Summer 2015 Prospect Ranking - Round 8

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Totally hear you.

To me though its where a player tops out. Klimchuk is a given and will get my vote soon. But I think he's likely a third line guy. A good one hopefully, but a third line guy.

Guys taken at the end of the first round are usually in that Klimchuk mold.

Kylington dropped like a stone this year, but was as high as 3/4 in the past draft a year earlier because of his talent. If the Flames get him on track he could be a top pairing defenseman.

The warts of his fall kept him out of my top 7 but this is the point in the prospect rankings where guys start to have issues ... either upside, or attitude, or skating, or size, etc.

Why did Kylington drop like a stone?

What needs fixing?

If he actually was in the top-2 or 3 D-men to be drafted January 2015 then based on the draft picks of the following the past 3 years he should almost be ready to step into the NHL.... Seth Jones , Ekblad, Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov, Mirco Mueller or at most a year or a year and a half away.

Has there ever been someone rated to go in the top 10 at mid-season drop to the end of the 2nd round?

I thought that Cam Fowler was a similar drop in 2010 but looking it up he dropped from Central scouting 3rd N/A at midseason to 5th North American to being picked #12 in the draft. McKenzie had him a #5 overall in his final rankings


The other big drop was Angelo Espositio getting picked #20 overall in 2007.

Just pre-draft Mackenzie had him ranked #8. ESPN had him at #5 Central scouting had him at #11 for the final but was #1 N/A skater at mid season.

Are there any other players that dropped so much as Kilington in 3 months of hockey? Was the evaluation a blip or with hind-sight some career limiting insight found over the 3 months or just some sort of group panic among the NHL GMs?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Why did Kylington drop like a stone?

What needs fixing?

Has there ever been someone rated to go in the top 10 at mid-season drop to the end of the 2nd round?

I thought that Cam Fowler was a similar drop in 2010 but looking it up he dropped from Central scouting 3rd N/A at midseason to 5th North American to being picked #12 in the draft. McKenzie had him a #5 overall in his final rankings


The other big drop was Angelo Espositio getting picked #20 overall in 2007.

Just pre-draft Mackenzie had him ranked #8. ESPN had him at #5 Central scouting had him at #11 for the final but was #1 N/A skater at mid season.

Are there any other players that dropped so much as Kilington in 3 months of hockey? Was the evaluation a blip or with hind-sight some career limiting insight found over the 3 months or just some sort of group panic among the NHL GMs?

It happens.

http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pitts...ospect-saginaw

From top 4, to mid 1st and ended up taken in the mind 2nd.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by mrmastodonfarm

klimchuk

granlund can rot in hell.

liar!!!

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

If Granlund's skill starts showing in the NHL, you folks are really going to start kicking yourselves. The kid is unreal.

Comparing Granlund and Klimchuk's upside is baseless and arbitrary. Comparing Bennett's upside with Matt Deblouw's upside has footing. Granlund and Klimchuk, no.

That's when you have to start looking at what they've accomplished. Granlund put up great points in a men's league before moving to a better men's league where he almost went a point per game. The only level he's struggled getting points in is the NHL, and even then he doesn't look out of place. He just needs to re-discover that skill in Calgary.

I like Klimchuk. He's obviously still a top prospect, but he's put up numbers you'd expect from a first rounder in the CHL. The AHL is a different animal and hopefully he can put up 60 or so points in his rookie season, but until then Granlund absolutely has the edge.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

It happens.

http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/pitts...ospect-saginaw

From top 4, to mid 1st and ended up taken in the mind 2nd.

Very valid example..... Saad seems to have not looked good playing injured in his draft year.... his rookie year in the OHL. There were comparisons of his play in 2011 to Esposito's play in 2007.

[GranteedEV]

Mangiapane has a higher ceiling than Klimchuk and Granlund.

I still voted Granlund, what he's already done in the NHL bodes well for him going foraard.

[kehatch]

I am voting Granlund because he has earned it. He has produced well in the AHL and he has shown he is good enough to play in the NHL. Plus there is no reason to think he won't improve.

That said, I get the hate. My gut tells me he is another Horak. Maybe a Boyd. On the upper end, perhaps a Lombardi.

But my gut also tells me that chocolate and chips are the healthiest thing going. So Granlund gets my vote for now.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Originally Posted by kehatch

I am voting Granlund because he has earned it. He has produced well in the AHL and he has shown he is good enough to play in the NHL. Plus there is no reason to think he won't improve.

That said, I get the hate. My gut tells me he is another Horak. Maybe a Boyd. On the upper end, perhaps a Lombardi.

But my gut also tells me that chocolate and chips are the healthiest thing going. So Granlund gets my vote for now.

HA! Nice. This one got a good chuckle out of me.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by kehatch

That said, I get the hate.

There's no hate, it's a bit of a running gag.

[Stupid]

I'm a little surprised there's so little love for Wotherspoon.

Also a second round pick.
Developing well.
6"2, 209lbs

I realize we just picked up a few D guys and this is not a shiny new toy but this toy is almost ready for the bigs. He's one of those guys you just don't notice a lot which is really a sign of a good defender.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Stupid

I'm a little surprised there's so little love for Wotherspoon.

Also a second round pick.
Developing well.
6"2, 209lbs

I realize we just picked up a few D guys and this is not a shiny new toy but this toy is almost ready for the bigs. He's one of those guys you just don't notice a lot which is really a sign of a good defender.

Limited upside. He's probably a 5/6 defender at the NHL level, #4 at best. That likely isn't as valuable of an asset as a clear top 6 forward, top 4 defenseman or a starting goalie. And there's guys with the upside left to be those kinds of players (Kylington, Andersson, McDonald, Granlund, Klimchuk).

He's a good prospect.

[Enoch Root]

Yup. Wotherspoon is the under-rated, forgotten prospect this year

[dammage79]

"Shiny new toy syndrome" is the most belittling fracking term being used around here right now. my slappin hand gets twitchy whenever I read some poor argument being made using that crappy term.

Voting Kylington because supposedly "shiny new toy" has my brains all messed up about how I feel about the Flames prospects. He's so shiny and new!!!

[Stupid]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Limited upside. He's probably a 5/6 defender at the NHL level, #4 at best. That likely isn't as valuable of an asset as a clear top 6 forward, top 4 defenseman or a starting goalie. And there's guys with the upside left to be those kinds of players (Kylington, Andersson, McDonald, Granlund, Klimchuk).

He's a good prospect.

I had him as a 4/5 guy but close enough I suppose. Maybe it's my conservative nature but I value that pretty highly seeing how he's close to coming to fruition vs. some of these guys who are all pretty big question marks and quite far away. Granlund maybe less so but you get my point.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Stupid

I'm a little surprised there's so little love for Wotherspoon.

Also a second round pick.
Developing well.
6"2, 209lbs

I realize we just picked up a few D guys and this is not a shiny new toy but this toy is almost ready for the bigs. He's one of those guys you just don't notice a lot which is really a sign of a good defender.

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.

[Fire]

I don't see Klimchuk having the impact that Granlund did in his first season in the AHL. Granlund gets my vote again.

[The Fonz]

I think I have to vote Wotherspoon before either of Andersson or Kylington, as I haven't had the opportunity to watch either of the new guys.

I believe Wotherspoon makes the team this season, and develops into a solid 2nd pairing Dman in a few years. I realize I'll be voting for him for a while though... not looking like he'll get in until Round 11-13.

[The Fonz]

Will actually vote for Wotherspoon next round over Klimchuk. As much as I like Klimchuk, and believe his ceiling is higher than Granlund's, I need to see him translate his game to the AHL level before I rank him any higher.

[getbak]

Assuming Granlund finally wins this one, Wotherspoon gets my next vote.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Klimchuk until he's off the board for me.