Prospect Info: Prospect Tier Poll - Blue Chip Tier

[King'sPawn]

You voted, you debated, and you nominated. After spending over a month of going through the list of prospects, here is the final ranking (keep in mind, for the sake of this exercise, a prospect is a player in the Kings system who is eligible for the Calder trophy):

1. Quinton Byfield, F - 87.1%
2. Gabriel Vilardi, F - 85.9%
3. Alex Turcotte, F - 90.2%
4. Tobias Bjornfot, D - 44.6%
5. Arthur Kaliyev, F - 76.6%
6. Samuel Fagemo, F - 54.8%
7. Mikey Anderson, D - 51.0%
8. Tyler Madden, F - 51.1%
9. Rasmus Kupari, F - 55.2%
10. Helge Grans, D - 43.9%
11. Akil Thomas, F - 45.6%
12. Kale Clague, D - 40.8%
13. Jaret Anderson-Dolan, F - 54.2%
14. Brock Faber, D - 46.8%
15. Kim Nousiainen, D - 30.4%
16. Cole Hults, D - 41.1%
17. Jordan Spence, D - 44.9%
18. Kasper Simontaival, F - 32.1%
19. Aidan Dudas, F - 35.3%
20. Lukas Parik, G - 37.9%
21. Martin Chromiak, F - 33.3%
22. Jacob Moverare, D - 34%
23. Sean Durzi, D - 34%
24. Jacob Ingham, G - 45.1%
25. Alex Laferriere, F - 54.9%
26. Aatu Jamsen, F - 22.9%
27. Matthew Villalta, G - 47.6%
28. Ben Meehan, D - 45.7%
29. Andre Lee, F - 30.4%
30. Austin Strand, D - 31.4%
31. Juho Markkanen, G - 32.4%
32. Mikey Eyssimont, F - 30.2%
33. Bulat Shafigullin, F - 33.3%
34. Johan Sodergran, F - 43.9%
35. Braden Doyle, D - 53.7%
36. David Hrenak, G - 55.6%
37. Daniel Brickley, D - 35.1%
38. Markus Phillips, D - 48.6%
39. Alexander Dergachyev, F - 74.4%
40. Bokondji Imama, F - 85.3%
41. Drake Rymsha, F - 100%

So with our list, how would you break it down? Who are the blue chippers? The A-listers?

We're starting with the blue chippers. At what point in the list would you say would be the last player to fit in that tier?

Credit to Token for making this breakdown/suggestion:

BC - Star Player/Franchise Player
A - Top pair/Top 6/Starter 1A/B
B - Top 4/ Mid 6/Backup
C - Bottom pair/Bottom 6/Emergency Backup
D - AHL/ECHL lifer

Polls will be for three days to start, unless you all think it should be different. 3 days is enough time for people to make their cases, discuss, and vote.

Click to read more...

 

[KingTech]

if ur going to add add Arthur Kaliyev,

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'd draw the blue chip line at Turcotte. I LOVE Bjornfot and can see him as a Vlasic/Lindholm should he really pan out--that's a good #1, borderline blue-chip talent--but I don't see him being mr. do-it-all himself.

 

[kingsboy11]

Accidently voted for Bjornfot, but changed it to Turcotte. I can see an argument for Kaliyev because of his ceiling, but we just don't know how he's going to do at the NHL level and I don't think Bjornfot's ceiling is high enough to be considered a blue chip

 

[Lt Dan]

Safe to assume that my idea of ranking sandwiches wasn't acceptable?

 

[Token]

+1 on adding Kaliyev.

I’m shredded on this one. I think Arty will be something special. Heck, he has been something special all three of his years in the O. But I just can’t do it yet. Need one more camp and a few more preseason games from him to take the leap.

Similar for Björnfot. He is right in the edge.

Drew the line at Turcotte, so all centers for me.

 

[ZJames]

I'm going to go with Kaliyev. I don't think Bjornfot is a blue-chip prospect, but I do think he can eventually turn into a good #2 D-Man

 

[BigBrown]

If we're looking for actual potential stars and franchise players only Byfield and maybe Vilardi fit the criteria, in my opinion. Turcotte is a good prospect but a potential franchise centerman? Not sure about that.

 

[Statto]

Blue chip is a fairly subjective thing. To me it means a floor of top 6 forward, top 4 all situations D man and/or starting goaltender. It has always been used to describe prospects deemed a guaranteed to be significant contributors. They do not have to be guaranteed first liners/top pairing guys. Remember, JMFJ was universally considered a blue chip guy and if was widely debated if he’d be a top 2 or top 4 d-man.

So my cut off is Björnfot. I can’t say Kaliyev as he’s boom/bust and even though I’m certain he will boom I can’t honestly say that’s an objective opinion.

 

[Basilisk]

if ur going to add add Arthur Kaliyev,

Yes, Kaliyev should be #5 on that list. After him, there's non-blue chips....... Wait, how are we defining "blue chip prospect?" Thanks!!!

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

To me I can't rank Kaliyev blue chip, there's too much risk there, and rightfully or not, outside this board, he's not as highly touted. I think most fans will EASILY rank Byfield and Vilardi as true bluechippers and Turcotte is controversial but IMO he shouldn't be. People are dumping him WAY down now. There's no way he isn't at least a 2C in ability, dude is a stud, it's the Vilardi syndrome where people have been dropping him for so long due to injury they forget how good he is when healthy, there's nothing he doesn't do at a high level.

 

[Token]

To me I can't rank Kaliyev blue chip, there's too much risk there, and rightfully or not, outside this board, he's not as highly touted. I think most fans will EASILY rank Byfield and Vilardi as true bluechippers and Turcotte is controversial but IMO he shouldn't be. People are dumping him WAY down now. There's no way he isn't at least a 2C in ability, dude is a stud, it's the Vilardi syndrome where people have been dropping him for so long due to injury they forget how good he is when healthy, there's nothing he doesn't do at a high level.

Wheeler and a couple other writers on the Athletic think really highly of him.

Im gonna go bold and dream that Arty will be that unicorn like Marchand, Kuch, Aho that slipped and fooled 30 teams.

We can blue-chip him next year

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Wheeler and a couple other writers on the Athletic think really highly of him.

Im gonna go bold and dream that Arty will be that unicorn like Marchand, Kuch, Aho that slipped and fooled 30 teams.

We can blue-chip him next year

DOn't get me wrong, I'm very high on him and I think he's going to be a player--but just IMHO I think it's hard to be considered an elite prospect with so much risk. I realize this is all just semantics though!

 

[King'sPawn]

For clarity, I'll be moving down the list and more names will be available fir the next polls.

The "other" is if you feel we have more than 4 blue chip prospects who you think will become stars

 

[Token]

For clarity, I'll be moving down the list and more names will be available fir the next polls.

The "other" is if you feel we have more than 4 blue chip prospects who you think will become stars

We got a wee bell-curve going so far so I think you done good.

Thank you for doing this.

 

[Statto]

If less than 50% think you are blue chip, you aren’t blue chip. Turcotte is the cut off at 75%...

 

[bland]

Still can't believe anyone who has actually seen both play could rate Vilardi above Turcotte. Vilardi is a hell of a prospect, but its not particularly close. Turcotte checks twice as many boxes, with comparable high end skill. Better skater, much more competitive, wider range of influence on the ice, especially in transition - just a more impactful player.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Still can't believe anyone who has actually seen both play could rate Vilardi above Turcotte. Vilardi is a hell of a prospect, but its not particularly close. Turcotte checks twice as many boxes, with comparable high end skill. Better skater, much more competitive, wider range of influence on the ice, especially in transition - just a more impactful player.

I mean, is this your go-to line every time? That everyone else is dumb and the gap is huge? Groan.

I'm higher on Turcotte than most here but acting like Vilardi is some completely different lower-tier prospect and that Turcotte doesn't come with his own set of question marks is some serious bias.

 

[Token]

Still can't believe anyone who has actually seen both play could rate Vilardi above Turcotte. Vilardi is a hell of a prospect, but its not particularly close. Turcotte checks twice as many boxes, with comparable high end skill. Better skater, much more competitive, wider range of influence on the ice, especially in transition - just a more impactful player.

What’s the trouble, Brah? Your boy is in! He a Blue-Chip man! Chill. It’s all good Brah!

 

[bland]

I mean, is this your go-to line every time? That everyone else is dumb and the gap is huge? Groan.

I'm higher on Turcotte than most here but acting like Vilardi is some completely different lower-tier prospect and that Turcotte doesn't come with his own set of question marks is some serious bias.

I didn't say anything of the sort, thats just you adding in your own overly dramatic interpretation. You could search this forum for the rest of your life and not find negative thing I have ever said about Vilardi.

There's a damn good reason why one went top 5 in a better draft than one went later in a weaker crop. Turcotte is the better prospect.

Now, lets call a spade a spade here and not pretend that these rankings mean anything. Its just an exercise in opinion for the sake of itself.

 

[Legionnaire]

I didn't say anything of the sort, thats just you adding in your own overly dramatic interpretation. You could search this forum for the rest of your life and not find negative thing I have ever said about Vilardi.

There's a damn good reason why one went top 5 in a better draft than one went later in a weaker crop. Turcotte is the better prospect.

Now, lets call a spade a spade here and not pretend that these rankings mean anything. Its just an exercise in opinion for the sake of itself.

Wasn't Vilardi was around top five on most lists but fell due to questions about his back.

 

[King'sPawn]

Still can't believe anyone who has actually seen both play could rate Vilardi above Turcotte. Vilardi is a hell of a prospect, but its not particularly close. Turcotte checks twice as many boxes, with comparable high end skill. Better skater, much more competitive, wider range of influence on the ice, especially in transition - just a more impactful player.

Turcotte had a down year, and uses many tools, and plays with a higher degree of urgency. He was hot and cold as far as impact.

Vilardi has vision that is unmatched by any prospect in the organization. Even after missing a year and a half due to back injuries, he had an immediate impact at the highest level.

Turcotte's two-way acumen and intensity pushes him up, but Vilardi over Turcotte is absolutely a defensible opinion, especially for those who watched both play.

 

[johnjm22]

Madden.

But you have to define 'blue chip'.

 

[David Lunch]

I think if we’re talking about (essentially) guaranteed franchise/star player, we’re really only taking about Byfield (which is where I placed my vote).

Of the rest, I think Vilardi has the best chance to reach that level. Most likely, though, I see him more as a solid 1st line center and a championship level team 2nd line center. Health will be the biggest factor for him.

I think Turcotte is the next best prospect, but I see him as having less distance between his floor and ceiling. I think he could be a decent/ok 1st line center or a championship level 2nd line center (but could also be an embarrassingly good 3rd like center, like Jordan Staal’s roll in Pittsburgh). Overall, I don’t see him ever being a franchise/star player, “merely” a player that would be coveted by any NHL team.

Kaliyev has a shot, but has a much wider gap between floor and ceiling. I think his odds of being a franchise/star player is higher than Turcotte’s, but there’s a lot of shakes-of-the-multiverse where he’s something less. Even if he becomes a Luc Robitaille, it’s hard to say he was a “franchise” player, “merely” an elite compliment player (wingers dilemma). I think he’s almost assured to be a top 6 winger in any scenario, though.

As of now, the only other player I think has a slim shot of being a franchise/star player would be Fagemo, but that’s only if he lives his best life and continues to surprise everyone. Maybe you could add Madden there, but it’s a loooooong shot.

Bjornfot is going to be an awesome player for us, but I think he leads the rest of the category of sub-elite level potential prospects.

 

[David Lunch]

Madden.

But you have to define 'blue chip'.

To be fair, Kings Pawn did toward the bottom of his initial post:

“BC - Star Player/Franchise Player
A - Top pair/Top 6/Starter 1A/B
B - Top 4/ Mid 6/Backup
C - Bottom pair/Bottom 6/Emergency Backup
D - AHL/ECHL lifer”

Using this definition, that’s why I chose Byfield.