THN: Prospects Unlimited

[albertGQ]

I'm a huge fan of THN'a Draft Preview and Future Watch magazines so when I saw this issue on newsstands, I picked it up right away. It ranks the top 100 players that are 21 years old and younger. Anyone pick up a copy? The top 10 list is below.

1. McDavid
2. Matthews
3. Ekblad
4. Eichel
5. Mackinnen
6. Laine
7. Barkov
8. Puljujarvi
9. Strome
10. Larkin

23. Sam Bennett

28. Olli Juolevi
29. Matthew Tkachuk

35. Sam Reinhart

Those that have a copy, thoughts on the top 100? Those that don't, thoughts on top 10?

[mdubz]

Wonder where Monahan would rank if he was a few months younger, considering he was in the same draft class as MacKinnon (#5).

[jg13]

1. McDavid
2. Matthews
3. Ekblad
4. Barkov
5. Mackinnon
6. Eichel
7. Laine
8. Drouin
9. Larkin
10. Draisaitl

Would be my top 10 for now. How Tkachuk falls an entire 21 spots behind Puljujarvi makes no sense to me. Also Bennett will move up that list significantly after this season.

[IgiTang]

How the f*** is Juolevi ahead of Tkachuck? I've seen him live a couple times and he is not that great. In fact, I would say he was just ok. Troy Stetcher was miles beyond Juolevi.

Just that alone makes me question the writer...

But hey, another excuse to put McDavid on something to sell some wares..

[Flames Draft Watcher]

I was gonna be where the heck is Ristolainen in the top 10? But then I realized he was 22. They should pick a draft year cutoff. Seems silly to have a list that includes MacKinnon but excludes players from his draft year (Monahan and Ristolainen).

[OutOfTheCube]

Reinhart that low is shockingly dumb. He had 42 points in a full NHL season last year and is ranked behind guys that haven't even played a game.

[GranteedEV]

I would trade Tkachuk for Sam in a Reinhartbeat

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I would trade Tkachuk for Sam in a Reinhartbeat

I probably wouldn't. Reinhart drafted as a centre but they have played him on RW. We're set at centre with Monahan, Bennett, Backlund, Janko. I think we need Tkachuk's physical, agitating skilled style more than Reinhart's skilled but softer style. Tkachuk compliments our group better IMO.

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by jg13

1. McDavid
2. Matthews
3. Ekblad
4. Barkov
5. Mackinnon
6. Eichel
7. Laine
8. Drouin
9. Larkin
10. Draisaitl

Would be my top 10 for now. How Tkachuk falls an entire 21 spots behind Puljujarvi makes no sense to me. Also Bennett will move up that list significantly after this season.

Puljujarvi is overrated. At a Puck Talks event in Toronto in September a few Finnish and Swedish journalists were on a panel as they were in town for the World Cup. They mentioned that Toronto may regret passing on Laine, but definetly not Puljujarvi, as from their viewpoint he doesn't have elite hockey sense. They mentioned he will be a good player, just not elite. That was the take of the Finnish journalist especially, who would have a vested interest.

The Hockey News take isn't surprising as the magazine's editor is Ken Campbell. Ken is a dinosaur that orginizes and cultivates less insight than viewing this board using critical reflection.

[darthma]

Originally Posted by nobles_point

Puljujarvi is overrated. At a Puck Talks event in Toronto in September a few Finnish and Swedish journalists were on a panel as they were in town for the World Cup. They mentioned that Toronto may regret passing on Laine, but definetly not Puljujarvi, as from their viewpoint he doesn't have elite hockey sense. They mentioned he will be a good player, just not elite. That was the take of the Finnish journalist especially, who would have a vested interest.

The Hockey News take isn't surprising as the magazine's editor is Ken Campbell. Ken is a dinosaur that orginizes and cultivates less insight than viewing this board using critical reflection.

I was at the Vancouver - Edmonton game on Friday. It was a fun game (as a fan of hockey in general). One thing about Puljujarvi that stood out to me is how tired he looks. He had a partial breakaway with one tired D man back and another Oilers forward with him. He basically gave up on the play, passed it away, then shot over the net when it came back to him. He does backcheck fairly well, and in that sense is likely to be a more 2-way player than Matthews and Laine, but I would wholeheartedly agree he is a significant step below Matthews and Laine in terms of offensive threat. And as a young man in the league, usually those guys have endless energy. He looked like he ran out of gas on several occasions.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

That's sorta weird. For my money, Ekblad should very obviously be ahead of Matthews, and Mackinnon should very obviously be ahead of both Matthews and Eichel.

[TheFlamesVan]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

I probably wouldn't. Reinhart drafted as a centre but they have played him on RW. We're set at centre with Monahan, Bennett, Backlund, Janko. I think we need Tkachuk's physical, agitating skilled style more than Reinhart's skilled but softer style. Tkachuk compliments our group better IMO.

Soooo..... you're saying he's a skilled, top 6, right handed, right winger? Sounds ideal.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by mdubz

Wonder where Monahan would rank if he was a few months younger, considering he was in the same draft class as MacKinnon (#5).

Monahan is a year older than MacKinnon and Barkov.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

That's sorta weird. For my money, Ekblad should very obviously be ahead of Matthews, and Mackinnon should very obviously be ahead of both Matthews and Eichel.

I take Matthews over Mackinnon easily. And probably Eichel too. Why would it be obviously?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I take Matthews over Mackinnon easily. And probably Echel too. Why would it be obviously?

I suppose it weighs on what you value higher. Franchise defenseman or franchise center. Matthews looks the part but it's very early for him while Ekblad's proven that he's on trajectory to be a franchise defenseman. I would tend to put Ekblad 2nd myself simply because of what he's accomplished before 21. Kind of surprised how high Strome is. The stats look good but he's never wowed me when I have watched him play.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I suppose it weighs on what you value higher. Franchise defenseman or franchise center. Matthews looks the part but it's very early for him while Ekblad's proven that he's on trajectory to be a franchise defenseman. I would tend to put Ekblad 2nd myself simply because of what he's accomplished before 21. Kind of surprised how high Strome is. The stats look good but he's never wowed me when I have watched him play.

I was talking v. Mackinnon though, not Ekblad.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by TheFlamesVan

Soooo..... you're saying he's a skilled, top 6, right handed, right winger? Sounds ideal.

Yeah not sure wing is the best position for Reinhart though as doesn't possess breakaway speed and doesn't really have the strength to dominate the boards. Centre seems best for his skill set IMO.

Monahan and Gaudreau are extremely skilled but not very physical. Bennett combines skill and physicality and that's why I liked him over Reinhart and Draisaitl. Tkachuk as well brings skill and physicality. I wouldn't want to lose Tkachuk's physicality and strength. We're pretty set for skill in the long run IMO. And surrounding the pure skill of Gaudreau/Monahan with the power and skill of Bennett/Tkachuk/Ferland seems like a dynamite mix long term.

It'd be nice to have another right shot but I wouldn't sacrifice the long term mix we've got just to add one.

[TheFlamesVan]

I agree with absolutely everything you just said. However I would still do that trade (which Buffalo absolutely would not).

Tkachuk is a great piece... I would just really like to have a right wing sniper on this team. We are in bizarro world 1998-2011. Next, a decade of stacked forwards and not a defenceman to be found.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I take Matthews over Mackinnon easily. And probably Eichel too. Why would it be obviously?

Yep and it's not even close. Problem with Mackinnon is he goes weeks looking elite and then months looking average.

His play at the World Cup was elite but he's right back being "ok" in the NHL where he looks real good at times but is very inconsistent. I don't like his development path so far in his career. He definitely has the speed and skill but something is missing.