Top 2012 NHL Draft Prospects
by Dominik on Jan 13, 2012 12:25 PM EST
in Islanders in Diapers
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There seems to be popular demand (or at least a populous contingent of unknown majority/minority among our dear readers) who request occasional separate threads for prospective-prospect gazing.
So with the NHL Central Scouting this week releasing their mid-term rankings for North American and European (separate but equal) skaters and goalies (separate but totally not equal, because goaltenders are a subspecies), we can at least take a quick look and provide those interested with a thread for 2012 draft gluttony.
A thorough "consensus" mid-term ranking was compiled by Copper & Blue last month.
By percentage of points earned the Islanders today stand in the familiar 26th place, so there is a good chance they'll call one of these names next June. We've added a few extra observations from sleepless nights of painstaking scouting of these players' lesser known attributes:
North American Skaters
RANK PLAYER TEAM LEAGUE HEIGHT WEIGHT POSITION
1 YAKUPOV, NAIL SARNIA OHL 5' 10.5" 189 RW
2 GRIGORENKO, MIKHAIL QUEBEC QMJHL 6' 3.25" 200 C
3 MURRAY, RYAN EVERETT WHL 6' 0.5" 201 D
4 FAKSA, RADEK KITCHENER OHL 6' 3.0" 202 C
5 RIELLY, MORGAN MOOSE JAW WHL 5' 11.5" 190 D
6 MAATTA, OLLI LONDON OHL 6' 1.5" 202 D
7 DUMBA, MATHEW RED DEER WHL 5' 11.75" 183 D
8 REINHART, GRIFFIN EDMONTON WHL 6' 3.75" 207 D
9 TROUBA, JACOB USA U-18 USHL 6' 2.0" 193 D
10 POULIOT, DERRICK PORTLAND WHL 5' 11.25" 186 D
It sounds like there is still widespread agreement that Nail (pronounced more like "nile" than "nail," but that's still not quite it) is the undisputed #1. [Note: Clearly the ISS, which may be the better opiner, disagrees with this and rates Grigorenko.] If you finish in the lottery top five and don't win the lottery, you're missing out on a gem and you might as well have won those meaningless games in April after all.
Notes gleaned from early mornings in cold rinks with bad coffee watching these certain future stars from age 7:
- Trouba is the kid who impressed with "nearly mistake-free" hockey at the recent 2012 WJC.
- Dumba is the guy with an awesome name.
- Olli Maatta is the Mississippi of names on this list: Just double each letter and you're probably close enough.
- Pouliot is a guy whose surname gives Oilers fans nightmares.
- Griffin Reinhart is indeed the son of former Flame Paul Reinhart, who also gave Oilers fans fits in a different way.
European Skaters
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM | LEAGUE | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | POSITION |
| 1 | FORSBERG, FILIP | LEKSAND | SWEDEN-2 | 6' 2.0" | 181 | C |
| 2 | COLLBERG, SEBASTIAN | FROLUNDA JR. | SWE-JR. | 5' 11.0" | 176 | RW |
| 3 | HERTL, TOMAS | SLAVIA | CZREP | 6' 2.0" | 198 | C |
| 4 | ABERG, PONTUS | DJURGARDEN | SWEDEN | 5' 11.0" | 194 | LW |
| 5 | POKKA, VILLE | KARPAT | FINLAND | 6' 0.0" | 196 | D |
| 6 | LINDHOLM, HAMPUS | ROGLE JR. | SWE-JR. | 6' 2.5" | 196 | D |
| 7 | TERAVAINEN, TEUVO | JOKERIT JR. | FINLAND-JR. | 5' 11.0" | 165 | LW |
| 8 | BYSTROM, LUDVIK | MODO JR. | SWE-JR. | 6' 0.75" | 208 | D |
| 9 | PROKHORKIN, NIKOLAI | CSKA 2 | RUSSIA-JR. | 6' 2.5" | 191 | LW |
| 10 | VAINONEN, MIKKO | HIFK JR. | FINLAND-JR. | 6' 3.0" | 205 | D |
Both lists are rather D-heavy, are they not? This nhl.com article goes into that.
Forsberg impressed at the WJC for the champs.
Other notes gleaned from jet-lagged nights and powerful espresso in oddly wide European rinks as these kids made the difficult choice between hockey player and future black metal star:
- Like so many before him, Hertl continues the fine Czech tradition of selling excess vowels to the Finns. (If he really wanted to be frugal, he could've gone with "Hrtl" instead but I guess he lacks ambition. Martin Frk for the win.) Frk, by the way, was the hot projection a year ago this time but is now listed 25th on the CSS list as his season didn't even get started until December. Concussions are scary.
- Pontus Aberg is an nhl.com headline pun waiting to happen. "Pontus 'Pilots' the Penguins" and what not.
- According to the CDC, "Teuvo Teravainen" is a rare viral condition marked by dizziness, rashes, and general irritation. With medication sufferers can cope with its symptoms and lead a relatively healthy life, but if found early enough the condition can be converted into a Finnish NHL prospect.
- I wish him all the luck, but I really don't want to have to spell "Nikolai Prokhorkin" ever again.
Goalies
North American goalies are listed here, and Euro goalies here.
But the Islanders better not be drafting any goalies -- we must keep room open for Cody Rosen -- so I'm not listing them all here. They're all crazy and unpredictable anyway.
I guarantee a few of those kids have "great size and competitiveness," a few "really hate to lose," and if we're lucky one or two will have "the fire of Patrick Roy."
* * *
For those of you who are really into prospect-watching, go ahead and share what you've seen, read and lost sleep over ... now!
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A Wang in a coonskin cap in a pigpen
wants 11 Dumba D’s…you only got 10.
by CloseCallJiggs on Jan 13, 2012 12:31 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Mr. Wang (no offense)
doesn’t need to be a weatherman
so see which way the wind blows
Any of these D prospects look NHL-Ready?
Hoping that Haley comes around more than once every 75 years.
Eh, not really
It’s the rare defenseman who can make the jump from the draft straight to the NHL. If you look at the last couple to do so (Hedberg, Larsson), they were on the older side for their draft years as well. There is no clear cut Hedberg or Larsson this year, so I’m guessing no.
Formerly a part time contributor and pittier of fools, now an Emeritus at Lighthouse Hockey.
by David Hanssen on Jan 13, 2012 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
Oh..
You are thinking of Hedman, right? It could easily been Stefan Edberg as well. These stupid Scandinavian names (although the Finnish ones play in an own league).
Having watched a lot of the games during the WJC 2012 Ryan Murray became a favorite. Really steady in his own end, pretty good size and having great skating ability. From scouting reports seems to be a very professional kid.
On a personal note, I don’t think Filip Forsberg had a really impressive tournament. Made some good plays during the round robin for Sweden but was benched during large parts of the final round (playoffs?). Did have a great WJC 18 last spring though and sure have the potential to be a top ten this summer.
Ah, thanks
Had heard otherwise about Forsberg’s WJC, but that certainly makes it suspect.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Yeah, I meant Hedman
You’ll have to forgive me. I’m working on 4 hours of sleep and about a 70 hour work week right now.
Formerly a part time contributor and pittier of fools, now an Emeritus at Lighthouse Hockey.
by David Hanssen on Jan 13, 2012 7:22 PM EST up reply actions
If they were, the St. Lawrence would already be overflowing with Pierre McGuire's drool
As of now, like David said, no true instant studs.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Little known fact...
The St. Lawrence is the only river in North America that flows from south to north. Or was it the Raquette? I don’t remember…all that damn Bourbon in college.
by CloseCallJiggs on Jan 13, 2012 12:56 PM EST reply actions
The Wilamette River, which runs throuygh Portland, Oregon, also flows south to north...
…as does the Snake River about 400 miles east of there, and the Red River in Minnesota.
/geography lesson
"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."
-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851
http://futurenotes.blogspot.com
by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 17, 2012 12:31 PM EST up reply actions
I think the Fox River (Illinois/Wisconsin) fits that description, too...
"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."
-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851
http://futurenotes.blogspot.com
by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 17, 2012 12:40 PM EST up reply actions
I like Ryan Murray
He is predicted by a few experts to crack the top ten he is a good puck moving defenseman who is good in his own end as well. Reminds me of a hamonic or macdonald. I’m from Canada and we watch and follow world juniors an prospects probably way too much but from what they say he is the most NHL ready from this draft and I think could help out our d.
by rgm304 on Jan 13, 2012 1:05 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
He is also a little more offense-oriented than Hamonic or MacDonald; his most used comparable is Scott Niedermayer (although it's obviously unlikely he'll be THAT good, but he's that type of player)- great skater, great outlet passing,
good offensive skill, and very solid in his own zone. This is the guy I think the Islanders need to shoot for in the first round this year if they have another high pick.
This is how we rope you in
Now you can never leave.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Hope that whoever the Isles select
can skate like an antelope out of control.
by Hey Hanrahan on Jan 13, 2012 4:36 PM EST up reply actions
I'm up for that
as is my soul.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
haha i like it!
i had to read it twice haha, good work Dom! i’ve been a regular but i’m kinda quiet. keep the great articles coming and i’ll keep reading!
With all this D, the Isles can get a stud plus a good long-term prospect D
Oh, and they can also grab a center who is currently listed a waaaaaay down at #201 on that list… Bron Loiselle.
I cannot confirm this, but it looks like he’s Claude’s boy – he is from New York, where Loiselle is currently admitted to practice law, and would have been born while Claude was an Islander or shortly thereafter. Incidentally, his major juniors rights are held by the Windsor Spitfires, where Claude played from 1980-83.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
This confirms it
But Claude works for the Leafs now, wouldn’t be surprised if they grab him.
"Line brawl på Long Island!? Matt Moulson i huvudrollen!!!?! Wot!?" SwedishIslander
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Trade
JT for him
Positive Waves! Indianapolis Racers (1974-1978)
by skeeterman on Jan 13, 2012 2:49 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
would have been born while Claude was an Islander or shortly thereafter
Thanks for my daily “You’re OLD” reminder.
If he was born while Loiselle was an Islander
then the team has legal rights to him. In accordance with ancient Canadian law.
"He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot" - Mike Milbury on Ziggy Palffy's agent. On Twitter: @Dan_of_Science
LOL
See Mark above – I think the ancient Canadian law is, if the dad goes to work for the Maple Leafs, he takes ancestral player rights with him.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Skip The Def, Depending on where in top 5, Draft Offense!
The islanders currently sit at 29th in the NHL in goals for. How many pure goal scorers do the Islanders have? Maybe One? Yeah we have Strome, Nino etc in the AHL and below but who knows yet how they will turn out. Unless there is a larsson or hedman in this draft, then continue to find the better quality picks in the second round etc. Ryan Murray is only 6ft tall, the islanders need a non-“nice” guy who is a huge grinding defenseman. We need offense because we seem to have good luck finding defensemen at other spots in recent draft years(Mayfield, Hamonic, MacDonald etc.) Also Offer Sutter the moon to stablilze our D for years to come. We need to finally make a free agent splash
I think our powerplay success tells a different story. We’re good at scoring when we get the puck into the opposition’s end. The bigger problem has been getting the play out of our end and moving in the other direction. I point the finger at the defense on that one.
Not sure how that should inform our draft selection, but I don’t think actual goal scoring is the problem with our lack of goals, as strange as that sounds.
by afrosupreme on Jan 13, 2012 1:57 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
+1
That’s why it would be interesting to see these puck-moving defensemen that we currently have in BPT (de Haan/Donovan/Ness/maybe) at the Big Club at some point this season. Will it make some difference to our offense?
Indeed
and with the idea that we have Lee, Nelson, KK, Petrov, Sundstrom, Persson, and some others that project to score, we need the defense.
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
And these days you can't seem to pick up top pair D on the UFA market
No Sleep 'til....We Find Some Secondary Scoring
That's why we need to start seeing the prospects play
So we (meaning people who make the decisions) know what the draft needs are. The Islanders will get two of the top 35 or so (more if we can make some nice trades) so if we need D long term, grab that. If we need forwards, get that. Or maybe just get the best available hockey player.
I agree with the other responses...
we need defense. The offense can/will be there once the dead weight is gone and once we can get the puck out of our zone. We also have a lot of players in the pipeline that can contribute offensively, but few locks on defense.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock...
Reinhart is my pick right now
If we wind up in the top three then sure take Nail, Forsberg or Grigorenko but otherwise it’s D time. Most of these top guys are similar to what we already have in the system. We talked about it last year and it’s still a need this year. We need a big blue chip defenseman. Reinhart probably has the highest ceiling. He’s big, mobile, & has a good shot. Perfect guy to take a chance on. He thinks he can be the next Shea Weber which is the type of D we need. The biggest negative I’ve heard is he might still be a bit raw so it could be a couple years til we see him.
No Sleep 'til....We Find Some Secondary Scoring
Then trade down?
If D is what the Isles need, then trade down a bit, get a pick or two along the way and draft the D man you want.
In Mocks earlier in the year, Reinhart was going in the teens. I’m sure he’ll move up, but probably not Top 3 or 5.
Trade the pick, move down in the draft, get some more assets, and then get your guy later.
by barry_hal_oliver_24 on Jan 13, 2012 2:50 PM EST up reply actions
The talent difference really isn't big after Yakopov.
I think the picks will be more need based after the first few. If we are at 4 we might be able to get away with a trade down but what do we get in return? Is it even worth the risk? The D pool is deep so maybe the risk is worth it. If you miss your guy you can pick up someone else.
Also I think Reinhart’s rank is depressed a bit for playing on a last place team. His stats aren’t hurting from it though: 9-14-23 +13 in 34 games. +13 on a team with a -116 goal differential! Maybe you can move down but I wouldn’t see it as an overdraft if he was taken at 5.
No Sleep 'til....We Find Some Secondary Scoring
by Anarcurt on Jan 13, 2012 3:03 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
That plus/minus stat for Reinhart is VERY impressive, IMO...
"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."
-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851
http://futurenotes.blogspot.com
by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 17, 2012 12:37 PM EST up reply actions
Holy Moly that slapper is hard. Did anyone ever clock him? That's gotta be 100mph+. Even in slow mo it looks crazy fast.
I love that profile though: Huge 6’4’’ 200lbs, mobile, puckmover, heavy slapper, models his game after Shea Weber and Pronger. Looks to be a couple years away, but he has some nice upside. That shot could be a big plus on anyone’s PP and his combo of skills is nice. I see him listed . But we really shouldn’t go wrong with a number of these top 4 d-propsects given their profiles: Dumba/Murray/Trouba and Reinhart all look good. I’m just not likeing any forwards beyond Nail/Grigorenko/Forsberg though. Galchenyuk has a serious knee injury and no one really else has high-end potential imo(although there are some risers).
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
Weren't Strome and Nino both risers?
Or was Nino’s big WJC the previous year?
"The reader of this sentence exists only while reading me."
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Jan 14, 2012 1:04 PM EST up reply actions
You're correct.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Er, I mean your first question was correct
And Nino’s big WJC was his draft year.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Jan 14, 2012 2:33 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
As much as I enjoy
learning about the top prospects in the upcoming draft, I really do look forward to the day when I won’t give a crap, because the Isles won’t be drafting until the latter stages of the first round.
And no, not because they traded away their pick or traded down.
by SchneiderDiricov on Jan 13, 2012 3:09 PM EST reply actions
Hey, just be like me
I don’t give a crap even now!
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Jan 13, 2012 4:26 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
I saw the comment above
but couldn’t figure out what it was referencing, as I didn’t see the caption. Nice one Dom.
The kids are all lined up,
Outside the gate,
And the draft clock is ticking,
But they’ll just have to wait.
Where is Butch Goring?
Have you seen him around?
With his old helmet,
That he wears like a clown.
by afrosupreme on Jan 13, 2012 3:23 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Haha!
Awesome.
Especially since I was kept in suspense — thinking the Goring line would veer toward his commentary.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
You know me
I don’t think a lack of fighters is a cause of this team’s losses, therefore I like Phish.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Jan 13, 2012 4:24 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
he'd be nice on a line with Grabner and Okposo
or the Frk & G O line
I have a redemption dream
The All-Draft-Fall Line: Petrov, Kabanov, Frk.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Jan 13, 2012 4:29 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
At this point i'd take Murray over Forsberg, Nail and Mikhail are 1 & 2, but otherwise I'm a Dumba then Reinhart fan
by CanadianIsleslifer on Jan 13, 2012 4:05 PM EST reply actions
Yeah, I'm leaning that way. But I hope we just win the lottery and get to take one of the elite offensive forward talents in the top 2. Wouldn't that make life easier. lol
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
In all honesty Ozzy
I’m beginning to think last years draft had my high end talent. I think at this stage, if you pick first, you have to take Nail, obviously a potential franchise player. If I picked second (sometimes I love Mikhail, other times not sold), I just might pick a D man anyway. It looks like the Islanders will be picking anywhere from 1 to 8th, but won’t be picking top 2 without winning the lottery. Just looking at the second round where Isles should pick, it is almost all forwards ranked in the neighbourhood of 31-36. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised to see Murray go 3rd overall.
by CanadianIsleslifer on Jan 14, 2012 11:00 AM EST up reply actions
But I bet a few defensemen will fall/rise into 31-36 range
Didn’t Mayfield fall some last year? The rankings now will be all scrambled in 5 months. And the actual draft early 2nd round is typically different than predictions.
"The reader of this sentence exists only while reading me."
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Jan 14, 2012 1:10 PM EST up reply actions
.....I just GOTTA post this given the subject matter:
“For The Want Of A Nail” – Todd Rundgren, 1989 (hopefully he’s not singing of the Islanders’ 2011-12 season; the lyrics are more relevant than NOT!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zepxgMEz5IM
In memoriam: Virginia Ariel Cayon 1927-2011 R.I.P. Mom
Good stuff, Friend of Game Time...
…the St. Louis Game Time Prospect Department endorses this thread.
Anyone have a link to a scouting report (even if it’s in Swedish) on Bystrom and Hampus Lindholm?
Those guys, plus Frk and Hertl (love the “selling excess vowels to the Finns” comment, BTW), are absolutely on the GTPD radar for this summer.
As you may already know, I’ve been a “closet” Islander fan since the dynasty days… I really would like to get out there for an Isles-Blues game one of these years.
"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."
-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851
http://futurenotes.blogspot.com
by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 17, 2012 12:35 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
BTW, Dominik and this thread are getting a shout-out in tonight's issue of ''Game Time''
Will post my “Tomorrow’s Blues” article here if anyone is interested…
"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."
-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851
http://futurenotes.blogspot.com
by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 19, 2012 11:15 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Nice!
Thanks, good man.
Would love to see it.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
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1979-80
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
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May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
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May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
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May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
