Noah Hanifin, other prospect defenders, Strome vs. Marner 1v1 and more.

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Hello and welcome to another edition of Prospect Ramblings. I’m your host, Zach Hopkins, as we prepare for the end of the 2014-15 NHL season and move forward to the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Let’s get right down to business!

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There is no doubt in my mind the Noah Hanifin will be drafted somewhere in the top-five. No doubt whatsoever. You just do not find that sort of talent on the blue line in most drafts. In fact, if it wasn’t for Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, he would likely be the consensus number one player on the board.

 European signings, CHL scorers and more...

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Another ramblings, finally! With new jobs, finals, the prospect report, and family health issues, Brendan, Zach and I all had our reasons for not ramblings, but that’s certainly going to be the longest break of the year.

So much has happened in the last month, I’m not even going to pretend to try and cover it all.  Instead, I’ll be looking at three European free free agent prospect signings as well as some prospect scoring leaders.

Often undrafted players like these are loopholes in a league’s rules, so see if you can pick them up for free before your amateur draft.

The McDavid lottery, CHL playoff performers and more.

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The NHL Connor McDavid Lottery is happening as I am typing this, and it is so interesting to think of all the possibilities. Could you imagine if the LA Kings had won? Or the Bruins? I sort of want Edmonton to win, just because I’ve been waiting for a breakout from them for about four seasons now and I’m starting to feel bad for their cold, cold fans.

Well, Edmonton did win! Congrats, the rest of the world can’t wait to see how you screw this one up. Personally, I don’t think they will and that this is the start of a better time for Edmonton. Well, winter is ending but that’s not what I mean.

April 4^th

A quick look at some of the top performers in the CHL playoffs, a couple of impressive 2016 prospects, and more...

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The Flames called up Sam Bennett, who was in contention for the first overall pick a year ago. The North Bay Battalion held Bennett to just three assists and a minus-nine as they knocked out the Frontenacs in four games. The playoffs can make a prospect’s career but #SmallSampleSizes and Bennett did have 24 points in 11 games. Even with Calgary leaning on their young players, I think Bennett will take some time to get up to speed. Watch how he plays more than the points.

 Instead of playing him right away, they decided to leave Markus Granlund in and he rewarded them with the first two goal game of the 21 year old’s career. While he has five  points in his last six games, he really doesn’t have the same skillset as his brother, and he is only getting around 11 minutes a game on a surprising Flames team. There is still time for Granlund to develop, but his upside is around 55 points and he is an underdog for a long-term spot in the Flame’s top-six.

  Highlights galore, the race for the OHL championship and more..   ***   It has been a pretty crazy couple of weeks since my last ramblings a couple of weeks ago, and I want to shout out Zach Hopkins for doing an excellent job filling in for me. Brendan has also been busy going [...]

Lack vs. Lehner, the Lawson Crouse debate and much more...

Thanks to a switch to help me deal with some Stats/Computer Science/Business midterms (which went well, I think), these are my second ramblings in four days, you can check out the previous one here. Buckle up, these are what I call a doozy.

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There are some interesting prospect notes in Friedman’s latest 30 Thoughts, and I encourage you to read the whole thing, as it is excellent as usual.

Maybe the most fantasy relevant thing talked about is the uncertainty in the goalie market. There are a number of potential starters that could be moved, and that makes things interesting if you own a starter-ready backup.

Mar 6^th Ramblings

When it makes sense to draft McDavid fourth overall, some OHL updates, and maybe the best OHL season ever.

I’ve mostly been letting Brendan Ross take care of hyping the draft-eligible class, but you can’t help but notice Connor McDavid’s dominance and a recent forum post got me researching just how dominant he has been. As far as the OHL goes, it’s best to be blunt: Best. Ever.

Of draft-eligible players, he has the highest ever points per game (at least 40 games played). The last person to beat him: Wayne Gretzy. Before it was the OHL, Gretzky put up 2.84 points per game at age 17. McDavid’s 2.68 points per game is just as close to Gretzky’s as it is to his closest competitor in the past 20 years: Patrick Kane’s 2.50.

The 1676 goal hockey game, Leipsic traded to the Leafs and more... Along with a first round pick Brendan Leipsic was the centerpiece of the Franson/Santorelli deal and I like it from his perspective. As a small, mid-round prospect, Leipsic should feel good that he will be given opportunities by an organization that went out [...]

College gems, prospect analytics and more...

Edit: Evander Kane has been traded to Buffalo, and part of the return are prospects Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux. Their profiles have already been updated to reflect the trade.

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Ryan Murphy will be out four weeks with a leg injury. He had been playing much better as of late, and looked to have secured a spot in the NHL with 7 points in 21 games and improving posession numbers. Hopefully this won't be a long-term injury for the former 11th overall pick. Especially if Sekera leaves, Murphy should be able to secure powerplay time and a consistent top-four role next season. While the Hurricanes aren't the greatest team, there is enough talent to support two fantasy relevent defensemen. 

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Brendan Perlini has had a pretty great week with eight points in three OHL games for the streaking IceDogs. He is sixth in OHL points per game with 40 points in 26 games. Arizona's 12th overall pick this past June has really stepped into another gear recently, after a broken hand kept him out to start the year.