It seems that I had a very similar methodology in ranking the prospects as Darren Haynes, but come out with very different rankings. Everyone sees something different in prospects, and it is always nice to see what other people think.
I am a little surprised with the low ranking on Klimchuk more than anything. For me, his biggest question mark will be his durability. That is the only thing that keeps me a bit lower on Klimchuk personally, but other than that I see a very nice prospect with him.
Jankowski I still see as a really good piece. Still have him quite high on my list - much higher than this one - but there are going to be people who just don't see what I see - and vice versa.
MacDonald could very well be the Flames' #1 goalie prospect. Gillies could be #1. Ortio could be #1. I think they all play different styles, sizes and strengths. For me, MacDonald has really grown on me in the last year. I rank both him and Ortio ahead of Gillies, but don't confuse this with me not thinking Gillies is a wonderful prospect. I really like Ortio's style and composure more. MacDonald is a guy that just seems to make that great save. Gillies is huge and composed - but he has slipped a little bit for me due to his allowing a bad goal here and there (WJC, even in the NCAA Final Four - though praise must still be given for him winning a major championship).
The hardest guy for me to ever rank on the prospect list is Ferland. This has been the case the last 3 years, actually. Sometimes I have him ranked 2nd, sometimes closer to 10th. I always said that if he makes it, he will be a game changer and a crowd favorite, and he will be a decent scorer at the NHL level. I just have a tough time trying to figure out where that ranks with players who I think will score more than him. All I know is that I absolutely love this kid, and if someone ranks him on par with Bennett (not that anyone has) I can understand why. I think we all started seeing how much of an impact player he can be. I really do believe that if all things go well, and you put him on a scoring line, this kid can pot 30 goals (yes, thirty) in a season, and be an extremely tough SOB to play against while doing so. I do think if you put him on a 4th line, he will pot in 10-15 in a season, and still be a crowd favorite and an SOB to play against. The kid just has smarts, hands and toughness. I just keep moving him up and down so much in my own rankings more than any other player - which is funny, since (once again) I absolutely love this kid.
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