TSN Core U-24 Franchise Ranking & Best Players U-24

[Fanuck]

I won't spoil the list for you: 

 

https://www.tsn.ca/young-dallas-stars-shine-brightest-in-tsn-s-core-4-under-24-nhl-player-ranking-1.1893607

 

 

Related to the aforementioned list - Craig Button's best U-24 players.  Yes, we have a couple guys representing blue/green: 

 

https://www.tsn.ca/colorado-avalanche-defenceman-cale-makar-the-standard-bearer-for-nhl-s-younger-generation-1.1894105

Edited December 16, 2022 by Fanuck

[Angry Goose]

I think Nils Hoglander, Podz and The Klim Reaper will really help boost the Canucks in the future. Maybe not in the under 24 rankings necessarily.

 

Nils is only 21! And Klim is so young as well.  

 

Power forwards can take a bit more time so Im optimistic about these three.

 

I think these rankings are very fluid in terms of how a team projects.

[jyu]

Didn't know Hoglander was over 24 years old. How did he miss Hoglander or he thinks Hogs is not an NHL player?

 

That 2017 draft was magic for Dallas. Won the lottery, drafted #1D, #1LW, #1G.

 

They were on their way to the bottom of the standings saved by that draft.

 

Imagine if they actually picked Makar over Heiskanen.

 

[DownUndaCanuck]

Podkolzin considered a C-grade prospect, ouch. Surely not another Virtanen/Juolevi mess up of a top-10 pick but when you look at who was drafted right after Podkolzin, that hurts.

Matt Boldy is almost a PPG with Minny, Spencer Knight (a risky goalie pick at 10, sure) is a top goalie, Newhook is a pretty decent middle-6 center with the Avs but then you've got Cole Caufield in there too. Yet another draft where players picked right after a Canucks pick have been lights-out good. 

 

All of our rookies and picks struggle, look at Rathbone, Hoglander to a degree as well. It can't just be our poor drafting because lots of teams have these guys so high, it must be our player development. Who knows what would have happened with Virtanen, Juolevi or our current kids on other teams but they had a lot of promise coming into the NHL, some had a good rookie season and then they all floundered in this organization.

 

Then look at Petey and Hughes who I believe have such top end skill and talent that no matter what dreadful development/management they get, they'll burst through. Plus to be fair, they had no real time in the ranks - they were pretty much thrown into the NHL as rookies and stayed there.

[VegasCanuck]

10 minutes ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

Podkolzin considered a C-grade prospect, ouch. Surely not another Virtanen/Juolevi mess up of a top-10 pick but when you look at who was drafted right after Podkolzin, that hurts.

Matt Boldy is almost a PPG with Minny, Spencer Knight (a risky goalie pick at 10, sure) is a top goalie, Newhook is a pretty decent middle-6 center with the Avs but then you've got Cole Caufield in there too. Yet another draft where players picked right after a Canucks pick have been lights-out good. 

 

All of our rookies and picks struggle, look at Rathbone, Hoglander to a degree as well. It can't just be our poor drafting because lots of teams have these guys so high, it must be our player development. Who knows what would have happened with Virtanen, Juolevi or our current kids on other teams but they had a lot of promise coming into the NHL, some had a good rookie season and then they all floundered in this organization.

 

Then look at Petey and Hughes who I believe have such top end skill and talent that no matter what dreadful development/management they get, they'll burst through. Plus to be fair, they had no real time in the ranks - they were pretty much thrown into the NHL as rookies and stayed there.

I think Podz needs a little focusing time in Abbotsford, but I have never heard anyone refer to him as a C prosect. He's still really young.

 

Surprised that they didn't talk more about NJ on this list as I think they should be a primary trade target with us.

 

[Fanuck]

29 minutes ago, jyu said:

Imagine if they actually picked Makar over Heiskanen.

That game's a slippery slope.

 

Imagine if Bos took the next three guys in 2015 instead of the 'meh' they actually took - that would be scary. 

 

Or imagine in 1990, instead of Nedved we took......

[PlanB]

1 hour ago, Angry Goose said:

I think Nils Hoglander, Podz and The Klim Reaper will really help boost the Canucks in the future. Maybe not in the under 24 rankings necessarily.

 

Power forwards can take a bit more time so Im optimistic about these three.

For clarification, do you consider Hogs a Power Forward?   

[Angry Goose]

Just now, PlanB said:

For clarification, do you consider Hogs a Power Forward?   

Darn straight.

[Junkyard Dog]

Just now, PlanB said:

For clarification, do you consider Hogs a Power Forward?   

Just now, Angry Goose said:

Darn straight.

 

More of a smallish grinder with skill to me. 

 

 

[PlanB]

1 minute ago, Angry Goose said:

Darn straight.

[Angry Goose]

2 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said:

 

More of a smallish grinder with skill to me. 

 

 

Sure, hes got those elements too but he’s a very strong individual for his size (and in gemeral) and uses that strength to his advantage at times.  There’s definitely a power element to his game. 

[Junkyard Dog]

Just now, Angry Goose said:

Sure, hes got those elements too but he’s a very strong individual for his size (and in gemeral) and uses that strength to his advantage at times.  There’s definitely a power element to his game. 

Grinders have that. They usually are those all effort energy try-hard go-getters.

 

When I think Powerforward I think OV, Brady Tkachuk, Kreider, Crouse, Folingo, etc.

 

Hog for me doesn't fall under that category. 

[Angry Goose]

10 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said:

Grinders have that. They usually are those all effort energy try-hard go-getters.

 

When I think Powerforward I think OV, Brady Tkachuk, Kreider, Crouse, Folingo, etc.

 

Hog for me doesn't fall under that category. 

And yet all those guys have “grinder” elements as well.

 

Just bc Hoagie cant turn his back and protect the puck like a classic power forward doesnt mean he lacks a power game.

 

The way the game is trending with more smaller players/defenseman-I can definitely see Hoagie using his strength to his advantage even more so vs some of these smaller players.  He uses it against the big guys too. 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Angry Goose

[Junkyard Dog]

Just now, Angry Goose said:

And yet all those guys have “grinder” elements as well.

 

Just bc Hoagie cant turn his back and protect the puck like a classic power forward doesnt mean he lacks a power game.

 

The way the game is trending with more smaller players/defenseman-I cant definitely see Hoagie using his strength to his advantage even more so vs some of these smaller players.  He uses it against the big guys too.  

Power Forwards are usually more mean and bring about more of a physical presence like what Schenn has. Are willing to drop the mitts, etc.

 

All of those guys I mentioned have triple or more hits that Hoglander. 

 

Grinders, although have a physical element it isn't as big of a presence as power forwards. Even a guy like Motte who is the same size as triple the hits. I don't consider Motte a PWF because he isn't making anybody keep their heads up out there. he doesn't police anybody. 

 

It's a specific play-style IMO. One that fits certain players. One that is very scarce. 

 

[Angry Goose]

1 hour ago, Junkyard Dog said:

Power Forwards are usually more mean and bring about more of a physical presence like what Schenn has. Are willing to drop the mitts, etc.

 

All of those guys I mentioned have triple or more hits that Hoglander. 

 

Grinders, although have a physical element it isn't as big of a presence as power forwards. Even a guy like Motte who is the same size as triple the hits. I don't consider Motte a PWF because he isn't making anybody keep their heads up out there. he doesn't police anybody. 

 

It's a specific play-style IMO. One that fits certain players. One that is very scarce. 

 

So did you watch Hoagie vs CGY at all last night? He didnt lay out Zohorna who is like twice his size? And remember how incensed Forbort was at Hoagie? That wasnt “mean”?  Hes very powerful for such a smaller player and doesnt shy away from contact at all-he is a very physical player.  That matches the criteria that you laid out.

 

I cant find it now but even Elias Petersson described NH as a power forward or something very similar to that extent.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Angry Goose

[Jester13]

1 hour ago, Angry Goose said:

So did you watch Hoagie vs CGY at all last night? He didnt lay out Zohorna who is like twice his size? And remember how incensed Forbort was at Hoagie? That wasnt “mean”?  Hes very powerful for such a smaller player and doesnt shy away from contact at all-he is a very physical player.  That matches the criteria that you laid out.

 

I cant find it now but even Elias Petersson described NH as a power forward or something very similar to that extent.

 

 

 

 

When Hogs plays with confidence, he is a legit talent. Major hustle, strong on the puck, feisty, and skilled. I hope BB rewards him after last night and starts building him up rather than scratching him over others. Powerforward, tho, not in the traditional sense, but I don't want that debate to rise again, ha!

Edited December 16, 2022 by Jester13

[Junkyard Dog]

1 hour ago, Angry Goose said:

So did you watch Hoagie vs CGY at all last night? He didnt lay out Zohorna who is like twice his size? And remember how incensed Forbort was at Hoagie? That wasnt “mean”?  Hes very powerful for such a smaller player and doesnt shy away from contact at all-he is a very physical player.  That matches the criteria that you laid out.

 

I cant find it now but even Elias Petersson described NH as a power forward or something very similar to that extent.

 

 

 

 

He has 20 hits on the year. 87 hits in 140 career games.  A guy like Hall every now and then catches people with devastating hits but he isn't that much of a physical or intimidating player. It's a scarce playstyle because it require consistency and it usually isn't sustainable due to the physical toll. Hence why you see guys like Lucic and Ladd fall off. 

 

You've got an extremely loose definition of a power forward. Put him against any actual power forward like Brady and he'd be made to look like a baby. 

 

He's a plays like a grinder way more than a power forward. Hell I would call him a two-way forward before a power forward.

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Junkyard Dog

[Angry Goose]

36 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said:

He has 20 hits on the year. 87 hits in 140 career games.  A guy like Hall every now and then catches people with devastating hits but he isn't that much of a physical or intimidating player. It's a scarce playstyle because it require consistency and it usually isn't sustainable due to the physical toll. Hence why you see guys like Lucic and Ladd fall off. 

 

You've got an extremely loose definition of a power forward. Put him against any actual power forward like Brady and he'd be made to look like a baby. 

 

He's a plays like a grinder way more than a power forward. Hell I would call him a two-way forward before a power forward.

 

 

Mentioning Brady Tkachuk is good.  Did you forget he is 6’4” 221 pounds? Of course he is going to steamroll guys and bully his way around more often than Hoagie.  Traditional power forwards are usually pretty big guys.

 

but that doesnt mean Hoagie doesnt have a power element to his game-you would have to be blind not to see that.  The highlights show that. His game vs CGY he was bulldozing his way constantly with the puck.  When he is feeling it he can put his head down and force his way through.  

 

If he doesnt get enough hits so be it.  I appreciate the quality of hit such a smaller player can do though. If that’s not empirical evidence of “power” I dont know what to tell you.

[NewbieCanuckFan]

I personally think "hits" is a bit of dubious stat.

[mordekai]

Jason Robertson is a superstar? Lol

he hasn’t even reach 100pt per season yet