could see him being a winger version of Teddy with a higher offensive touch.

 

[KareemTrustfund]

I agree with @Peat as per usual in regards to Poulin. I typically vote on these polls in terms of highest upside. I gotta go Blomqvist # 1. POJ seems like a good bottom pairing D, but kinda whatever. I could see Flower 2.0 being a 1B.

Ansons IMO has big reward value. Could see him being a winger version of Teddy with a higher offensive touch.

Agreed about Blomqvist

A SV% of .940 is unheralded for a 20 year old in Liga. That was the highest in the league. As a 20 year old. And 20 games is a decent enough sample size.

Oh and in the playoffs , in seven games , he posted a 950% SV.

Yeah I’ll just reiterate this guy is our number one prospect. We sleeping on this man.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Blomqvist was my original vote but I changed it to POJ when I thought there was going to be a Pick 'n' POJ showdown.

 

[SomeDude]

He did okay at the end of the season, but he was extremely underwhelming for the 1st 1/2-2/3 of the season.

I think that’s pretty common for an AHL rookie. It’s a better sign that he started off slow and ended okay than the other way around.

 

[OtherThingsILike]

I think that’s pretty common for an AHL rookie. It’s a better sign that he started off slow and ended okay than the other way around.

Very true, the way he finished the season showed some promise. However, a lot of people were penciling him into the NHL lineup before last season started, and I think this is part of the reason why they rated him so highly.

 

[dogthateats]

I’m between Pickering and POJ too. POJ has played NHL games which is a feat most of our prospects never achieve, but at the same time he didn’t beat out some players that I don’t think too highly of last season. Pickering is young and has skill and size and has the benefit of me never watching him, so he hasn’t disappointed me yet.

I voted Blomqvist lol

 

[Flying Dego]

Hilarious state of our prospects. The guy drafted this year as a late 1st rounder is immediately #1.

You know what, I wouldn't have it any other way

 

[SomeDude]

Very true, the way he finished the season showed some promise. However, a lot of people were penciling him into the NHL lineup before last season started, and I think this is part of the reason why they rated him so highly.

I think the unrealistic expectations are why so many people are down on him. If you look at a lot of prospect evaluators/rankers they seem pretty encouraged from his season, but they had realistic expectations from the start. It seems like most Pens fans are just waiting to slap a bust label on him and send him down Sprong River.

 

[jmelm]

I think the unrealistic expectations are why so many people are down on him. If you look at a lot of prospect evaluators/rankers they seem pretty encouraged from his season, but they had realistic expectations from the start. It seems like most Pens fans are just waiting to slap a bust label on him and send him down Sprong River.

I'm not sure that's the issue. You look at some of the other guys drafted shortly after him and combine that with the fact that his skating has not noticeably improved, and it's just disappointing where he's at today as a 1st rounder taken in the early 20's (especially when we traded so many of our other high picks).

I don't know where he'll be at tomorrow, but that's how it's looking as of today. I really think he needs to find another gear

 

[Gurglesons]

I'm not sure that's the issue. You look at some of the other guys drafted shortly after him and combine that with the fact that his skating has not noticeably improved, and it's just disappointing where he's at today as a 1st rounder taken in the early 20's (especially when we traded so many of our other high picks).

I don't know where he'll be at tomorrow, but that's how it's looking as of today. I really think he needs to find another gear

Who? McMichael, Hoglander and Tomasino are the only forwards in his range and Poulin was always going to take longer to get to the NHL given his skill set.

I think the reality is that the 2019 draft just kind of sucked.

 

[Peat]

I think the unrealistic expectations are why so many people are down on him. If you look at a lot of prospect evaluators/rankers they seem pretty encouraged from his season, but they had realistic expectations from the start. It seems like most Pens fans are just waiting to slap a bust label on him and send him down Sprong River.

Which evaluators are these? The only one I've talking about him so far is Pronman who has started noted compete concerns and downgraded his grade on his shot, which doesn't sound like encouraged.


Also I see a lot of love for Blomqvist but that's just one season, and how many prospects and how many goalies have we seen go super hot for a season or two and them come down to earth?

He's a guy who's got to do it again imo.



Also I voted POJ. I think there's a strong chance there's a reliable 5v5 results pushing dman there who can log good minutes, even if no obvious special teams use limits his upside. There's quite a few guys with bigger upsides, but none who I feel confident about them hitting them.

 

[Gurglesons]

Which evaluators are these? The only one I've talking about him so far is Pronman who has started noted compete concerns and downgraded his grade on his shot, which doesn't sound like encouraged.


Also I see a lot of love for Blomqvist but that's just one season, and how many prospects and how many goalies have we seen go super hot for a season or two and them come down to earth?

He's a guy who's got to do it again imo.



Also I voted POJ. I think there's a strong chance there's a reliable 5v5 results pushing dman there who can log good minutes, even if no obvious special teams use limits his upside. There's quite a few guys with bigger upsides, but none who I feel confident about them hitting them.

On the Athletic podcast, Pronman said Poulin in his eyes is an NHLer.

I’ve never though Poulin would be a top six forward, so maybe I’ve been realistic. I think you could have dropped him in the NHL last year.

 

[Peat]

On the Athletic podcast, Pronman said Poulin in his eyes is an NHLer.

I’ve never though Poulin would be a top six forward, so maybe I’ve been realistic. I think you could have dropped him in the NHL last year.

NHLer now, or will be one? And is there a whole chunk of an episode of him talking Pens prospects worth listening to?

Anyway, I thought he'd be a top six guy after D+1, and once I realised he no longer was the same guy in D+2 I dropped that.

 

[SomeDude]

Which evaluators are these? The only one I've talking about him so far is Pronman who has started noted compete concerns and downgraded his grade on his shot, which doesn't sound like encouraged.

To be fair, most of the guys I pay attention to are writing about prospects and as they project for fantasy hockey purposes.

 

[Peat]

To be fair, most of the guys I pay attention to are writing about prospects and as they project for fantasy hockey purposes.

I mean that does, I don't like it but how many points he'll get will be a huge contributor to how well he does. Are there any sites worth looking at?