2011 Farm Ranking 6th - 9th overall

9^th overall – Philadelphia – 2010 Rank: 11^th – Movement: (+2)

Top 5 prospects: Cory Schneider (G), Johnathan Blum (D), Erik Gudbranson (D), Brad Marchand (F), Tyler Toffoli (F)

Team Analysis: Philadelphia is doing a phenomenal job developing defenseman, a la Nashville style. With a plethora of talent from the bluelien, Paul can now start to develop a team from the blueline out and not have to worry about drafting defensemen too much longer. Adding to the Grudbranson and Blum top 5 combo, Stefan Elliott could be a real stud who could thrive with all the playing time he could receive as well as a player like Colby Cohen. Up front there might lack a top end talent in the Schneider/Gudbranson mold but players like Khokhlachev and Jensen could end up being just that if they continue to develop on course.

8^th overall – Montreal – 2010 Rank: 14^th – Movement: (+6)

Top 5 Prospects: Jaden Schwartz (F), Zach Boychuk (F), Jamie Oleksiak (D), Emerson Etem (F), Carter Ashton (F)

Team analysis: High-end potential is definitely something Joe loves to read, it seems. With players like Boychuk, Schwartz, Ashton and Oleksiak, their scouting reports high risk/very high reward. Who can blame him? Oleksiak looked good in camp and could end up making Dallas’ brutal defense in only a few years from now, allowing him to continue to grow. Myers 2.0? Boychuk is struggling in Carolina’s system and its only a matter of time before he’s let go and another organization takes him in and lets him shine. The only weakness is maybe a lack of a goaltending depth outside of Pickard, but that can solve itself within time. Strong defensive prospects also make this pool dangerous to watch.

7^th overall – Calgary - 2010 Rank: 12^th – Movement (+5)

Top 5 prospects: David Rundblad (D), Ryan Strome (F), Joey Hison (F), Rocco Grimaldi (F), Martin Jones (G)

Team Analysis: The top end talent with the front two players is impressive. Ryan Strome, recently signed, is making the Isles and providing Calgary with very good depth at the rookie position. Adding Rundblad to the defense, vastly improves the defense. For the record, that is all just for this season thus far. Hishon is a very skilled, but “injury prone” forward who needs to show his health is not a cause of concern. If not, he could very well be just another top 6 player to add into the mix in the near future. When you got former Andy Miele as your 13^th player, you know you got very good depth.

6^th overall – Florida – 2010 Rank: 3^rd – Movement: (-3)

Top 5 prospects: Brayden Schenn (F), Alexander Burmistov (F), Calvin de Haan (D), Michael Backlund (F), Jon Merrill (D)

Team Analysis: When you movefrom third to sixrh, that really doesn’t speak of any kind of regress by an organization, but more about stability. Top end talent in Backlund, Schenn, de Haan, and Burmistov speaks volumes of the high quality of players brewing in Florida. Adding in studs defensively in de Haan, Merrill and Petry, who made Edmonton to start the season, is impressive. One player to watch is Dylan Olsen, a former first rounder who could find himself moving up the rankings quickly with a strong season.

Farm Rank 10-15

15^th overall – Pittsburgh – 2010 rank: 24^th – Movement: (+9)

Top 5 Prospects: Brett Connolly (F), J.T. Miller (F), Eric Tangradi (F), Gustav Nyquist (F), Curtis Hamilton (F)

Team Analysis: The top five speaks for itself. Pittsburgh is going in full-force to bring home a solid foundation up front and build from there. With only one defenseman ranked in the top 10, Pittsburgh has tried to create group that will rival others forwards crops. Connolly is a scoring wiz who could flourish in Tampa, J.T. Miller will bring the grit and leadership that might be lacking in NY and Nyquist could very well end up being the second-coming of Val Filppula. Siemens should and could be a force & tank for the Colorado blue line as early as 2 years from now. The only concern is the lack of quality goaltending depth and a top notch defenseman. Two solid sleepers in Fraser and Ambroz could make this forward crop even stronger.

14^th Overall – St. Louis – 2010 Rank: 17^th – Movement (+2)

Top 5 Prospects: Gabriel Landeskog (F), Scott Glennie (F), Ian Cole (D), Matt Hackett (G), Nick Bjugstad (F)

Team Analysis: An overall nice blend of talent and some future first line potential, St. Louis has three in the making. Landeskog, Glennie and Bjugstad are three different players but all three are definitely slated for first line status. Hackett might emerge at the right time, just when Backstrom might be on the way out in a few years. Ian Cole should fight for a full-time spot in the 12-13 season. Depth at defense is strong with Smith-Pelley, Postma, Beaueboom and Junland. Jaskin and Panik is the big-time dark horse because of their vast talent set they could end up becoming future stars. Their inability to be consistent sets them apart right now.

13^th overall – Los Angeles – 2010 Rank: 10^th – Movement (-3)

Top 5 Prospects: Jonathan Bernier (G), Joe Colborne (F), Simon Despres (D), Beau Bennett (F), Mattias Tedenby (F)

Team Analysis: Franchise goalie? Check. Stud forwards? Check. Stud defenseman? Check. What else could really be asked of? This farm has a very nice blend of physical size with skill in Colborne, and a very shift, creative and highly skilled kid in Tedenby. To compliment Bernier, Chris Gibson will provide some depth at this position, not to mention he’s no slouch either. Rattie and Calvert are two who will go unnoticed in this farm to some, but not from this writer. Both are highly skilled kids with good motors; Calvert should be in the big show this year and Rattie will just take a few seasons to refine his game. Nothing to dislike about this farm’s direction. How it went -3 in terms of movement, we will never know.

12^th overall – Detroit - 2010 Rank: 22^nd – Movement: (+10)

Top 5 Prospects: Travis Hamonic (D), Ryan Spooner (F), TJ Brodie (D), Taylor Beck (F), Mark Scheifele (F)

Team analysis: Travis Hamonic is a stud. Kid get points, kid fights people. Fantasy goldmine. Getting Scheifele outside of the top 10 and then having him go to a team that really lacks centers and dominates through camp really shows how much Shaun has come around with this drafting thing in the OHL. Mr. OHL has continued to find other studs in the OHL, such as top goalie prospect Mark Visetin, future top 6 forwards in Spooner and Knight. What sticks out this year over previous years is the depth. Shane Prince ranked at 11 goes to show the quality within the farm in Detroit. For everyone else’s sake, let’s hope he doesn’t continue to draft like the real Red Wings or we’re doomed.

11^th overall – Anaheim – 2010 Rank: 5^th – Movement (-5)

Top 5 Prospects: Cam Fowler (D), Alex Pietrangelo (D), Adam Larsson (D), Calvin Pickard (G), Jakub Kindl (D)

Team analysis: Ducks have not received the memo that you can only dress 6 defenseman a week. Joking aside, find a better 1-2-3 tandem and I will call you a liar. All three are essentially All-star’s in the making. Pickard could end up being the goalie of the future but he’s going to have to impress a lot more to de-throne Rinne in Nashville. Kindl might get a shot on Detroit’s blueline but he also could very well see himself playing the end of the season in another team’s uniform as well, which would help his stock as he probably won’t see much playing time. Outside of those top 5, the depth gets a little thin. A lack of top six forwards in the top 10 affects this ranking. However, with the lack of quality defensemen around the league, Anaheim could easily shift one of those stud dmen for a franchise forward.

10th overall – Minnesota – 2010 rank: 6th – Movement (-4)

Top 5 prospects: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D), Nikita Filatov (F), Jakob Silfverberg (F), Joel Armia (F), Justin Schultz (D)

Team Analysis: Recently drafted Joel Armia and Oscar Klefbom the Wild's two best non-pro prospects. Palmieri had a solid first NHL audition. Oliver Ekman-Larsson has the most pressure to produce and justify the hype and expectations surrounding him. Justin Schultz and Derek Forbort are the next best defense prospects on the Wild.

Summer Rankings 16-21

21^nd Toronto Maple Leafs – 2010 Rank: 4^th – Movement (-17)

Top 5 Prospects: Dougie Hamilton (D), Alexander Salak (G), Kirill Petrov (F), Evgeny Grachev (F), Nikita Kucherov (F)

Team Analysis: Probably one of the biggest movements from the past list, Toronto’s pure issue was the graduation of their top 4 prospects from last year’s list. A problem I am sure most of us would love to endure (meaning they made it to the big leagues). The key to Toronto’s farm is the prize of Dougie Hamilton, the total package in terms of defensemen. Salak could become a serviceable backup this coming season if Chicago fails to sign tryout Ray Emery. Add in a few Russian super skilled wingers and the future could become deadly for Toronto up front. Outside of Hamilton, the only other big quality defenseman is Colten Teubert. With only one pick next year, our staff fully believed that Toronto will wheel and deal and gain more picks before next year’s draft. On top of constant scouting, Toronto could very well move back into the top 10 as early as next year’s list.

20^th overall Chicago Black Hawks – 2010 Rank: 15^th – Movement: (-5)

Top 5 Prospects: Zach Kassian (F), Louis Leblanc (F), Brock Nelson (F), Martin Marincin (D), Nathan Gerbe (F)

Team Analysis: Depth is the key word when describing Chicago. A top ten that heavily boosts forwards could really develop into a dilemma of uncertainty in terms of figuring out who to move and who to keep them. All top forwards outside of Gerbe have strong, powerful games that will make them essential to their respective clubs. The only real concern is the lack of a quality goaltender as there’s really no golden boy between the pipes and with an aging Kiprusoff and uncertainty in Pavelec, there could be concerns. There is also no real prized PP QB unless Marincin continues to show some signs of developing into that role. A lack of more defensive depth and a quality tendy are the only concerns moving forwards. Two first rounder could easily eliminate both concerns.

19^th overall Carolina Hurricines – 2010 Rank: 20^th – Movement: (+1)

Top 5 Prospects: Derek Stepan (F), Ryan Ellis (D), Linus Omark (F), Justin Faulk (D), Kiril Kabonov (F)

Team Analysis: Ryan Ellis and Derek Stepan could potentially be off this list all together next season. Stepan is a stud forward who’s offensive awareness is top notch as well as his release. Ellis is a tremendously skilled blueliner who will be on the opening day squad if not this season, then next season for sure. Faulk is a kid who might be 2-3 years away but could flourish in the right system and with Carolina always having defensive deficiencies; this could pay big dividends for both him and Carolina. Defense is essentially a strength with the current cast as well as the farm, invcluding the two previously listed as well as Dylan McIrath and Cody Coloubef. Up Front there’s a some skill but nothing high-end outside of Stepan. Kabonov is a roll of the dice and Noesen projects to be more of a second-third liner. A lack of quality goaltending really hurts an already deficient tendy team. Once the goaltending situation is addressed, Carolina might be on the prowl.

18. Phoenix Coyotes - 2010 Ranking: 19th - Movement - (0)

Top 5 prospects: Kevin Shattenkirk (D), Charlie Coyle (F), Robin Lehner (G), Carl Klingberg (F), Ethan Werek (F)

Team Analysis: There is a lot to like about the Phoenix system because it is so well balanced. On defense, Kevin Shattenkirk has the potential to bring stability to the Phoenix blueline. While Charlie Coyle will likely hold on to his amateur status for another season, he is a tremendous fantasy hockey prospect who should end up as a productive top-six forward. Rounding out the top three, Robert Lehner is a highly ranked goalie prospect who is already highly coveted. Through the rest of the farm the Yotes have offensive depth such as Klingberg, Werek, Rakell, and Lucia, as well as some significant other names between the pipes.

17. Edmonton Oilers - 2010 Ranking: 9th - Movement - (-8)

Top 5 prospects: Jacob Josefson (F), Ryan McDonagh (D), Tomas Tatar (F), Jake Gardiner (D), Peter Holland (F)

Team Analysis: It is a testament to the UFHL that Phoenix and Edmonton can rank 18th and 19th in farm depth, however Edmonton's farm in particular could easily make the voters look silly in a few years. Did voters notice that eight of the Oilers prospects are former first rounders, or, because most of them were later in the opening round, did players like Peter Holland, Quinton Howden, and Kevin Hayes slide under the radar? This is an exceptionally promising top dozen prospects, and their biggest fault may be that they are not better known. The fact that the Oilers have successfully compiled such a long list of unsung prospects could mean the phone lines could start to burn up as these 'ugly ducklings' start to develop. Edmonton's goaltending situation is somewhat tenuous. Success at the pro level will require Dubnyk to thrive and for veteran JF Giguere to get adequate games this season.

16. Colorado Avalanche - 2010 Rank: 16th - Movement: (-1)

Top 5 Prospects: Jack Campbell (G), Mark McNeil (F), Thomas Hickey (D), Sami Vatanen (D), Blake Geoffrion (F)

Team Analysis:
After a lot of patience, the Avalanche have a number of goaltenders on the horizon who could help rescue the atrocious starting goaltending situation that has Jason Labarbera (and his back to back 17 game seasons) as their most proven goaltender. Colorado's top prospect is Windsor Spitfire Jack Campbell (Goalie guild ranked 9th), and he is likely two seasons away from NHL action, however Mark Dekanich (Goalie guild ranked 16th) could push Steve Mason for the starting job in Columbus this year. While the goaltending is the strength of the Avs farm, McNeil and Geoffrion, as well as Robak and Percy offer legitimate hope at forward and defense as well. Keep an eye on Geoffrion this year. He had a strong audition last season and could make a big jump.

UFHL Farm Ranks Summer 2011

27^th: New York Islanders – 2010 Rank: 27^th – Movement: (0)

Top 5 Prospects: Chris DiDomenico (F), Justin Shrugg (F), Adam Henrique (F), Joel Chouinard (D), Alex Stalock (G)

Team Analysis: A lack of a top-end talented prospect and depth is evident. The free agent signings of four of the top 5 prospects (minus Shrugg) shows some impressive skills in terms of ditching the draft, trading picks for current talent and opting for players who impress after the draft. Hopefully the Isles will make some farm improvement this season and move from their two-time 27^th rank. But hey, when you got Drew Doughty and Sidney Crosby.. who cares?

26^th: Boston Bruins – 2010 Rank: 25^th – Movement (-1)

Top 5 prospects: Sven Bartschi (F), Carl Hagelin (F), Roman Cervanka (F), Steven Kampfer (D)

Team Analysis: Bartschi and Hagelin are two foreigners who could very well round out many organizations in the near future. Bartschi has a chance to make an immediate impact on a very poor team in the NHL and this could just add to the plethora of talent the second place Boston Bruins have. Cervenka will most likely never cross the pond but, again, being in second place allows you to wait it out and see if the highly talented forward moves. Diaz is a prospect who could end up being another Mark Streit, hailing from the same grounds as well. A lot of boom or busts in this farm, but very intriguing.

25^th: Tampa Bay Lightning – 2010 Rank: 21^st – Movement (-4)

Top 5 Prospects: Taylor Doherty (D), Dustin Tokarski (G), Matt Puempel (F), Patrick Weircioch (D), Alec Martinez (D)

Team Analysis: Mostering Doherty, Weircoich, Barrie, Cuma and Rutkowski all have a nice blend offensive talent, which is essential to a league such as our own. WJC Favorite Tokarski could see some minutes this year if his elders slip up or get hurt. A lack of offensive forwards outside of the name Puempel lacks as well as some more goaltending depth that can over-take back-ups Biron and Emery. Tampa has a relatively young team and with Toews, Lundqvist and Parise t build around, strong farms are almost unnecessary.

24^th: New York Rangers – 2010 Rank: 26^th – Movement (++2)

Top 5 Prospects: Marcus Kruger (F), Teemu Pulkkinen (F), Dustin Jeffery (F), David Savard (D), Mattias Ekholm (D)

Team Analysis: Most underrated players in any system right now could be Pulkkinen and Ekholm. Pulkkinen is a scoring wiz who has actually picked up his overall game. The whining about his skating is asinine while his playmaking ability is actually improving dramatically. Ekholm is probably just another proto-typical Nashville defenseman who will turn heads and develop into a 12-15 year NHLer who throws up beneficial numbers. Dice rollers like Granlund makes it very interesting. Add in Tanev, Spurgeon who have seen NHL time this past season as well as a blossoming Gustafsson might not actually be bad players in the long-run.

23^th Ottawa Senators – 2010 Rank: 23 – Movement (0)

Top 5 Prospects: PK Subaan (D), Michal Grabner (F), David Musil (D), Adam McQuad (D), Eric Gelinas (D)

Team Analysis: PK Subban is a franchise stud defenseman, pure and simple. Grabner is a potentially a sniping 30-35 goal, 25-30 point forward. Not too shabby with either if you ask me. Musil has the potential to be a very nice top 4 defenseman, McQuaid is a physical defenseman who could fill in the enforcer spot very well and give you points from a very tough position to find quality in. The farm has a lot of depth in terms of Lowry, Lowe, and Team Biega, but not much high end after the top 2/4 in terms of impact. Esposito unfortunately is running out of time but anything is possible.

22^rd Vancouver Canucks – 2010 Rank: 18^th – Movement (-4)

Top 5 Prospects: Brandon Gormley (D), Chris Kreider (F), Mark Pysyk (D), Max Gratchev (F), Sergei Shirokov (F)

Team Analysis: Not much improved throughout the season in terms of drafting. The top 5 remains essentially the same as it was a year prior, which isn’t always a bad thing. Top end wise, Kreider and Gormley have top 2 lines potential without a doubt. Blacker is a hot prospect right now moving up the depth charts and Mark Pysyk, former first rounder who’s no slouch either. Who knows if he can crack the deep top 4 of Buffalo but as long as you make it, that’s all that matters. The lack of any kind of offensive prospect after Krieder and Gratchev will hopefully be addressed in the future. Depth on the blueline looks incredible.