I remember Huska glowingly talking about Gridin when he was sent down. He stated (loosely from memory): "I expect Gridin to come in next season and challenge for a spot on the team. He isn't that far away." The only other prospect I heard him really referencing contending for a spot on the team next season was Parekh.
As for the defencemen, I think there are variations between them, rather than they competing with one another. I sort of see the break-downs like this:
Parekh - in his own class of being a true #1 defencemen like Makar, Hughes, Fox.
Morin - I see him in the mold of Giordano, Weegar, Andersson - strong defensively, strong offensively
Brzustewicz/Mews - offensive dynamos to headline a strong 2PP and be the #3 defencemen continuing play-driving after Parekh steps off the ice - I see these two compete with one another more with Bahl being the stabilizing defensive force on that pair.
Poirier - Magic hands, but a tougher time pinpointing where he would end up in. He is waiver eligible, so I would love to see him get inserted into the lineup this season for a long look. At worst (assuming he develops into an NHL'er - of course the absolute worst is not making it, but speaking specifically about turning into an NHL'er) I think he would be a PP option. I think he has worked hard at defence, so maybe he is closer to Brz/Mews' ceiling than I give him credit for (which is why I really want to see him in the NHL at some point).
I also think this is the modern NHL. You don't need Regehrs any longer (and I loved Regehr). I think the model is to go for Giordano/Doughty types - defencemen with good offensive games who are equally strong defensively, and who excel on the transition. The "modern defencemen" now. Lots of talent there, and perhaps higher ceilings in some cases than we (or at least myself) expect.
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