Your best prospects from the last 4 years?
 

I've done some research about the 2007-2008-2009-2010 Draft and Nashville are at the top of the list for the team with the most prospects that had progressed every year in the statistical department.

Nashville is at the top with 17 players (followed by; LA with 15, Florida/Edmonton with 14.)

Who do you think might end up being impact players in the NHL? Have I left out any other players that might surprise? Keep in mind that I only used their stats so I don't take into account a defensive player. I also included all first round pick so a guy like Chet Pickard, who has yet to post good stats at pro-level, is in the list.

Jonathon Blum, D #23 2007 (Nashville)

2006-07 Vancouver Giants WHL 72 8 43 51 | 22 3 6 9

2007-08 Vancouver Giants WHL 64 18 45 63 | 10 3 4 7

2008-09 Vancouver Giants WHL 51 16 50 66 | 17 7 11 18
2008-09 Milwaukee Admirals AHL -- -- -- -- | 5 0 0 0

2009-10 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 80 11 30 41 | 7 1 7 8

2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals* AHL 54 7 27 34 | 1 0 0 0
2010-11 Nashville Predators NHL 23 3 5 8 | 12 0 2 2

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Jeremy Smith, G #54 2007 (Nashville)

2006-07 Plymouth Whalers OHL 34 2.59 23 6 1 0.923 | 4 - - -

2007-08 Plymouth Whalers OHL 40 2.86 23 13 4 0.921 | 1 - - -

2008-09 Plymouth Whalers OHL 17 4.79 3 9 2 0.873 |
2008-09 Niagara IceDogs OHL 26 3.18 12 9 3 0.913 | 12 - - -

2009-10 Cincinnati Cyclones ECHL 42 2.63 23 15 2 0.899 | 17 - - -
2009-10 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 1 0.00 - - - 1.000 |

2010-11 Cincinnati Cyclones ECHL 1 2.78 0 0 1 0.900 |
2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 28 2.26 16 8 2 0.921 | 13 2.28 7 6 0 0.931

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Nick Spaling, C #58 2007 (Nashville)

2006-07 Kitchener Rangers OHL 61 23 36 59 | 9 2 3 5

2007-08 Kitchener Rangers OHL 56 38 34 72 | 20 14 16 30

2008-09 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 79 12 23 35 | 11 0 3 3

2009-10 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 48 7 10 17 |
2009-10 Nashville Predators NHL 28 0 3 3 | 6 0 0 0

2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals* AHL 4 1 1 2 |
2010-11 Nashville Predators NHL 74 8 6 14 | 12 2 4 6

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Ryan Thang, LW #82 2007 (Nashville)

2006-07 Notre Dame CCHA 42 20 21 41 |

2007-08 Notre Dame CCHA 47 18 14 32 |

2008-09 Notre Dame CCHA 33 10 9 19 |

2009-10 Notre Dame CCHA 37 9 14 23 |
2009-10 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 12 3 3 6 | 7 1 3 4

2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 78 14 27 41 | 13 5 8 13

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Matt Halischuk, RW #117 2007 (Nashville)

2006-07 Kitchener Rangers OHL 67 33 33 66 | 9 4 1 5

2007-08 Kitchener Rangers OHL 40 13 46 59 | 20 16 16 32

2008-09 Lowell Devils AHL 47 14 15 29 |
2008-09 New Jersey Devils NHL 1 0 1 1 |

2009-10 New Jersey Devils NHL 20 1 1 2 |
2009-10 Lowell Devils AHL 32 11 11 22 | 1 0 0 0

2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals* AHL 37 11 12 23 | 1 1 1 2
2010-11 Nashville Predators NHL 27 4 8 12 | 12 2 0 2

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Andreas Thuresson, RW #144 2007 (Nashville)

2006-07 Malmo IF SEL 48 10 5 15 |

2007-08 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 77 11 7 18 | 6 0 0 0

2008-09 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 74 14 15 32 | 11 3 1 4

2009-10 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 50 14 19 33 | 7 2 7 9
2009-10 Nashville Predators NHL 22 1 2 3 |

2010-11 Nashville Predators* NHL 3 0 0 0 |
2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 76 14 24 38 | 13 3 3 6

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Colin Wilson, C #7 2008 (Nashville)

2007-08 Boston University H-East 37 12 23 35 |

2008-09 Boston University H-East 43 17 38 55 |

2009-10 Nashville Predators NHL 35 8 7 15 | 6 0 1 1
2009-10 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 40 13 21 34 |

2010-11 Nashville Predators NHL 82 16 18 34 | 3 0 0 0

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Chet Pickard, G #18 2008 (Nashville)

2007-08 Tri-City Americans WHL 64 2.32 0.918 46 12 4 | 16 - - -

2008-09 Tri-City Americans WHL 50 2.28 0.921 32 12 3 | 11 - - -

2009-10 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 36 2.85 0.892 14 16 3 | 1 - - -

2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals* AHL 7 2.96 0.899 1 4 1
2010-11 Cincinnati Cyclones ECHL 29 3.39 0.877 9 14 3

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Roman Josi, D #38 2008 (Nashville)

2007-08 Bern Swiss-A 35 2 6 8 |
2007-08 Neuchatel Young-Sprinters Swiss-B 5 2 1 3 |

2008-09 Bern Swiss-A 42 7 17 24 |

2009-10 Bern Swiss-A 26 9 12 21 |

2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 69 6 34 40 | 13 1 6 7

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Anders Lindback, G #207 2008 (Nashville)

2008-09 Brynas IF Gavle SEL 24 2.57 - - - 0.915 | 4 - - -

2009-10 Timra IK SEL 42 2.46 - - - 0.912 | 5 - - -

2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals* AHL 4 2.73 2 2 0 0.915
2010-11 Nashville Predators NHL 22 2.60 11 5 2 0.915 | 1 0.00 0 0 0 1.000

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Ryan Ellis, D #11 2009 (Nashville)

2008-09 Windsor Spitfires OHL 57 22 67 89 | 20 8 23 31

2009-10 Windsor Spitfires OHL 48 12 49 61 | 19 3 30 33

2010-11 Windsor Spitfires OHL 58 24 76 100 | 18 6 13 19
2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL - - - - | 7 1 1 2

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Taylor Beck, LW #70 2009 (Nashville)

2008-09 Guelph Storm OHL 67 22 36 58 | 4 0 0 0

2009-10 Guelph Storm OHL 61 39 54 93 | 5 3 3 6

2010-11 Guelph Storm OHL 62 42 53 95 | 6 3 5 8
2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 4 0 1 1 | 8 2 0 2

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Michael Latta, C #72 2009 (Nashville)

2008-09 Guelph Storm OHL 42 14 22 36 | 4 0 2 2

2009-10 Guelph Storm OHL 58 33 40 73 | 5 2 7 9
2009-10 Milwaukee Admirals AHL -- -- -- -- | 1 0 0 0

2010-11 Guelph Storm OHL 68 34 55 89 | 6 5 5 10
2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 4 0 1 1 | 7 0 0 0

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Craig Smith, C #98 2009 (Nashville)

2008-09 Waterloo Black Hawks USHL 54 28 48 76 | 3 1 3 4

2009-10 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 41 8 25 33 |

2010-11 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 41 19 24 43 |

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Mattias Ekholm, D #102 2009 (Nashville)

2008-09 Mora IK Swe-1 38 2 11 13 |

2009-10 Mora IK Swe-1 41 1 21 22 |

2010-11 Brynas IF Gavle SEL 55 10 23 33 | 5 0 4 4

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Gabriel Bourque, LW #132 2009 (Nashville)

2008-09 Baie-Comeau Drakkar QMJHL 60 22 39 61 | 5 0 2 2

2009-10 Baie-Comeau Drakkar QMJHL 30 13 25 38 |
2009-10 Moncton Wildcats QMJHL 25 3 11 14 | 21 19 10 29

2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 78 18 18 36 | 13 7 6 13

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Austin Watson, RW #18 2010 (Nashville)

2009-10 Windsor Spitfires OHL 42 11 23 34 |
2009-10 Peterborough Petes OHL 10 9 11 20 | 4 2 0 2

2010-11 Peterborough Petes OHL 68 34 34 68 |
2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 5 0 0 0 | 3 0 0 0

Josi, Wilson, Ellis, Blum would be my 4

Blum, Halischuk, Wilson, Ellis

This. Blum, Josi, Wilson, Ellis as far as order of awesomeness,

Blum, Josi, Ellis, Beck, Wilson and Spaling. All are good in their own way. I think Beck is going to surprise a lot of folks around here and in the NHL.

Oh... I almost cried when I saw pickard on this list... *SIGH*


Blum, Josi, Wilson, Beck, Lindback.

I will believe the Ellis hype when I see him in the AHL... though I hope he won't be around by the time he gets there. PLEASE trade him for a forward prospect of equal value. PLEASE

Why are you so against Ellis? Just curious. I know he's got value but he's a great PMD and a great PP QB. He's also got a winning pedigree, everywhere he's played he's won. These sorts of guys don't grow on trees. I know he's on the smaller size but we worried about the Blum as well and he's turning out pretty ok so far. So I'm just asking, not criticizing your thoughts.

Ellis finished the season in the AHL! He looked very poised in all situations and extremely confident with the puck on his stick. He made plays at both ends of the rink and didn't look out of place. Give the kid a chance...

Well Halischuck wasn't a Preds draftee ;)

I'll go with Blum, Wilson (hopefully gets better), Josi, & Ellis (for the hype, both positive and negative).

Mostly because he is a luxury and not a need. I repeat, a luxury not a need. What we need is a top scoring forward and a blue chip prospect. It isn't that i don't think he will succeed it is that he is not a NEED for our team. If you have a luxury like Ellis (whose stock will NEVER be higher) you need to trade for what you NEED.

I don't hate the kid as much as I see an opportunity to actually improve our team and get something we have been lacking for years. That to me is more important than the luxury of having ellis.

If you say his stock will NEVER be higher, then you don't think he will succeed. We do in fact need Ellis, he can be a dynamic scorer from the blueline on a very affordable entry-level contract. The Predators need to get the most out of their young talent such as Ellis, it's one of the downfalls of having a limited budget. He might be traded down the road, but not before seeing what he can do in the NHL. He may be successful, outprice himself and be traded, he may also underperform and be shipped out for less than what we could possibly get in return today. I don't think he will be a middling type of player with a reasonable contract that the Preds keep around for the long run, if that's the case I think he would also be traded for a chance one someone else who might help in another area. But when speaking of luxury, Poile doesn't have the luxury of trading a player like Ellis.

If you want to say that given the circumstances that Poile should be trying to draft and develop more dynamic forwards with his early picks, that's a fair argument, but the players we do have, we need to get the most out of them on their initial contract.

As a side to all of this, It's getting old very fast how as a fanbase we have begun to give up on our prospects way too soon, if they aren't in the NHL within a year or two there are too many here who write them off and consider them a bust. And when they take a few years to learn in the NHL it's even worse. See: Wilson, Klein, Geoffrion... now Watson, Ellis

Take it from someone who's former team felt the need to plug in the last 3 years of first round pick immediately into the NHL. Having the system the Preds have is a luxury. I've always told my friends that this franchise reminds me of the Braves system. Known for great drafting, deep at a greatly important position (Defense/Pitching), and a deep minor league system.

My top four would be

Blum


Josi

Wilson
Beck

...spaces intentional

Exactly. Even if he makes the NHL as merely as a serviceable player with flaws, his value would still be as high as now when he's not yet in the NHL but is viewed as having higher potential. His value may not end up as high as we hope, but that's not the same thing. Nobody will pay full price now for what he may become in the best case, they have to discount for risk.

I like Ellis, but I was ok with moving him if Poile saw a forward to draft, top ten, with potential. That'd be like trading Ellis for a draft year Colin Wilson. But it appears he wasn't able to get who he wanted.

all we talked about during the playoffs was how wretched our PP was and how we needed someone on the point to facilitate things and distribute the puck.

now we have a guy who looks to be PERFECT for that, and he's a luxury we can afford to throw by the wayside to get a prospect?

Well certainly having Ellis doing that here will be 'for the win'.

Nothing wrong with Poile always looking for value though, when he has Weber, Suter, Blum, Josi, Klein, Franson, and Ellis. And not a comparable forward group. Will Ellis displace Suter on the powerplay soon or will be on the number two unit for awhile even after he arrives, which gets fewer minutes?

Personally, I think he makes the NHL and will look good offensively, and he'll have big value then if Poile ever wants to make a move, or he can use someone else who then becomes more expendable. But he's not here yet and I wasn't alarmed to hear Poile was willing to look at a deal for a forward he really liked.

It's going to be a lot of fun seeing what Ellis can do in Milwaukee.

Halischuk was a New Jersey pick, and did the bulk of his development in their system, so I don't really think I'd classify him as our prospect.

So far, it's Blum by a mile. Five years from now, Wilson or Ellis might catch him, but I think he stays out front.


But I still think we should have taken Perron. :sarcasm:

What are the chances that Ellis makes the team before Blum? I read that Ellis almost played his way on to the team last year. Would they give Ellis a legit shot this year if he plays that good in camp?

Or would they give Blum a shot out of loyalty? Is Blum ready to make the jump?

Blum is on the team. Hell, he's already made his case to be the #3 in the depth chart right behind Weber and Suter.

Good for him. Is there room for Ellis this year?

Possibly, if he really impresses in Milwaukee. But I would say that Roman Josi is the closest to making the step up this year. Who knows though, if Ellis is on beast mode for the Ads and scoring here, there and everywhere then I don't see why he wouldn't get a chance for the Preds.