WSH/VAN

[Nick]

Although in recent history no AHL ROY has backed it up with a NHL ROY, most dominant 20 year olds in the AHL, have dominant seasons in the NHL within a year or two.

You have 4 players on your list with experience beyond the CHL, only 2 with pro north american experience. I dunno what suggests those other players are more ready to contribute then the likes of Geoffrion, Tangradi or Adam.


Aside from how late Nino is i don't disagree really with the order of the players you have there, I really struggle with Gabriel & Nazem being ranked above him. However I just don't believe you're giving enough credit to more developed rookies (all of whom were top 60 picks as well).

[Nick]

Just for the purpose of continuing the convo and sharing why I believe AHL ROY is a good indicator of a good NHLer to come:

Terry Sawchuk
Darryl Sutter
Steve Thomas
Ron Hextall
Brett Hull
Felix Potvin
Darcy Tucker
Daniel Briere
Rene Bourque
-------yet to really know, but-----
Tedy Purcell
Nathan Gerbe
Tyler Ennis
--> and the origin of this debate from the trade
Luke Adam

Couple of things they all have in common, is that they were not top blue-pick prospects at the time of the draft, but soon after were on the path to NHL-stardom. IMO if you won the AHL ROY, there is a good chance you'll be given a longer look next training camp, people in the organization will now be vouching for you, and given that Buffalo doesn't have a strength up the middle, and definitely lacks size, Luke is in a very good situation to perform next season. I know I wish I never traded him.

Right after this trade happened, I offered up something like: Bulmer, Ferraro, A.Ruutu, Lane & Salomaki (all recent top 60 picks themselves) - hoping safety in # might lure Adam back to the TBL.

[Robin Hood]

Although in recent history no AHL ROY has backed it up with a NHL ROY, most dominant 20 year olds in the AHL, have dominant seasons in the NHL within a year or two.

You have 4 players on your list with experience beyond the CHL, only 2 with pro north american experience. I dunno what suggests those other players are more ready to contribute then the likes of Geoffrion, Tangradi or Adam.


Aside from how late Nino is i don't disagree really with the order of the players you have there, I really struggle with Gabriel & Nazem being ranked above him. However I just don't believe you're giving enough credit to more developed rookies (all of whom were top 60 picks as well).

I believe in opportunity/ice time more than anything else.

Gudbranson is way too talented and can IMO see up to 25 minutes a game. That alone gives him a huge advantage. Larsson is in a similar situation as the best offensive d-man NJD has except the jump across the pond makes it a little tough. Schenn and Landeskog and interchangeable but IMO they are the most ready forwards out of everyone on the list including Nino and RNH. RNH is 5 simply because I don't think he's physically ready. Kadri/Nino have depth to overcome on their respective teams but are more talented than Zibanejad.

As far as the philosophy of selecting more developed prospects is concerned, I believe prospects who have developed more do not always see ice-time the way fresh rookies do simply because the organizational philosophy on those prospects is already on the track of slow and steady. I.E. Jeff Skinner vs Mikhail Granlund. When Granlund makes the jump, he will be eased in vs being thrown into elite minutes like Skinner was IMO.