Prospect Info: Prospect Rating #3 (2024 Version) - NOTICE: please change your vote to Pickering or Koivunen

[Randy Butternubs]

Blomqvist won #2, wasn't close.

Vote for who you think is the Penguins #3 prospect.

Poll closes in 2-4 days, unless voting is not close.


Results so far:

#1 Yager 92.6% (called early)
#2 Blomqvist 70.9% (called early)

Click to read more...

 

[Jacob]

I'm going Ilyin here. Stats-wise he's in near-elite company. Maybe subtract a little optimism because of the team being loaded and him being a so-so skater, but still.

 

[Andy99]

I’m going with Broz. In part because he’s closer to a NHL player than others who might have a marginally higher ceiling…I think he’s near ready for a middle six role on the team…

 

[Randy Butternubs]

This is where the fun begins.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Koivunen, add Swanson

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Pickering slightly over Pono for me. Big picture- still a 6’5 defender with good hands and solid skating.

 

[Epic Neal Time]

My personal top-15

1. Yager
2. Blomqvist
3. Ilyin
4. Koivunen
5. Murashov
6. Pickering
7. Brunicke
8. Howe
9. Ponomarev
10. Gauthier
11. Lucius
12. Pieniniemi
13. Poulin
14. Broz
15. Swanson

 

[Malkinstheman]

I need a larger sample size from Ilyin to put him this high. koivunen is closer to being ready and has good potential.

 

[Malkinstheman]

@Andy99 What makes you pick Broz of all people at third? Hes not terrible or anything but theres a good number of players Id pick before him.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Koivunen for me, a little edge over Ilyin

 

[Turin]

What Koivunen has done in the Finnish league is more impressive than what Pickering has done in the WHL imo

 

[Jdodd]

Not sure how Pickering can be over koivonen. Unless it is just based on where he was drafted. There is proof of success w koivonen in a men’s league.

 

[SEALBound]

I wrestled back and forth between Pickering and Koivunen. I think they are at the same level but one is a dman and one is a forward. When I think of callups though, I think Pickering gets the call before Koivunen does, so I gave it to him.

Pickering
Koivunen
Murashov
Ponomarov
Ilyin
Brunicke/Howe

are my next five. I think Brunicke/Howe are in the same boat as Pickering and Koivunen. F vs D at the same-ish level.

 

[Gurglesons]

It's Pickering without question.

Not sure how Pickering can be over koivonen. Unless it is just based on where he was drafted. There is proof of success w koivonen in a men’s league.

Finnish league is trash. Pickering was a top pairing defenseman in a much better league.

Sami Niku is nearly a PPG guy there. He never topped like 12 points in the NHL.

Aku Raty was a monster in Liiga. Hasn't done anything special in the A or NHL.

Kakko and Pulju too.

The last players to really take off from Liiga and match their production were Heiskanen and Aho which were nearly 8 years ago.

 

[eXile3]

I don’t know how to gauge the KHL anymore. It seems like it went from maybe 2nd-3rd best league over the years to maybe not even being top 5?

Not sure how Pickering can be over koivonen. Unless it is just based on where he was drafted. There is proof of success w koivonen in a men’s league.

I went back and forth between them. I think they’re similar caliber of prospects at this point.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think Koivunen's post draft performance has been better than Pickering's, but I also think Koivunen has a fairly high bust risk that would make him a riskier prospect than Pickering. I think the two have similar upsides (middle-6 winger or middle pair D) but I think Pickering is more likely to hit that upside, mostly due to Koivunen's skating issues.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think Koivunen's post draft performance has been better than Pickering's, but I also think Koivunen has a fairly high bust risk that would make him a riskier prospect than Pickering. I think the two have similar upsides (middle-6 winger or middle pair D) but I think Pickering is more likely to hit that upside, mostly due to Koivunen's skating issues.

Why, exactly?

Pickering is trending for exactly what you'd expect in his draft position. Bottom pairing guy as a lock with top 4 pairing upside.

Koivunen is trending towards maybe making the NHL.

 

[eXile3]

One was pick #21 and the other #51. If you’re factoring in draft position, which you shouldn’t in my opinion, but they aren’t that off.

Late 1st might have the value of the optics of being a 1st but most drafts the talent between those two ranges isn’t going to meaningful.

 

[Gurglesons]

One was pick #21 and the other #51. If you’re factoring in draft position, which you shouldn’t in my opinion, but they aren’t that off.

Late 1st might have the value of the optics of being a 1st but most drafts the talent between those two ranges isn’t going to meaningful.

Once again. Look at the league that Koivunen is "dominating".

It's no longer producing NHLers outside of 1st round picks and even then the high end 1st rounders from Finland have largely been disappointments in the last 5-6 years.

It's a veteran laden league for people who can't cut it in the AHL or want to play at home.

Success in the WHL is much more predictive to success in the NHL.

Outside of the 1st round picks since Puustinen's draft year. Puustinen is 3rd in points for Finnish drafted players.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Votes Pono but changing vote to Pickering so it matters.

 

[Sideline]

I think Koivunen's post draft performance has been better than Pickering's, but I also think Koivunen has a fairly high bust risk that would make him a riskier prospect than Pickering. I think the two have similar upsides (middle-6 winger or middle pair D) but I think Pickering is more likely to hit that upside, mostly due to Koivunen's skating issues.

Generally agree with this.

I like Pickering more because skating as a weakness in a prospect always scares me and in my limited viewings Koivunen's skating was just OK.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Voted Pickering but I will have Pono over Koivunen going forward. And I like Koivunen but there’s a bit more surety of floor with Ponomarev.

 

[Andy99]

@Andy99 What makes you pick Broz of all people at third? Hes not terrible or anything but theres a good number of players Id pick before him.

I keep hearing really good things about him from the organization. And not so much about Pickering. I think Koivunen has slightly higher upside but whether his game can transition to the NNL is still up in the air and I think Broz has a higher upside than Pono. Those would be the other forwards competing with him. I’m not impressed with Pickering and our second round picks this year aren’t as close as Broz though their upside is similar. To me, the only other possibility for #3 would be Murashov, who I considered. As he’s farther away from the NHL, I picked Broz

 

[Tom Hanks]

@Andy99 What makes you pick Broz of all people at third? Hes not terrible or anything but theres a good number of players Id pick before him.

Andy is feeling nostalgic

 

[Gurglesons]

I keep hearing really good things about him from the organization. And not so much about Pickering. I think Koivunen has slightly higher upside but whether his game can transition to the NNL is still up in the air and I think Broz has a higher upside than Pono. Those would be the other forwards competing with him. I’m not impressed with Pickering and our second round picks this year aren’t as close as Broz though their upside is similar. To me, the only other possibility for #3 would be Murashov, who I considered. As he’s farther away from the NHL, I picked Broz

Broz is also USA. So he'll probably get a huge rope here. I like his game a lot. Clutch player.