With their top picks already on the team with Stamkos and Hedman, Tampa has some long term success in their horizon. They also possess a lot of high potential players, however many of them are long term projects with some question marks. In the Detroit mold, Yzerman has made sure to keep that upside in the system in his short time with the club.
As always, I did the Top 5 and French did the Bottom 5. Enjoy.
1.
Brett Connolly, Right Wing
Prince George Cougars, WHL
6th Overall, 2010, 19 years old
6'2, 203 lbs
Connolly is a high end winger with nice speed and puck skills. He controls the puck insanely well, even when on the rush. However it's the high end hockey sense and vision that make him such a good player. He makes those around him better, whether setting up a play or putting it in the net. He also shows determination, leadership and a desire to be as good as possible. He supports his team defensively and is always one of the first players back. The concerns are there that he may have injury issues with his hip over his career.
Upside: Top Line Offensive Winger
NHL Comparable? Patrick Marleau
2.
Vladislav Namestnikov, Center/Right Wing
London Knights, OHL
27th Overall, 2011, 18 years old
6'1, 170 lbs
A speedy forward with high end vision, Namestnikov is a proto-typical playmaking center. When attacking the play, Namestnikov shows shift feet and hard cuts that can elude the best of defenders, and then thread a pin point pass to a winger. He's also an adept scorer with a wicked release and some heat behind both his slap and wrist shots. He's defensively responsible but still working on getting to be a two-way presence. Offensively he'll do it all, and isn't afraid to get his nose dirty.
Upside: Top Six Playmaking Center
NHL Comparable? Milan Hedjuk
3.
Richard Panik, Right Wing
Guelph Storm, OHL
52nd Overall, 2009, 20 years old
6'2, 220 lbs
Another in a line of Bolt prospects with speed and vision, Panik is the type of player who can beat you on the outside, scope his options and score a beautiful goal. He's hard on the puck, and does some great work on the cycle game as well as the rush. He has dazzling hands and on skill alone would have gone much higher, however there are major red flags as far as scouts are concerned. His conditioning has been questioned as well as his commitment to two-way play. He's consistently inconsistent and needs to show more dedication.
Upside: Second Line Scoring Winger
NHL Comparable? Marian Hossa
4.
Nikita Kucherov, Right Wing
CSKA Moscow, KHL
58th Overall, 2011, 18 years old
5'10, 160 lbs
Broken record: a highly offensive forward with speed and elite offensive abilities. He understands the game at high levels and can make beautiful passes, but is a finisher through and through. The puck looks glued to his stick throughout the game. He has a disappearing act, especially defensively and a reputation for bad penalties. His size is also a concern, but there's no questioning the upside.
Upside: Second Line Scoring Winger
NHL Comparable? Pavel Datsyuk-
lite
5.
Carter Ashton, Right Wing
Tri-City Americans, WHL
29th overall, 2009, 20 years old
6'3, 200 lbs
A big boy who is learning how to use his frame, Ashton is a scorer below the hashmarks. His skating is average with some needed improvement in the mechanics, otherwise he's mobile enough for the pro game. He works the cycle game well with his size and plays a real meat and potatoes game because of it. He's a two-way player who understands his role defensively, as well. There was some top six upside early in his career but since then people are starting to question if he's really a scorer.
Upside: Third Line Two-Way Power Winger, who can contribute on the PP as a Big Body
NHL Comparable? Ryan Malone
6.
Dustin Tokarski, Goaltender,
Norfolk Admirals, AHL,
122th overall, 2008, 21 years old,
5’11, 190.
Tokarski is a small but quick goalie with an extremely calm demeanor. While he’s known to most for his highlight save in the 2008 WJC, he is known on top of this for his mental strength and ability to be clutch in big. His size is always a concern going into this new NHL and as such he plays a bastardized butterfly and commits down low frequently which leaves him vulnerable up high. He has a quick glove hand but can at times hold it low. He’s a guy who has become accustomed to starting 45+ games throughout his career and in the playoffs he has another level to him.
Upside: Starting Goalie
NHL Comparable: Cam Ward
7.
Mark Barberio, Defenseman,
Norfolk Admirals, AHL,
152nd overall, 2008, 21 years old,
6’1, 201.
A strong skater with good start up speed and a great mind for the rush, Barberio is a highly creative offensive defender. He has excellent puck control and great offensive creativity which allows him to run an effective PP. Barberio has a very hard low shot that he gets off very quickly especially for one-timers when he sneaks in behind covering forwards. Like most offensive defenders he’s prone to pinching a lot and can get caught, he also can get too fancy and cause turnovers. While he isn’t great in his own end the fact that he is relatively solid in his own end goes unmentioned unjustly.
Upside: 3-4 Offensive Defender
NHL Comparable: Mike Green-Lite
8.
James Wright, Center,
Norfolk Admirals, AHL,
117th overall, 2008, 21 years old,
6’4, 196.
Wright is a decent skater with good speed but only average acceleration; he has a great blend of grit and talent that makes him a sleeper to be a very good player. He loves to hit and grind along the boards where he can use his size and strength. He is an expert in defensive positioning and can shutdown opposing forwards on both the PK and 5vs5 with ease. While he does not have a good shot and has lack luster passing skills he is excellent in and around the net with his very good hands. He’s a guy who excels on the PP for his offense in front of the net.
Upside: 3rd Line Two-Way Special Teams Specialist
NHL Comparable: Eric Belanger
9.
Radko Gudas, Defenseman,
Norfolk Admirals, AHL,
66th overall, 2010, 21 years old,
6’0, 192.
Goudas was drafted as a late bloomer last season after a solid first WHL season and quickly showed that his game was not only made for North America but excelling there with the Everett Silvertips. He is a nasty physical defenseman who loves to go for the big hit and scrum around the net. He is a good skater and deceptively quick which allows him to close in on players very well. He has good positioning in general and is very good around the boards. While he has a solid first pass the offense won’t likely come a lot for Goudas at the professional level.
Upside: 4-6 Physical Shutdown Defender
NHL Comparable: Tim Gleason
10.
Alexander Killorn, Center,
Harvard University, NCAA,
77th overall, 2007,
6’1, 198.
Killorn is a strong skater that is very hard to knock off his skates with good first steps and decent top-end speed. He has a lot of creativity and puck skills to go with extremely nasty hands. Killorn plays a solid game in both ends of the rink and has really come a long way in his own end. He has a nasty streak to his game that while dormant for the most part can come out of nowhere for a cheap shot. Despite his offensive skills he hasn’t produced what has been expected of him, he was always considered a long term prospect with raw potential and so far he is still that. Inconsistency is the big problem for him.
Upside: 3rd Line Scorer
NHL Comparable: Lee Stempniak
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