2019 THN Top 100 Players Under 21

[Fanuck]

26 minutes ago, nergish said:

 

Also why Dahlin is number 1.

Pettersson is clearly the better player today, but Dahlin is the number one prospect under 21 without question. His upside is "best in the world".

 

I personally don't have any issues with someone saying Dahlin is 1 and Petey is 2.  

Nor would I have an issue if it was reversed. 

Imo it's a wash - if Dahlen reaches his full potential he has Hedman level capabilities and could easily be the best defenceman in the league in time.   And if Petey continues developing he could dominate like Kucherov.   Either one would be a game changer for their respective franchises.  

[IBatch]

This is about a month old and have referenced to this many times.  One of the most remarkable things about it is how many defenseman are in it.  Since they started doing this about ten years ago, never had a defenseman being number one and never have four been in the top ten.   It bodes well for the NHL, for 20 years or so (1979- early 2000’s) there was a huge crop of HHOF defenseman - since the likely Chara, Burns, Karlsson and Doughty (maybe Hedman too) ...  not many.  Considering what great defenseman can do for the entire team it’s an exciting time to watch hockey.  

[Chris12345]

Makar is unreal

[IBatch]

4 hours ago, GoldenAlien said:

The Hockey News' top 100 players under 21 rankings is out:

https://thehockeynews.com/all-access/article/the-top-100-hockeys-best-players-21-and-under

 

1. Dahlin

2. Pettersson

3. Heiskanen

4. Makar

5. Laine

6. J. Hughes

7. Lafreniere

8. Byfield

9. B. Tkachuk

10. Q. Hughes

 

Podkolzin also makes the list at No. 76.

 

The rankings are based on projections of what a forward will be at age 23, a defenseman at 24 and a goalie at 25.

 

I personally would've put EP40 over Dahlin as No. 1 and Quinn over Jack for No. 6.  Can't see why Tkachuk projects better when Quinn is a month younger and outscoring him as a defenseman... but hey.   

THN does this once a year - this list is about a month old.  They also don’t just shoot darts at a board - they use the average of ten pro scouts rankings and then make the list.   EP was first last year FYI.    Sure it’s up to debate - and for those interested OJ had made the list three times but slipped out this year.   BB and Demko too.   All of them in the low to mid 20’s at their peak (of course BB and Demko have aged out)  this is OJs last year and he slipped out (last year he was 66).   AG also made the list in the past.  

 

It’s a very good indicator of what teams can expect in a few years.  Our best players will soon be gone (aged out), but we we’ve had the third best group of 21 and unders two years in a row so it bodes well for our future.   Bet if they did this list a five weeks after they originally did it (now) there would be some more movement - it’s fluid and subjective.   Makar might be number one for example. 

[IBatch]

3 hours ago, Devron44 said:

He’s 21 years old

It’s 21 and unders - he’s not a ranked in the top 100.   Hirschier is 31...and went 1st overall.   He’s not good enough to be on the list ...edit sorry see you’ve already figured that out 

Edited November 24, 2019 by IBatch

[IBatch]

2 hours ago, Quantum said:

Was Nils Hoglander ranked? He seems like a guy who is gonna sneak up on so many pundits. Same goes with Tyler Madden.

These guys didn’t make the cut and rightly so.  There are 30 teams in the league - take their top three 21 and unders (players in the NHL now and prospects) and it’s pretty easy to understand why they are not in the top 100.  At least half these guys are already playing in the NHL.   Of the remainder some are top undrafted guys, some are high picks since 2015 that haven’t made the show yet. Like Dobson and Bouchard (Hughes class) and Glass (EPs) and Kerby and Dach (last years).  Hogs and Madden might be close to the cut-off but if you see the entire list it’s pretty easy to see why they didn’t make it.  AG after his Hobey Baker season was 77.....

[coastal.view]

5 hours ago, Westcoasting said:

Where is Juolevi ranked?

 

no worries

a new list will be soon published

and joulevi will top it

 

top nhl prospects 21 and under

with "most numerous or chronic injuries"

by the time they turn 24 (for defencemen)

(it's 23 for forwards and 25 for goalies)

Edited November 25, 2019 by coastal.view

[Baer.]

4 hours ago, DontMessMe said:

Would u consider Lafreniere generational like Mcdavid

McDavid in draft year: 47 games 120 points 2.55 points per game

 

Lafreniere so far: 24 games 53 points 2.21 points per game

 

So I would say no, not generational. But definitely elite level. Lafreniere would really have to pick it up to reach McDavid numbers.

[PetterssonOrPeterson]

8 hours ago, DontMessMe said:

Would u consider Lafreniere generational like Mcdavid

Nope. 

He's potentially a franchise player though.

 

The term "generational" is thrown around so loosely. It literally means a once in a generation type player.

It was Crosby for the mid 2000's to early 2010's and now we're living in the McDavid era. No one else.

 

 

[JustABandwagoner]

25 minutes ago, PetterssonOrPeterson said:

Nope. 

He's potentially a franchise player though.

 

The term "generational" is thrown around so loosely. It literally means a once in a generation type player.

It was Crosby for the mid 2000's to early 2010's and now we're living in the McDavid era. No one else.

 

 

Not even Ovi? 

[IBatch]

4 hours ago, DontMessMe said:

Not even Ovi? 

Ovi is to Gretzky as to what Crosby is to Lemuiex or Howe is to Richard.  Or Howe is to Hull (maybe he’d have 900 goals if he didn’t go to the WHA - 610 plus 303).  Or Lafluer is to Dionne.   Yeah I’d include Ovi, the two have gone hammer and tong since the arrived the same year - both scoring over 100 points as rookies (although Ovi was older) ... Crosby’s PPG is higher of course and he has three cups - Ovi has one and a closet full of individual hardware too.   Lafrenierre is this years Hughes, Mathews, Eichel etc etc. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by IBatch

[Westcoasting]

16 hours ago, Chris12345 said:

Makar is unreal

The more i see of him the more i wonder how good he will be at his best.

[khay]

32 minutes ago, Westcoasting said:

The more i see of him the more i wonder how good he will be at his best.

Yeah been thinking the same.

 

But I still prefer EP + Hughes over Makar + any forward drafted in 2018. If Makar was available at #5 my guess is that JB would have drafted him over EP in 2017, but I don't think any forward in 2018 draft even if we had #1 overall pick would be able to fill 1C role like EP does. Hughes is as close as you can get to Makar and the way Hughes walks the line and QB's the PP is as good as anyone in the league already.

 

It looks like Makar is going to win multiple Norris. EP may not win so many Hart because of McDavid but he will be contending for it and hopefully win it a couple of times.

 

Colorado is going to be good for many years to come, just around the time when we are going to be good. Could renew Canucks, Avs rivalry during WCE era. 

 

[JustABandwagoner]

9 hours ago, IBatch said:

Ovi is to Gretzky as to what Crosby is to Lemuiex or Howe is to Richard.  Or Howe is to Hull (maybe he’d have 900 goals if he didn’t go to the WHA - 610 plus 303).  Or Lafluer is to Dionne.   Yeah I’d include Ovi, the two have gone hammer and tong since the arrived the same year - both scoring over 100 points as rookies (although Ovi was older) ... Crosby’s PPG is higher of course and he has three cups - Ovi has one and a closet full of individual hardware too.   Lafrenierre is this years Hughes, Mathews, Eichel etc etc. 

Oh wow. I didnt think J Hughes would be ranked THAT highly. I always thought Hughes is more like a Hischier. 

[IBatch]

1 hour ago, DontMessMe said:

Oh wow. I didnt think J Hughes would be ranked THAT highly. I always thought Hughes is more like a Hischier. 

He might sink depending on how things go...these lists favour the recent picks in my experience...think he was overhyped - breaking Mathews records etc - best player ever in their program.  Hirschier’s stock went way up after the WJ’s - PHI and NJ missed out on Makar and EP given the hype around those two. 

[Davathor]

On 11/24/2019 at 11:14 AM, Westcoasting said:

Where is Juolevi ranked?

 

 

Hes on the lost of top busts under 22

[Bertuzzi44ever]

On 11/24/2019 at 11:01 AM, BoKnows said:

how is byfield and lafreniere top 10.

They are going to be most certainly 

[Bertuzzi44ever]

On 11/25/2019 at 2:30 PM, IBatch said:

He might sink depending on how things go...these lists favour the recent picks in my experience...think he was overhyped - breaking Mathews records etc - best player ever in their program.  Hirschier’s stock went way up after the WJ’s - PHI and NJ missed out on Makar and EP given the hype around those two. 

Yeah but Eichel is playing godly he has been first in offensive zone possession and end to end rushes has barely any support like EP he’s been in almost half of buffalos goals while being fourth in goals and fifth in points. He’s got 20 Pts in his last ten games during ten game point streak. He has hit another level dahlin isnt even healthy Eichels doing it mostly at even stench even his linemates Reinhart and rookie olofsson only have half the points he does!

 

so Jack Hughes isn’t on eichels level or EP I think one day he may get close to the other tier below them, he’s more of a hischier 

Edited December 3, 2019 by Bertuzzi44ever

[IBatch]

1 hour ago, Bertuzzi44ever said:

Yeah but Eichel is playing godly he has been first in offensive zone possession and end to end rushes has barely any support like EP he’s been in almost half of buffalos goals while being fourth in goals and fifth in points. He’s got 20 Pts in his last ten games during ten game point streak. He has hit another level dahlin isnt even healthy Eichels doing it mostly at even stench even his linemates Reinhart and rookie olofsson only have half the points he does!

 

so Jack Hughes isn’t on eichels level or EP I think one day he may get close to the other tier below them, he’s more of a hischier 

Eichel isn't on the list because he's over 21.   That said if their was a list for 22-25 year olds he'd have to be near the top.  Rather have him then Mathews.  McDavids and Mathews drafts will end up becoming two of the better ones the last 20 years or so...

 

edit:  I think you might be right about Hughes as a Hirshier type.  So far he hasn't lived up to the hype - that said I've referenced Stamkos and J Thornton as two other hyped first overalls (Hirschier doesn't qualify given he wasn't hyped and wasn't even a clear cut first overall in what was considered a ho hum draft) that had slow starts as 18 year olds too.  Then took off.  Hughes could still do the same....he's got 3 seasons to work on it. 

Edited December 4, 2019 by IBatch

[Goat James]

On 11/24/2019 at 8:01 PM, BoKnows said:

how is byfield and lafreniere top 10.

Aren’t they both sure fire franchise center talents? If I’m not mistaken both would have gone number on in the 2017-2019 drafts?