Summer 2015 Prospect Ranking - Round 8

[thymebalm]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Love that he's got such a big frame, but it feels like Culkin, Morrisson, and Kulak are gaining on him so quickly with more offensive upside that he's falling. And then yeah there's the trio of high upside shiny new toy picks (Hickey/Andersson/Kylington) and more physical guys like Rafikov and Kanzig as wild cards...

Wotherspoon will hang around on the NHL Flames for a few years, maybe as soon as 2016-17 as the #4 D beside Hamilton if money forces some tough decisions. But then he'll be passed up and moved along.. it's almost inevitable considering how high-quality the rest of these guys are.

I don't know if it's inevitable, but Wotherspoon really needs to carve a name out for himself this year if he doesn't want to be leap frogged. He's ready and I think he can become a dependable every day NHLer, it's basically up to him this camp to prove his a better option than Engelland.

[kehatch]

Wotherspoon is the minor league version of Butler. Vanilla player that doesn't do anything particularly well or particularly bad. He fills a spot untill someone better comes along.

With Morrison, Hickey, and the new draftees better has come along.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by kehatch

Wotherspoon is the minor league version of Butler. Vanilla player that doesn't do anything particularly well or particularly bad. He fills a spot untill someone better comes along.

With Morrison, Hickey, and the new draftees better has come along.

You must be speaking about a different "Butler". He was all sorts of bad almost all the time. One of the worst defensemen at reading a play. He almost always made the wrong choice.

If we're talking about physical tools, then yes, they're comparable, but that's where it ends.

[Vulcan]

I voted Klimchuk and after he gets voted in I'll vote for Wotherspoon as he's still our best defence prospect. I like Granlund but he seems to have stagnated a little last season. One thing is a lot of our prospects are ranked fairly evenly in my mind and can move up or down, depending on performance pretty easily.

[cral12]

Originally Posted by Red Menace

My 7th straight vote for olliekdot, The Gunfighter from the OK Corral, the Kylington Express, the Sweet Swede, The Big Chill himself.......Oliver Kylington.
He will be our #1 prospect when we do this list next summer.....

Same here.

For the sure thing, I'd probably go with Klimchuk. Granlund 3rd in line for me at this point.

It's all about Oliver's ridiculous upside for me.

[#-3]

Looks like for the 4th round I will have to vote Klimchuk again tomorrow. I don't know where I am going after that.

I'm actually considering Kanzig. I've had 2 viewings and from what I have seen he is a guy uses his size perfectly, and has pretty good hockey sense (knows how to not get caught out of position due to limit transition speed). I really believe those two things will make up for the fact he wont be winning many skill comp events in his career. When I've seen him I actually thought balance was his biggest issue, I kinda hope its a big body young man think.

[flame^thrower]

Can't ditch Granlund this far in! Another vote from me ...

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by kehatch

Wotherspoon is the minor league version of Butler. Vanilla player that doesn't do anything particularly well or particularly bad. He fills a spot untill someone better comes along.

With Morrison, Hickey, and the new draftees better has come along.

You are under-rating Wotherspoon. He isn't flashy but he is a solid, smart player.

Morrison is not better (but is just about as good). Hickey and the new draftees are not here yet and have a long way to go before they have (physically) passed him. By then, he will likely have already established his spot on the roster.

[kehatch]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

You are under-rating Wotherspoon. He isn't flashy but he is a solid, smart player.

Morrison is not better (but is just about as good). Hickey and the new draftees are not here yet and have a long way to go before they have (physically) passed him. By then, he will likely have already established his spot on the roster.

I agree he is solid and smart. But that doesn't make him an NHL player. He strikes me as very average in every area. I haven't seen anything from him to get excited about. The organizations reluctant to play him during call ups doesn't help the impression. I see him quickly being passed on the depth chart by players with more to offer.

I love being wrong about these things though. Hopefully he has a future as a good full time NHLer. But so far I don't see it.