THNs 2006 Future Watch

[netwolf]

Picked up a copy of this tonight. Evgeni Malkin is ranked #1. The other Pens to make the list are Marc-Andre Fleury (6), and Noah Welch (64).

The top 10 Pens after those three are Colby Armstrong, Ryan Stone, Daniel Carcillo, Michel Ouellet, Ben Eaves, Alex Goligoski, and Kristopher Letang.

The top 10 overall are Malkin, Jack Johnson (CAR), Bobby Ryan (ANA), Shea Weber (NSH), Niklas Kronwall (DET), Fleury (PIT), Gilber Brule (CLB), Marc Staal (NYR), Cam Barker (CHI), and Ladislav Smid (LA).

The list was put together a while a go, which explains Fleury being on the list, while Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin for example, are not.

I think Johnson and Ryan are a little high, if only because they were just drafted last year. Regarding the Pens 10, I'm not sure how Carcillo got that high. Ben Eaves seems like Toby Petersen part 2 to me; I think he's a little overrated as well.

Thoughts?

[Bowser]

My gawd, I don't know who did the ratings for the Penguins but it is horrible.

Carcillo and Eaves are not even worth of such status.

I'll get to my top 10 in a few

[Draftnik]

Agree on Eaves. I've never seen him as a legitimate NHL prospect.

These rankings were compiled before the WJC. Ryan would drop significantly off his lackluster performance.

Letang is #2 behind Malkin IMO, assuming MAF is in the NHL. I think he projects as the Pens best dman prospect based on the 10 or so games I've seen him play.

I also think Goligoski is rated too low. He would be behind Malkin, Letang, and Welch on my list.

I think this list really shows how bare the Pens cupboard is at forward. I've only seen Filewich play once, but he is a better prospect than Ouellet, Carcillo and Eaves IMO.

[Bowser]

Here's my top 10

1. Evgeni Malkin, C - Franchise power forward that can do it all.
2. Kris Letang, D - great positioning, great skater, quickest hands for D
3. Noah Welch, D - solid two way future NHL defensemen by next year
4. Alex Goligoski, D - in two, three years, he'll be working with Letang on PP
5. Jonathan Filewich, RW - strong winger that goes to the net, hard wrister
6. Johannes Salmonsson, LW - quick as Koltsov and way better skills
7. Ryan Stone, C - rugged type with two way skills, needs to switch to RW
8. Matt Moulson, LW - has done nothing but score in NCAA
9. Michal Sersen, D - another strong two-way defensemen
10. Paul Bissonnette, D - big defensive defensemen, not stellar with puck.

[spoon]

Where'd you pick it up at?

[netwolf]

The Pens article was written by Joe Starkey and includes a couple of paragraphs on each of the top 5. I assume he compiled the entire list and added the 1 or 2 lines for each of the bottom 5 players:

Carcillo: Potential Darcy Tucker clone made name for himself after ejoction from Philly shootout.
Ouellet: Added PKing to deft scoring touch; he's now producing in NHL.
Eaves: Speedy center's recovery on hold as he continues recovery from kneecap surgery.
Goligoski: Offensively gifted blueliner needs to bulk up; on pace to equla last year's point total.
Letang: Lightning fast, offensive blueliner on pace to double point totals from last season.

Ouellet is beginning to carve himself out a decent niche as a special-teams player. It's too bad he's almost invisible at even strength.

This special issue magazine also contains a two page article on Evgeni Malkin. Among the comments on Malkin in that article (by Dennis Gibbons) and the capsule by Starkey:
-If Malkin chose to sign with the Pens, they would be in serious contention for a playoff spot.
-Malkin was rated #1 on all 21 ballots ranking NHL prospects.
-His most impressive move is one in which he leaves the puck for a teammate, but accelerates in a way that makes defenders think it is still on his stick.
-His russian nickname is Zhenia and the Metallurg fans recently shouted "Zhenia is the best, Zhenia is God" at a recent game.
-Dave King (Metallurg head coach) said this of Malkin: He can dominate a game. Besides his offensive talent, he is an excellent penalty killer withhis reach and range on the ice being great assets."
-Pierre McGuire called Malkin "Ron Francis with speed."

Lofty accolades indeed... if he can live up to even part of all of this, he'll be a tremendous player. I cannot wait for the Olympics.

[netwolf]

Where'd you pick it up at?

I found it at the South Hills Borders.

[Bowser]

Starkey barely pays any attention to hockey, that tells me all I need to know of that publication.

[NIN]

CARCILLO IS THE RED DRAGON.

Before him you rightly tremble.

[NIN]

Here's my top 10

1. Evgeni Malkin, C - Franchise power forward that can do it all.
2. Kris Letang, D - great positioning, great skater, quickest hands for D
3. Noah Welch, D - solid two way future NHL defensemen by next year
4. Alex Goligoski, D - in two, three years, he'll be working with Letang on PP
5. Jonathan Filewich, RW - strong winger that goes to the net, hard wrister
6. Johannes Salmonsson, LW - quick as Koltsov and way better skills
7. Ryan Stone, C - rugged type with two way skills, needs to switch to RW
8. Matt Moulson, LW - has done nothing but score in NCAA
9. Michal Sersen, D - another strong two-way defensemen
10. Paul Bissonnette, D - big defensive defensemen, not stellar with puck.

I think Letang is NHL ready right now but I dont understand why your notseeing the upside to Carcillo. Other than Malkin he is the most promissing forward I have seen.

[Bowser]

then you haven't seen much hockey to think Carcillo has the most upside. That might be the most laughable thing I've read on this board in a long time.

[netwolf]

If Carcillo is our most promising forward outside of Malkin, then this organization is in more trouble than I thought. Do you realize Carcillo was demoted to Wheeling? Legitmate NHL prospects RARELY spend time in the ECHL.

Letang is a great prospect, but saying he's NHL ready is a bit much. If he cracks the roster this fall, then it's as much of an indictment of the rest of the group as it would be a plus on Letang's part. Noah Welch is ahead of Letang right now.

[randy]

Lets be objective now. Didnt Marc Staal totally shut down Malkin in the world juniors? Im not trying to be a jag-off, and i dont know all the circumstances surrounding that, but the russian superleague isnt the NHL. Hes going to be good, but i dont thinks hes going to be the second coming either. This isnt going to be a playoff contender just by adding him. Until goaltending and defense are tightened up, and management starts paying more attention to it theyre going nowhere

[NIN]

Lets be objective now. Didnt Marc Staal totally shut down Malkin in the world juniors? Im not trying to be a jag-off, and i dont know all the circumstances surrounding that, but the russian superleague isnt the NHL. Hes going to be good, but i dont thinks hes going to be the second coming either. This isnt going to be a playoff contender just by adding him. Until goaltending and defense are tightened up, and management starts paying more attention to it theyre going nowhere

If he is 75% as good as Ovechkin then we will have a respectable power play. He might even carry the puck up ice and work a point. I suspect they will put him on Crosbys wing for 40-60% of the season so that alone will allow for more offense, and considering how well Malone is producing at center they could have a decent second line without Malkin on it.

I agree that they are pretty freaking far from being a legitimate playoff team but Malkin would be a HUGE help. He is good for at least 10 more wins next season.

[Stoosh]

is that Malkin is hands-down the best hockey player in the world who is not playing in the NHL right now.

And don't discount the Russian Super League. The RSL is a different type of hockey. It's not as phsyical as the North American game, and there's a much greater emphasis on precision passing and skating. A point-a-game average is absolutely phenomenal for a teenager in that league.

I watched him twice in the World Juniors this year and twice last year. If he's a lesser player than Crosby right now, it's not by much at all. He's looks to be more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer, but that's not to say he can't shoot. And he's got one hell of a mean streak in him, from what I saw...no reluctance to hit at all.

[NIN]

If Carcillo is our most promising forward outside of Malkin, then this organization is in more trouble than I thought. Do you realize Carcillo was demoted to Wheeling? Legitmate NHL prospects RARELY spend time in the ECHL.

Letang is a great prospect, but saying he's NHL ready is a bit much. If he cracks the roster this fall, then it's as much of an indictment of the rest of the group as it would be a plus on Letang's part. Noah Welch is ahead of Letang right now.

Please you guys look at prospects and look for fancy goals and pretty plays and perfect statistics. I look for a kid who will face a possibility of being checked through the glass just to keep a loss puck from being picked up by the opposition. YOU CANNOT DEVELOPE HEART. Having said that Carcillo has a good set of skills and he is progressing in a positive direction. What you guys dont know is that he is difficult to coach because he is so intense. That is not going to get him to the NHL any quicker but I think he will grow up and be a regular pain in the arse for opposing NHL forwards. Also he can be a good goal scorer. One of the biggest reasons for the lack of offense for this Penguins team is the failure of the forwards to pay ANY price to get a high % shot on net. Carcillo is 180 from that mindset and that will get him to the NHL quicker than the gayness of Salmonson.

[netwolf]

Carcillo is a middle of the road prospect, nothing more, nothing less. Heart is definitely a trait you want a player to have, but if he has limited skills or cannot play disciplined, it doesn't matter how much he cares. If Carcillo can channel his aggression, then he has a shot at becoming a useful player. The big issue with him is, if you channel that aggression and make him play disciplined hockey, is that going to take away from his overall game and thereby limit his effectiveness?

Whatever the case with him may be, I still stand by my original statement that if Carcillo is the best Pens prospect at forward who is not named Malkin, then the organization has severe problems at forward.