Ranking Prospects

[Fanatic]

I do not expect the Leafs to give us much to cheer about over the next two years, unless you like Tank Nation type cheering. What we can get excited about is the prospects, which over time is going to be a longer and deeper list for sure.

I'm wondering if people with better knowledge and insight than I have would be able to help start a discussion about the depth of prospects the Leafs have right now. How would you rank them? One to three are likely to be agreed on, but what about after that? Does anyone with the knowledge and the time to do so want to rank the top 10 or 20?

1. Mitch Marner
2. William Nylander
3. Kasperi Kapanen

Andreas Johnson
Zach Hyman
Frederick Gauthier
Connor Brown
Scott Harrington
etc. etc.

 

[herman]

Hockeys Future does this with prospects under contract.

PensionPlanPuppets does a top 25 under 25 before every season as well.

Obviously, like scouting rankings, there are degrees of subjectivity and preference that come into play. I use these lists as a way to get to know the prospects in the pipeline, as I haven't the opportunity to watch them in action.

I have an eye on the following:
Forward
William Nylander
Mitch Marner
Kasperi Kapanen
Andreas Johnson
Connor Brown
Frederic Gauthier

Defense
Stuart Percy
Matt Finn
Petter Granberg
Viktor Loov
Travis Dermott
Jesper Lindgren

 

[Fanatic]

Hockeys Future does this with prospects under contract.

PensionPlanPuppets does a top 25 under 25 before every season as well.

Obviously, like scouting rankings, there are degrees of subjectivity and preference that come into play. I use these lists as a way to get to know the prospects in the pipeline, as I haven't the opportunity to watch them in action.

I have an eye on the following:

Forward

William Nylander

Mitch Marner

Kasperi Kapanen

Andreas Johnson

Connor Brown

Frederic Gauthier

Defense

Stuart Percy

Matt Finn

Petter Granberg

Viktor Loov

Travis Dermott

Jesper Lindgren

So you would not have Harrington in your top 5 D prospects?

 

[herman]

I don't really know much about Harrington. Stay-at-home defenders aren't really my cup of tea, either, so that's probably why I'm lukewarm at the moment.

Had I remembered him, I'd probably put him in the Viktor Loov/Petter Granberg pile.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

A year ago NHL.com listed this as our top-10 prospects:

Nylander
Percy
Gauthier
Brown
Finn
Johnson
Loov
Leivo
Bibeau
Nilsson

Is that a perfect list? Not really, but lets go from there. I would say that Brown, Johnson, and Bibeau  trended upward, while Percy, Finn, and Leivo had their stocks drop somewhat. So if we're just ranking those guys it'd look something like Nylander-Brown-Johnson-Gauthier-Loov-Percy-Finn-Bibeau-Nilsson-Leivo. You could make the case too that Carter Verhaeghe deserves to be there too, or at least he'd be very close.

Then we obviously added a decent amount of guys who deserve consideration. Marner and Kapanen for sure. Leipsic, Harrington, Bailey, Hyman. If I had to start ranking guys, I'd be more comfortable doing it in tiers like this:

Nylander
Marner

Kapanen
Brown
Johnson

Leipsic
Gauthier
Harrington

Bracco
Dermott

Loov
Percy
Leivo
Nilsson

Finn
Bailey
Hyman
Soshnikov
Verhaeghe
Valiev

And that just happens to be 20 players so I'll stop there. Some of the other guys from this draft like Lindgren, Timashov, and Korostelev deserve consideration here too, but maybe it's a little too early to start throwing their names out. I'd probably put their potential over some older guys like Leivo/Bailey/Hyman but they don't have the experience yet of course.

Then there's a handful of NCAA guys from before this draft like Cameranesi, Toninato, Joshua, Piccinich, and Vesey that I have no idea how I'd rank. They're all long-shots really but maybe we get one NHLer out of the bunch, who knows.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Nylander(by some distance)

Marner

Brown

Kapanen

Johnson

 

[Highlander]

I watched Cameranesi in the last game against Boston C. and he was amazing, he was on the puck all the time. He could be the sleeper and I think Toninato has some upside as well. Of course these are long horses but the more horses in the race the more that will cross the finish line. Man we seem to be filling the empty cupboards fairly quickly. Right now we have 11 picks for next year, at this rate we could end up with 15 for the 16 draft. 

 

[Fanatic]

A year ago NHL.com listed this as our top-10 prospects:

This got me thinking. I wonder what it would look like if we kept a list of the top 10 or top 20 prospects year over year for the next few years. It's no stretch to think that the quality in the next 2 - 3 years is going to go up a lot.

 

[Fanatic]

Nylander(by some distance)

So, hypothetically speaking, you believe that if Nylander and Marner were not both prospects of the same team, that any GM would trade away Marner to get Nylander? I disagree, by some distance.

 

[Highlander]

Nylander and Marner on my watch are going to be almost of equal talents  in hope, although the mutual hope is they both become superstars.
I will be giving my full team list of nicknames shortly (which I don't use for offending most) but I will say I want to call this kid: Gran Marner (after one of my favorite nightcaps)

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Nylander(by some distance)

So, hypothetically speaking, you believe that if Nylander and Marner were not both prospects of the same team, that any GM would trade away Marner to get Nylander? I disagree, by some distance.

Marner had an unbelievable year in Jnr last year and still has that new draft pick smell that makes him fancy and exciting, but I'm absolutely stunned at how little coverage the year that Nylander had as a pro and a teenager at that, has had.

Nylander's first pro season was more impressive to me, for what he achieved on the ice and also in the weight room.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

www.pensionplanpuppets.com/toronto-maple-leafs-prospects/2015/7/5/8894149/is-mitch-marner-or-william-nylander-the-leafs-best-prospect

This is a pretty good look at both, although I favor Nylander quite a bit more than the author.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

www.pensionplanpuppets.com/toronto-maple-leafs-prospects/2015/7/5/8894149/is-mitch-marner-or-william-nylander-the-leafs-best-prospect

This is a pretty good look at both, although I favor Nylander quite a bit more than the author.

The author seemed pretty fawning over Nylander.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

This got me thinking. I wonder what it would look like if we kept a list of the top 10 or top 20 prospects year over year for the next few years. It's no stretch to think that the quality in the next 2 - 3 years is going to go up a lot.

Well even just from my completely unofficial rankings 6 of the top-10 are players that we've added since February. That's a pretty big injection of talent.

 

[herman]

This got me thinking. I wonder what it would look like if we kept a list of the top 10 or top 20 prospects year over year for the next few years. It's no stretch to think that the quality in the next 2 - 3 years is going to go up a lot.

Well even just from my completely unofficial rankings 6 of the top-10 are players that we've added since February. That's a pretty big injection of talent.

It borders on a full on transfusion. Other than Nylander and Brown, nearly everyone else brought in has bumped the old pool down a few tiers.

 

[Fanatic]

This got me thinking. I wonder what it would look like if we kept a list of the top 10 or top 20 prospects year over year for the next few years. It's no stretch to think that the quality in the next 2 - 3 years is going to go up a lot.

Well even just from my completely unofficial rankings 6 of the top-10 are players that we've added since February. That's a pretty big injection of talent.

It borders on a full on transfusion. Other than Nylander and Brown, nearly everyone else brought in has bumped the old pool down a few tiers.

And I think that watching this will be more exciting than watching the big team on the ice for the next couple of years. I might prefer a Marlies game this year over a Leafs game and I suspect I am not alone on that.

 

[hockeyfan1]

A summarized look at the Leafs' top prospects:

1. Mitchell Marner, C

How acquired:First round (No. 4), 2015 NHL Draft

Last season: London, OHL: 63 GP, 44-82-126

The Maple Leafs believe they have a player similar to the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane in Marner, right down to the fact Kane also played junior with the London Knights. Like Kane, Marner is a highly skilled player who's gifted with the puck.

Toronto signed the 18-year-old to a three-year contract July 28. In two seasons with the Knights, the 5-foot-11, 160-pound center had 57 goals and 185 points in 127 games. Marner is considered a solid two-way player who does not shirk his defensive responsibilities and is aggressive with his stick.

Projected NHL arrival: 2017-18



2. Kasperi Kapanen, RW

How acquired: Trade with Pittsburgh Penguins, July 1, 2015

Last season: KalPa Kuopio, Liiga (Finland): 41 GP, 11-10-21; Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL: 4 GP, 1-1-2

The son of retired NHL forward Sami Kapanen is another of the Maple Leafs' small, skilled players; he's 5-foot-10 and 178 pounds. After playing most of last season in his native Finland, he joined the Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate to get a taste of North American hockey. Kapanen scored a goal and had an assist in four regular-season games, then had two goals and five points in five playoff games.

Goal-scoring is Kapanen's strong suit, but the 19-year-old is also a gifted playmaker who makes those around him better. He is a high-end skater with a quick release.

Projected NHL arrival: 2016-17



3. William Nylander, C

How acquired:First round (No.8 ),  2014 NHL Draft

Last season:Modo, Sweden: 21 GP, 8-12-20; Toronto Marlies, AHL: 37 GP, 18-14-32

The 19-year-old Canadian-born son of former NHL forward Michael Nylander is a speedy center with excellent offensive skills. Like Kapanen, Nylander started last season playing in Europe but came to North America to play in the AHL.

Nylander (5-foot-11, 174 pounds) has above-average speed, good hands and likes to shoot the puck. He performed well for Sweden at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring three goals and 10 points in seven games. The Maple Leafs hope he will become more engaged physically as he fills out and matures.

Projected NHL arrival: 2016-17



4. Stuart Percy, D

How acquired: First round (No. 25), 2011 NHL Draft

Last season:Maple Leafs: 9 GP, 0-3-3; Toronto Marlies, AHL; 43 GP, 1-10-11

Percy's greatest strength might be going unnoticed; for the type of game he plays, which is being smart with the puck, that's a good thing. The 22-year-old is a smooth-skating defender who makes few mistakes. He isn't overly physical but doesn't shy away from contact.

The 6-foot-1, 186-pound native of Oakville, Ontario, did not look out of place during a short stint with the Maple Leafs last season. He stays calm under pressure and is dependable at getting the puck out of the defensive zone.

Projected NHL arrival:2015-16



5. Frederik Gauthier, C[/close]


How acquired:[/color ] First round (No. 21), 2013 NHL Draft

Last season: Rimouski, QMJHL; 37 GP, 16-16-32

stands out from Toronto's other top prospects because of his size; he's 6-foot-5, 215 pounds. The 20-year-old center is not considered to have top-six potential, but his defensive skills and ability in the faceoff circle suggest he'll be a dependable third-liner.

Gauthier represented Canada in the past two WJC tournaments. His game has been described as mature, and his offense has potential. Gauthier skates well and uses his size to win puck battles.

Projected NHL arrival: 2016-17



http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=776196&navid=DL|NHL|home

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Kapanen over Nylander? Well, that's one way for a list to lose all of it's credibility I guess.

 

[pmrules]

Kapanen over Nylander? Well, that's one way for a list to lose all of it's credibility I guess.

Well, there's that plus I don't believe any of the heights and weights  - I think Nylander recently said he was heavier than that, and I think Kapanen is taller than what is reported.

I know its opinion, but I don't believe some of the starting NHL dates.

Marner - 2 more years in Junior?  Between 0, 1 and 2 more years in Junior, I put 2 years in Junior as the least likely.
Gauthier - 1 year in the AHL?  Its possible, but he likely needs 2 years.

Brings up an interesting dillemma - It's possible that Marner/Nylander (Kapanen maybe?) are all ready to start 2016/2017 with the Leafs.  Good problem or Bad to possibly have them ready all at once?

 

[pmrules]

Saw this posted elsewhere re: our 3rd round pick from this year's draft:

J?r?me B?rub? @Jerome_Berube
Dzierkals (leafs prospect) won't report to R-Noranda camp. agent wants more $. Karlis Cuktse won't report either, will go to Waterloo USHL.

Background - Dzierkals was drafted by Rouyn-Noranda from the Q in the CHL import draft a few weeks back.  He has a few other options (including the AHL if he signs a contract), and is obviously not required to commit to his CHL team if he feels he is better served elsewhere.