Calgarypuck Prospect Ranking 2019 - Round 8

[Bingo]

Summer time, and time for ...

Calgarypuck's 6th Annual Prospect Ranking Poll Series

Here are the last 5 years for a quick glance ...
Prospect Rankings
2013 - Results
2014 - Results
2015 - Results
2016 - Results
2017 - Results
2018 - Results

As per usual the vote is up to you. Some see it as most likely to play, some see it as highest ceiling, others see it as a mix of both.

Happy voting!

Results

1. Juuso Valimaki - 92.6% (Round 1)
2. Dillon Dube - 54.5% (Round 2)
3. Oliver Kylington - 78.3% (Round 3)
4. Jakob Pelletier - 58.0% (Round 4)
5. Matias Emilio Pettersen - 50.0% (Round 5)
6. Tyler Parsons - 50.0% (Round 6)
7. Matthew Phillips - 55.6% (Round 7)

[agulati]

Voted for Zavgorodniy this round, though Pospisil IMO is pretty close as well. Do not know much about Nikolaev.

[VilleN]

Went with Gillies... don't know enough about a lot of the other guys here. And, as others have said, at this point Gillies is the most likely to see (more) NHL time.

[Flamescuprun2018]

Nikolayev might be a steal of a 3rd rounder. Draft analyst had him at 23rd ranked in draft in April. Fast riser.

Source: https://www.thedraftanalyst.com/2019...lya-nikolayev/

"A brick wall of a two-way playmaking center who was Russia’s top-line pivot at all of the under-18 events he participated in, Nikolayev is incredibly strong on his skates and plays with a high compete level. He is consistently the center summoned by his coaches to tackle tough assignments such as late-and-close faceoffs, checking opposing top players or scoring in the clutch. Nikolayev’s stickhandling and puck protection are excellent both on the move or within the cramped confines of a given zone...

He was named the top forward in the MHL playoffs before he was summoned to play for Russia at the U18 worlds."

[Cheese]

Ive always liked Sveningsson

[Mass_nerder]

We're officially into the "I know little to nothing about most of the prospects" territory.
Everyone seems excited for Nikolaev though, so here's to hoping!

[neo45]

Reading about Nikolaev and Pospisil they both seem like they could be role players even if their offensive potential isn’t realized, so I would have gone with both before the last three selections.

Next votes:
1. Nikolaev
2. Pospisil
3. Ruzicka (surprising lack of mentions)
4. Yelesin (played a regular shift in the second best league)
5. Zavgorodniy

[FBI]

Little Z!

[TheIronMaiden]

Sveningsson is my choice. Simply put, he proved that he can contribute offensively in a mans league with secondary minutes. At 20 there is still room for development, and his progress has been steady. Next season his regular minutes in the SHL will be harder minutes then most other players left on the list will have.

[dustygoon]

Koumontzis with no love?

Kristen Anderson notes during camp...

“Unprompted yesterday, #Flames GM Brad Treliving singled out Demetrios Koumontzis as one of the most improved players at camp. We are seeing that today in the controlled scrimmage.”

Invited to USA summer showcase. Came to college straight from High school. No USHL. And despite being a younger freshman put up almost a point per game to start the season (through 8 games). He slowed down and had some lows, but the guy looks legit.

[savardandjokinen]

Jeremy McKenna should not be on the list, I believe he is an AHL deal only?

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by savardandjokinen

Jeremy McKenna should not be on the list, I believe he is an AHL deal only?

He is but I still think he earns a contract. As a matter of fact he is my next vote because while not having the best odds I think he has the potential for high offensive upside.

[flamesfan55]

Feel Yelesin is being a bit over looked.

[SuperMatt18]

This is where it gets interesting to me.

You could make a case for any of Zavgorodniy, Koumontzis, Sveningsson, Nikolaev, & Pospisil here, or even any of Ruzicka, Tuulola, Yelesin, or Gawdin (same points AHL rookie season as Phillips) in this stretch IMO.

Think I'm going to go Pospisil just because his combination of size, toughness, and skill is something that really isn't matched in the organization. And his skating is pretty good for a big guy too (USHL top prospect testing - https://www.ushl.com/news_article/show/873336)

Once he figured out the USHL he dominated:

Had 7 points in his first 23 games in the league after adjusting coming over from the Czech U19 league.

Since then he finished 17/18 with 30 points in his last 26 games, and had 63 points in 44 games in his Draft+1 season.

93 points in 70 games in that stretch is really impressive in the USHL. And still had over 100 PIMs and a 12 game suspension (for trying to fight a fan lol) during that 18-19 season.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by flamesfan55

Feel Yelesin is being a bit over looked.

My next three are the Russians. Nikolaev, Zavgorodniy, and Yelesin are next on my list followed by Gillies and Pospisil.

[Zoller]

Pospisil

Niko

And Zav should be the next 3

Glen Gawdin should be getting some votes soon too

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Zoller

Pospisil

Niko

And Zav should be the next 3

Glen Gawdin should be getting some votes soon too

To me Gawdin's short coming is the same as Tuulola's. I don't think that either are good enough skaters to have an impact in the NHL. No prospect on this list is perfect, but strong skating is almost a must. Lomberg is a perfect example of the opportunities a player can get because of their skating, while Lomberg is not exceptional in any capacity, the fact that he can skate at an NHL level has allowed him to play multiple games for the Flames. Its hard to get a sniff at the NHL without proving that you have the speed.

[dammage79]

I see Nikolaev as Backlunds replacement eventually. Not often you find a highly ranked Center who prides himself more on his 200ft game than just offense, especially from russia. Nikolai Kulemin may be a great comparable. Tireless worker and relief on for heavy minutes.

[savardandjokinen]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

He is but I still think he earns a contract. As a matter of fact he is my next vote because while not having the best odds I think he has the potential for high offensive upside.

Well to me that means he’s technically not a Flames prospect, as any time could sign him today and we hold no rights

[Zoller]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

To me Gawdin's short coming is the same as Tuulola's. I don't think that either are good enough skaters to have an impact in the NHL. No prospect on this list is perfect, but strong skating is almost a must. Lomberg is a perfect example of the opportunities a player can get because of their skating, while Lomberg is not exceptional in any capacity, the fact that he can skate at an NHL level has allowed him to play multiple games for the Flames. Its hard to get a sniff at the NHL without proving that you have the speed.

I would tend to agree with the Lomberg example, but Gawdin's skating isn't really all that bad. I've watched him play in 6 games in Stockton and his skating reminds me of Tkachuk. Now that's not a great comparison as Tkachuk may be the worst skater in our top 6. But Tkachuk is doing quite well with his less than steller skating ability.

Gawdin strikes me as a guy who could seamlessly get into the lineup as early as this year. Likely as a Hathaway replacement. He'll never be a top line scorer, but he has rounded out his game and can play in all 3 zones. 3rd line potential as a ceiling, depth forward floor imo. Guaranteed to get some NHL games some time in the next 2 years. I can't say the same about Zav, Pospisil, or Niko, although I believe Pospisil is the most intriguing at this stage.