Prospect Info: Wild Prospect Thread 2024-25

[Dr Jan Itor]

Old thread:

Prospect Info: - Wild Prospect Thread 2023-2024

New thread for the new year... see the old thread here: https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/wild-prospect-thread-2022-23.2891648/

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My quick twitch preliminary top 10:

1. Wallstedt
2. Yurov
3. Buium
-----------
4. Ohgren
5. Heidt
6. Khusnutdinov
-----------
7. Ritchie
8. Lambos
9. Healey
10. Kumpulainen

HM: Haight, Lorenz, Peart, Hunt, Bankier, Kiviharju, Stramel, Spacek

Click to read more...

 

[Jbcraig1883]

1. Yurov
2. Buium
3. Wallstedt
4. Ohgren
5. Heidt
6. Ritchie
7. Khusnutdinov
8. Bankier
9. Hunt
10. Haight
11. Milne
12. Peart
13. Lorenz
14. Kumpulainen
15. Kiviharju

I'm sure some minor adjustments will be made after prospect camp. Spacek is definitely ahead of Pionk, Masters, Parker and Healey for me - will need to learn/see more of Soini. Lambos and ROR really only have their draft pedigree for me. Lambos been bad since his last WJC. Hopeful but not confident in Stramel. Not including Clarke or Toporowski - likely who are 23+ tweeners. Novak - lucky to make it as an everyday AHLer.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Tier S (Blue Chip):
1. Wallstedt
2. Yurov
3. Buium

Tier A (Top 6/Top 3/Starting Goalie):
4. Heidt

Tier B (Middle 6/Top 6/Backup Goalie):
5. Ohgren
6. Khusnutdinov
7. Ritchie
8. Haight
9. Lorenz
10. Peart
11. Hunt
12. Hlavaj

Tier C (Bottom 6/Top 7/Journeyman Goalie):
13. O'Rourke
14. Stramel
15. Kumps
16. Milne
17. Lambos
18. Bankier
19. Spacek
20. Masters

HM: Leskovar, Kiviharju, Pionk, Healey, Parker, Soini, Clark, Wutzke

 

[Circulartheory]

I'm going slightly by my own rules - any players on ELCs are still considered prospects. That's the whole point or advantage of prospects.

I really like the mix we have. We got blue-chip players in key positions - #1 goalie, #1 dman, #1 center. Then a bunch of strong supporting cast and a pipeline of depth guys to fill in the last gaps. All of those molded around Kaprizov/JEE/Boldy/Brodin (and honestly a pretty solid middle of Hartman/Foligno/Middleton/Spurgeon). I am really excited.

S Grade - Game breaking skills
1. Brock Faber
2. Danila Yurov
3. Jesper Wallstedt

A Grade - Top six/top 3 dmen/1A goalie
4. Zeev Buium
5. Marco Rossi

B Grade - Middle six/#4-5 dmen/1B goalie
6. Liam Ohgren
7. Riley Heidt
8. Caedan Bankier
9. Marat Khusnutdinov

C.1 Grade Likely to be an NHL depth player OR
C.2 Grade - very good skill but high bust chance
10. Ryder Ritchie
11. Daemon Hunt
12. Charlie Stramel
13. Rieger Lorenz
14. Carson Lambos
15. Rasmus Kumplainen
16. Aron Kiviharju
17. Mikey Milne
18. Hunter Haight

D Grade - Key AHL players/some chance of making it to the NHL/I still hold some interest in
19. Jack Peart
20. David Spacek
21. Samuel Hlavaj
22. Aaron Pionk
23. Sebastien Soini

F Grade - Prospects I just don't care about (but open to proven wrong)

24. Ryan O'Rourke
25. Ryan Healey
26. Luke Toporowski
27. Kalem Parker
28. James Clark
29. Chase Wutzke
30. Kyle Masters
31. Pavel Novak
32. Nate Benoit
33. Stevie Leskovar

 

[Lapa]

1. Wallstedt
2. Yurov
3. Buium
4. Öhgren
5. Heidt
6. Ritchie
7. Kiviharju
8. Kumpulainen
9. Bankier
10. Hunt

 

[57special]

Wall
Yurov
Buium - Love the offense, vision, IQ. Needs work in D zone, skating speed.
Ohgren - Next Marcus Johansson? Hoping for more
Hunt - 2nd pairing, maybe, in 3-4 years.
Heidt - longshot but high ceiling
Bankier - hopeful he can be a bottom six C, maybe more.
Marat - hoping for him to establish himself as a 3C this year
Ritchie - too soon to tell, but might be a sleeper
Haight - looks better than he scores
Peart - rebound year coming up? Fear he is a tweener.
Kumpulainen - like this guy. If he trains seriously we've got something.
Lorenz - counting on him and Milne to be 4th liners of the future.
Milne
{ROR
Spacek. { show me something, guys!}
Healey
Lambos}
Walker- Still think he has some talent, hoping for a Tommy Novak progression.
Stramel- hope I am wrong, but so far he's a bottom of the lineup college player.
Parker - looked good in playoffs paired with Mateychuk
Pionk - tough with all those ahead of him at LHD with similar skillsets.
Soini
Khivihjarhu - A slow Vatanen? Like, what do you do with that?

 

[Jbcraig1883]

Wall
Yurov
Buium - Love the offense, vision, IQ. Needs work in D zone, skating speed.
Ohgren - Next Marcus Johansson? Hoping for more
Hunt - 2nd pairing, maybe, in 3-4 years.
Heidt - longshot but high ceiling
Bankier - hopeful he can be a bottom six C, maybe more.
Marat - hoping for him to establish himself as a 3C this year
Ritchie - too soon to tell, but might be a sleeper
Haight - looks better than he scores
Peart - rebound year coming up? Fear he is a tweener.
Kumpulainen - like this guy. If he trains seriously we've got something.
Lorenz - counting on him and Milne to be 4th liners of the future.
Milne
{ROR
Spacek. { show me something, guys!}
Healey
Lambos}
Stramel- hope I am wrong, but so far he's a bottom of the lineup college player.
Parker - looked good in playoffs paired with Mateychuk
Pionk - tough with all those ahead of him at LHD with similar skillsets.
Soini
Khivihjarhu - A slow Vatanen? Like, what do you do with that?

I am hoping that Spacek takes off. I know you watch Iowa as well so you may see things differently but he started to play more assertive, make better reads, etc. the last month or so of the season.

Actually saw the Day 2 Draft interview with Judd and Russo asked him about Spacek. Judd said that Spacek was D+1 draftee and always rises to the occasion, had the most TOI in the last two periods of the recent WC championship game etc. So that seems to be a positive.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Just my case for Healey:

He played his entire sophomore NCAA season as a 19 year old (May birthday).

Almost outscored the entire rest of the defensemen on roster, increased his offense by 175% (even more if you count per game), and he's not even noted for his offensive ability.

No size issues (6').

RHD (valuable).

Yes, the -26 is pretty ugly, but the team was not good (Brayden Point was -27 with 91 points in his draft year).

 

[Jbcraig1883]

Just my case for Healey:

He played his entire sophomore NCAA season as a 19 year old (May birthday).

Almost outscored the entire rest of the defensemen on roster, increased his offense by 175% (even more if you count per game), and he's not even noted for his offensive ability.

No size issues (6').

RHD (valuable).

Yes, the -26 is pretty ugly, but the team was not good (Brayden Point was -27 with 91 points in his draft year).

He's a hard one to gauge, personally. I also only saw three of his games this year. The three games I saw his team was so outgunned that it was impossible to give him a fair assessment...his vision, hands, and movement, especially across the offensive blueline, were obvious though. Can't say I am unimpressed with him or anything.

I will have to try to find it later - some of the stats guys that do the comps had one that really supported Healey last year whereas someone else said he had some of the worst advanced stats in the NCAA.

 

[57special]

Just my case for Healey:

He played his entire sophomore NCAA season as a 19 year old (May birthday).

Almost outscored the entire rest of the defensemen on roster, increased his offense by 175% (even more if you count per game), and he's not even noted for his offensive ability.

No size issues (6').

RHD (valuable).

Yes, the -26 is pretty ugly, but the team was not good (Brayden Point was -27 with 91 points in his draft year).

Yes, i like him-- especially the fact that he is a RHD. Just hard to differentiate him from Pionk(LHD, i know), Spacek, Parker... even Masters had a nice junior year. We just seem to have a ton of 6' Dmen with good, but not great all round games that probably will flame out in the AHL.

I am hoping that Spacek takes off. I know you watch Iowa as well so you may see things differently but he started to play more assertive, make better reads, etc. the last month or so of the season.

Actually saw the Day 2 Draft interview with Judd and Russo asked him about Spacek. Judd said that Spacek was D+1 draftee and always rises to the occasion, had the most TOI in the last two periods of the recent WC championship game etc. So that seems to be a positive.

Yeah, Spacek is an overager. Has a bit of pop offensively(so did S. Johansson, so take that with a grain of salt), but not particularly solid defensively, or physical, especially compared to ROR, Hunt, and probably, Peart. He will get more run because he is a RHD and we are thin on prospect depth there. Spacek has always been good in international play, but it doesn't seem to carry into the AHL , though i believe that the AHL is underestimated as a league. It is tough to play, and stand out in.

Right now, it's shit or get off the pot for most of our d prospects. Hunt is the only one I'd fell comfortable playing on a pairing with Bogo, right now, but i feel like any one of about 5 of our d prospects could jump up and grab a spot. I've always liked Peart, but he had a solid, unexciting year last year. That won't get it done. Parker had a nice year with Moose Jaw, but as 2nd banana to Mateychuk. Healey I like, but can he withstand the physicality of the pros. ROR...he's got to show something. Being a good AHL Dman isn't good enough.

 

[saywut]

1. Buium
2. Yurov
3. Wallstedt
4. Ohgren
5. Heidt
6. Ritchie
7. Khusnutdinov
8. Peart
9. Lorenz
10. Hunt
11. Bankier
12. Stramel
13. Lambos
14. Kumpulainen
15. Haight
16. Healey
17. Spacek
18. Soini
19. O'Rourke
20. Milne

 

[Jbcraig1883]

Yes, i like him-- especially the fact that he is a RHD. Just hard to differentiate him from Pionk(LHD, i know), Spacek, Parker... even Masters had a nice junior year. We just seem to have a ton of 6' Dmen with good, but not great all round games that probably will flame out in the AHL.


Yeah, Spacek is an overager. Has a bit of pop offensively(so did S. Johansson, so take that with a grain of salt), but not particularly solid defensively, or physical, especially compared to ROR, Hunt, and probably, Peart. He will get more run because he is a RHD and we are thin on prospect depth there. Spacek has always been good in international play, but it doesn't seem to carry into the AHL , though i believe that the AHL is underestimated as a league. It is tough to play, and stand out in.

Right now, it's shit or get off the pot for most of our d prospects. Hunt is the only one I'd fell comfortable playing on a pairing with Bogo, right now, but i feel like any one of about 5 of our d prospects could jump up and grab a spot. I've always liked Peart, but he had a solid, unexciting year last year. That won't get it done. Parker had a nice year with Moose Jaw, but as 2nd banana to Mateychuk. Healey I like, but can he withstand the physicality of the pros. ROR...he's got to show something. Being a good AHL Dman isn't good enough.

Small sample size and won't say it means he will play regularly in the NHL but Peart was adapting to the AHL fairly quickly during his time with Iowa. He still made some mistakes that he could get away with in college but unlike Lambos and ROR, you could see him processing the game at a higher rate and making adjustments.

Agreed regarding the rest, except that I think Spacek was much better defensively and engaged physically the last few weeks of the season. His overall game seemed to elevate the more he was engaged physically. If he starts the year at a lesser level than he ended last year, I will probably throw in the towel.

 

[57special]

Small sample size and won't say it means he will play regularly in the NHL but Peart was adapting to the AHL fairly quickly during his time with Iowa. He still made some mistakes that he could get away with in college but unlike Lambos and ROR, you could see him processing the game at a higher rate and making adjustments.

Agreed regarding the rest, except that I think Spacek was much better defensively and engaged physically the last few weeks of the season. His overall game seemed to elevate the more he was engaged physically. If he starts the year at a lesser level than he ended last year, I will probably throw in the towel.

I didn't watch as much last year, especially towards the end, as I did in the previous 3 seasons. Spacek looked kind of overwhelmed at times early on, but there were so many injuries and call ups that Iowa was very understrength. Still, if he can't defend or score in the AHL, he isn't going to get a shot in the NHL. Hopefully the team is more together this year, and he is more confident as a result, and he can show us more of what he does when he plays internationally.

I watched about 8-10 games of Peart last year. He was clearly counted upon to carry one of the top two pairings, and got #2 PP time. He did ok, but seemed passive offensively(sleepy Brodin), and didn't use his legs to his fullest. Also didn't seem to have gotten much stronger. I was much more impressed with his previous year. With his build, he is not going to be a physical shut down D, but more of a hybrid two way guy who's strength is his skating, skill, and IQ. I need to see more of all three before i get excited about him again. Hunt is stronger than him, ROR is a better D zone defender, and Buium is the same type, but hopefully way better, so Peart better get his ass in gear and stop playing it so damn safe, or he'll find himself a AHL lifer.

I don't now what to make of Lambos. Best tools of the bunch, but a bit brainless? One of those guys who makes the best play of the night, and the worst?

Really, i am waiting for one or more of these guys to take a big step up and play so well that Guerin has to move Merrill/Chisholm.

 

[Jbcraig1883]

I didn't watch as much last year, especially towards the end, as I did in the previous 3 seasons. Spacek looked kind of overwhelmed at times early on, but there were so many injuries and call ups that Iowa was very understrength. Still, if he can't defend or score in the AHL, he isn't going to get a shot in the NHL. Hopefully the team is more together this year, and he is more confident as a result, and he can show us more of what he does when he plays internationally.

I watched about 8-10 games of Peart last year. He was clearly counted upon to carry one of the top two pairings, and got #2 PP time. He did ok, but seemed passive offensively(sleepy Brodin), and didn't use his legs to his fullest. Also didn't seem to have gotten much stronger. I was much more impressed with his previous year. With his build, he is not going to be a physical shut down D, but more of a hybrid two way guy who's strength is his skating, skill, and IQ. I need to see more of all three before i get excited about him again. Hunt is stronger than him, ROR is a better D zone defender, and Buium is the same type, but hopefully way better, so Peart better get his ass in gear and stop playing it so damn safe, or he'll find himself a AHL lifer.

I don't now what to make of Lambos. Best tools of the bunch, but a bit brainless? One of those guys who makes the best play of the night, and the worst?

Agree with most of what you wrote.

I didn't see ROR being a better D zone defender. His potential is to be a stay at home, rugged, defender, but I haven't seen it yet. Not saying that Peart was but can't say that anyone looked solid defensively outside of Hunt, and he was inconsistent himself (which can be the entire team, the coaching, etc.).

Re: Lambos, I am sure I have beaten a dead horse with him. He has the best skating tools north and south, an OK shot, but otherwise I am not so sure. In terms of his IQ, he doesn't have any. I wish I had videos of his shifts to show exactly what he did last year because it was bad. Not that any young guy, or even vets, don't make mistakes. But the mistakes he made week 1 were the same he made the final week. We are talking about simple outlet passes being turned over to F1 not being under any pressure and then put into the net. We are talking about simple D to D passes to break it out and completely messing it up. We are talking about leaving the front of the ice to go close a gap on the player his D partner is already closing in on, which leads to a goal against. I saw this in the WJC and there is a reason why he ended up getting benched and not invited back. There is a reason he was scratched in Iowa and the 7th D near the end of the year. And he fought 3 times I believe. He got destroyed. I bet the coaches told him - hey, we appreciate you sticking up for teammates but a) you can't fight for shit and b) thats not how you're going to make it. When you see his body language or interviews, he has the lost look ALA Cam Barker.

He will look good in structure as long as all he has to do is skate north and south, and as long as everyone else does everything for him (he looked OK in the exhibition games skating the puck up). But outside of that, I don't buy it.

And if he comes out of this offseason and tears it up, I will gladly eat crow and you all can tell me to shut up, lol.

 

[57special]

Lambos reminds me of Dumba, sometimes, but without the finishing ability.

 

[AKL]

Yurov
Buium
Wallstedt

Heidt
Ohgren

Khusnutdinov
Ritchie
Lambos
Peart

Kiviharju
Hunt
Bankier
Haight

The rest

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

Buium
Yurov
Wallstedt

Ohgren

Heidt
Khusnutdinov


Lorentz?

 

[Digitalbooya]

I'll start up the HFWild prospect ranking polls on July 4th. I'm freaking giddy about those top 3!

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I'll start up the HFWild prospect ranking polls on July 4th. I'm freaking giddy about those top 3!

I put Buium #3 initially. I'm very, very much wavering on that since.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I put Buium #3 initially. I'm very, very much wavering on that since.

I'm going back and forth on Yurov/Buium at #1. Both outstanding players at their positions and integral parts to a couple of high level winning teams. I've knocked Wallstedt down to #3, but it is not necessarily his fault. I just really like Yurov and Buium.

Three high level prospects at the top, each with their own argument to be made for being #1, feels really good.

 

[Victorious Secret]

Seems like we wasted our first two picks in the 2023 NHL draft. I didn't get it then and I still don't.

 

[57special]

Seems like we wasted our first two picks in the 2023 NHL draft. I didn't get it then and I still don't.

How was Kumpulainen a wasted pick? Had a decent year in junior, and played not only for his U18 team, but his U20. What's more, whenever I saw him he looked like a vg all round player, providing more than just points. I would bet that he is now taller than his listed 6'2" by an inch or so. Needs to fill out, but he is a very late(Aug 8) bday, so is a almost a year behind some others in his draft class in terms of development.

Deciding to play in Finland against men is a step up from the OHL, IMO.

Stramel... well, that's been beaten to death. All we can do is hope for a breakout year after a change of scenery.