I don't really think so. Lindberg, Valentenko and Kundratek are all in the same tier as Fasth in my opinion. They are all playing in pro leagues already and Valentenko and Kundratek are probably ready for NHL duty while Lindberg, despite having a lower ceiling maybe, isn't all that far behind Fasth. I think the real drop-off comes after #12. The arbitrary classification in tiers after 10, 20 etc. prospects seems unnecessary and wrong to me.
No. There is a huge drop-off. You can argue after #8, if you want, but Fasth looks like the real deal after the year he had. But you now are dropping down to guys who are really fringe players or guys with huge boom/bust potentials.
I am not using any set tier to evaluate. We have 8 or 9 really good prospects. You start getting into low B level guys after 8 or 9 (I think Fasth is definitely a solid B level guy, which is why the drop off happens after him).
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"Of course giving Sather cap space is like giving teenagers whiskey and car keys." - SBOB "Watching Sather build a team is like watching a blind man with no fingers trying to put together an elaborate puzzle." - Shadowtron
Sestito still on the make a wish tour. - rholt168
When the guys in the top 5 graduate this list is going to be pretty barren...
Luckily our NHL squad is one of the youngest in the NHL
27.703 according to NHLnumbers.com (9th in the NHL)
Who knows, really. I said this years ago, then a bunch of guys came out of nowhere. Let's see how Fasth, Lindberg, Miller, Fogarty, St. Croix and McColgan develop.
That said, I will agree that the February 2012 rankings will likely have fewer prospects. Between two guys graduating and a couple of guys from this bunch likely having bad seasons, anything out of our top-10 will probably not be particularly exciting next time around.
About to graduate:
1. Zuccarello
2. McDonagh
Make or break seasons:
1. Valentenko
2. Weise
Mid-level prospects who need a good season to establish themselves:
So we have two prospects we will lose for for sure to graduation and 7 more who would not be particularly exciting if they have a subpar season.
Of those 7, let's say 2 have great years, 3 have ok years and 2 have bad seasons. Between these two and the graduates, our number of exciting prospects goes down by 4.
Hagelin, Erixon and Valetenko could possibly graduate as well. That could be half of top-10 gone. Need guys like St Croix, McColgan and Fogarty to step up and be the next wave. You cant graduate as many guys as Rangers have over last few years and have a loaded farm system.
We can't vote on Inferno every time. But we could vote for which fan gets an honorable mention again. The trick is that he must get more votes than an actual player who gets on the voting list.
Inferno already got that last time and has therefore graduated.
I went with Ryan Bourque, just over Lindberg. Tough choice. V-Tank? He should be in the discussion, but I have some questionmarks. I need to see more of Yogan.
Of the players I've seen, my top 10: 1. Chris Kreider -- I love the fact that he is staying in college. If he was gearing up for camp, I am not sure if he would be on top of my list. This kid has so much talent in him -- but he is also sooo raw in so many areas. He needs to step outside his box and expand his register, if not, there is a risk that he will become just a roleplayer in the NHL. Like a Manny Malhotra type. But unlike Manny, this kid is not rushing things. Love it.
2. Mats Zuccarello -- Has the highest potential of any prospect in the organization, by a pretty wide margin. At least in the sense I look at potential. With minimal ice time, weak environment, etc. this kid scored 0.5 PPG. He can develop his game a lot still, his passing is tremendous and he can bury the puck. His first year in the SEL he was overwhelmed, his second year he set the record for pts from a forigner. His second year in the NHL? If things goes his way, if he can stay healthy and take another step -- this kid will become a Ziggy Palffy type in the NHL.
3. Ryan McDonagh -- A very good prospect, but I am probably not as impressed with this kid as some others. I think in his rookie season, more then anything, he displayed a very high low level. And he is strong infront of the net. But besides not doing anything bad and besides clearing the crease -- I was never really impressed with him. He never wowed you, defensive 1 on 1 plays included etc. I am not saying that he cannot become a strong top 4, he can definitely become that. But I like the two above more.
4. Tim Erixon -- High overall talent level. Very composed. 2-way D. Can fire the puck. Very smart kid. More potential than McD -- but natrually not yet NHL proven. Should not be overrated before we see him, should not be underrated if he does wow you the first time you see him. Will play in the NHL no doubt. He is the type of prospect who you wouldn't mind to have as the nr 1. prospect of your org.
5. Dylan McIlrath -- I like this kid and I think he will turn out to be a decent pick. A kid like Fowler will wow you at first, but no matter what he needs to hold up in all aspects in a PO's for example to be seen as a strong player 10 years into his career, and I am not sure he can do that. Anyway, back to McI, the kid moves well. Thats a must for any player, and its very unusual for a kid his size. I always laugh when I see people trashing 6'6 Victor Hedman for not being perfect at the age of 20, while logging top 3 minutes for a ECF team and doing a good job overall. Its the same with McI. He has talent. He has a way into the NHL as a stay at home D -- which is a very important aspect. You learn to play the NHL game in the NHL. You cannot learn it anywhere else. Some players has it in them to learn the aspects they need to learn, but its very tough for them to get a chance in the big league in a good environment since they need very specific roles.
Hagelin, Erixon and Valetenko could possibly graduate as well. That could be half of top-10 gone.
Under HF rules, a prospect needs to play 65 games to graduate, and there won't be enough games by February.
But if they graduate (or bust) by the end of the season, and the Rangers do well, we could have a huge number of graduates that are replaced by low picks.
If Zuccarello, McDonagh, Erixon, Hagelin and either Valentenko or Weise graduate or bust, to be replaced by #25 and #55 draftees in 2012, we are likely to fall to the bottom third of prospects among all teams, unless of course the next wave of kids step up big time and/or Slats acquires more guys like Erixon and McDonagh cheap.
Either way, as the quality of the team improves and we pick later, our prospect crop will get worse. Which is not a bad thing in the grand scheme.
Under HF rules, a prospect needs to play 65 games to graduate, and there won't be enough games by February.
But if they graduate (or bust) by the end of the season, and the Rangers do well, we could have a huge number of graduates that are replaced by low picks.
If Zuccarello, McDonagh, Erixon, Hagelin and either Valentenko or Weise graduate or bust, to be replaced by #25 and #55 draftees in 2012, we are likely to fall to the bottom third of prospects among all teams, unless of course the next wave of kids step up big time and/or Slats acquires more guys like Erixon and McDonagh cheap.
Either way, as the quality of the team improves and we pick later, our prospect crop will get worse. Which is not a bad thing in the grand scheme.
I wouldnt mind that because that means our player personel people and our player development people are getting it right. Its the drafting and developing that keeps teams good year after year.
Management is finally seeing the fruits of there labor.
