Ranking Prospects 2018-19

[herman]

https://theathletic.com/412040/2018/06/28/mac-hollowell-and-rasmus-sandin-share-friendship-style-of-play-and-now-the-maple-leafs/

The Leafs brought in four Greyhounds by design ? not only because they like what they have in Sandin and Hollowell and want them to feel as comfortable as possible, but because the Greyhounds develop the kinds of smart, heady players the Leafs covet.

?Coming to camp and not knowing anyone, you?re nervous. When you see other guys that you played with last year it helps you out a lot. Mac was one of our better defencemen this year. He?s a great guy off the ice, he?s always doing everything for the guys, he?s always there for you, he?s giving 110 per cent. I was thrilled for him,? Howdeshell said. ?Mac?s smart, his head is always up, he?s always making the next play. He always knows what?s coming, he?s smooth, he?s got a nice shot, he?s got nice hands, his hockey sense is one of the best that I?ve personally seen in a while also.?

In a lot of ways, Hollowell and Sandin are described in almost mirrored ways to one another. Hollowell laughs about how similar they are ? and the way the Greyhounds have developed likeminded players across the lineup, with a foundation that Dubas established. It was no surprise when the Greyhounds selected forward Roman Pucek, also in Leafs development camp this week, in Thursday?s CHL import draft.

 

[hockeyfan1]

One "cool" kid:  Rasmus Sandin making the most of his time here (@hdevcamp)...

[tweet]1012763475876175873[/tweet]

Arriving to Toronto?s development camp just days after the draft concluded, Sandin has strived all week to follow the wisdom of his fellow first-round draftees.

?It?s an exciting time that?s come now,? Sandin said after Friday?s practice. ?Coming to Toronto is a cool experience, seeing all the guys and the management and just to see how everything works. It?s a little different from playing in the OHL. It?s one step closer to the best league in the world.?

The Leafs have options on where he plays:

Sandin could return to the OHL?s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, where he put together a successful freshman campaign last season (45 points in 51 games), or Sandin could head home to re-join Rogle BK of the Swedish Hockey League and honour the final year of his SHL contract.

No stranger to the language barrier:

Coming to North America was easier for Sandin than some of his countrymen, at least as far as language is concerned. Sandin abandoned studying Spanish and German in school to take up English, and made a point of honing his skills further last season in the Soo.

Improving or honing the finer points:

Those smaller details, those crossover moves and how you?re supposed to use your stick a little bit more. Just overall pretty much everything [has been good] but especially those smaller things,? he said. ?We?ve worked on our skating a bit, and those step back moves. It?s just very professional overall. We learned some smaller [things] but also some bigger details of the game.?

https://www.tsn.ca/sandin-soaking-it-all-in-at-leafs-development-camp-1.1127063

 

[hockeyfan1]

The week that was:  Hayley's week...

[tweet]1013145654024179712[/tweet]

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/nickdesouza_/status/1014212503595728896

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Subban may not be as skilled as his big bro PK, but he skates just like him.

 

[herman]

Subban may not be as skilled as his big bro PK, but he skates just like him.

Dubas knows him well from facing Utica often. Gilman knows him well from being part of the team that drafted him. This is another free bet on their development team to spin up another toolsy player.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Subban may not be as skilled as his big bro PK, but he skates just like him.

Dubas knows him well from facing Utica often. Gilman knows him well from being part of the team that drafted him. This is another free bet on their development team to spin up another toolsy player.

Yup. Dubas thinks they can get the most out of him. Apparently he has a great shot and has some talent that hasn't been tapped yet. Let's see what the Leafs development team can do with him.

 

[herman]

Subban may not be as skilled as his big bro PK, but he skates just like him.

Dubas knows him well from facing Utica often. Gilman knows him well from being part of the team that drafted him. This is another free bet on their development team to spin up another toolsy player.

Yup. Dubas thinks they can get the most out of him. Apparently he has a great shot and has some talent that hasn't been tapped yet. Let's see what the Leafs development team can do with him.

Reading between the lines, that's Dubas giving Vancouver's development program a bit of a soft dig.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/agentrosell/status/1017679278727749632

 

[Zee]

https://twitter.com/agentrosell/status/1017679278727749632

What a slacker.  Cut him.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/regressIan/status/1018475738834653184

 

[mr grieves]

Wheeler just put his list out with the Athletic. It's a good one, as he rates skill most highly and is pretty detailed about a probable development paths. I won't violate the paywall and put it here, but I will say, among the forwards, he seems to see Engvall as being most nearly ready (as a 4th line option), Bracco and Grundstrom as being capable of top 6 roles in a year (the latter) or more (the former), and, after that, some guys with tools/potential but some big red flags (e.g. Korshkov, SDA). Basically, by #11, we're looking at long-shots for NHL careers.

 

[Zee]

Wheeler just put his list out with the Athletic. It's a good one, as he rates skill most highly and is pretty detailed about a probable development paths. I won't violate the paywall and put it here, but I will say, among the forwards, he seems to see Engvall as being most nearly ready (as a 4th line option), Bracco and Grundstrom as being capable of top 6 roles in a year (the latter) or more (the former), and, after that, some guys with tools/potential but some big red flags (e.g. Korshkov, SDA). Basically, by #11, we're looking at long-shots for NHL careers.

I just read the article.  He doesn't seem very high on the Leafs prospect pool at all.  Has a ton of negative comments for each player, including those at the very top of his rankings like Liljegren, Sandin and Grundstrom.  Hope he's not right.

 

[Frank E]

I don't subscribe to The Athletic, but is Wheeler right a lot?

 

[herman]

I don't subscribe to The Athletic, but is Wheeler right a lot?

He's a journalist by trade, but has scouted for Future Considerations and tracked prospects for PPP and now the Athletic. He's really young, so he leans towards the modern game (speed, skill, agility, defensive acumen away from the puck).

Here's a mailbag post he answered re: 2017's draft if you want to get a feel for his tastes:
https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2017/5/10/15593832/mailbag-the-leafs-and-the-2017-nhl-draft-edition

 

[Zee]

I don't know how good Wheeler is at identifying talent, but if he's accurate with his analysis it doesn't say much for all the years with Hunter leading up the draft.  2 of the top 5 prospects he lists are Sandin (#2) and Durzi (#5), two guys taken after Hunter and at picks 29 and 52, so not sure bets by any means yet they're already in the top 5 of Leafs prospect pool? 

Liljegren at #1 while still technically a Hunter pick, probably would have been Dubas's pick as well since he dropped so much in his draft year.

 

[Kin]

I don't subscribe to The Athletic, but is Wheeler right a lot?

I can't speak to this particular writer but it's pretty rare to write an evaluation of prospects where any one outcome for those players makes the writer "right" or not. It's usually "he may do this" or "if he can develop X, he'll be Y".

 

[herman]

I don't know how good Wheeler is at identifying talent, but if he's accurate with his analysis it doesn't say much for all the years with Hunter leading up the draft.  2 of the top 5 prospects he lists are Sandin (#2) and Durzi (#5), two guys taken after Hunter and at picks 29 and 52, so not sure bets by any means yet they're already in the top 5 of Leafs prospect pool? 

Liljegren at #1 while still technically a Hunter pick, probably would have been Dubas's pick as well since he dropped so much in his draft year.

He was one of the people of Leafs Twitter influencing the stampede of downvoting of the Leafs' 2016 draft.

I generally agree with his takes when he goes over his PPP Top 25 under 25 votes (skill and projected potential > current NHL track record).

 

[mr grieves]

I don't subscribe to The Athletic, but is Wheeler right a lot?

I can't speak to this particular writer but it's pretty rare to write an evaluation of prospects where any one outcome for those players makes the writer "right" or not. It's usually "he may do this" or "if he can develop X, he'll be Y".

Yeah, he doesn't really make pronouncements about what players will be. But I think, since he's a younger guy who's attracted to speed, skill, agility, etc., he's pretty attentive to the tools they have and what they might be if they develop. And, as they age and approach the point of graduating, he's been pretty good about predicting what they'll do in the NHL. He was, at the beginning of last season, pretty confident that Dermott, Johnsson, and Kapanen would be useful contributors, and they were.

So, if he says the Marlies don't have under-23 players ready for the Leafs, I believe it.

 

[nutman]

I don't subscribe to The Athletic, but is Wheeler right a lot?

I can't speak to this particular writer but it's pretty rare to write an evaluation of prospects where any one outcome for those players makes the writer "right" or not. It's usually "he may do this" or "if he can develop X, he'll be Y".

Yeah, he doesn't really make pronouncements about what players will be. But I think, since he's a younger guy who's attracted to speed, skill, agility, etc., he's pretty attentive to the tools they have and what they might be if they develop. And, as they age and approach the point of graduating, he's been pretty good about predicting what they'll do in the NHL. He was, at the beginning of last season, pretty confident that Dermott, Johnsson, and Kapanen would be useful contributors, and they were.

So, if he says the Marlies don't have under-23 players ready for the Leafs, I believe it.

Dermott, Johnsson, and Kapanen would be useful contributors.  Anyone could see them three coming a mile away, so IMO that don't say much.

I follow our system, and I see lots of up and comers.