Who are the best players over the age of 25 not yet in the NHL?

[iamcaper]

Figured this would be interesting to throw out there for all you hockey guru's.

Who would you consider the best players over the age of 25 that are still playing hockey but not in the NHL?

Click to read more...

 

[Hossa]

The pool of international players who are 25 or older contains two sets of players...

1) The guys who have had a shot at the NHL, but have failed. Instead of playing out the string in the AHL, they are playing in Europe. Included here are Tomas Vlasak, Jorgen Johnsson, Ville Peltonen, Petr Tenkrat and so forth. Jan Caloun might be the best of these guys.

2) The guys who simply have not come over, yet. These players include Andrei Razin, Tomas Kuharchik and Magnus Wernblom. Radek Duda is a guy who is not 25 yet, but is 24, and has talent and grit. Eventually, I bet he comes over.

All that aside, the answer is Oleg Tverdovsky or Dmitry Yuskevich.

 

[DarkHorse]

1) The guys who have had a shot at the NHL, but have failed. Instead of playing out the string in the AHL, they are playing in Europe. Included here are...Jorgen Johnsson...

Wouldn't say Jorgen failed. He just liked Sweden a lot more than America.

1999-00  New-York Islanders          NHL    68   11   17   28   16  --  --  --  --  --
1999-00  Anaheim Mighty Ducks        NHL    13    1    2    3    0  --  --  --  --  --

He was also named player of the week at one point.

 

[Riddarn]

Wouldn't say Jorgen failed. He just liked Sweden a lot more than America.

He moved home because of family reasons. Apart from Jönsson, there are a few, perhaps 10 guys, in the SEL who could be NHL regulars but haven't gone over or failed for one reason or another. Or they just moved back home. The situation is probably the same in any other of the better european leagues.

 

[Biscuit Bullet]

Petr Sykora

 

[tom_servo]

Petr Sykora

Sorry, he won't be 25 until this December. No exceptions!

 

[jepjepjoo]

The pool of international players who are 25 or older contains two sets of players...

1) The guys who have had a shot at the NHL, but have failed. Instead of playing out the string in the AHL, they are playing in Europe. Included here are Tomas Vlasak, Jorgen Johnsson, Ville Peltonen, Petr Tenkrat and so forth. Jan Caloun might be the best of these guys.

2) The guys who simply have not come over, yet. These players include Andrei Razin, Tomas Kuharchik and Magnus Wernblom. Radek Duda is a guy who is not 25 yet, but is 24, and has talent and grit. Eventually, I bet he comes over.

All that aside, the answer is Oleg Tverdovsky or Dmitry Yuskevich.

4 of the five players mentioned in group 1 have played in SM-LIIGA so i have a pretty good base for comparision and i have to say Vladimir Vujtek is better than them all... Well Caloun is close... And im not saying this cause Caloun plays for Espoo Blues and Vujtek for my team

 

[Fan.At]

My picks would be Ronnie Sundin and Dieter Kalt. Just a guess.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Wayne Gretsky and Bobby Orr meet the requirements.

 

[RoyceBrown]

Some who weren't mentioned............

Maxim Sushinski
David Moravec
Viktor Ujcik
Jan Benda

 

[Dr Seldon]

Johan Davidsson and Peter Nordström deserves mention.

 

[Biscuit Bullet]

Sorry, he won't be 25 until this December. No exceptions!

hmm, I thought he was 26...guess not.

 

[Costanza]

I would say Roman Malek. I was disappointed he didn't come over this year.

 

[psycho_dad*]

Kimmo Rintanen is one of the best players outside NHL, but he is never going to play there. And I dont think he would ever succeed there either. He is suited for european hockey.

 

[Spiffy]

Aalto
Alatalo
K.Nurminen
Caloun
Vujtek
R.Sundin
Nordström
Rintanen (not good enough for top two lines in NHL, not suited for bottom six lines, he knows this)

Rintanen can be dominant on the national team at times. Probably one of the best stickhandlers in Europe.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Jiri Dopita

 

[Wildcat]

The only one I can really comment on is Andrei Razin, which Hossa brought up already. Searching through Russian sites for Kastitsyn after the Habs drafted him, Razin’s name popped up quit a bit. He’s known as a star over in the RSL and is an elite passer. He was drafted by Philly in the 6th round at the 2001 draft, but he seems content to stay where he is.

 

[eh]

I'm kind of surprised no-one has mentioned Marko Tuulola in this thread. All the other best defensemen of SM-liiga from the past couple of seasons are already playing in the NHL, but not him. He'll be 33 next February, so he's not likely to get drafted anymore, but he most certainly is one of the best players over 25 who have not played in the NHL.

After watching Marko Jantunen with Jokerit this year, I'll have to nominate him as my homer pick. He was drafted by the Flames on the 11th round of the '91 draft and to my knowledge never even attended a training camp. I had my doubts when Jokerit signed him during the summer, but he's been doing very well indeed: 6+9 in 13, playing in the top line with Tomek Valtonen and Glen Metropolit. He probably always was too soft for the NHL, but still has amazing speed and skills. He's a week younger than Tuulola.

There aren't too many left in Finland, most of the best players between 25 and 30 who are not in the NHL (and haven't been) are playing in either Switzerland or Sweden. I don't think that players who failed in the NHL can be counted. Ville Peltonen might be an exception, he's not the same player he was back then.

 

[Spiffy]

I'm kind of surprised no-one has mentioned Marko Tuulola in this thread. All the other best defensemen of SM-liiga from the past couple of seasons are already playing in the NHL, but not him. He'll be 33 next February, so he's not likely to get drafted anymore, but he most certainly is one of the best players over 25 who have not played in the NHL.

After watching Marko Jantunen with Jokerit this year, I'll have to nominate him as my homer pick. He was drafted by the Flames on the 11th round of the '91 draft and to my knowledge never even attended a training camp. I had my doubts when Jokerit signed him during the summer, but he's been doing very well indeed: 6+9 in 13, playing in the top line with Tomek Valtonen and Glen Metropolit. He probably always was too soft for the NHL, but still has amazing speed and skills. He's a week younger than Tuulola.

There aren't too many left in Finland, most of the best players between 25 and 30 who are not in the NHL (and haven't been) are playing in either Switzerland or Sweden. I don't think that players who failed in the NHL can be counted. Ville Peltonen might be an exception, he's not the same player he was back then.

I thought Jantunen Was a veteran of 3 NHL games

I totally forgot about Tuulola... That time in Elitserien sure was time well spent...

 

[Histrion]

Jiri Dopita

Hey!



I was going to say it too!

 

[ttnorm]

Ray Giroux.

Looking at the defensive rosters around the league, I am surprised that some of several teams haven't taken a shot with him.

 

[miklu]

Karalahti
Pärssinen
Caloun
Peltonen
Eloranta
Vujtek
Nummelin
Helminen

 

[eh]

I thought Jantunen Was a veteran of 3 NHL games

He is! How could I have missed that! So he did attend a training camp and did even play a season in Calgary/St. John.

 

[eh]

Karalahti
Pärssinen
Caloun
Peltonen
Eloranta
Vujtek
Nummelin
Helminen

All of them have played in the NHL and likely will never play in the NHL again, so where's the yet?

 

[hannes_ko]

He is! How could I have missed that! So he did attend a training camp and did even play a season in Calgary/St. John.

He´s one of those players who thought that threatening the General Managment would earn him a chance to show his potential. He quickly realised that you just don´t do that...