What is a "blue chip" or "top" prospect?

[oilsands]

I use these terms frequently, and am wondering what you would define them as.

Are blue chip prospects anyone who is in the top 50 (HF ranked or other) of the league?

Are top prospects perhaps the 20 best in the NHL, or are they the composite best prospect of each team in the league? This has problems, because one team may have 4 of the best prospects in the league.

 

[bluechipbonzo]

huzzah.

 

[SPORTSMANIAC]

I use these terms frequently, and am wondering what you would define them as.

Are blue chip prospects anyone who is in the top 50 (HF ranked or other) of the league?

Are top prospects perhaps the 20 best in the NHL, or are they the composite best prospect of each team in the league? This has problems, because one team may have 4 of the best prospects in the league.

Best way to describe the two is "you say tomato, I say tomahto"

Top prospect and blue chip is usually one in the same

 

[SeriousHabs]

Top prospect or blue chip prospect is a player who did well at the WJC.

 

[ponder]

IMO a "blue chip prospect" is a guy who has a good chance to become at least a decent top line forward, elite 2nd line forward, decent top pairing dman, elite 2nd pairing dman, or solid starting goalie. A guy with top line/pairing upside, but who is seen as unlikely to reach said upside, would IMO not be a blue chip prospect. Based on HF's current rankings (http://www.hockeysfuture.com/hockey_top_50_prospects/?start=30), I'd say this would include roughly their top 30 prospects at the moment, although personally I'm not so high on some of the guys they have in that top 30, and am a lot higher on some guys who didn't make the cut in the top 30 (guys who IMO *should* be top 30 include #32 McDonagh, #38 Leddy, #42 Baertschi, #43 Luke Adam, and the unranked Henrique, and they should take the spots of guys like #7 Rundblad, #20 Gudbranson, #21 Kadri, #25 Coyle, and #27 Kreider). Personally I'd probably go with somewhere around 35ish "blue chip" prospects, but not exactly HF's top 35.

 

[joe89]

People probably use it differenly, but blue chip to me includes the potential of a #1 goaltender, top2 defenseman, top line forward or a player with very special intangibles while being a top6 F/top4 D. There is one if though, and that is that the player is almost a surebet to make it.

Top prospect is imo more like a top5 prospect for any given team, or highly ranked prospect. Not all highly ranked prospects have high-end upside.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

I'd say a blue chip player is some who projects to be a 1st line player / starting goatlender on a contender-level team with little chance of busting.

A top prospect is more inclusive for me - it can also include guys who will be better suited as 2nd liners but have very little chance of busting or guys who can be 1st liners but have a greater chance of busting.

 

[Cold Dome Beers]

These are very vague terms and you're gonna get many different definitions.
imo...
blue-chip prospect : a prospect (generally already drafted) with the realistic potential to be a top-6 forward, top pairing dman or starting goalie in the near future.

top prospect: a younger prospect (can be drafted, but should still be in junior) that either is projected to or has already been drafted in the early part of the first round. Since they're still young, there is debate as to whether they will reach their full potential, but given their draft position, their respective teams' fans will (almost) always claim them to be future stars.

 

[AmazingNuck]

To define "blue chip" prospect, you would have to find the cut off between who qualifies as a blue chip prospect and who doesn't. What's the line that separates them?

The only thing I would say about "blue chip" is that the player has to be drafted. If we are going analogously, a prospect is a "blue chip," like in poker, and the team that owns his rights, more specifically the general manager, is the "player." Perhaps "blue chip" refers to a prospect that has high trade value?

 

[BritSabre]

I think this can extend to elite role players too. PP and PK specialists, guys that hit, elite leadership qualities. Not just your 1st line or top pairing prospects. Takes a team to win a championship. These guys can be just as valuable as scorers.

 

[Joseppi]

I see blue chip prospects as players with at least one elite talent; one ticket that's sure to get them into the show sometime

I see a top prospect as someone who could emerge as among the best of their class

 

[Playmaker09]

Blue chip prospects:

Top line forward, high-end #2 centre, top pairing D or full time starting goaltender projections (not to be confused with upside/max potential) IMO.

There can be any number of them.

"Top" prospect is more vague so I don't really use it. Though I'd personally classify it as being a prospect with the potential to be a quality, long-term NHL player.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I know this isn't directly responding to the OP, but just a general observation about the phrase "blue chip". It seems around here, too many folks use it to describe any player who happens to have NHL potential, even if that potential is no more than a 4th line forward/bottom pairing defenseman, and no matter how much of a longshot the player's chances of reaching that potential is. IMO, that's grossly undervaluing the phrase.

To me, a blue chip prospect is one who has a very good chance of becoming a top six forward/top four defenseman/number one goalie. Not just the upside to become one if everything works out perfectly but is a longshot for that to happen, but a player who is almost a lock to become one.