Top 75 for the 2012 Draft- Sept 11, 2011
top 75 for the 2012 Draft- Sept 11, 2011
By Ian Esplen
ok here is my pre-season top 75 for the up coming draft. any questions or comments are appreciated
1- Nail Yakupov F 5”11 180 Sarnia Sting RUS
Assets- pure scorer, great shot, skill and skating, willing to play physical, hard worker, great attitude, smart
Flaws- sometimes forgets about his own end, D still needs work
NHL Comparison- Steven Stamkos
2- Mikhail Grigorenko F 6”2 192 CSKA Moscow RUS
Assets- Size, out of this world passing and skill, good skater, very smart player
Flaws- compete level is a bit hit and miss at times, lacks fire in his belly, a bit soft, doesn’t play physical
NHL Comparison- Evgeni Malkin
3- Griffin Reinhart D 6”4 202 Edmonton Oil Kings CAN
Assets- Size, excellent mobility, great skater and passer, can skate the puck out of trouble, very poised, smart, never looks rattled, bomb of a shot
Flaws- doesn’t hit enough, plays smaller then he is, needs to become harder to play against
NHL Comparison- Nicklas Lidstrom/Jay Bouwmeester Cross
4- Ryan Murray D 6”0 182 Everett Silvertips CAN
Assets- extremely smart, great passer, moves the puck very well, always in the right position, good skater, runs the PP, can play a ton, very smooth, doesn’t make mistakes
Flaws- only average size, not physical, may struggle at the next level against bigger players
NHL Comparison- smaller Nicklas Lidstrom
5- Jordan Schmaltz D 6”2 175 Sioux City Musketeers USA
Assets- good size, mobile, good skater, very smart, always in position, mistake free, great stick checker, excellent passer, good shoot, excellent skill, can play a ton of minutes, can shut top players down
Flaws- needs to get stronger, could play more physical, play a bit more nasty
NHL Comparison- Nicklas Lidstrom
6- Mathew Dumba D 5”11 172 Red Deer Rebels CAN
Assets- leadership, physical, hits, excellent shot, pure scoring D, excellent passer, hard worker, extremely competitive, strong character, excellent athlete, plays all out every shift
Flaws- gambles a bit too much, has his moments in his own end, a bit small
NHL Comparison- P.K. Subban
7- Andreas Athanasiou F 6”0 165 London Knights CAN
Assets- excellent skater, can play in every situation, good in all 3 zones, great at takeaways, good shot, excellent skill, good passer, very good all around player, great hands, makes players around him better
Flaws- needs to get stronger, could hit a bit more
NHL Comparison- Henrik Zetterberg
8- Nick Ebert D 6”0 195 Windsor Spitfires USA
Assets- physical, excellent shot, pure scoring D, excellent passer, hard worker, good skater, solid in his own end, mobile, strong
Flaws- has his moments in his own end, a bit small, runs around a bit at times
NHL Comparison- Dan Boyle
9- Filip Forsberg F 6”1 176 Leksand SWE
Assets- very high compete level, good size, very complete player, hard worker, leadership, good skill level, can "will" plays to happen, willing to go to the dirty areas, makes the players around him better, excellent passer
Flaws- skating is average, may top out as a second line player
NHL Comparison- Mikko Koivu
10- Martin Frk F 5”11 190 Halifax Mooseheads CZE
Assets- pure power forward, good skater, very physical, good hands, can score, score spectacular goals, great shot, will go around you or through you, hits, plays on the edge, nasty at times, hard to play against
Flaws- may be a bit small to play as physical at the NHL level, takes bad penalties, positioning in his own end needs some work
NHL Comparison- Bobby Clarke
11- Jacob Trouba D 6”1 183 USA NTDP USA
Assets- good size, very physical, hits, solid in his own end, works hard, good 2-way D, can play in all situations, good skater, excellent puck mover, good passer, nasty
Flaws- can run around a bit at times, takes himself out of position trying for the big hit, needs to bulk up
NHL Comparison- James Wisniewski
12- Jesse Graham D 5”11 160 Niagara IceDogs CAN
Assets- excellent skater(best in the draft), excellent speed, excellent mobility, play mistake free hockey, always in the right position, great passer, great skill, excellent poise, can skate or pass out of trouble, very smart, excellent PP QB
Flaws- needs to bulk up and get stronger, struggles in the corners and in front of the net, has troubles with bigger players, could work on his shot, could play more physical
NHL Comparison- Duncan Keith
13- Derrick Pouliot D 5”11 192 Portland Winterhawks CAN
Assets- excellent speed, great mobility, play mistake free hockey, always in the right position, great passer, great skill, excellent poise, can skate or pass out of trouble, very smart, excellent PP QB, great puck rusher, very strong for his size, steady, solid leader, good shot
Flaws- a bit small, can struggle to clear the front of the net, could be more physical
NHL Comparison- Keith Yandle
14- Sebastian Collberg F 6”0 180 Frölunda SWE
Assets- excellent speed(fastest in the draft), excellent athlete, high skill level, great shot, pure scorer, game breaker, hard worker, strong character
Flaws- a little soft, not physical, needs work in his own end
NHL Comparison- Marian Gaborik
15- Alex Galchenyuk F 6”0 185 Sarnia Sting USA/RUS
Assets- smart, solid 2-way game, willing to hit, high skill level, excellent passer, very coachable
Flaws- takes shifts off, plays a little soft at times, awkward skater, could be more physical
NHL Comparison- Alex Tanguay
16- Michael Matheson D 6”1 175 Lac St. Louis Lions CAN
Assets- good size, very mobile, hits, plays physical, great skater, great puck mover, mistake free, good in his own end, very poised player, excellent passer, excellent at reading the play, good leader, strong character
Flaws- may top out as a second pairing D, doesn’t wow you, needs to get stronger
NHL Comparison- Niklas Kronwall
17- Morgan Rielly D 6”0 190 Moose Jaw Warriors CAN
Assets- excellent skater, excellent mobility, very high skill level, great puck rusher, great passer, good shot, future PP QB
Flaws- needs to get stronger, could play more physical, struggles in the corners and in front of the net, needs to work on his play in his own end
NHL Comparison- Erik Karlsson
18- Charles Hudon F 5”8 165 Chicoutimi Sagueneens CAN
Assets- great skill level, feisty, has a motor that doesn’t stop, great passer, high compete level, willing to finish checks, plays his best on the big stage, great speed, great at finding holes, excellent passer, excellent shot, pure scorer, makes players around him better, willing to go to the net
Flaws- size, needs to get stronger, needs to play better in his own end
NHL Comparison- Danny Briere
19- Zemgus Girgensons F 6”1 182 Dubuque Fighting Saints LAT
Assets- good skater, high skill level, excellent at protecting the puck, good 2-way player, finishes checks, very competitive, strong will to win, great work ethic, good passer, good shot
Flaws- still leaning the North American game, may top out as a second line player, hasn’t played at a high level yet, can be inconsistent
NHL Comparison- Andy McDonald
20- Henrik Samuelsson F 6”2 192 Modo USA/SWE
Assets- Big, strong, athletic, plays physical, hits, has a nasty edge to his game, pure power forward, good skater, good puck protection skills, good in the corners and in front of the net, plays hard at both ends
Flaws- offensive game needs some polish, still learning how to play in his own end
NHL Comparison- Brenden Morrow
21- Olli Määttä D 6”1 198 London Knights FIN
Assets- good size, moves the puck well, rock solid in his own end, finishes checks, mobile, good skater, good shot, steady, blocks shots, 2-way ability
Flaws- makes a lot of good plays but nothing that stands out, may top out as a 3-4 D, could play more physical
NHL Comparison- Roman Hamrlik
22- Alex Gudbranson D 6”2 204 Kingston Frontenacs CAN
Assets- big, strong, good skater, moves the puck well, tough, delivers big hits, very good in the corners and in front of the net, physical, hard nosed D, hard shot, untapped offensive potential, great fighter, good leader, excellent character, blocks shots
Flaws- first few steps need work, mobility could be better, is a bit slow at reading the play (getting better tough), tries to do too much at times
NHL Comparison- Dan Hamhuis
23- Daniel Altshuller G 6”2 174 Oshawa Generals CAN
Assets- big, athletic, good solid butterfly, excellent at covering the bottom of the net, can steal a game for his team, plays well on the big stage, calm, doesn’t get rattled
Flaws- goes down a bit early, when he’s bad he’s really bad
NHL Comparison- Marc-Andre Fleury
24- Stefan Matteau F 6”1 188 USA NTDP USA
Assets- big, strong, good in the corners and in front of the net, finishes checks, decent fighter, good speed, passes the puck well, excellent 2-way player, leadership, goes to the dirty areas, good on the PP and PK, excellent work ethic
Flaws- lack of high end skill, first few steps need work, mobility could be better, could play more physical
NHL Comparison- RJ Umberger
25- Slater Koekkoek D 6”2 180 Peterborough Petes CAN
Assets- mobile, athletic, very physical, hits, decent skill, good skater, plays rock solid D, good worker, can play the PP and PK, nasty edge, great shot
Flaws- doesn’t wow you, can run around at times, tries to do too much, turns the puck over
NHL Comparison- Kevin Bieksa
26- Matia Marcantuoni F 5”11 185 Kitchener Rangers CAN
Assets- excellent skater, battles hard, good shot, good skill level, good passer, willing to go to the dirty areas, good leader, strong work ethic, excellent 2-way player, can play the PP and PK, hits, excellent speed, gritty
Flaws- may top out as a 2-3 line centre, needs to get stronger, not sure if he’ll be as physical at the NHL level
NHL Comparison- Ryan Kesler
27- Brady Skeji D 6”1 183 USA NTDP USA
Assets- excellent skater, excellent mobility, moves the puck well, solid offensive upside, good size, good passer, good skill level, able to get his shot through traffic, good on the PP
Flaws- prone to mistakes in his own end, could play more physical, tries to do too much, needs to get stronger
NHL Comparison- Tobias Enstrom
28- Pontus Åberg F 5”11 183 Djurgården SWE
Assets- Pure goal scorer, excellent skater, excellent speed, hard to knock off the puck, hard worker, finishes checks, great shot
Flaws- doesn’t pass much, sometimes forgets about his own end
NHL Comparison- Michael Grabner
29- Cody Ceci D 6”2 203 Ottawa 67's CAN
Assets- big, strong, fairly mobile, hits, fights, reliable in his own end, steady, moves the puck out of the zone, hard shot, blocks shots, stay at home D, good in the corners and in front of the net
Flaws- doesn’t wow you, may top out as a 3-4 D, won’t score a ton at the NHL level
NHL Comparison- Braydon Coburn
30- Gianluca Curcuruto D 6”1 187 SSM Greyhounds CAN
Assets- great skater, excellent passer, excellent puck mover, solid in his own end, good size, high skill level, good character, good leader, very mature, decent shot, excellent work ethic, great at reading the play
Flaws- doesn’t play physical, needs to shoot more, shies away from physical play, needs to be better in the corners and in front of the net
NHL Comparison- Tomas Kaberle
31- Brendan Gaunce F 6”2 205 Belleville Bulls CAN
32- Nicolas Kerdiles F 6”1 183 USA NTDP USA
33- Malcolm Subban G 6”0 178 Belleville Bulls CAN
34- Tom Wilson F 6”4 195 Plymouth Whalers CAN
35- Adam Pelech D 6”2 200 Erie Otters CAN
36- Matt Finn D 6”0 197 Guelph Storm CAN
37- Jaynen Rissling D 6”3 215 Calgary Hitmen CAN
38- Brendan Leipsic F 5”9 155 Portland Winterhawks CAN
39- Scott Laughton F 6”0 174 Oshawa Generals CAN
40- Troy Bourke F 5”10 150 Prince George Cougars CAN
41- Eric Locke F 5”9 171 Barrie Colts CAN
42- Kalle Torniainen F 5”10 172 Djurgården FIN
43- Mathew Campagna F 5”11 170 Sudbury Wolves CAN
44- Raphaël Bussières F 6”0 183 Baie-Comeau Drakkar CAN
45- Calle Andersson D 6”1 194 Malmö SWE
46- Ville Pokka D 6”0 187 Kärpät FIN
47- Patrik Machac F 5”9 165 Kladno CZE
48- Damon Severson D 6”1 188 Kelowna Rockets CAN
49- Jarrod Maidens F 6”2 170 Owen Sound Attack CAN
50- Ryan Olsen F 6”1 172 Saskatoon Blades CAN
51- Teuvo Teräväinen F 5”10 161 Jokerit FIN
52- Dylan Blujus D 6”3 184 Brampton Battalion USA
53- Jake McCabe D 6”0 195 USA NTDP USA
54- Luca Ciampini F 5”11 189 Halifax Mooseheads CAN
55- Cristoval Nieves F 6”2 175 Kent Prep School USA
56- Dominic Poulin D 6”1 185 Chicoutimi Sagueneens CAN
57- Colton Sissons F 6”0 173 Kelowna Rockets CAN
58- Nikolai Prokhorkin F 6”2 183 CSKA Moscow RUS
59- Miles Koules F 5”11 177 USA NTDP USA
60- Oscar Dansk G 6”2 183 Brynäs SWE
61- Emil Lundberg F 6”3 198 Södertälje SWE
62- Brandon Magee F 5”7 161 Victoria Royals CAN
63-Kristoff Kontos F 6”1 203 Sudbury Wolves CAN
64- Gustav Rydahl F 6”2 194 Färjestad SWE
65- Dalton Thrower D 6.00 195 Saskatoon Blades CAN
66- Jon Gillies G 6”5 202 Indiana Ice USA
67- Radek Faksa F 6”2 183 Trinec CZE
68- Brian Cooper D 5”9 176 Fargo Force USA
69- A.J. Michaelson F 6”0 180 Apple Valley Varsity USA
70- Chandler Stephenson F 5”10 170 Regina Pats CAN
71- Daulton Siwak F 6”0 196 Red Deer Rebels CAN
72- Marcus McIvor D 6”1 204 Brampton Battalion CAN
73- Dalton Sward F 6”0 165 Vancouver Giants CAN
74- Brady Vail F 6”1 190 Windsor Spitfires USA
75- Andrei Vasilevski G 6”3 200 Ufa RUS
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