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Originally Posted by Beacon
I agree that Fasth, Lindberg and McIlrath will be NHLers. All three are ready now or almost ready and should be in the NHL some time next season.
It's tough to say that Skjei and Nieves are guarantees of any kind. Let's keep in mind that a late first rounder has only a 33% chance of making the NHL and a late second stands at about 12%-15%. Granted that both, especially Nieves, had excellent half a season post-draft, but it's still have a season. I like both picks - LOVE the Nieves selection - but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Hrivik, however, looks like he's close to the NHL. It is plausible, of course, that his game will plateau at the age of 21 (look at McColgan plateauing at 16), but someone who's a quality top-6 AHLer at the age of 21 is very likely to play in the NHL.
I like Jean too. Nobody is paying any attention to him, but he's not bad. Think of Boyle with better wheels. We'd like that Boyle, wouldn't we? I wish one of them would learn to shoot, instead of just hurling the puck slowly at the goaltender.
St. Croix isn't having a great season statistically in the WHL, don't know much else. I'd guess that the odds of either MSC or Thomas making it are 25-75, so it's still 50-50 that one of them will become a second liner. (If they make it, it will be as scorers.)
There's nothing about Foggy that intrigues. I haven't seen anything great about him when I watched him. He's a 4th liner in college and was a 3rd liner in the third-rate BCHL. Even on a great BCHL team, he should still have been a first liner because that league's quality is significantly worse than college or juniors. I just don't see how he's a superior prospect to Yogan, who at the same age was his team's scoring leader in juniors, has more size, more speed and better hands.
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I'm worried about Hrivik's health. Because of the concussion. That's why I said I'm hopeful. I guess we have to see if he can return 100%.
McColgan I'm afraid of his size. Being small in Canadian juniors is OK. But not always at the pro level.
St. Croix has a lot of talent. But unsure how he will do away from the puck at the pro level or if his production from juniors will translate.
I agree its a while off yet for Nieves and Skjei but these two are really good. The size, skill, and smarts and skating that translate to pro hockey. Being young even for the NCAA they are playing against mostly older more mature competition. NCAA is a young adult league whereas CHL is a teenage league. Not as much a knock on the CHL as it is a compliment to players who can perform as freshmen in the NCAA.
I like their trajectory.