Thanks for your clarification, please don't think I'm attacking you personally (or anyone for that matter).
Obviously ranking these guys is a tough process and I don't envy those who have to do it, just seems to me that on recent lists, HF has tended to favor recently drafted players (Hodgson) over guys who were drafted a longer time ago, but maybe be more accomplished at this stage in their development and who have equivalent potential.
The committee this year tried to get away from that a little bit. You can see we moved the drafted prospects around a bit more instead of just relying on hype. Normally the best ones would be all near the front almost because nobody knew just what to expect from them.
This year we almost did the opposite, and we may have ended up getting burned on Kadri. He will likely be higher in the next top 50. It's not a perfect science, and it's even harder without the preseason as a safety net.
If you look at the top 15 this year though based on what we were looking at before even rookie camps began:
1. Tavares - recent pick
2. Hedman - recent pick
3. Filatov - ready for breakout NHL season
4. Bogosian - ready for breakout NHL season
5. Hodgson - ready to move to AHL/NHL
6. Pietrangelo - ready for breakout NHL season
7. Duchene - recent pick
8. Brassard - ready for breakout NHL season
9. Varlamov - ready for breakout NHL season
10. Giroux - ready for breakout NHL season
11. Oshie - ready for breakout NHL season
12. Rask - star AHL goalie
13. Eller - ready to move to AHL/NHL
14. Hickey - ready to move to AHL/NHL
15. vanRiemsdyk - ready to move to AHL/NHL
Only three are recent picks, and they were the top three chosen. I think you could make arguments for many of those other players being where they're at as well as for being higher.
Dare I say Rinaldo was London's best forward? I remember having a debate with someone last season about Rinaldo's offensive potential in this league. I really didn't think he had the skill to develop into a scoring option the way other "scrappers" have in their veteran seasons in the OHL. I must admit, I was wrong. He was dynamite tonight. On the penalty kill, he was a force. His forechecking really disrupted the ability of Windsor's defenseman to move the puck up ice. Offensively, he looked like a man possessed, taking the puck to the net and showing some really good puck control. On one occasion he got Ryan Ellis to bite on the fake and walked right around him to the net. Only an Ellis hook prevented Rinaldo from putting a good shot on net. Most importantly, he was disciplined and didn't take any bad penalties, while still playing his in your face style. He's really developing into a quality professional hockey league prospect.
As for Wellwood, I liked what I saw. He really is the opposite of his brother Kyle. He skates well, he's an excellent two way player and he has a level of grit to his game. Seems to be one of those guys who's always got his motor running and who skates hard. This allows him to excel on the forecheck and on the penalty kill. I'm not sure he has a whole lot of offensive potential at the NHL level, but he could definitely develop into a quality role player.
Here's a revised version of the organizational depth chart you guys can work off of. I put it together while working on the 2009 system audit that will be coming up.
Please remember that though this is the current depth chart based on the way the organization has acted towards specific prospects, it does not currently effect the post-draft organizational top 20. Basically it's who the organization is focusing their attention on regardless of league and who is in a position to perform at the NHL level the quickest.
CENTER
1. Claude Giroux - 8.0B - NHL
NPP. Jared Ross - N/A - AHL
2. Jonathan Kalinski - 5.5B - AHL *first prospect in line for role-player call-up
3. Jonathan Matsumoto - 6.5C - AHL
4. Dave Labrecque - 7.0D - QMJHL *performed well in preseason as winger but back to center in juniors
5. Zac Rinaldo - 5.5C - OHL
6. Ryan Dingle - 6.5F - AHL
LEFT WING
1. James van Riemsdyk - 8.0C - NHL
2. Patrick Maroon - 7.0C - AHL *first or second prospect in line for scoring winger call-up
NPP. Lukas Kaspar - N/A - AHL
NPP. Krys Kolanos - N/A - AHL
3. Garrett Klotz - 5.0C - AHL
4. Matt Clackson - 5.0C - AHL
5. Eric Wellwood - TBD - OHL *played defense in camps but returned to wing upon return to juniors
RIGHT WING
NPP. Mika Pyorala - N/A - NHL
1. Andreas Nodl - 6.5C - AHL *first or second prospect in line for scoring winger call-up
2. David Laliberte - 6.0C - AHL
3. Josh Beaulieu - 5.5C - AHL
4. Rob Bellamy - 6.0C - AHL
5. Andrei Popov - 6.5D - KHL
DEFENSE
1. Ryan Parent - 7.0B - NHL
NPP. Danny Syvret - NHL
2. Marc-Andre Bourdon - 7.0C - AHL *first prospect call-up for defense
3. Kevin Marshall - 7.0C - AHL
4. Denis Bodrov - 7.0D - KHL *considered NHL-ready by organization
5. Oskars Bartulis - 6.0C - AHL
6. Michael Ratchuk - 6.0C - AHL
7. Joonas Lehtivuori - 6.5C - AHL *appears to be healthy scratch on the Phantoms
NPP. Logan Stephenson - N/A - AHL *no technical affiliation to the Flyers organization
8. Simon Bertilsson - 6.5C - SEL
9. Tyler Hostetter - 6.0D - OHL
10. Oliver Lauridsen - TBD - NCAA
Note: NPP - Non-prospect Project in organization. (Open to interpretation) These players will not and cannot be reflected upon in audit since they are not technically prospects.
I have a friend who works in Seatle and covers the team. She actually got me in contact with the organization. I wanted to see if I could see what was up with DeSerres. He looked alright, clearly nothing spectacular, in camp but fell apart as soon as he went back.
Something was obviously up. The team was really quiet about DeSerres, and before I could set things up for an interview with him, he was traded.
It's a shame that he's completely fallen apart because I was a big fan when he was drafted.
I have a friend who works in Seatle and covers the team. She actually got me in contact with the organization. I wanted to see if I could see what was up with DeSerres. He looked alright, clearly nothing spectacular, in camp but fell apart as soon as he went back.
Something was obviously up. The team was really quiet about DeSerres, and before I could set things up for an interview with him, he was traded.
It's a shame that he's completely fallen apart because I was a big fan when he was drafted.
He'll come into Brandon as a backup but has a chance to earn the starters role on a very good team that is guaranteed a berth in the Memorial Cup, which is kind of a big deal in Junior hockey.
He'll be playing with lots of other draft picks in Schenn, Glennie, Calvert, Rajala, Robak, Urbom and Brandon should be loading up.
He'll come into Brandon as a backup but has a chance to earn the starters role on a very good team that is guaranteed a berth in the Memorial Cup, which is kind of a big deal in Junior hockey.
He'll be playing with lots of other draft picks in Schenn, Glennie, Calvert, Rajala, Robak, Urbom and Brandon should be loading up.
Hopefully he just needs a change in scenery!
Wouldn't be surprised. Seattle is looking like they're not going to be very... oh what's the word I'm looking for?.... good!
The only game I've seen him in this season, he got shelled for 5 goals in the 3rd. But I would call it a team collapse, not necessarily him collapsing. Like I said, they're not very good.
Bertilsson has been very good so far. He usually gets around 20 minutes each game, sometimes even 24 minutes. He plays for a team that doesn't have plenty of experienced D-men and with a coach who is not afraid to give prospects ice time. Bertilsson has looked like a slightly bigger version of Kimmo Timonen so far. Experienced team mates say things like "It looks like Bertilsson has played in SEL for 10 years" and similar stuff. He reads the game extremely well and is very 'cool' with the puck. He's also stronger than last season and usually wins battles in the corners against forwards who are much bigger than him.
So he's already getting 24 minutes a game in the SEL? Man that will help the old development a lot. great to hear.
Not every game, but some. He actually had a concussion a couple of weeks ago, but is wasn't a serious one, and he's fully recovered now. He played 19:19 minutes last game, but that was his first game in a week due to the concussion.
By the way, Brynäs' best D-man, who happens to be Lars Jonsson (if you remember him) is injured for a month, so expect Bertilsson to get even more ice time during the coming weeks, as Jonsson usually gets 30 minutes a game.
The fact that Bertilsson is a part of a very professional organization (Brynäs) should also help his development. They provide their prospects with healthy food etc.
Last edited by Pellegrino: 10-16-2009 at 06:08 PM.
Not every game, but some. He actually had a concussion a couple of weeks ago, but is wasn't a serious one, and he's fully recovered now. He played 19:19 minutes last game, but that was his first game in a week due to the concussion.
By the way, Brynäs' best D-man, who happens to be Lars Jonsson (if you remember him) is injured for a month, so expect Bertilsson to get even more ice time during the coming weeks, as Jonsson usually gets 30 minutes a game.
The fact that Bertilsson is a part of a very professional organization (Brynäs) should also help his development. They provide their prospects with healthy food etc.
Stevens bakes cakes... I can see it wont work already
Saskatoon and Morrison currently lead 4-0 in the middle of the 3rd period. He currently leads the WHL in save percentage as well as GAA. I'm really starting to like this pick.
Hostetter held pointless in an Erie win.
Wellwood had 2 assists in a 4-0 Windsor win.
Lauridsen had an assist in a St. Cloud State win. He's got a goal and an assist in 4 games so far.
