Who are the best players over the age of 25 not yet in the NHL?iamcaper 10-16-2003, 04:22 AM 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? Hossa 10-16-2003, 06:01 AM 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 10-16-2003, 06:14 AM 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 10-16-2003, 06:32 AM 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 10-16-2003, 06:54 AM Petr Sykora tom_servo 10-16-2003, 07:28 AM Petr Sykora Sorry, he won't be 25 until this December. No exceptions! jepjepjoo 10-16-2003, 11:00 AM 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 10-16-2003, 11:06 AM My picks would be Ronnie Sundin and Dieter Kalt. Just a guess. DJ Spinoza 10-16-2003, 11:06 AM Wayne Gretsky and Bobby Orr meet the requirements.:) RoyceBrown 10-16-2003, 11:12 AM Some who weren't mentioned............ Maxim Sushinski David Moravec Viktor Ujcik Jan Benda Dr Seldon 10-16-2003, 11:25 AM Johan Davidsson and Peter Nordström deserves mention. Biscuit Bullet 10-16-2003, 01:06 PM Sorry, he won't be 25 until this December. No exceptions! hmm, I thought he was 26...guess not. Costanza 10-16-2003, 01:27 PM I would say Roman Malek. I was disappointed he didn't come over this year. psycho_dad 10-17-2003, 12:06 AM 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 10-17-2003, 11:47 AM 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 10-17-2003, 12:43 PM Jiri Dopita :joker: :joker: :joker: Wildcat 10-17-2003, 01:07 PM 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 10-17-2003, 01:40 PM 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 10-18-2003, 12:29 AM 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 :D I totally forgot about Tuulola... That time in Elitserien sure was time well spent... Histrion 10-18-2003, 04:50 AM Jiri Dopita :joker: :joker: :joker: Hey! :mad: I was going to say it too! :) ttnorm 10-20-2003, 06:07 PM 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 10-20-2003, 06:46 PM Karalahti Pärssinen Caloun Peltonen Eloranta Vujtek Nummelin Helminen :bow: eh 10-20-2003, 11:52 PM I thought Jantunen Was a veteran of 3 NHL games :D 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 10-20-2003, 11:57 PM Karalahti Pärssinen Caloun Peltonen Eloranta Vujtek Nummelin Helminen :bow: All of them have played in the NHL and likely will never play in the NHL again, so where's the yet? hannes_ko 10-21-2003, 08:49 AM 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... miklu 10-21-2003, 09:58 AM All of them have played in the NHL and likely will never play in the NHL again, so where's the yet? Uh, I missed that yet part completely. Let's try it again: Toni Söderholm Martin Hlavacka Jaakko Uhlbäck Nicklas Bäckström Sakari Palsola Kimmo Kuhta Markku Tähtinen Pasi Saarinen Jari Korhonen Sebastian Sulku Mika Lehto Jan Latvala Marko Tuulola Ari Vallin psycho_dad 10-21-2003, 12:17 PM Rintanen can be dominant on the national team at times. Probably one of the best stickhandlers in Europe. Rintanen also has a great shot, but unfortunately he is not using it much. When he was a junior and his first few years in Finnish league he actually used that shot...after he went to TPS he started to act like a playmaker. He probably learned from Keskinen that he is not supposed to shoot at all, just pass. Has great hands, decent wheels, but no physical presence. | ||