FanRagSports Top 25 Under 25

[savardandjokinen]

I don't know, is Lindholm a lock? His stats don't say much (which is a poor reason to leave someone off the list, but offensive dmen are normally given more credit.)

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I think the first 6 I listed are a given. SO that leaves either Ristolainen or Murray as the other.

Gonna go ahead and say it's Ristolainen. Murray isn't that good (yet).

Although with Marner and Werenski being as high as they are despite not proving they can do it for more than one season, maybe it is Murray.

[Samonadreau]

I thonk with 2 Stanley Cups Murray is on that list.

[1qqaaz]

Murray is a lock. Other than his injury problems, he's mind-blowingly good.
Plus he has won more cups than the other top 20 players combined.

[Geeoff]

Based on careers so far, I would go McDavid #1 and Murray #2.

[Love]

Can't wait until Sam Bennett is on this list next year

[White Out 403]

Murray #6

[Kipper_3434]

Originally Posted by Love

Can't wait until Sam Bennett is on this list next year

And Tkachuk

[ToewsFan]

Scheifele at #7. The Jets struck Gold in the 2011 draft.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by ToewsFan

Scheifele at #7. The Jets struck Gold in the 2011 draft.

How so? Scheifele was drafted top 10 and has maintained that position in production, being the 5th most productive player to date. If you're looking for a team that struck gold in the 2011 draft, look at the Chicago Blackhawks. They got Bandon Saad and Andrew Shaw in the 2nd and 5th rounds respectively, and both are top six for production from their draft. The Jets got the player you would hope to get drafting top 10.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by New Era

How so? Scheifele was drafted top 10 and has maintained that position in production, being the 5th most productive player to date. If you're looking for a team that struck gold in the 2011 draft, look at the Chicago Blackhawks. They got Bandon Saad and Andrew Shaw in the 2nd and 5th rounds respectively, and both are top six for production from their draft. The Jets got the player you would hope to get drafting top 10.

I get your point. But how many times did the Flames have to draft top 10 before they got a #1 centre out of it? Sure you're expected to find gold in the top 10 but it doesn't always pan out (Tkaczuk, Fata, Krahn, etc)

I think it's fair to say the Jets struck gold. There's enough busts and disappointments that are taken top 10 that getting a franchise centre still has to be considered a big success.

[Enoch Root]

Gaudreau - with the 104th pick - is 'striking gold'

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

I get your point. But how many times did the Flames have to draft top 10 before they got a #1 centre out of it? Sure you're expected to find gold in the top 10 but it doesn't always pan out (Tkaczuk, Fata, Krahn, etc)

I think it's fair to say the Jets struck gold. There's enough busts and disappointments that are taken top 10 that getting a franchise centre still has to be considered a big success.

I guess we have different ideas of striking gold then. Getting a player in the top 10 that turns into what you expect is business happening as it should. Finding a franchise player in the 4th round, or every player selected from that draft playing in the NHL, is striking gold. I agree that there are more disappointments than there are success stories, but getting a player that lives up to expectations shouldn't be considered a home run or striking it rich.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by New Era

I guess we have different ideas of striking gold then. Getting a player in the top 10 that turns into what you expect is business happening as it should. Finding a franchise player in the 4th round, or every player selected from that draft playing in the NHL, is striking gold. I agree that there are more disappointments than there are success stories, but getting a player that lives up to expectations shouldn't be considered a home run or striking it rich.

In FDW's defense, I think Scheifele's realistic expectation in his draft year would have been more of a 50-ish point 2C, basically a less defensively capable Backlund.

For him to hit the 80+ point mark is striking gold. Although the fact that he is flanked by talent like Wheeler, Ehlers, and Laine does lessen the value of his 82 points. Funny though, he used to be Frolik's linemate. Makes you wonder "what if" Backlund played with a right winger offensively better than Frolik, like all three of Scheifele's wingers.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Eh I don't think you can expect to get a franchise centre outside the top 3-5 a lot of years. So I still see landing one in the 6-15 range as striking gold.

If you're expecting a Scheiffele every time you draft 6-10 you're gonna be disappointed a lot IMO. The strength of recent drafts has maybe changed this but look at the drafts of the 90's or 2000's and see how many teams completely failed to find a franchise player in the top 10. It was not common or regular to be finding franchise players top 10 until the past 5 years or so of strong drafts. In the past you'd have a 50% chance of having a guy in the 6-10 range totally bust. So I'd say if you found a franchise player you certainly struck gold and did the unexpected.

[GoJetsGo]

Yea I'm not understanding the issue with determining the Jets struck gold with Scheifele at 7 at when Nugent-Hopkins was #1 overall. Clearly, they did.

[Bingo]

4. Patrik Laine
5. Leon Draisaitl
6. Matt Murray
7. Filip Forsberg
8. Mark Scheifele
9. Jack Eichel.
10. Zach Werenski
11. Johnny Gaudreau
12. Nathan McKinnon
13. David Pastrnak
14. Mitch Marner
15. Aaron Ekblad
16. Aleksander Barkov
17. Dougie Hamilton
18. Seth Jones
19. Sean Monahan
20. Nikolaj Ehlers
21. William Nylander
22. Jacob Slavin
23. Brandon Saad
24. Jonathon Drouin
25. Max Domi

[Oling_Roachinen]

Wow, Lindholm snub. Assuming Kucherov, McDavid and Matthews round out the top 3.

There's a legitimate case to be made that Lindholm should have been the top rated defenseman on the list. Certainly no case can be made to argue that some relatively unproven forward like Domi is better than him or has more potential.

[Tinordi]

No Lindholm is just bad. I'd take him over any D on this list.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Wow, Lindholm snub. Assuming Kucherov, McDavid and Matthews round out the top 3.

There's a legitimate case to be made that Lindholm should have been the top rated defenseman on the list. Certainly no case can be made to argue that some relatively unproven forward like Domi is better than him or has more potential.

I like Lindholm but he doesn't do much offensively and isn't even their #1 dman when it comes to regular strength ice time (Fowler is).
I probably would have had him in the 20-25 range but I think it is valid to not have there at all.