Hello everyone and welcome to a new season of the DobberHockey prospects mailbag. This month’s edition is a bit shorter than usual and we did a little thing where we highlighted the question straight from Twitter. 

Hopefully, the editor forgives us on this one. Anyway, let the fun begin. 

@FNTSYHCKYTRADES

23/09/19 15:26

Replying to @ChrisWasselDFS @DobberProspects

Please Grade My Prospect Squad: Lucas Raymond Aleksi Heponiemi Timothy Liljegren Kristian Vesalainen Cole Caufield Eeli Tolvanen Alex Newhook Alexander Holtz Dylan Holloway Dominik Bokk

The grade would be a good one here even if a prospect like Dominik Bokk does not pan out like some thought originally. This an excellent group overall. With talent like Cole Caufield, Alex Newhook, and Aleksi Heponiemi, for starters, this is an A- group at a minimum. Add in Vesalainen and Liljegran and this is a recipe for prospect success. 

Did we mention Eeli Tolvanen and his gradual progress yet? That would be a strong squad for most NHL teams. Even players like Holtz and Holloway have high potential as well. Holtz could be one of the first five players taken during next year’s NHL draft. As for Holloway, he has been ranked in the top ten and has been ranked as high as seventh or eighth. 

There is a good balance of players including defensemen. We almost forgot Lucas Raymond who could go second or third in the 2020 NHL Draft. This is one of the better arranged prospect groups seen in a good while. 

Would one like to see a prospect goalie? Sure! However, goalies rarely get drafted in the top-10 or even 20 in drafts. That is the reality of the prospect world we live in. Again, this is an A- to A ranked prospect group.

@HockeyKeeperist

23/09/19 15:18

Replying to @ChrisWasselDFS @DobberProspects

Can Sandin be a credible points only keeper league fantasy defenceman 3+ years out? Reilly is also young and looking to have PP1 for a decade barring injury

Absolutely, Sandin could be that type of player. He is just 19 years old and already playing in the AHL this season for the Toronto Marlies. Three years old would mean he is still only 22. That is a very young age and his progress is expected to be at the NHL level by later this year or next season. 

So add another couple seasons of NHL experience and it becomes quite plausible that Sandin, at 22 or 23, could be a credible points-only keeper league fantasy defenseman. The Toronto defenseman can always inch his way into a nice role as a second-pairing defenseman in Toronto which will still garner a good amount of points. 

Tony Ferrari

@theTonyFerrari

Replying to @ChrisWasselDFS @DobberProspects

Is this good? I think it’s good.

The question is…is this good? No, it is very good or great. That is a future top-four most any prospect owner would be jealous of. Now, Evan Bouchard was recently sent back to the minors, but he will return. Cale Makar could very well end up with top power-play time this year. Jake Bean and especially Noah Dobson are making significant progress in their development. 

What is fun about prospect pools is looking at other teams then examining your own versions. The questions get asked as far as what can be done for improvement, etc. It is those self-checks that help the fantasy hockey manager become more diverse and apt to making better choices.

Bowen Byram (Vancouver) and Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge) are on their way back to the #WHL today. Kirby Dach (Saskatoon) remains with Chicago but hasn’t played while recovering from a concussion sustained in rookie tournament. Ty Smith (Spokane) is still auditioning with New Jersey. Thoughts on what may happen next?

Ahhh Smith is the burning question. It depends on who you talk to as far as how the young defenseman has developed. Ty Smith spent another year in Spokane last year and developed a bit more. However, in training camp, the defenseman has appeared somewhat timid too often. Improvement has come in the last game or two. There are still mistakes made but Smith is just 19 years old. 

The 17th pick of the 2018 draft has a little way to go. He may stay in New Jersey for a nine-game development stint or get sent back to the WHL. Quicker decision making and that decisiveness at the NHL level is needed for Smith to make that next step. 

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