Hey guys, I am very glad to provide you my early top 60. As you can notice, only the top 37 are detailled, I will add details soon enough if I see an interest on my work. Remember, this is very early in the season! Have a good read!
1. Drew Doughty
Defense
Born Dec 8 1989 -- London, ONT
Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 -- Shoots R
This guy is about ready to play pro hockey;he continues to standout as ayoung player.He move the puck with such poise and efficiency;He is a power-play QB.
Doughty have the greater offensive potential of the draft as a defense-man. He looks like he's going to be an NHL superstar, maybe even next year!
2. Alex Pietrangelo
Defense
Born Jan 18 1990 -- King City, ONT
Height 6.03 -- Weight 192 -- Shoots R
Piatrangelo is an excellent skater for a guy his size, is poised with the puck in the offensive end, can be physical and seems to be a pretty complete package.
However, he is still prone to making some mistakes.He's making thing look very easy.Takes the puck out of trouble,has the ability to shake fore-checkers with ease,make it look effortless,has great character and leadership qualities,as he captained the Gold Medal WinningTeam Ontario squad at the Canada Games.
3. Kyle Beach
Center
Born Jan 13 1990 -- Kelowna, BC
Height 6.03 -- Weight 180 -- Shoots R
You want a power forward with a HUGE nasty streak,Kyle Beach is your man!
He plays a very dirty game. He's abrasive , hits after the plays.He got an exceptional goal scoring ability. His reputation as a punk and a cheap shot artist is well deserved.He is a playoff performer, drives the net with authority, he's a super power forward that every coach dream to have.
4. Steven Stamkos
Center
Born Feb 7 1990 -- Unionville, ONT
Height 6.00 -- Weight 170 -- Shoots R
Owns leadership qualities. Has hall of fame skills. On the ice, Stamkos has a clear sense of what he needs to do. Off the ice, the young center displays maturity beyond his years.
His work ethic is outstanding, he's very grounded, and very mature.
Blessed with slick skating skills,possesses strong footspeed,above-average acceleration,takes advantage of a strong agility,solid top-end speed,solid explosiveness, can outskate the defenders smoothly, but should develop a better balance and
upgrade on his lower-body strength,succeeds in one-on-one situations thanks to his elusive stick moves.
Drives the net hard and visits the slot,battles for the loose pucks in the corners,tenacious in the faceoff circle,will be a decent physical factor once he physically matures,needs to improve on his defensive play despite his willingness to occassionally backcheck.
5. Zach Boychuk
Center
Born Oct 4 1989 -- Airdrie, ALTA
Height 5.09 -- Weight 176 -- Shoots L
Constant offensive menace. Has the soft hands, elusive one-on-one moves.Has an unmatched set of offensive skills with the puck. Is perhaps the premier stickhandler in the draft. Displays mesmerizing moves and a deceptive shot.A mix of Kovalev hands and Gaborik feet.His lack of size is NOT a concern, he's more than fit.
Impressed with his skating ability and belligerence along the boards.Creates quality plays with the puck and delivers noticeable amound of hits.Can score spectacular goals, but is also adept at playing the set-up role. When on his game, he can dominate.Incredible anticipation and awesome positioning.
6. Nikita Filatov
Left Wing
Birthdate: 1990-05-25 Moscow,Russia
Height 5-11 -- Weight 165 -- Shoots L
This kid is dynamite.Has elite skating,exceptional vision and creativity on the ice. His offensive instincts are terrific.He loves to score spectacular goals and he's able to. tremendous hand/eye coordination.Must overcome his lack of size and strength in order to make it big in the NHL.
7. Luke Schenn
Defense
Born Nov 2 1989 -- Saskatoon, SASK
Height 6.03 -- Weight 209 -- Shoots R
Luke Schenn is a big, mobile defenseman who can move the puck while taking care of his own end first. Mature in his game at this stage in his development, Schenn will probally transition to the NHL faster than his peers.Works like a horse and never gives up.Blocks shots. A true warrior and a future leader.
8. Patrice Cormier
Center
Born Jun 14 1990 -- Moncton, NB
Height 6.01 -- Weight 197 -- Shoots L
Huge centre.Has progressed way beyond than expected. Quick hands, accuracy and precision of his shots are jaw-dropping.Understand more and more how to use his huge frame.One of the best eye-hand coordination of the draft.He must improve his
skating and keep using his body.
9. Mikhail Stefanovich
Right Wing
Born Nov 27 1989 -- Minsk, Belarus
Height 6.02 -- Weight 202 -- Shoots R
Plays the game at a very fast pace. A great sniper, he has a hard, accurate shot,needs to use it more. Can often change the course of the game with one shift.
Mikhail looks to have that innate sense that all elite offensive threats have. He possesses an elusive agility and exciting one-on-one moves.
10. Maxim Chudinov
Defense
Born Mar 25 1990
Height 5.10 -- Weight 181
I saw every Ivana Hlinku tourney games and the mvp was Maxim Chudinov. This defense-man is terrific. He's so shifty and smart out there. His hockey sens is A+ and his offensive and defensive skills are extremely high. He was the corner stone of the team. I have rarely seen a young d-man making so much good things on the ice and almost never did mistakes like Chudinov. I am very pleased with his gamestyke, even if there's no transfer agreement, you must take him early.
11. Vyacheslav Vojnov
Defense
Born Jan 15 1990
Height 5.10 -- Weight 172
Vojnov is a 5 tool player. He's the kind of player you can put 30 minutes on the ice with confidence he'll do great. He's a hard-nosed defense-man who likes dirty things. He hits to make people suffer. He uses elbow to intimidate players. His stickhandling skill is tremendous. He can lead the power-play from the point with authority. This kid have a bright future.
12. Kevin Poulin
Goalie
Born Apr 12 1990 -- Montreal, PQ
This goalie is the real deal. When Poulin is in the net, you can be sure everything will go smoothly. His mental game is impressive for a young goaltender.Poulin is an athletic goalie who moves well laterally,with good positioning and a quick
glove hand.He challenges shooters well,staying square.
13. Colten Teubert
Defense
Born Mar 8 1990 -- White Rock, BC
Height 6.04 -- Weight 180 -- Shoots R
He’s a really big frame and he has a real presence on theice,He might make some of those other d-men better. Forwards always think twice before cutting to the net when Teubert is playing. He has an aura of respect.With his outstanding size and
skills, Teubert is a reliable defense-man that coaches loves to have.Displays good leadership ability and will go to war for any of his teammates.
14. Michael Del Zotto
Defense
Born Jun 24 1990 -- Stouffville, ONT
Height 6.00 -- Weight 190 -- Shoots L
Offensive wizard with the puck. Makes end-to-end rushes with such grace and dignity. Del zotto is a smoothskating,puck-moving d-man,PP specialist with serious flaws defensively. His pitching decisions are not always very smart.His hockey sense is somehow a question mark. Be sure he'll play in the nhl on day, but he might take many years to remove some bad habits he has.
15. Colin wilson
Left Center
Born: 10.20.89
Height: 6’1” Weight: 208
Wilson is a big strong offensively skilled winger whoplays a hardnosed style of game.He has a greatcombination of size,strength and skill,which heuses to play a very effective game in all three zones.He displays a work ethic. He is hard to contain due to his slick moves. His hockey IQ is off the chart. You simply cant go wrong with Wilson.
16. Philippe Cornet
Center
Born Mar 28 1990 -- Val-d'Or, PQ
Height 6.00 -- Weight 180 -- Shoots L
Is a natural goal-scorer, with plenty of grit to fight through traffic and battle against big defensemen. Owns the confidence of a veteran. Was a Midjet AAA superstar. Has progressed way beyond than expected.Sees the ice well and loves to use his imagination.
17. Jonathan Bonneau
Left Wing
Born Jul 10 1990 -- Sherbrooke, PQ
Height 6.00 -- Weight 177 -- Shoots L
A high riser, ultra-athletic skilled wingers with good hard working habits...uses his speed
and size well to drive wide and to get to the net...gets his shot off quick able to fight through checks and protect the puck,is not afraid to take the puck into traffic and can be very elusive,very good at anticipating the play.
18. Chris Doyle
Center
Born Mar 22 1990 -- Charlottetown, PEI
Height 6.00 -- Weight 195 -- Shoots L
Chris Doyle is an excellent playmaker.Mental player,works hard every shift has good puck skills and the ability to beat a defender one-on-one,not afraid of playing in traffic,needs to utilize his linemates more often and needs to be more consistent with his physical play.
19. Kelsey Tessier
Center
Born Jan 16 1990 -- Fredericton, NB
Height 5.09 -- Weight 164 -- Shoots R
A skilled forward with great playmaking ability,has an accurate shot with a quick release ,a fluid skater that has a nose for the net and the ability to control the flow of the game,not afraid of taking a hit and can perform under pressure,has good on-ice awareness and a good work ethic.
20. Jamie Arniel
Center
Born Nov 16 1989 -- Kingston, ONT
Height 5.11 -- Weight 165 -- Shoots R
Despite a starting the season slowy, you cant deny what James Arniel can do. He is SOOOOOO slippery! You must keep an eye on him all the time because he'S a constant offensive menace. Has the soft hands, elusive one-on-one moves. His creativity is superb!
21. Tyler Ennis
Center
Born Oct 6 1989 -- Edmonton, ALTA
Height 5.09 -- Weight 155 -- Shoots L
Tyler Ennis is a wonderful hockey player to watch. His vision on the ice is next to none! His skating abilities are jaw-dropping. His tiny frame may cause him some difficulties to adapt to nhl.
22. Cody Hodgson
Center
Born Feb 18 1990 -- Markham, ONT
Height 5.11 -- Weight 182 -- Shoots R
His strong game with Team Ontario started a hype.Cody Hodgson has a great acceleration and a nose for the net,has a quick release and can shoot at top speed,has good puckhandling and makes good decisions with the puck,works hard at both ends of the ice,doesnt shy away from being hit,but needs to add a physical presence to his game and improve his consistency from game to game.
23. Yann Sauvé
Defense
Born Feb 18 1990 -- Rigaud, PQ
Height 6.03 -- Weight 212 -- Shoots L
A skilled offensive defenseman with good puck skills and a good shot from the point. Sauvé makes good passes and sees the ice well.Can be physical in the defensive zone and in front-net coverage.Has a good active stickand uses his reach effectively
handles the puck well and is a heads up player.
24. Mitch Wahl
Center
Born Jan 22 1990 -- Seal Beach, CA
Height 6.00 -- Weight 175 -- Shoots R
Undersized,two-way centre. Soft hands and jaw-dropping accuracy.Quite courageous,not scared to bleed or loose tooth.He plays a strong-all around game.
25. Johan Motin
Defense
Born Oct 10 1989
Height 6.02 -- Weight 190 -- Shoots R
A strong and physical defenseman with fine defensive qualities. Plays a simple and mature game and has good timing in his hits. Defensive game is sound and there are some offensive insticts as well.
26. Joel Champagne
Center
Born Jan 24 1990 -- LaSalle, PQ
Height 6.03 -- Weight 205 -- Shoots L
A power forward with great physical presence an ability to protect the puck,shows good stickhandling skill,does not give up on the play and has an impressive work ethic.A player you notice every game.Somehow unpolished,he displays solid effort and
commitment
27. Mattias Tedenby
Left Winger
BORN: 1990-02-21 Sweden
Height 5'9" -- Weight 161 -- Shoots L
A first-class skater with excellent technical skills and creativity. Is a very capable goal scorer that is strong on the puck. Has good hockey sense. Additional strength and muscles would improve his game even further.
28. Zach Bogosian
Defense
Born Jul 15 1990 -- Massena, NY
Height 6.02 -- Weight 190 -- Shoots R
Bagosian showed great improvement this year as the season went on.He played with great deal of confidence,showing that he could play in all situations when given the chance.He skates well and is mobile with the puck. He shows good patience and composure,handles the puck well,amakes good decisions with the puck while under pressure.
29. Mikkel Boedker
Right Wing
Born Dec 16 1989 -- Brandby, Denmark
Height 5.11 -- Weight 201 -- Shoots L
A creative and very speedy player. He has good hands and hockey sense. Good scorer, but needs to improve his accuracy a bit. Spectacular and fun to watch with plenty of offensive flair.
30. Danick Paquette
Left Wing
Born Jul 17 1990 -- Montreal, PQ
Height 5.11 -- Weight 201 -- Shoots L
This kid is nasty,dirty and I love it. He hits,frustrates other players with his unique abrasive gamestyle. He loves to intimidate players after the play, crush the goaltender and has a nice timing to deliver pain along the boards. He's not only a dirty guy, he can play finesse hockey too! He got goal scorer hands with pretty impressive vision.Danick is one of a kind guy in this draft and teams wants to take him early
31. Alexandre Néron
Defense
Born May 9 1990 -- La Malbaie, PQ
Height 6.00 -- Weight 180 -- Shoots R
A mighty defense-man with poise and skills. He skates around with ease and makes great first pass. Well-rounded for his age, Néron has many tricks in his bag. He's the kind of defense-man that can log easily 25 minutes per game.
32. Mathieu Tousignant
Center
Born Nov 21 1989 -- St-Etienne-de-Lauzon, PQ
Height 5.11 -- Weight 176 -- Shoots L
Great hands and creativity with the puck. Tousignan makes plays that pull you out of your seat and can beat defenders one on one or even one on two as I’ve witnessed. Does not shy away from going to the net for a scoring chance. Extremely quick stick as well as his decision making which regards to what he is going to do with the puck.
33. Sergey ostapchuk
Left Winger
Born 3/19/90 Yaroslavl
Height 5.11 -- Weight 180 -- Shoots L
Sergey possesses a lot of the nifty skills that his countrymen havebeen known for in the past, Good skater who likes to zip up the wing and take passes in topflight. Good soft hands and can dangle. Sees the ice well and can dish the puck.
34. Jaroslav Janus
Goalie
Born Sep 21 1989 -- Presov, Slovakia
Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 -- Shoots R
During the World junior A contest, Janus succeded to be a core player for his team.Jaroslav is a reflex goalie who plays a positional sound Butterfly style. Has good lateral mobility and can get across in a hurry. Competes well and has good focus.
Strong glove hand and quick legs round him out nicely. Needs to add strength and maybe challenge shooters more consistently.
35. Kruise Reddick
Center
Born Jul 6 1990 -- Manor, SASK
Height 5.09 -- Weight 165 -- Shoots R
Remember well this name, Reddick is a pure offensive dynamo.He can stickhandle in a phone booth with a wet spagetthi noodle.Kruise is surprisingly hard to knock off the puck and possesses great balance. His skating is good and he has a
water bug like quickness that helps him elude bigger checkers, Kruise is equally able to set-up a play using ultra fine passing ability or finish off the play with his tremendous shot availability and hands down low.Of course, his tiny frame prevent Reddick to be a top 30 player for now, but things could change with more muscle.
36. Kirill Petrov
Forward
Born Apr 13 1990
Height 6.03 -- weight 205 -- Shoots R
Petrov is tall,strong and skilled but lacks passion. He got all the tools to succed in the nhl. His long reach helps him to deke players and stickhandle with ease. He rarely use his frame and forecheck is an unknown word for Kirill. Has a tremendous potential. The team that drafted him must understand he's a project but he worth the guess.
close to make it : tyler schimidt
jan kana
dean howard
sleepers: Mikhail Churlyaev D
Dmitry Kugryshev LW
Anton Lazarev F
Lukas Stoop D
Micheal D'Orazio D
Taylor MacDougall C
Olivier Ouellet C
Billy Lacasse C
Vinny Saponari RW
Last edited by Louis Houde: 10-08-2007 at 04:23 PM.
Dumont and MacAusland are both '09 eligible, not '08.
Cormier is definitely a top 60 prospect for the 08 draft, he is a very noticeable omission.
Dumont and MacAusland = fixed
Cormier is definitely a top 60 prospect for the 08 draft, he is a very noticeable omission= very noticeable omission by you i guess
Dumont and MacAusland = fixed
Cormier is definitely a top 60 prospect for the 08 draft, he is a very noticeable omission= very noticeable omission by you i guess
ahh, your right. 8 is too high for him imo. I think Cornet is the better prospect personally.
How about this for a noticeable omission. Jimmy Hayes, many feel he will be better then James van Riemsdyk and is definitely a potential top 10 pick.
ahh, your right. 8 is too high for him imo. I think Cornet is the better prospect personally.
How about this for a noticeable omission. Jimmy Hayes, many feel he will be better then James van Riemsdyk and is definitely a potential top 10 pick.
Then again ,noticeable omission by YOU! he is in my list. but not as high as you think he would be. Jimmy Hayes struggled so far to prove he can be an nhl player. His recent games with USDP-18 are awful. He dropped a lot in my mind, Jesse Joensuu style.
not bad, I always like looking at mock drafts even if I don't agree with them ....seems a little biased against American players ...not saying it's done purposely just maybe the National Development team might be underrated by some people.
lol, you edited him in, right before i made the post. when I looked at the thread, he wasn't there. There is no reason Jimmy Hayes is not atleast in the top 30. Not #61 in your top 60 lol. All the rankings I have seen him in, he has been atleast in the top 15. I am quite sure more then 2 players playing for the USNDTP/NCAA/USHL will be selected in the top 60. I believe last season there were more players selected from the USHL then the Q. There seems to be a bias towards Q players. That aside, its a great read nonetheless.
Switch Wilson with Cormier and it's a decent list.
Wilson is WAY too low on there currently, IMO.
__________________
"Of course giving Sather cap space is like giving teenagers whiskey and car keys." - SBOB
"Is it bad that I just visualized Stevens and Cormier skating at each other full speed, saw Stevens run Cormier over and stand over him shouting "lead with the SHOULDER!" then I laughed out loud?" - Classic Devil
Dont agree with every ranking, but I can't complain - that's a better top 60 than I could muster up. Everyone complaining - try coming up with your own 60!
IMO Joe Colborne is a top 60 prospect for sure. He is dominating the AJHL like few I have seen before, the last one being Mason Raymond. I fully expect Colborne to absolutely shoot the rankings in the coming months once people see his stats.
BTW, he is 6 foot 4 and 195 pounds, with excellent speed and outstanding hands. His stats as of today are 9GP, 9G, 10A, 19PTS.
Great Work Houde! This is exactly the kind of knowledgeable
info i'm looking for on this board. Thanks a bunch!
It would be great to see you post a followup sometime
in march or something to see what players have
risen and fallen.
PLayers from the USA are joining the NHL at a faster rate than any other nation.
yea? u got a graph on that? USA has yet to produce any superstar players in 20 years. They do not have world class goalie in the leauges of Luongo/Broduear, they do not have a scary defencemen in the leauges of Pronger/Lidstrom, they do not have a top end player like Crosby/Ovechkin, and lets go down the list, no one close to the level of Spezza/ Lecavelier, Thorton. Prior to Phil Kessel there has not been any dynamite american player that will continue to carry the torch after Modanno retires.
Also through the top 34 on that list, theres only 1 American player.
Lets say Kane and Kessel lives up to expectations. Thats good, in between them and Modanno they failed to produce a superstar player.
does anyone even know whois currently the best American player in the world?
Still think Veilleux should have been a top 20 pick?
