19th - Phoenix Coyotes - GM: Paul
Top 5 farm players: Kevin Shattenkirk, Ryan Stoa, Carter Ashton, Robin Lehner,Harri Sateri
Strength: The Coyotes seem solid in all 3 areas. Shattenkirk,Weber and Cohen lead the Defense. Stoa, Ashton and Coyle lead the offense. Sateri and Lehner lead in net.
Weakness: Only thing that Phoenix is lacking is high end talent, especially at Forward.
Analysis: The Coyotes have a well balanced group of prospects. However, are they going to be a huge improvement over their active roster? Also, with Thomas and Roloson aging, are Sateri and Lehner ready to take over?
20 – Carolina Hurricanes – GM: Jon
Top 5 prospects: Derek Stepan, Ryan Ellis, Cody Goloubef, Justin Faulk, and Dylan McIlrath
Strengths: Offensively talented defensive prospects
Weaknesses: Lack of organizational goaltending depth
Analysis: With 4 of their 5 top prospects being on the back end, the Hurricanes will continue to rebuild through the draft and may focus on acquiring young forwards and goaltenders. Derek Stepan looks to one day be captain material and has finished a solid college career. He will most likely spend 2010-2011 developing his pro game in the minors unless he absolutely wows management in training camp.
Offensively gifted forward, Kirill Kabanov, will look to establish himself as a top prospect in the ufhl after a disappointing 2009-10 season. On the back end, Carolina is stacked with 3 very good offensive D-men, but all will have to become defensively responsible in order to crack the pro line-up. The wildcard on defense is Dylan McIlrath, a big body that loves the physical parts of the game and is not shy when it comes to throwing haymakers. His offensive game got better in the second part of last season and if he continues to develop in the next two seasons, he could become a force as a pro.
Goaltending is currently the biggest concern in the organization as there are currently no viable future starters unless one of Justin Pogge or Russian, Vasily Koshechkin surprises. This position may be a focal point for the coming draft as an organization needs a solid goaltending pipeline to compete in the UFHL.It seems the rebuild will continue for a couple of year in Carolina, but management is slowly, but surely, building a powerful future for the Hurricanes with its focus being building from within through the draft.
21st Tampa - GM: Dave
Top 5 farm players: Nicklas Bergfors, Dustin Tokarski, Tyler Cuma, Pat Wiercioch, Mike Santorelli
Strength: Bergfors surprised with quality ice time, some depth prospects have good potential.
Weakness: Few sure NHL top line prospects.
Analysis: Current Starters strong and well rounded but the long term future could be challenging for Tampa!
22 – Detroit Red Wings – GM: Shaun
Top 5 farm: Calvin De haan (D), Gustav Nyquist (F), Austin Watson (F), Jared Knight (F), Ryan Spooner (F)
Strength: Strong forward crop that should help dramatically improve some older players. A potential stud defenseman in De haan.
Weakness: After De haan the defensive part of the system looks weak, no pure potential franchise player.
Analysis: Shaun has a great knack for finding OHL talents as seen by his top 5 list. His drafting of Spooner and Knight could provide some offensive spark to his team as soon as next season. With De haan, he could instantly help his defensive crop and remove some wasted space. Quality goaltending prospects but nothing looks as prized as Mason, but they got potential to be solid. Adding more defensive prospects with an offensive ability is needed.
23rd Ottawa- GM: Donavan
Top 5 farm players: Peter Regin, PK Subban, Derek Forbert, Michael Grabner, Angelo Esposito
Strength: Speed and Skill in abundance.
Weakness: Wonder about off ice issues with Subban; defensive depth is weak
Analysis: Ottawa has a potential stud defenseman in PK Subban if he can come into this season and thrive like he did in the playoffs. Regin is a star in the making if he can keep putting it all together. Questions arise with whether or not Grabner will become that scoring winger he was once destined to be and whether or not Esposito will ever turn the page. Sky is the limit.
24 – Pittsburgh Penguins – GM: Mitch
Top 5 prospects: Brett Connolly, Eric Tangradi, Blake Kessel, Kent Simpson, Nate Prosser
Strengths: Each position has at least 1 good prospect
Weaknesses: A lot of draft picks from previous years have been traded away
Analysis: The top 2 prospects in the organization are Brett Connolly and Eric Tangradi, both of whom could be impact players in the UFHL within a couple of years. Blake Kessel has shown some promise as of late scoring a point per game at the NCAA level. At the goaltending position, 2010 draftee, Kent Simpson, makes the Penguins top 5. Simpson is a big goalie who has struggled in international play, but really found his game in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips.
The Penguins should now focus on drafting and developing their own players instead of drafting well then trading away for current pro players in order to make a push for the playoffs. Time will tell whether management can change the way his prospects seem to be shipped out before making any sort of impact.
25th – Boston Bruins - GM: Jon
Top 5 farm players: Ville Leino, Drayson Bowman, Jussi Rynnas, Dan Sexton, Jonathan Matsumoto
Strength: Most of Boston’s prospects are guys who have had considerable success in the leagues they have been playing in. Whether or not they can translate that success to the NHL as Leino and Sexton have remains to be seen.
Weakness: Many of Boston’s prospects are 4th, 5th, and 6th round draft choices – if not free agents signed out of college. GM Jon has an eye for talent, so there could be diamonds in the rough to be mined from the farm – fantastic if they turn out – but fact is, later draft picks and college free agents are more likely to never realize their potential due to the attention that higher draft picks usually get from their NHL teams.
Analysis: Boston’s farm team represents one option for team management. The Bruins focus is always on their pro-roster, and this often costs the team high draft picks and blue-chip prospects. Instead of investing resources in acquiring players through the draft and waiting for years for them to arrive, the Bruins rely much more heavily on free agents. The result of this is the roster is filled with low-cost, no-risk, long-shot prospects that many people might not be familiar with.
26 – New York Rangers – GM: Jas
Top 5 prospects: Marcus Kruger (F), Landon Ferraro (F), Kevin Marshall (D), Maxim Noreau (D), Tyler Beskorowany (G)
Strength: Solid forward and defensive prospects who could make the jump to solid NHL careers.
Weakness: No pure top prospect, a lot of quantity but not high end quality.
Analysis: Kruger could instantly make the NHL and make the team better. Ferraro’s drive to become better then his dad makes him a hungry kid who wants to thrive in the NHL. It would be hard to beat his dad’s statistics but he wants to do it, very competitive. Marshall has an NHL frame and could be a good defenseman for 15 years, a pro’s pro. Lack of quality goaltending prospects also is scary not to mention no bonafied franchise stars in the system.
27 – New York Islanders – GM: Dave
Top 5 prospects: Fabian Brunnstrom, Alex Stalock, Ryan Stone, Zach Smith, and Bud Holloway
Strengths: Drew Doughty and Sidney Crosby
Weaknesses: Lack of organizational prospect depth
Analysis: When it comes to prospects there isn’t much to smile about on the Island. There are, though, lots of potential NHL players, but none of the top end variety. Fabian Brunnstrom was signed as a free agent in 2007, but has yet to emerge as the dynamic, Daniel Alfredsson, type of player some were comparing him to.
Alex Stalock, also signed as a free agent in 2008, seems to one day have what it takes to be a NHL goaltender, but is yet to be determined whether it will be as a starter.
Having his top 2 prospects being free agents signings shows how little of draft picks Dave has used. He has traded away lots of picks in order to build a young team with the future in mind. He did draft Drew Doughty, who may very well be the best defensemen in the NHL as a 20 year old, 3rd overall in 2008. A move that paid off dividends from the get-go.
The New York Islanders’ pro team is starting to take form and now may be a time to start building on the prospect depth through the draft in order to achieve a competitive future.
Editors note: I Would like to thank everyone for helping me. Sorry this couldnt get posted sooner. I would like to make this an annual event and I appreciate help on the first offical year of doing these lists.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
2010 UFHL Farm Ranking: #10-18
10. Los Angeles – GM: Eugene
Top 5 farm players: Jonathan Bernier (G), Mattias Tedenby (F), Joe Colborne (F), Simon Despres (D), Bobby Sanguinetti (D)
Strengths: Bernier really helps solidify the goaltending position while Despres, Sanguinetti and Gilroy stabilize an aging blueline. Forwards have a lot of potential with Tedenby, Colborne and Bennett being top 6 potential NHLers in the future.
Weakness: Eugene has a good blend of talent but no pure first line forward or a pure first line defenseman. The depth also starts to tail off after the top 12.
Analysis: Eugene has a strong farm with a good blend of talent. Outside of Bernier there might not be anything who has franchise potential. Tedenby’s lack of size makes him a risk since he’s either top 6 or bust. Colborne is big enough to play all four lines and has size and skating to be an effective NHLer but his offensive game is in question on a deep Boston team. Surprise pick is also Rajala, who is a Tedenby-lite. Bennett and Despres, being on Pittsburgh’s team also basically boosts their value due to Pittsburgh’s lack of quality wingers in their system and defensemen of Despres’ potential.
11. Philadelphia Flyers - GM Paul
Top 5 Prospects: Jon Blum, Erk, Gudbranson, Cory Schneider, Karl Alzner, Stefan Elliott
Strengths: The blueline in, all of the top prospects in the Flyers organization primary position is inside the blueline. Endras and McCollum are probably 1-2 years out of the NHL.
Weakness: High end forward prospects, the Flyers have some decent forward prospects but they do not have a high end forward. A few prospects are still at least 2-3 years out which could force the Flyers to fill their rosters with Free Agents until their prospects are ready.
Analysis: With the development of a few prospects the Flyers will hopefully continue to climb in the UFHL standings, however with the lack of two starting goaltenders the Flyers might have to wait a few years to make the playoffs.
12th – Calgary Flames - GM: Adam
Top 5 farm players: Matt Duchene, Zach Boychuk, David Rundblad, Joey Hishon, Carl Gunnarson,
Strength: The Flames have 5 guys that every team in the league would make an inquiry call on if they were known to be available. Duchene may be franchise-eligible in the near future. The forwards on the farm like McRae, Weal, and Beleskey are worth waiting on to find out if they can make the pros, but they are nothing that the Flames can plan their future around. Gunnarson and Rundblad on the other hand, are two slick Swede defensemen who should soon fill two of Calgary’s defense spots.
Weakness: Calgary seems to think that having Bryzgalov and Price on their pro roster means they don’t need to have any legitimate goaltending prospects. While they may be right, it does hurt their farm ranking to not have a promising goaltender (sorry Jeremy Smith, but you don’t even have a lock on an AHL job). It would be nice however, for the organization to have a third goalie turtle-heading his way into the pro roster. Recently the Flames dealt one such goaltending prospect in Alexander Salak to the Leafs and watched Anaheim draft Calvin Pickard with their first round draft choice. To give the Flames some credit, Joni Ortio did well in a prospect development camp in late July, and he has a decent chance of taking over one of the spots in Turku to continue his development.
Analysis: The Flames are successfully converting farm players into pro players. Their pro roster is young at every position so the need to bring in farm players is not as extreme as most other UFHL clubs. One significant concern for the Flames is that they have no draft picks for next season and as a result should see a significant drop in next season’s farm ranking unless they are extremely productive in the free agency market.
13th - New Jersey Devils - GM: Jay
Top 5 farm players: Nino Niederreiter (F), Tyler Ennis (F), John Moore (D), Kyle Beach (F), Jason Demers (D)
Strength: The Devils made a bold splash leading into the 2010 Draft by dealing the 2nd overall pick in return for Ennis, Moore, and Beach. Even after dealing that pick, New Jersey was able to land highly touted Swiss forward Nino Niederreiter. After a 52 goal and 186 PIM season in the WHL, Kyle Beach will be taking his talents to the professional level. It wouldn't be shocking
to see Beach crack the NHL by Opening Night. The dimunitive Ennis continued to produce even after jumping a level to the AHL last season. He even had a cup of coffee in the NHL and impressively notched 9 points in 10 games. Despite being a surprise cut from the 2009 US WJC squad, the swift skating John Moore had an impressive campaign for the Kitchener
Rangers. Like Beach, Moore will be looking to earn a spot in the NHL in the coming months. In addition, 2009 draft choices Kyle Palmieri and Jordan Caron remain
on track to contribute in a few years.
Weakness: The Devils were likely one of several teams disappointed to see Jack Campbell selected fifth overall by the Avalanche. With veteran #1 Nikolai Khabibulin likely in the twilight of his career, the Devils will undoubtedly be on the lookout for a successor. Currently the Devils have four farm eligible goaltending prospects led by 21 year old Braden Holtby showing some potential after making his pro debut in 2009-2010.
Analysis: With its NHL core in flux, the Devils have begun to retool their farm system. The forward depth is impressive and their defense has some under the radar blueliners.
14th - Montreal - GM: Joe
Top 5 farm players: Chet Pickard, J.Schwartz, J.Enroth, M. Pacioretty, R. O'Reilly
Strength: two future NHL goalies; Schwartz could be elite fantasy forward.
Weakness: Defence and Forwards
Analysis: Set in goal for years, Montreal can entertain offers for a goalie to strengthen other positions. Joe has a lot of potentially strong defensive depth but needs to think more offensively and get players to help compensate the top 6 and make them stronger.
15th – Chicago Blackhawks - GM: Jerome
Top 5 farm players: Artem Anisimov, Zack Kassian, Nathan Gerbe, Louis Leblanc, Brock Nelson,
Strength: The Hawks have some promising blue-chip forwards in Anisimov, Kassian, Gerbe, Leblanc, and Nelson as well as some other intriguing players drafted in early rounds like McMillan, Deschamps, and Shore. While these guys may not project to be first line all-stars, many of them have to be similar in production and value to the Umberger-, Stewart-, Malone-, and Bourque-type players they have on the pro team.
Weakness: While the Hawks have depth at pro-goaltending, they do not have an heir-apparent for Kiprusoff. Pasquale, Hutchinson, and Wentzel are all a long way off. Pasquale and Hutchinson have a shot at the AHL or ECHL this year but are most likely to return to their respective CHL teams. Wentzel may be a sleeper, but this will depend on how well he transitions into the SEL. On defense, Vishnevskiy should continue to evolve into a legitimate pro player this season, but beyond him there is not a lot of promise for offensive production from the blueline beyond Alexander Sulzer.
Analysis: Chicago is one of the stronger teams in the UFHL. The only thing they lack is a star forward. If Artem Anisimov can become an all-star, this problem will be solved, but it is likely that Anisimov is at least two seasons away from being able to flirt with point-per-game numbers. The Hawks farm has some valuable pieces, but the team must continue to explore free-agency and trades to fill some of the holes in the organization.
16th - Colorado Avalanche - GM: Paul
Top 5 farm players: Hickey, Campbell, Robak, Repik, Vatanen
Strength: Defense is probably the strength of this group. Hickey, Robak and Vatanen are in the top 5 for Colorado and all 3 have good potential. The Avs
definitely need to improve their Defense so this focus on Defense is deserving.
Weakness: The forwards have some question marks. While Repik is a solid prospect, it is hard to gauge the exact potential of prospects like Sonne,
Wahl, Ross, etc. Goaltenders Campbell and Cheverie are good but this team could use another solid goalie prospect with only Elliot playing in the NHL.
Analysis: Colorado has some decent prospects but probably lacks another one or two high end prospects, especially at Forward.
17th - St.Louis Blues - GM: Ryan
Top 5 farm players: Glennie,Boedker,Bjugstad,Hackett,Abdelkader
Strength: Forwards seem to be the strenght for the Blues. Glennie,Boedker,Bjugstad all have intriguing potential. Abdelkader is already in the NHL.
Weakness: The Blues do not have any Defense prospects that really stand out. Also, aside from Hackett, the goalie prospects are just ok.
Analysis: The Blues have a solid group of prospects but could use help on Defense and in net(especially with Nabokov going to the KHL).
18th-Vancouver GM: Kyle
Top 5 farm players: Brandon Gormley, Cody Franson, J. Blacker, C. Kreider, S. Shirokov
Strength: strong D prospects, Shirokov could make an impact this year. Gormley and Fransson might not be high NHL point producers but their games will make them solid NHLers for years upon years.
Weakness: Needs help at forward. Outside of Kreider, not many others look to be top 6 NHL forwards, but may surprise.
Analysis: With Ryan Miller and Lehtonen, set in goal for years so there is not much need for a goalie. Kreider leads the group offensively but outside of that Kyle could use more talent upfront. Defense looks set with the acquisition of Hamhuis and the drafting of Gormley. Just focusing on forwards for a few years should most definitely replenish his crop.
Top 5 farm players: Jonathan Bernier (G), Mattias Tedenby (F), Joe Colborne (F), Simon Despres (D), Bobby Sanguinetti (D)
Strengths: Bernier really helps solidify the goaltending position while Despres, Sanguinetti and Gilroy stabilize an aging blueline. Forwards have a lot of potential with Tedenby, Colborne and Bennett being top 6 potential NHLers in the future.
Weakness: Eugene has a good blend of talent but no pure first line forward or a pure first line defenseman. The depth also starts to tail off after the top 12.
Analysis: Eugene has a strong farm with a good blend of talent. Outside of Bernier there might not be anything who has franchise potential. Tedenby’s lack of size makes him a risk since he’s either top 6 or bust. Colborne is big enough to play all four lines and has size and skating to be an effective NHLer but his offensive game is in question on a deep Boston team. Surprise pick is also Rajala, who is a Tedenby-lite. Bennett and Despres, being on Pittsburgh’s team also basically boosts their value due to Pittsburgh’s lack of quality wingers in their system and defensemen of Despres’ potential.
11. Philadelphia Flyers - GM Paul
Top 5 Prospects: Jon Blum, Erk, Gudbranson, Cory Schneider, Karl Alzner, Stefan Elliott
Strengths: The blueline in, all of the top prospects in the Flyers organization primary position is inside the blueline. Endras and McCollum are probably 1-2 years out of the NHL.
Weakness: High end forward prospects, the Flyers have some decent forward prospects but they do not have a high end forward. A few prospects are still at least 2-3 years out which could force the Flyers to fill their rosters with Free Agents until their prospects are ready.
Analysis: With the development of a few prospects the Flyers will hopefully continue to climb in the UFHL standings, however with the lack of two starting goaltenders the Flyers might have to wait a few years to make the playoffs.
12th – Calgary Flames - GM: Adam
Top 5 farm players: Matt Duchene, Zach Boychuk, David Rundblad, Joey Hishon, Carl Gunnarson,
Strength: The Flames have 5 guys that every team in the league would make an inquiry call on if they were known to be available. Duchene may be franchise-eligible in the near future. The forwards on the farm like McRae, Weal, and Beleskey are worth waiting on to find out if they can make the pros, but they are nothing that the Flames can plan their future around. Gunnarson and Rundblad on the other hand, are two slick Swede defensemen who should soon fill two of Calgary’s defense spots.
Weakness: Calgary seems to think that having Bryzgalov and Price on their pro roster means they don’t need to have any legitimate goaltending prospects. While they may be right, it does hurt their farm ranking to not have a promising goaltender (sorry Jeremy Smith, but you don’t even have a lock on an AHL job). It would be nice however, for the organization to have a third goalie turtle-heading his way into the pro roster. Recently the Flames dealt one such goaltending prospect in Alexander Salak to the Leafs and watched Anaheim draft Calvin Pickard with their first round draft choice. To give the Flames some credit, Joni Ortio did well in a prospect development camp in late July, and he has a decent chance of taking over one of the spots in Turku to continue his development.
Analysis: The Flames are successfully converting farm players into pro players. Their pro roster is young at every position so the need to bring in farm players is not as extreme as most other UFHL clubs. One significant concern for the Flames is that they have no draft picks for next season and as a result should see a significant drop in next season’s farm ranking unless they are extremely productive in the free agency market.
13th - New Jersey Devils - GM: Jay
Top 5 farm players: Nino Niederreiter (F), Tyler Ennis (F), John Moore (D), Kyle Beach (F), Jason Demers (D)
Strength: The Devils made a bold splash leading into the 2010 Draft by dealing the 2nd overall pick in return for Ennis, Moore, and Beach. Even after dealing that pick, New Jersey was able to land highly touted Swiss forward Nino Niederreiter. After a 52 goal and 186 PIM season in the WHL, Kyle Beach will be taking his talents to the professional level. It wouldn't be shocking
to see Beach crack the NHL by Opening Night. The dimunitive Ennis continued to produce even after jumping a level to the AHL last season. He even had a cup of coffee in the NHL and impressively notched 9 points in 10 games. Despite being a surprise cut from the 2009 US WJC squad, the swift skating John Moore had an impressive campaign for the Kitchener
Rangers. Like Beach, Moore will be looking to earn a spot in the NHL in the coming months. In addition, 2009 draft choices Kyle Palmieri and Jordan Caron remain
on track to contribute in a few years.
Weakness: The Devils were likely one of several teams disappointed to see Jack Campbell selected fifth overall by the Avalanche. With veteran #1 Nikolai Khabibulin likely in the twilight of his career, the Devils will undoubtedly be on the lookout for a successor. Currently the Devils have four farm eligible goaltending prospects led by 21 year old Braden Holtby showing some potential after making his pro debut in 2009-2010.
Analysis: With its NHL core in flux, the Devils have begun to retool their farm system. The forward depth is impressive and their defense has some under the radar blueliners.
14th - Montreal - GM: Joe
Top 5 farm players: Chet Pickard, J.Schwartz, J.Enroth, M. Pacioretty, R. O'Reilly
Strength: two future NHL goalies; Schwartz could be elite fantasy forward.
Weakness: Defence and Forwards
Analysis: Set in goal for years, Montreal can entertain offers for a goalie to strengthen other positions. Joe has a lot of potentially strong defensive depth but needs to think more offensively and get players to help compensate the top 6 and make them stronger.
15th – Chicago Blackhawks - GM: Jerome
Top 5 farm players: Artem Anisimov, Zack Kassian, Nathan Gerbe, Louis Leblanc, Brock Nelson,
Strength: The Hawks have some promising blue-chip forwards in Anisimov, Kassian, Gerbe, Leblanc, and Nelson as well as some other intriguing players drafted in early rounds like McMillan, Deschamps, and Shore. While these guys may not project to be first line all-stars, many of them have to be similar in production and value to the Umberger-, Stewart-, Malone-, and Bourque-type players they have on the pro team.
Weakness: While the Hawks have depth at pro-goaltending, they do not have an heir-apparent for Kiprusoff. Pasquale, Hutchinson, and Wentzel are all a long way off. Pasquale and Hutchinson have a shot at the AHL or ECHL this year but are most likely to return to their respective CHL teams. Wentzel may be a sleeper, but this will depend on how well he transitions into the SEL. On defense, Vishnevskiy should continue to evolve into a legitimate pro player this season, but beyond him there is not a lot of promise for offensive production from the blueline beyond Alexander Sulzer.
Analysis: Chicago is one of the stronger teams in the UFHL. The only thing they lack is a star forward. If Artem Anisimov can become an all-star, this problem will be solved, but it is likely that Anisimov is at least two seasons away from being able to flirt with point-per-game numbers. The Hawks farm has some valuable pieces, but the team must continue to explore free-agency and trades to fill some of the holes in the organization.
16th - Colorado Avalanche - GM: Paul
Top 5 farm players: Hickey, Campbell, Robak, Repik, Vatanen
Strength: Defense is probably the strength of this group. Hickey, Robak and Vatanen are in the top 5 for Colorado and all 3 have good potential. The Avs
definitely need to improve their Defense so this focus on Defense is deserving.
Weakness: The forwards have some question marks. While Repik is a solid prospect, it is hard to gauge the exact potential of prospects like Sonne,
Wahl, Ross, etc. Goaltenders Campbell and Cheverie are good but this team could use another solid goalie prospect with only Elliot playing in the NHL.
Analysis: Colorado has some decent prospects but probably lacks another one or two high end prospects, especially at Forward.
17th - St.Louis Blues - GM: Ryan
Top 5 farm players: Glennie,Boedker,Bjugstad,Hackett,Abdelkader
Strength: Forwards seem to be the strenght for the Blues. Glennie,Boedker,Bjugstad all have intriguing potential. Abdelkader is already in the NHL.
Weakness: The Blues do not have any Defense prospects that really stand out. Also, aside from Hackett, the goalie prospects are just ok.
Analysis: The Blues have a solid group of prospects but could use help on Defense and in net(especially with Nabokov going to the KHL).
18th-Vancouver GM: Kyle
Top 5 farm players: Brandon Gormley, Cody Franson, J. Blacker, C. Kreider, S. Shirokov
Strength: strong D prospects, Shirokov could make an impact this year. Gormley and Fransson might not be high NHL point producers but their games will make them solid NHLers for years upon years.
Weakness: Needs help at forward. Outside of Kreider, not many others look to be top 6 NHL forwards, but may surprise.
Analysis: With Ryan Miller and Lehtonen, set in goal for years so there is not much need for a goalie. Kreider leads the group offensively but outside of that Kyle could use more talent upfront. Defense looks set with the acquisition of Hamhuis and the drafting of Gormley. Just focusing on forwards for a few years should most definitely replenish his crop.
Friday, August 06, 2010
2010 UFHL Farm Ranking: #1 - #9
UFHL Summer 2010 1-9 Farm Ranking
1st - Dallas Stars - GM: John
Top 5 farm players: Taylor Hall (F), John Tavares (F), Tyler Seguin (F), Jordan Eberle (F), Jacob Markstrom (G)
Strength: Dallas possessing Hall, Tavares, and Seguin, Yikes. While most teams would be happy to have just one of those bluechip forwards, Dallas also boasts arguably the top goalie prospect in the world in Jacob Markstrom. To top that, the Stars have several more highly regarded forwards in the pipeline. Jordan Eberle's heroic in the last two WJC’s, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, put up good numbers in Sweden and will be playing in North America this year. Lars Eller also had a successful AHL debut in 2009-10 and will be looking to become a full time NHLer this fall.
Weakness: If it is possible to have a downside to having all of those tremendous forwards, Dallas doesn't quite have a bluechip defenseman by comparison. Jared Cowen may crack the NHL as soon as this year, but projects to be a solid stay at home defenseman which might not translate to a ton of points. Brian Lee has been on the cusp for a couple seasons but might actually get leapfrogged by Cowen for a permanent spot. After completing four years at the University of Michigan, Chris Summers turned pro late last season. While he put up modest numbers as a Wolverine, Summers has some long-term offensive
upside.
Analysis: It might not take long before many of these prospects graduate and Dallas becomes a formidable force in the league. 2010-11 will maybe be the last rebuilding year for the Stars, but they could find themselves in a calculated draft position next year to add yet another promising prospect.
2nd - San Jose Sharks - GM: Shveik
Top 5 farm players: Tyler Myers (D), Nazem Kadri (F), Vlad Tarasenko(F), Cody Hodgson(F), Brendan Smith (D)
Strength: The forwards are a definite strength of this team. What makes this Forward group really strong is that most are close to the NHL and all of them have a very realistic shot at making it. Kadri, Tarasenko and Hodgson are the high end Forwards. However, MZA and Rensfeldt could surprise!
Weakness: The clear weakness is Goaltending. San Jose only has 1 goalie prospect in the top 15(Greiss). If Greiss does not pan out as a #1, the team will have to depend solely on Rask. Adding another top goalie prospect would be wise.
Analysis: San Jose has a very deep pool of prospects. We did not even mention the prospects on Defense, who are led by rookie sensation Tyler Myers and one of the best young D prospects out there, Brendan Smith. All San Jose needs is maybe another solid goalie prospect to really make this group shine!
3rd - Florida Panthers - GM: Don
Top 5 farm players: John Carlson (D), James van Riemsdyk (F), Michael Del Zotto (D), Brayden Schenn (F), Alexander Burmistrov (F)
Strength: While lacking a true bluechip prospect, the Panthers have accumulated some depth in their prospect pool. With a defense in shambles entering the 2008 Draft, Florida added two much needed cornerstones in Carlson and Del Zotto. James van Riemsdyk had a moderately successful rookie campaign in 2009-10 and Brayden Schenn may follow suit in 2010-11. The Panthers might have landed a 1st line caliber center in Alexander Burmistrov in this year's Draft as teams were likely scared off by the Russian factor. Florida boasts some secondary forward prospects. Luke Adam, Patrice Cormier, and Tyler Pitlick look like they'll be NHL players, but may be relegated to checking line roles in the big show.
Weakness: Certainly lacking a top tier goalie prospect. Jake Allen will enter the AHL this year but appears as though he'll need at least two full seasons of seasoning. Kevin Poulin was added as a free agent and will also be an AHL rookie this fall. The team added a pair of goalies from the 2010 Draft, but both Scott Wedgewood and Mathieu Corbeil-Theriault are longterm projects.
Analysis: After committing to a rebuild in 2007, the Panthers are gradually reaping the benefits from recent drafts.
4th – Toronto Maple Leafs - GM: Rick
Top 5 farm players: Jamie Benn (F), Colin Wilson (F), Luca Sbisa (D), Tyler Bozak (F), Evgeny Grachev (F)
Strength: A strength of the Leafs current collection of prospects is that there are a number of forwards among them that have a high probability of being NHLers. Benn, Wilson, Bozak, and Stalberg should all graduate. After they are gone, the team should be able to depend on Grachev, Etem, Sheahan, Hayes and Petrov to provide the next wave of prospect depth at forward. At defense, only Sbisa looking like a guaranteed blueliner, though Teubert and Voinov are worth watching.
Weakness: The Leafs are currently carrying five unproven goaltending prospects (Janus, Koskinen, Salak, Scrivens, and Curry). While each has some promise, the Leafs need to gain some clarity on their goaltending situation this year. They are desperate for a goaltender to step forward out of this pack to join Jonas Gustavsson, however none of the goalie prospects on the team are the heir-apparents of their NHL clubs. The team could also use another prominent defense prospect.
Analysis: Overall, the Leafs have a well-balanced farm team that includes players of a number of positions who are respectably ranked on their respective NHL teams’ depth charts.
5th – Anaheim Ducks- GM: Gino
Top 5 farm players: Alex Pietrangelo (D), Dmitry Kulikov (D), Cam Fowler (D), Jakub Kindl (D), Brett Mclean (F).
Strength: Defense is clearly the organizational strength for the Ducks. In addition to having Pietrangelo, Kulikov, Fowler, and Kindl, the team has already graduated Victor Hedman to the pro ranks alongside Braydon Coburn and Marc-Edouard Vlasic who are both on the upsides of their careers.
Weakness: There are no sure-fire NHL forwards in the system. Cody Almond had good junior numbers, and Brett Mclean has been developing in a positive manner, but outside of them there is little to get excited about. The goaltending may be in better shape than the forwards, as Olivier Roy, Cedrick Desjardins and Calvin Pickard offer up some hope. However, are any of these guys close enough to provide relief for the lack of established starters that the team is currently faced with.
Analysis: Anaheim’s relatively high position in this ranking is due entirely upon their strength at defense. Pietrangelo, Kulikov, and Fowler may be stars. The Ducks actually need them to be so that they can think about moving the likes of Coburn, Vlasic, Meszaros, Gorges, or Hainsey to rescue their forward corps which is precariously built on the fragile Patrice Bergeron, the enigmatic Guillame Latendresse, and Corey Perry – the only bonafide star forward on the team.
6 - Minnesota Wild - GM - Ben
Top 5 Prospects: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D), Nikita Filatov (F), Kyle Turris (F), Michal Neuvirth (G), Zach Budish (F)
Strengths: Depth, the Wild have a decent assortment of forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders in their farm that will allow them to continue to climb the UFHL standings, hopefully for years to come. Their top four prospects should see time in the NHL this year, and each one of them should make an impact with the team they play for. Outside of Ekman-Larsson, Filatov, Turris, and Neuvirth there could be up to a half dozen "farm" players that will see time in the NHL this year.
Weakness: Youth, to some people youth shouldn't be a weakness but with seven players that have played more than 400 NHL games the Wild team has a fair amount of players that have yet to establish themselves in the NHL, i.e. Patrick Berglund, and until those players have established themselves the Wild could be in for a rocky time.
Analysis: With continued development of the players on the Wild the team should continue to be a UFHL playoff team, and decent scouting and good drafting and free agent signings the Wild hopefully will continue to have a top 10 farm team in the league.
7th - Buffalo - GM: Randy
Top 5 farm players: Mikael Granlund (F), Jeffrey Skinner (F), Evgeny Kuznetsov (F), Jordan Schroeder (F), Jamie McBain (D)
Strength: elite scoring potential, several probable first line players.
Weakness: goaltending, some D prospects are high risk; size is a concern.
Analysis: Buffalo has invested in small to mid size prospects with elite talent; goaltending and Defence need attention.
8. Washington – GM: Ken
Top 5 farm: Erik Karlsson (D), Ryan Johansen (F), Oscar Moller (F), Mathieu Perreault (F), Andrei Loktionov (F)
Strength: Washington has a plethora of forward prospects that should help round-out up some of the bottom line concerns in the up-coming season. Adding in Karlsson and Johansen to the mix adds potential franchise players to an already deep roster. Majority of the farm is also NHL ready, as more than half play in the AHL.
Weakness: With Fleury and Howard there might not be a need to draft or pick up a goaltender but that would probably be the only pure weakness in Washington’s farm. Adding another stud defensive prospect wouldn’t hurt either.
Analysis: Deep forward pool, very NHL ready defensemen and a lot of grinders and power forwards to compensate the skilled ones, Washington has built a very solid blend of prospects in the farm, while remaining very diverse.
9. Edmonton – GM: Joey
Top 5 Farm: Evander Kane (F), Logan Couture (F), Leland Irving (G), Peter Holland (F), Jacob Josefson (F)
Strength: Plenty of potential top end forwards in Kane, Couture and Holland makes Joe’s farm a very strong one to watch out for. Not to mention adding in the likes of highly skilled Josefson, Tatar and Straka, Joey has decided to build from the forwards back so to speak.
Weakness: Not much to look at in terms of defensive prospects with high end potential. Another potential weakness is that if Irving doesn’t develop as expected, it could pose another deep threat/hole for Joe between the pipes.
Analysis: Joe has solidified a very strong forward crop that could rival anyone in the near future and already does rival everyone based on pure potential. The defense outside of McDonagh needs some tinkering and potentially even a goaltender spot. But with all the strong pieces upfront, he could juggle some forwards around for a prized defenseman.
1st - Dallas Stars - GM: John
Top 5 farm players: Taylor Hall (F), John Tavares (F), Tyler Seguin (F), Jordan Eberle (F), Jacob Markstrom (G)
Strength: Dallas possessing Hall, Tavares, and Seguin, Yikes. While most teams would be happy to have just one of those bluechip forwards, Dallas also boasts arguably the top goalie prospect in the world in Jacob Markstrom. To top that, the Stars have several more highly regarded forwards in the pipeline. Jordan Eberle's heroic in the last two WJC’s, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, put up good numbers in Sweden and will be playing in North America this year. Lars Eller also had a successful AHL debut in 2009-10 and will be looking to become a full time NHLer this fall.
Weakness: If it is possible to have a downside to having all of those tremendous forwards, Dallas doesn't quite have a bluechip defenseman by comparison. Jared Cowen may crack the NHL as soon as this year, but projects to be a solid stay at home defenseman which might not translate to a ton of points. Brian Lee has been on the cusp for a couple seasons but might actually get leapfrogged by Cowen for a permanent spot. After completing four years at the University of Michigan, Chris Summers turned pro late last season. While he put up modest numbers as a Wolverine, Summers has some long-term offensive
upside.
Analysis: It might not take long before many of these prospects graduate and Dallas becomes a formidable force in the league. 2010-11 will maybe be the last rebuilding year for the Stars, but they could find themselves in a calculated draft position next year to add yet another promising prospect.
2nd - San Jose Sharks - GM: Shveik
Top 5 farm players: Tyler Myers (D), Nazem Kadri (F), Vlad Tarasenko(F), Cody Hodgson(F), Brendan Smith (D)
Strength: The forwards are a definite strength of this team. What makes this Forward group really strong is that most are close to the NHL and all of them have a very realistic shot at making it. Kadri, Tarasenko and Hodgson are the high end Forwards. However, MZA and Rensfeldt could surprise!
Weakness: The clear weakness is Goaltending. San Jose only has 1 goalie prospect in the top 15(Greiss). If Greiss does not pan out as a #1, the team will have to depend solely on Rask. Adding another top goalie prospect would be wise.
Analysis: San Jose has a very deep pool of prospects. We did not even mention the prospects on Defense, who are led by rookie sensation Tyler Myers and one of the best young D prospects out there, Brendan Smith. All San Jose needs is maybe another solid goalie prospect to really make this group shine!
3rd - Florida Panthers - GM: Don
Top 5 farm players: John Carlson (D), James van Riemsdyk (F), Michael Del Zotto (D), Brayden Schenn (F), Alexander Burmistrov (F)
Strength: While lacking a true bluechip prospect, the Panthers have accumulated some depth in their prospect pool. With a defense in shambles entering the 2008 Draft, Florida added two much needed cornerstones in Carlson and Del Zotto. James van Riemsdyk had a moderately successful rookie campaign in 2009-10 and Brayden Schenn may follow suit in 2010-11. The Panthers might have landed a 1st line caliber center in Alexander Burmistrov in this year's Draft as teams were likely scared off by the Russian factor. Florida boasts some secondary forward prospects. Luke Adam, Patrice Cormier, and Tyler Pitlick look like they'll be NHL players, but may be relegated to checking line roles in the big show.
Weakness: Certainly lacking a top tier goalie prospect. Jake Allen will enter the AHL this year but appears as though he'll need at least two full seasons of seasoning. Kevin Poulin was added as a free agent and will also be an AHL rookie this fall. The team added a pair of goalies from the 2010 Draft, but both Scott Wedgewood and Mathieu Corbeil-Theriault are longterm projects.
Analysis: After committing to a rebuild in 2007, the Panthers are gradually reaping the benefits from recent drafts.
4th – Toronto Maple Leafs - GM: Rick
Top 5 farm players: Jamie Benn (F), Colin Wilson (F), Luca Sbisa (D), Tyler Bozak (F), Evgeny Grachev (F)
Strength: A strength of the Leafs current collection of prospects is that there are a number of forwards among them that have a high probability of being NHLers. Benn, Wilson, Bozak, and Stalberg should all graduate. After they are gone, the team should be able to depend on Grachev, Etem, Sheahan, Hayes and Petrov to provide the next wave of prospect depth at forward. At defense, only Sbisa looking like a guaranteed blueliner, though Teubert and Voinov are worth watching.
Weakness: The Leafs are currently carrying five unproven goaltending prospects (Janus, Koskinen, Salak, Scrivens, and Curry). While each has some promise, the Leafs need to gain some clarity on their goaltending situation this year. They are desperate for a goaltender to step forward out of this pack to join Jonas Gustavsson, however none of the goalie prospects on the team are the heir-apparents of their NHL clubs. The team could also use another prominent defense prospect.
Analysis: Overall, the Leafs have a well-balanced farm team that includes players of a number of positions who are respectably ranked on their respective NHL teams’ depth charts.
5th – Anaheim Ducks- GM: Gino
Top 5 farm players: Alex Pietrangelo (D), Dmitry Kulikov (D), Cam Fowler (D), Jakub Kindl (D), Brett Mclean (F).
Strength: Defense is clearly the organizational strength for the Ducks. In addition to having Pietrangelo, Kulikov, Fowler, and Kindl, the team has already graduated Victor Hedman to the pro ranks alongside Braydon Coburn and Marc-Edouard Vlasic who are both on the upsides of their careers.
Weakness: There are no sure-fire NHL forwards in the system. Cody Almond had good junior numbers, and Brett Mclean has been developing in a positive manner, but outside of them there is little to get excited about. The goaltending may be in better shape than the forwards, as Olivier Roy, Cedrick Desjardins and Calvin Pickard offer up some hope. However, are any of these guys close enough to provide relief for the lack of established starters that the team is currently faced with.
Analysis: Anaheim’s relatively high position in this ranking is due entirely upon their strength at defense. Pietrangelo, Kulikov, and Fowler may be stars. The Ducks actually need them to be so that they can think about moving the likes of Coburn, Vlasic, Meszaros, Gorges, or Hainsey to rescue their forward corps which is precariously built on the fragile Patrice Bergeron, the enigmatic Guillame Latendresse, and Corey Perry – the only bonafide star forward on the team.
6 - Minnesota Wild - GM - Ben
Top 5 Prospects: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D), Nikita Filatov (F), Kyle Turris (F), Michal Neuvirth (G), Zach Budish (F)
Strengths: Depth, the Wild have a decent assortment of forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders in their farm that will allow them to continue to climb the UFHL standings, hopefully for years to come. Their top four prospects should see time in the NHL this year, and each one of them should make an impact with the team they play for. Outside of Ekman-Larsson, Filatov, Turris, and Neuvirth there could be up to a half dozen "farm" players that will see time in the NHL this year.
Weakness: Youth, to some people youth shouldn't be a weakness but with seven players that have played more than 400 NHL games the Wild team has a fair amount of players that have yet to establish themselves in the NHL, i.e. Patrick Berglund, and until those players have established themselves the Wild could be in for a rocky time.
Analysis: With continued development of the players on the Wild the team should continue to be a UFHL playoff team, and decent scouting and good drafting and free agent signings the Wild hopefully will continue to have a top 10 farm team in the league.
7th - Buffalo - GM: Randy
Top 5 farm players: Mikael Granlund (F), Jeffrey Skinner (F), Evgeny Kuznetsov (F), Jordan Schroeder (F), Jamie McBain (D)
Strength: elite scoring potential, several probable first line players.
Weakness: goaltending, some D prospects are high risk; size is a concern.
Analysis: Buffalo has invested in small to mid size prospects with elite talent; goaltending and Defence need attention.
8. Washington – GM: Ken
Top 5 farm: Erik Karlsson (D), Ryan Johansen (F), Oscar Moller (F), Mathieu Perreault (F), Andrei Loktionov (F)
Strength: Washington has a plethora of forward prospects that should help round-out up some of the bottom line concerns in the up-coming season. Adding in Karlsson and Johansen to the mix adds potential franchise players to an already deep roster. Majority of the farm is also NHL ready, as more than half play in the AHL.
Weakness: With Fleury and Howard there might not be a need to draft or pick up a goaltender but that would probably be the only pure weakness in Washington’s farm. Adding another stud defensive prospect wouldn’t hurt either.
Analysis: Deep forward pool, very NHL ready defensemen and a lot of grinders and power forwards to compensate the skilled ones, Washington has built a very solid blend of prospects in the farm, while remaining very diverse.
9. Edmonton – GM: Joey
Top 5 Farm: Evander Kane (F), Logan Couture (F), Leland Irving (G), Peter Holland (F), Jacob Josefson (F)
Strength: Plenty of potential top end forwards in Kane, Couture and Holland makes Joe’s farm a very strong one to watch out for. Not to mention adding in the likes of highly skilled Josefson, Tatar and Straka, Joey has decided to build from the forwards back so to speak.
Weakness: Not much to look at in terms of defensive prospects with high end potential. Another potential weakness is that if Irving doesn’t develop as expected, it could pose another deep threat/hole for Joe between the pipes.
Analysis: Joe has solidified a very strong forward crop that could rival anyone in the near future and already does rival everyone based on pure potential. The defense outside of McDonagh needs some tinkering and potentially even a goaltender spot. But with all the strong pieces upfront, he could juggle some forwards around for a prized defenseman.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
2010 Summer Farm Rankings
Soon as they come in, I will keep you all intregued and only submit them 9 at a time (9 since there are 27 teams, times 3 times I can do it.)
I would like to thank those who helped!
Hope to have 1-9 or 19-27 posted this weekend.
I would like to thank those who helped!
Hope to have 1-9 or 19-27 posted this weekend.
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