I'll try this just for pure fun. Based on the first 15 prospects voted here in another thread.
Then I'll keep this post to see how wrong I am in a couple of years...
1. Alex Galchenyuk, C -- Average first line center, but first line center nonetheless. Won't have impressive numbers, but will be a coach's player. Will be better in playoffs than in regular season.
2. Nathan Beaulieu, D -- Good #2 to #4 d-man. Will never be the most efficient in his own territory, neither in the o-zone, but will be a nice complementary piece to the premiere d-man point producer for the team he will play for. Eternal second PP unit.
3. Jarred Tinordi, D -- Valuable stay-at-home d-man. Long career from #4 to #7 d-man. Will need to be paired with the perfect fit to be as good as he can.
4. Louis Leblanc, C/RW -- Coach's player, good third liner with occasional top lines duty. Will have a couple of seasons during which people will think he finally breakout (points), but it will never go higher than during these seasons.
5. Sebastien Collberg, RW -- Speedy winger, will have problems to translate his offensive potential in the NHL. After a few seasons alternating between second line and third or fourth, will go back in Europe. Think Anti Nieminen.
6. Brendan Gallagher, RW -- Constant yet average point producer on any line he will play. Long career as a complimentary point producer in the Cliff Ronning mold. Will end up having play for many teams.
7. Morgan Ellis, D -- Another coach's player, in the Josh Gorges mold. An interesting #5-6 d-man to have around.
8. Danny Kristo, RW -- Good third liner, what Chris Higgins could have been. Occasional top lines duty. Will end up playing for many team as an interesting complementary part.
9. Dalton Thrower, D -- Will have some chances because of his character and shot, but will never be more than a #5-#7 d-man. Short career. Lots of injuries.
10. Michael Bournival, C -- Star in the AHL, with some valuable moments on a third or fourth line in the NHL. Could become the ideal 13th forward.
11. Mac Bennett, D -- Will be a late bloomer, reaching the NHL when people will have forgot about him, and will surprise with his smooth skating. But beside 1 or 2 seasons during which a struggling team will take a chance on him as a regular point man, he will never be more than a #5-#7 d-man, helpful when one of the PP point man is injured. Think about Lee Norwood a few years ago.
12. Tim Bozon, LW -- Career AHLer with some cups of coffee in the NHL. Not good enough to be a sniper or a real power forward, and not strong or gritty enough to be a real third or fourth liner. Will end up playing in Europe.
13. Patrick Holland, C -- Will surprise a lot of people by becoming a good second line center, but without a true "personality" or edge, so he will end up playing for a lot of struggling teams. Could become a poor man Andrew Cassels.
14. Aaron Palushaj, RW -- What you see now is what it will always be. Somewhere between the AHL and NHL. Will try in the KHL in 1 or 2 years.
15. Darren Dietz, D -- Serviceable spare part in the NHL. Will have a few good season as a #4-#6 d-man, but nothing to write home about.
I'll try this just for pure fun. Based on the first 15 prospects voted here in another thread.
Then I'll keep this post to see how wrong I am in a couple of years...
1. Alex Galchenyuk, C -- Average first line center, but first line center nonetheless. Won't have impressive numbers, but will be a coach's player. Will be better in playoffs than in regular season.
2. Nathan Beaulieu, D -- Good #2 to #4 d-man. Will never be the most efficient in his own territory, neither in the o-zone, but will be a nice complementary piece to the premiere d-man point producer for the team he will play for. Eternal second PP unit.
3. Jarred Tinordi, D -- Valuable stay-at-home d-man. Long career from #4 to #7 d-man. Will need to be paired with the perfect fit to be as good as he can.
4. Louis Leblanc, C/RW -- Coach's player, good third liner with occasional top lines duty. Will have a couple of seasons during which people will think he finally breakout (points), but it will never go higher than during these seasons.
5. Sebastien Collberg, RW -- Speedy winger, will have problems to translate his offensive potential in the NHL. After a few seasons alternating between second line and third or fourth, will go back in Europe. Think Anti Nieminen.
6. Brendan Gallagher, RW -- Constant yet average point producer on any line he will play. Long career as a complimentary point producer in the Cliff Ronning mold. Will end up having play for many teams.
7. Morgan Ellis, D -- Another coach's player, in the Josh Gorges mold. An interesting #5-6 d-man to have around.
8. Danny Kristo, RW -- Good third liner, what Chris Higgins could have been. Occasional top lines duty. Will end up playing for many team as an interesting complementary part.
9. Dalton Thrower, D -- Will have some chances because of his character and shot, but will never be more than a #5-#7 d-man. Short career. Lots of injuries.
10. Michael Bournival, C -- Star in the AHL, with some valuable moments on a third or fourth line in the NHL. Could become the ideal 13th forward.
11. Mac Bennett, D -- Will be a late bloomer, reaching the NHL when people will have forgot about him, and will surprise with his smooth skating. But beside 1 or 2 seasons during which a struggling team will take a chance on him as a regular point man, he will never be more than a #5-#7 d-man, helpful when one of the PP point man is injured. Think about Lee Norwood a few years ago.
12. Tim Bozon, LW -- Career AHLer with some cups of coffee in the NHL. Not good enough to be a sniper or a real power forward, and not strong or gritty enough to be a real third or fourth liner. Will end up playing in Europe.
13. Patrick Holland, C -- Will surprise a lot of people by becoming a good second line center, but without a true "personality" or edge, so he will end up playing for a lot of struggling teams. Could become a poor man Andrew Cassels.
14. Aaron Palushaj, RW -- What you see now is what it will always be. Somewhere between the AHL and NHL. Will try in the KHL in 1 or 2 years.
15. Darren Dietz, D -- Serviceable spare part in the NHL. Will have a few good season as a #4-#6 d-man, but nothing to write home about.
Now, we'll see... lol
I like when our fans are realistic, but you would think at least one or two of those players will become a star.
I think Thrower will make a lot of teams wish they never passed on him. He's already a very good defenceman, and he plays with a huge chip on his shoulder. Actually, more like a boulder. Like Subban: talent, character and drive.
Collberg could also be the best Habs pick of the draft.
I like when our fans are realistic, but you would think at least one or two of those players will become a star.
I think Thrower will make a lot of teams wish they never passed on him. He's already a very good defenceman, and he plays with a huge chip on his shoulder. Actually, more like a boulder. Like Subban: talent, character and drive.
Collberg could also be the best Habs pick of the draft.
I loveeeeeeee collbergs skillsset he just bleeds goalscorer. what I love is that he has amazing skating abilities so he can create his own lanes and whip one top cheese
I loveeeeeeee collbergs skillsset he just bleeds goalscorer. what I love is that he has amazing skating abilities so he can create his own lanes and whip one top cheese
He really needs to step up in Sweden this coming season, though.
He really needs to step up in Sweden this coming season, though.
Hopefully he's put in a scoring role and not playing 5mins a game on the 4th line. That too me will show why alot of teams were very stupid in letting him fall to us.
Alex Galchenyuk: 80-90 point two-way #1 centre, a la Jonathan Toews.
Nathan Beaulieu: 40-50 point #2-3 Defenseman, 1st wave PP, average in his own end, Mike Green-ish.
Jarred Tinordi: #3-4 Shut down d-man, 1st PK unit, good for 20-25 points, see a more mobile and intimidating Hal Gill.
Loius Leblanc: Top-6 forward, too much skill and smarts to be on the 3rd line, good for 20-25 goals and about 50 points, with a couple of 60+ point seasons. Patrice Bergeron-esque.
Sebastian Collberg: Top line sniper 28-35 goals, 65+ points, in the mold of Patrick Kane with less playmaking ability.
Brendan Gallagher: Top line winger, but fits into the 2nd line behind Collberg. 20-25 goals, 45-55 points. Brian Gionta.
Morgan Ellis: #4-5-6 D-man who can play in all situations, 2nd PK, 10-20 points. Poor man's Josh Gorges.
Danny Kristo: 2nd line winger who eventually gets traded because of depth on RW and attitude issues, 20-25, 50 points. Poor man's Phil Kessel.
I loveeeeeeee collbergs skillsset he just bleeds goalscorer. what I love is that he has amazing skating abilities so he can create his own lanes and whip one top cheese
Collberg is undersized, does not have a strong defensive game and struggled mightily when playing against tough competition.
He has a very long way to go before he will be making any impact or even make the team with the Canadiens.
This is why I love the HFBoards and love threads like this one.
I agree with a lot of the people saying that we're overrating our prospects.
Odds are that a few of those will never make the NHL.
Galchenyuk I'm really hoping turns into an impact PPG player, but that's being optimistic. Realistically, if I was a betting man, I'd pick someone like Mikko Koivu as a comparable.
Beaulieu - I'm a little disappointed in the comparables for him so far because I've seen little of him and was hoping he was doing well. From the little I've seen, his offensive skills and vision seem to be on another level.
He's more of a boom or bust type of guy, I guess, but I hope to see him and Tinordi as a strong second pairing in the future, with Subban and hopefully a strong two-way defenceman as our first (hopefully a step up from Gorges, who would be on our bottom pairing).
Tinordi - I'm hoping he pans out. Has little offensive game but hoping he can be a solid stay-at-home d-man. I'd be very happy with a Komisarek-type of d-man.
Gallagher - I'm not as high on him as others are, but I think if he makes the NHL, he can be a good 20-50 guy on the second line.
Collberg - Way too early and I have never really seen him play (I don't remember noticing him with Sweden at the WJC). It would be great for him to turn into a top line player with Gally and Patches, but that's not really based on anything much other than the fact that Timmins really likes him.
I don't know much about Ellis, but am very happy with what I've been reading on him thus far. Sounds like he could be an NHL player.
Other than those guys, I'm not sure if anyone else will really have a significant impact for us at the NHL level. Odds are one or two of those guys will bust and one or two not listed will surprise, but it'd be very tough to tell at this point.
