Scott Wheeler's Prospect Pool Rankings 2026

[looooob]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

If Calder candidates aren't eligible:
1. 26' CGY 1st
2/3. Wyttenbach
2/3. Reschny
4. Potter
5. 26' VGK 1st
Then take your pick from the 26' 2nds, Stockselius, Mews, Basha, Curran, Othmann, Morin, Zarubin, Castagna, Suniev, Stromgren, and Wiebe.

wouldn't Honzek be eligible (albeit barely) no matter what? can't see why he wouldn't be listed either by common sense or Calder criteria?

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by looooob

wouldn't Honzek be eligible (albeit barely) no matter what? can't see why he wouldn't be listed either by common sense or Calder criteria?

You're probably right, I thought he played 6 games last year and not 5.

[Enoch Root]

I doubt players would be deemed ineligible mid-season. Those guys will be graduated in the summer.

[Yanda]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

With Gridin and Bru back on the roster likely for the rest of the year all 3 of those 2 and Parekh have 18 games this year with 20 games left giving each guy the potential of playing 38 games in the NHL this year. Will all 3 graduate from the prospect rankings for the summer?

For me I see Gridin and Parekh(also Kuz and Honzek) as graduated. Gridin is getting top 6 minutes and isnt even getting the Backlund/Coleman Treatment. Parekh will bounce between 2nd and 3rd pairing plus PP time. These guys have graduated and we made roster moves to protect them as NHLers.

Hunter hasnt gotten the same opportunities, there isnt the same guarentee that he wont be a tweener still next year. I would still consider him a prospect for the rankings.

[Yanda]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

You're probably right, I thought he played 6 games last year and not 5.

Dude would have made the Olympic team if healthy

[gvitaly]

The Stars were added as the 31st rated prospect pool. Do I need to bump this thread each day, or just updating the list would do?

It's interesting that Wheeler listed so many more prospects for FLA. He had 10 prospects in tier 1 for FLA, 3 in tier 2. At the same time he only had 2 prospects in tier 1 in DAL, 2 in tier 2 and 4 in tier 3.

[TheIronMaiden]

go ahead and bump the thread. we don't have much else to worry about.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

The Stars were added as the 31st rated prospect pool. Do I need to bump this thread each day, or just updating the list would do?

It's interesting that Wheeler listed so many more prospects for FLA. He had 10 prospects in tier 1 for FLA, 3 in tier 2. At the same time he only had 2 prospects in tier 1 in DAL, 2 in tier 2 and 4 in tier 3.

I got the impression the tiers were for the individual team. None of these guys would be true tier 1/blue chip prospects.

So Florida just has a pile of meh

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

The Stars were added as the 31st rated prospect pool. Do I need to bump this thread each day, or just updating the list would do?

It's interesting that Wheeler listed so many more prospects for FLA. He had 10 prospects in tier 1 for FLA, 3 in tier 2. At the same time he only had 2 prospects in tier 1 in DAL, 2 in tier 2 and 4 in tier 3.

Updating the list is awesome, but you don't need to bother listing all the prospects. People can do their own research if they want that.

Thank you.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Yanda

For me I see Gridin and Parekh(also Kuz and Honzek) as graduated. Gridin is getting top 6 minutes and isnt even getting the Backlund/Coleman Treatment. Parekh will bounce between 2nd and 3rd pairing plus PP time. These guys have graduated and we made roster moves to protect them as NHLers.

Hunter hasnt gotten the same opportunities, there isnt the same guarentee that he wont be a tweener still next year. I would still consider him a prospect for the rankings.

He might graduate Gridin, but he had a few guys with similar NHL profiles ranked last year (Will Smith and Marco Kasper to name a couple). I think he'll also see that Parekh was forced into the NHL and will leave him as a prospect.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Updating the list is awesome, but you don't need to bother listing all the prospects. People can do their own research if they want that.

Thank you.

of course feel free to add as much as you'd like in terms of scoffing at a few of our favorite organizations that I suspect will make appearances in the near future

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Yanda

For me I see Gridin and Parekh(also Kuz and Honzek) as graduated. Gridin is getting top 6 minutes and isnt even getting the Backlund/Coleman Treatment. Parekh will bounce between 2nd and 3rd pairing plus PP time. These guys have graduated and we made roster moves to protect them as NHLers.

Hunter hasnt gotten the same opportunities, there isnt the same guarentee that he wont be a tweener still next year. I would still consider him a prospect for the rankings.

yeah I feel as if he graduates those guys (all 4, Kuz is obvious and ZP and MG are maybes) then he will for other teams too, and if he doesn't paradoxically that should be considered a win for the Flames as moving blue chippers to the NHL is the whole point, so if our guys are leapfrogging other teams (and yes we are a bad NHL team but so are many of the other prospect rich teams)

[Matty81]

It's too bad it appears the Athletic has discontinued the team by team prospect rankings in January. Hopefully they will still at least do it once a year in the summer, always enjoyed those even if the rankings aren't always perfect. Be nice if they actually hire a flames writer again eventually too.

[Yanda]

Originally Posted by looooob

yeah I feel as if he graduates those guys (all 4, Kuz is obvious and ZP and MG are maybes) then he will for other teams too, and if he doesn't paradoxically that should be considered a win for the Flames as moving blue chippers to the NHL is the whole point, so if our guys are leapfrogging other teams (and yes we are a bad NHL team but so are many of the other prospect rich teams)

Im talking from a CP summer prospect Rankings viewpoint.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Matty81

It's too bad it appears the Athletic has discontinued the team by team prospect rankings in January. Hopefully they will still at least do it once a year in the summer, always enjoyed those even if the rankings aren't always perfect. Be nice if they actually hire a flames writer again eventually too.

That’s what this thread is about.

Athletic writer Scott Wheeler had a baby and put off the annual prospect rankings. He started posting this year’s rankings yesterday with Florida last and Dallas second last.

[Matty81]

^^ total brain cramp on my end! I thought this was the earlier thread about the massive article he wrote around january, thought these were not coming. I actually looked about a week ago so great news

[gvitaly]

30. Oilers ▾1

Tier 1: Howard(LW, 22' #31)
Tier 2: Akey(RD, 23' #56), Fischer(LD, 23' #138), Jonsson(G, 22' #158), Lewandowski(LW, 25' #117), Barnett(LD, 25' #131), Wakely(C, 24' #192), Park( C, 25' #223)

[Tkachukwagon]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

30. Oilers ▾1

Tier 1: Howard(LW, 22' #31)
Tier 2: Akey(RD, 23' #56), Fischer(LD, 23' #138), Jonsson(G, 22' #158), Lewandowski(LW, 25' #117), Barnett(LD, 25' #131), Wakely(C, 24' #192), Park( C, 25' #223)

Oilers suck, empty cupboards and no prospects of note. 30th overall is generous.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Tkachukwagon

Oilers suck, empty cupboards and no prospects of note. 30th overall is generous.

The reality is if they actually do the right thing at some point and move Draisaitl and McDavid before he walks as a UFA they will fill those cupboards pretty quick.

So hopefully they let them walk as UFAs instead.

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

30. Oilers ▾1

Tier 1: Howard(LW, 22' #31)
Tier 2: Akey(RD, 23' #56), Fischer(LD, 23' #138), Jonsson(G, 22' #158), Lewandowski(LW, 25' #117), Barnett(LD, 25' #131), Wakely(C, 24' #192), Park( C, 25' #223)

How is Howard a tier 1? Curious how that is defined. His numbers look exactly like Pelletier's in D+4 and I don't think anyone on earth thought he was a tier 1 at the time plus he had another dimension to his game and also wasn't a jagoff. Feels like charity calling this guy tier 1.