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Wheeler’s top 100 drafted prospects

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Apr 21, 2007
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Welcome to the winter 2025 edition of my ranking of the NHL’s best prospects at The Athletic.

This two-part, twice-a-year project ranks the league’s top 100 drafted skaters and top 20 drafted goalies (which will be released tomorrow).

This edition of my top 100 drafted prospects ranking includes 28 players from the 2024 draft, 32 from 2023, 29 from 2022, eight from 2021 and three from 2020. It’s made up of 69 forwards and 31 defensemen (of which 13 are lefties and 18 are righties).
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Demidov is the only player in tier 1

Buium, Levshunov, Parekh, Smith, Dickinson, Catton, Leonard, ASP, Perrault, Sennecke in tier 2
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Griden and Honzek on this one. Button had Battaglia and Stromgren on his. Love to see it.

Personally I think Hunter and Morin should be on more of these lists.
 
Michael Brand Eggs said:
And he's never, ever going to change his mind, no matter how the last several seasons have gone.
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I remember when he ranked Seider outside the Top 20 following his AHL season, then said he was wrong about him a month into his SHL season, and proceeded to still rank him outside the Top 10 after he was SHL defensemen of the year.

He's an idiot. And he loses his ever loving mind if you point out his errors.
 
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FriendlyGhost92 said:
I remember when he ranked Seider outside the Top 20 following his AHL season, then said he was wrong about him a month into his SHL season, and proceeded to still rank him outside the Top 10 after he was SHL defensemen of the year.

He's an idiot. And he loses his ever loving mind if you point out his errors.
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NOBODY respected the Seider pick, everyone laughed at Yzerman (including Red Wings fans) when he took him at #6. This includes after his AHL season. Can't blame Wheeler on this one. Yzerman had the last laugh though.
 
43sfriends said:
Buium at 2, C. Hutson at 36. Ok...
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What’s the issue with that? Buium has 2 wjc golds and a natty over the last year…he’s significantly more complete. The kid was the best skater on the ice in the national championship as a freshman…i mean…he’s simply a different level than hutson. That doesnt mean hutson isn’t a great player in his own right. It’s like comparing cale makar and adam fox…makar is a on different level. it doesn’t mean fox isn’t a great player…but nobody with eyes would argue fox is better.

36 is more than fair right now…thats not the issue. The issue is equating him with buium
 
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When I first heard of Seider he said to be a beast on defense. Ok maybe we can get him in round two. As the season wore on he continually rose bit by bit. I thought he just wasn’t in the right range for us. He was about 3-4 on my list on draft day. Then we took him at 6. I wasn’t thrilled but then I figured Steve may know I little more than me about hockey. That and I never even watched a clip of him. Now he’s one of the best picks ever made. Make your choice this year Steve and I will be happy
 
Patty Ice said:
Buium has always been viewed with higher regard, I don't see why this is controversial other than Cole's brother killing it at the NHL level so ipso facto Cole should too.
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No, not really.

This isn't actually true. Buium had an absolutely huge draft year at Denver (where the team is absolutely sick, very well coached, and they play a Cupcake schedule). Hutson had an impressive draft year, but he was out a few months for injury and his numbers kinda stagnated a little from unsustainable numbers the prior year. He got significantly better, and I think anyone should've been able to see that (I was saying this at the time, but most people looked at the stats and his size and weren't impressed enough).

Buium is obviously a very good player and I can understand having him ahead of Hutson (it would be close for me and not because I'm low on Buium), but other than Buium going crazy in his draft years with scoring and Hutson having a slightly more pedestrian scoring draft year, Hutson has been the more highly regarded year to year player.
 
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Pavel Buchnevich said:
No, not really.

This isn't actually true. Buium had an absolutely huge draft year at Denver (where the team is absolutely sick, very well coached, and they play a Cupcake schedule). Hutson had an impressive draft year, but he was out a few months for injury and his numbers kinda stagnated a little from unsustainable numbers the prior year. He got significantly better, and I think anyone should've been able to see that (I was saying this at the time, but most people looked at the stats and his size and weren't impressed enough).

Buium is obviously a very good player and I can understand having him ahead of Hutson (it would be close for me and not because I'm low on Buium), but other than Buium going crazy in his draft years with scoring and Hutson having a slightly more pedestrian scoring draft year, Hutson has been the more highly regarded year to year player.
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It is more impressive to go crazy in your draft year than in your D+1. Buium put up at worst an equal season to the one Hutson is having now in the NCAA ... when he was one year younger.

This is coming from a Caps fan that loves Hutson. There are 15 D that Wheeler ranks above Hutson. I think that you could make a legit argument for Hutson over all of them except Buium
 
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qc14 said:
It is more impressive to go crazy in your draft year than in your D+1. Buium put up at worst an equal season to the one Hutson is having now in the NCAA ... when he was one year younger.

This is coming from a Caps fan that loves Hutson. There are 15 D that Wheeler ranks above Hutson. I think that you could make a legit argument for Hutson over all of them except Buium
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Keep in mind that Denver plays a cupcake schedule. I think pure stats are not the end all be all. Buium is the type of player who is having his stats inflated each year he plays for Denver (and he's far from the only one that gets the Denver scoring bump). I think he's a very good player. I think there are plenty who overrate him due to his stats. I don't see him as the next Makar, Fox, Hughes type of scorer.

I see him as like maybe a Keith Yandle, which is a very good defenseman but peaks more as top 25-30 than winning a Norris. I think Hutson is pretty much right in that same range with Buium. He's maybe two inches shorter, but he plays more physical. Buium is actually not that short (he's like 6'0-6'1), but he's not a bulky or physical 6'0-6'1. They pretty much play with the same type of physical profile.
 
qc14 said:
It is more impressive to go crazy in your draft year than in your D+1. Buium put up at worst an equal season to the one Hutson is having now in the NCAA ... when he was one year younger.

This is coming from a Caps fan that loves Hutson. There are 15 D that Wheeler ranks above Hutson. I think that you could make a legit argument for Hutson over all of them except Buium
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What’s the argument for Hutson over the SHL defenseman of the year?
 
Pavel Buchnevich said:
Keep in mind that Denver plays a cupcake schedule. I think pure stats are not the end all be all. Buium is the type of player who is having his stats inflated each year he plays for Denver (and he's far from the only one that gets the Denver scoring bump). I think he's a very good player. I think there are plenty who overrate him due to his stats. I don't see him as the next Makar, Fox, Hughes type of scorer.

I see him as like maybe a Keith Yandle, which is a very good defenseman but peaks more as top 25-30 than winning a Norris. I think Hutson is pretty much right in that same range with Buium. He's maybe two inches shorter, but he plays more physical. Buium is actually not that short (he's like 6'0-6'1), but he's not a bulky or physical 6'0-6'1. They pretty much play with the same type of physical profile.
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He was the clear best player as an 18yo freshman on the team that won the National Championship. No need to overthink it.

Hazy Little Thing said:
What’s the argument for Hutson over the SHL defenseman of the year?
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The argument is that Hutson is more than a full year younger and that in comparing their D0s and D+1s Hutson has had better seasons at the same age. ASP's current season (his D+2) is obviously the best either of them have ever had but Hutson hasn't gotten the chance to play his D+2 yet.

I wouldn't have Hutson ahead of him, but I don't think it's a crazy argument to make.
 
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qc14 said:
He was the clear best player as an 18yo freshman on the team that won the National Championship. No need to overthink it.
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I don't think saying he doesn't project as one of the best defensemen in the NHL, and saying he'll instead be a 1D/2D, top 25-30 guy in the league is some insult.

If you go back and look at the best player on most National Championship teams, I don't know that all them had future NHL stars or a player that was better than what I've said I think he'll approximately be like (Keith Yandle).
 
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