Prospect Info: The 2023-2024 Prospects Thread Pt. 3

[wetcoast]

I hope you're right about his future. I think you're wrong.

He is going to fall somewhere in thsi grouping but where depends alot on his continued growth.

2023	Connor Bedard (MVP)
2022	Mason McTavish (Canada)
2021	Trevor Zegras (USA)
2020	Alexis Lafreniere (Canada)
2019	Ryan Poehling (USA)
2018	Casey Mittelstadt (USA)
2017	Thomas Chabot (Canada)
2016	Jesse Puljujarvi (Finland)
2015	Denis Godla (Slovakia)
2014	Filip Forsberg (Sweden)
2013	John Gibson (USA)
2012	Evgeny Kuznetsov (Russia)
2011	Brayden Schenn (Canada)
2010	Jordan Eberle (Canada)
2009	John Tavares (Canada)
2008	Steve Mason (Canada)
2007	Carey Price (Canada)
2006	Evgeni Malkin (Russia)
2005	Patrice Bergeron (Canada)
2004	Zach Parise (USA)

 

[sting101]

I hope he's a better goalie than Godla

Eberle with shot range is probably a good comp.

 

[Phrasing]

Lekk is getting overrated. I still think he’s better used as a trade piece rather than an actual ELC contributor. I don’t think he reaches his potential. If the Canucks were smart, they’d take advantage of his rehabilitated value.

 

[Vector]

@MS calling Mangiapane a middling result for Lekkerimaki is interesting because I think that’s the most likely result and would be pretty okay if that’s how he turned out.

I’m also not sold on using him as a trade chip since there’s not one top-6 option in the prospect pool.

 

[ChilliBilly]

I put Willander clearly at No 1 on the list, but in Lekk's defence, he was probably suffering from weakness from Mono in his D+1 year. You could almost argue that his D+2 year was really his D+1 year. Almost.

 

[sting101]

@MS calling Mangiapane a middling result for Lekkerimaki is interesting because I think that’s the most likely result and would be pretty okay if that’s how he turned out.

I’m also not sold on using him as a trade chip since there’s not one top-6 option in the prospect pool.

Would be a disaster if Lekkerimaki has just one 20 goal plus season by 28.

 

[MS]

Would be a disaster if Lekkerimaki has just one 20 goal plus season by 28.

He would have had 3 if not for COVID.

And that’s probably a better than 50% result for JL. It isn’t even close to a ‘disaster’. It’s pretty decent for where he was picked and what he’s shown so far.

 

[sting101]

He would have had 3 if not for COVID.

And that’s probably a better than 50% result for JL. It isn’t even close to a ‘disaster’. It’s pretty decent for where he was picked and what he’s shown so far.

With his release/shot and ability to score on the PP and with Hughes Pettersson if he cant score 20 goal seasons in his sleep he's a disaster from a #7 rated player by this organization

 

[Vector]

With his release/shot and ability to score on the PP and with Hughes Pettersson if he cant score 20 goal seasons in his sleep he's a disaster from a #7 rated player by this organization

A #7 rated player?

 

[sting101]

A #7 rated player?

Canucks had Lekkerimäki ranked 7th overall ahead of NHL Entry Draft

"You guys are pounding the table for Lekkerimäki."

www.vancouverisawesome.com

 

[RobertKron]

It's worth noting that when Pettersson wracked up 24 goals and 32 assists he was playing for the Vaxjo Lakers, who finished that 2017-18 season at 34-10. It was one of the most dominant seasons in SHL history.

Lekkerimaki, on the other hand was playing last season for the lowly Orebro HC, who squeezed into the playoffs on the last day of the season, and were swept in the qualifying round. They weren't very good, and Lekkerimaki was virtually the only scoring threat they had. So I'm sure other teams tried to smother him every time he was on the ice. Even at that, he finished the season with 19 goals, not too far off Pettersson's 24.

It's hard to compare assist totals, because unlike Pettersson who's a center, Lekkerimaki is a right winger. And without a quality center to get him the puck, he had to generate most of his scoring chances on his own.

Finally in Pettersson's only appearance at the World Jr. Hockey championship in 2018, he finished with five goals and two assists. Although to be fair he only played five games after sustaining a broken thumb. But he really didn't come close to matching Lekkerimaki's dominant performance, that landed him the tournament MVP award in 2024..

As teenagers in the SHL, the gap between Pettersson and Lekkerimaki isn't as big as it might appear.

Pettersson led his team in scoring by 15 points despite missing time, and was the regular season and playoff MVP of the entire league. He was considered arguably the top prospect in the world at the time - and we're here arguing if Lekkerimaki is the Canucks' top guy.

Also, the broken thumb was at the grownup World Championships.

Like, I get that you need a new player to obsessively hype up now that the shine has come off Klimovich, but this is absurd.

 

[Lindgren]

The Province has a review of how Fernstrom, Mynio, and Romani did at the Summer Showcase.

Canucks prospects: Who left a mark at the World Junior summer showcase?

Somehow I failed to register until now that Fernstrom is 6'2".

 

[Vector]

The Province has a review of how Fernstrom, Mynio, and Romani did at the Summer Showcase.

Canucks prospects: Who left a mark at the World Junior summer showcase?

Somehow I failed to register until now that Fernstrom is 6'2".

Huh…I had him at 6’0 187 at the draft but it’s been updated to 6’2 187 at elite prospects. Makes a lot more sense why he was selected before Patterson and Romani. He has a bit more physical projection over both of them.

 

[sting101]

Interesting. Those kinds of physical developments can have massive implications for a player with upper tier skills but some skating issues.

 

[ChilliBilly]

Haven't seen this elsewhere, but are any Canuck prospects playing in the Gretzky Hlinka Cup?

 

[Vector]

Haven't seen this elsewhere, but are any Canuck prospects playing in the Gretzky Hlinka Cup?

It’s an under 18 tournament so no NHL prospects are in the tournament.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Haven't seen this elsewhere, but are any Canuck prospects playing in the Gretzky Hlinka Cup?

No drafted players. It's a u18 tourney

 

[ChilliBilly]

No drafted players. It's a u18 tourney

that's what I thought, but I could swear I heard a remark about a player being drafted by Calgary, so I thought there were some. My bad.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

that's what I thought, but I could swear I heard a remark about a player being drafted by Calgary, so I thought there were some. My bad.

Somehow, someway, it's probably Craig Buttons fault.

 

[Lindgren]

Huh…I had him at 6’0 187 at the draft but it’s been updated to 6’2 187 at elite prospects. Makes a lot more sense why he was selected before Patterson and Romani. He has a bit more physical projection over both of them.

Good point. And thanks for confirming that this wasn't yet another of those ... moments for me.

 

[VanJack]

Would be a huge development if Fernstrom, Mynio and Romani all made the rosters of their World Jr. Teams....but unlikely to happen. Romani didn't even play the last two games of the Summer Showcase Tournament. He'll need a huge OHL season in the early going to even earn an invite to the main camp.

And although Canada's coach Dave Cameron had nice things to say about Sawyer Mynio, but he's also in tough to stick on the blueline. Not sure what the prognosis is for Fernstrom. But I suspect he's going to need a big start in the SHL season to regain some traction, since he never got above the fourth line for Sweden in the Summer Showcase Tournament.

 

[strattonius]

Had no idea Mynio had developed so well last year. He's turned in to a good prospect if he's playing on Canada's blueline. I remember the conversation we were having that Mynio was going to get top pairing and the best deployment going in to the year; but the fact that he exceeded those expectations with that responsibility is very encouraging.

Also, what a sleeper Romani was. Not saying he's a future NHL'er but you'd be stupid not to take his current odds from a 6th rd pick.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Had no idea Mynio had developed so well last year. He's turned in to a good prospect if he's playing on Canada's blueline. I remember the conversation we were having that Mynio was going to get top pairing and the best deployment going in to the year; but the fact that he exceeded those expectations with that responsibility is very encouraging.

Also, what a sleeper Romani was. Not saying he's a future NHL'er but you'd be stupid not to take his current odds from a 6th rd pick.

I caught a couple of games of his this year and despite being in an abysmal defensive team he was the bright spot on the back end. Elite skating ability, well rounded defensive game, has some aggressive traits, and a good puck distributor. Quite honestly has a similar profile as Willander in that regard. I think offensively, Mynio’s shown a lot more of that upside (admittedly has had more offensive opportunities while at a lower league).

I have him as our 2nd best defensive prospect after Willander and as far as intriguing prospects go within our system, hes up there with Willander and Lekkerimaki.

I’m not really sold on D-Petey as others are.

 

[credulous]

I caught a couple of games of his this year and despite being in an abysmal defensive team he was the bright spot on the back end. Elite skating ability, well rounded defensive game, has some aggressive traits, and a good puck distributor. Quite honestly has a similar profile as Willander in that regard. I think offensively, Mynio’s shown a lot more of that upside (admittedly has had more offensive opportunities while at a lower league).

I have him as our 2nd best defensive prospect after Willander and as far as intriguing prospects go within our system, hes up there with Willander and Lekkerimaki.

I’m not really sold on D-Petey as others are.

it's tough to project the canucks d prospects but i think mynio has a shot at being the best of them. like willander and kudryavtsev he lacks size but i think he has the most offensive upside of the group and that might help him find a role in the nhl. it's hard to see a fit on the canucks roster with both hughes and hronek signed but if something changes there (or he's moved to a team that lacks a 2pp kind of profile guy) he could be a pretty good nhl player

i'm skeptical about pettersson too as the only thing he really seems to do well is hit but he has the size this management group seems to crave so i wouldn't be surprised if he gets an opportunity in vancouver in the near future. also maybe i'm just behind the curve with where nhl defenders are going and defenders under 6'3/6'4 are going to have to be supernaturally good at something else to stick going forward. looking around the league it kind of seems like that might be the case

 

[LemonSauceD]

it's tough to project the canucks d prospects but i think mynio has a shot at being the best of them. like willander and kudryavtsev he lacks size but i think he has the most offensive upside of the group and that might help him find a role in the nhl. it's hard to see a fit on the canucks roster with both hughes and hronek signed but if something changes there (or he's moved to a team that lacks a 2pp kind of profile guy) he could be a pretty good nhl player

I do think Willander will end up being around 6’1 200lbs (currently 191lbs) and Mynio I believe is now listed at 6’2 but still 181lbs, so there’s still some potential there but yes both are a bit small for defensive standards.

Mynio’s defensive game is by far his strongest suit. Him being able to produce last season and show his offensive chops bodes well in terms of projecting the type of player he’ll be. He wasn’t remotely known as a PP guy and by mid season he became the main PP driver for Seattle. Improvement like that is far more impressive than anything really.

Like his situation was already interesting in that when you consider how deep of a team Seattle was during Mynio’s draft year vs his D1 season where most of Seattle’s top guys left, he stepped up very noticeably.

i'm skeptical about pettersson too as the only thing he really seems to do well is hit but he has the size this management group seems to crave so i wouldn't be surprised if he gets an opportunity in vancouver in the near future. also maybe i'm just behind the curve with where nhl defenders are going and defenders under 6'3/6'4 are going to have to be supernaturally good at something else to stick going forward. looking around the league it kind of seems like that might be the case

yeah a lot of ppl see his size + physicality and get amped up a lot (I was one of them). I’m not impressed with his puck skills/puck movement and his offensive game is among the weaker side amongst the defensive prospects. He’ll be prioritized over others because of managements preference for big dman and he’ll get as many chances as possible. You look at a guy like Kudryavtsev and I like his technical game more than D-Petey at just about every regard besides size and physicality.