And sure as hell, she doesn't disappoint. We may have to start calling her our Reliably Informative Canadian Consultant.
In fact, her analysis exposes us as the frauds that we are. She knows her junior boys and we concede the blog to her.
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So in the past few days there’s been a lot of talk on which rookies should stay up and which ones should be sent back to junior (or down to the AHL). This is a subject very close to my heart because I love rookies and prospects and their well-being is very important to me- I don’t want to see any kids have their rookie seasons ruined by bad coaching or being forced into the game early (cough Gilbert Brule). I decided to focus on prospects under the age of 20 because that’s when it’s the biggest question mark.
So here’s a shortlist of the big names by draft position:
1. Steven Stamkos – C – Tampa Bay Lightning, 18
So here’s a shortlist of the big names by draft position:
1. Steven Stamkos – C – Tampa Bay Lightning, 18
(1-2008) 6 GP 0-0-0, -1, 11:11 ATOI
VERDICT: GO
This is one that people might disagree with, but you have to look at it a little closer. Obviously Stamkos is probably the most skilled prospect at any age for any team, but he’s not able to put it to good use in Tampa. The Lightning are loaded with forwards and just look at his ATOI- he’s hardly playing 10 minutes a game, and he’s averaging just over a minute a game on the PP. It’s just not worth it for either the team or for him to play in the league this year. He’s not in a good environment for a young player. I can guarantee you that he would think differently- I know he wants to play in the NHL this year, but the truth is, maybe he’s just not adjusting as well as everyone thought he would. And hey, think of how awesome him and Tavares would be at the WJC this year?
2. Drew Doughty – D – Los Angeles Kings, 18
(2-2008) 5 GP 1-0-1, +3, 21:00 ATOI
VERDICT: STAY
This one is based not only on the fact that I think he’s ready, but also on the fact that the Kings need him. Jack Johnson went down earlier in the month and it’s not really clear how long he’ll be out- Drew has proven that he’s up to the task of taking his place. He’s handling the pressure well, he’s handling the league well- just look at his stats. Even this early in the season, the fact that he’s a defenseman who is a plus player on the Kings is just incredible (there are only three on the team that fit that category). He’s second among rookies in ice time, and if everything works out like the Kings hope it to, this kid could help them make the playoffs.
VERDICT: STAY
This one is based not only on the fact that I think he’s ready, but also on the fact that the Kings need him. Jack Johnson went down earlier in the month and it’s not really clear how long he’ll be out- Drew has proven that he’s up to the task of taking his place. He’s handling the pressure well, he’s handling the league well- just look at his stats. Even this early in the season, the fact that he’s a defenseman who is a plus player on the Kings is just incredible (there are only three on the team that fit that category). He’s second among rookies in ice time, and if everything works out like the Kings hope it to, this kid could help them make the playoffs.
3. Kyle Turris – C – Phonix Coyotes, 19
(3-2007) 5 GP 1-3-4, -3, 12:04 ATOI
VERDICT: STAY
Kyle is a different case from the first two guys because he already has an extra year of development under his belt. It’s quite possible that Turris could have come into the league last year and done alright, but obviously there was a question of size because this guy is skinny as a goal post. Currently, he’s tied for second on the Coyotes in scoring, even with minimal ice time, and while that’s not the whole story- why send him down? The best thing for him is to be in Phoenix, and with all the youth they have there, he’s not out of place (there are three other rookie forwards in PHO).
4. Zach Bogosian – D – Atlanta Thrashers, 18
(3- 2008) 5 GP 0-0-0, +2, 13:45 ATOI
VERDICT: GO
Personally, I think Zach is probably ready for the NHL. He’s doing a pretty good job in Atlanta, but it’s become clear that ATL isn’t going to let him be Tobias Enstrom. I’d love to see him stay up, but my verdict was based on his low ATOI (you have to give the kid a chance- he’s a defenseman who could have played 30 minutes every game in the OHL) and the assumption that he most likely will be sent down. Defensively, Zach has some things he could work on- and while he’s a boy built like a man, he’s not ready to get in a fight with a guy like Donald Brashear like what happened in his first NHL game.
VERDICT: GO
Personally, I think Zach is probably ready for the NHL. He’s doing a pretty good job in Atlanta, but it’s become clear that ATL isn’t going to let him be Tobias Enstrom. I’d love to see him stay up, but my verdict was based on his low ATOI (you have to give the kid a chance- he’s a defenseman who could have played 30 minutes every game in the OHL) and the assumption that he most likely will be sent down. Defensively, Zach has some things he could work on- and while he’s a boy built like a man, he’s not ready to get in a fight with a guy like Donald Brashear like what happened in his first NHL game.
5. Alex Pietrangelo – D – St. Louis Blues, 18
(4- 2008) 3 GP 0-0-0, -2, 16:28 ATOI
VERDICT: GO
Alex has missed the past 2 Blues games with soreness from a Ryan Hollweg hit-from-behind. Does this make him soft? No, not at all. Did he put himself in a vulnerable position? Maybe. Rookie mistake? Maybe. I believe that Pietrangelo will be sent down after 9 games. The Blues are crowded on D and while Alex isn’t playing poorly, per se, it doesn’t mean he’s ready for an 82 game season. It’s hard to judge a kid after three games, but it’s a well known fact that a full NHL season for an 18-year-old defenseman is one of the hardest things you can put a kid through. There are very few guys capable of doing it, and in previous years, NHL types knew that. In the last 15 season only 9 18-year-old D-men have been on opening night rosters- there were 5 this year alone. Making the jump from junior to the NHL is infinitely harder for a defenseman than for a forward- these kids need time to develop.
VERDICT: GO
Alex has missed the past 2 Blues games with soreness from a Ryan Hollweg hit-from-behind. Does this make him soft? No, not at all. Did he put himself in a vulnerable position? Maybe. Rookie mistake? Maybe. I believe that Pietrangelo will be sent down after 9 games. The Blues are crowded on D and while Alex isn’t playing poorly, per se, it doesn’t mean he’s ready for an 82 game season. It’s hard to judge a kid after three games, but it’s a well known fact that a full NHL season for an 18-year-old defenseman is one of the hardest things you can put a kid through. There are very few guys capable of doing it, and in previous years, NHL types knew that. In the last 15 season only 9 18-year-old D-men have been on opening night rosters- there were 5 this year alone. Making the jump from junior to the NHL is infinitely harder for a defenseman than for a forward- these kids need time to develop.
6. Luke Schenn – D – Toronto Maple Leafs, 18
(5- 2008) 6 GP 0-0-0, -3, 21:39 ATOI
VERDICT: STAY
I’m reluctant to say this, but Luke Schenn should continue to play for the Leafs, and I think he will. But I also believe he will be re-evaluated at the 40 game mark, and that the Leafs will strongly consider releasing him to the Canadian World Junior team if the playoffs aren’t in their future (they won’t be.) (Everyone who knows me knows that watching the Schenn brothers play together for Team Canada would be my wet dream.) Luke currently leads NHL rookies in ice time, and after seeing a few Leafs games and a lot of highlights (the Canadian media is obsessed with Schenn and how badly this team is struggling) I’ve seen him make a lot of stunning defensive plays. He plays like a veteran a lot of nights, and that’s the kind of thing you need to see from a young defenseman.
VERDICT: STAY
I’m reluctant to say this, but Luke Schenn should continue to play for the Leafs, and I think he will. But I also believe he will be re-evaluated at the 40 game mark, and that the Leafs will strongly consider releasing him to the Canadian World Junior team if the playoffs aren’t in their future (they won’t be.) (Everyone who knows me knows that watching the Schenn brothers play together for Team Canada would be my wet dream.) Luke currently leads NHL rookies in ice time, and after seeing a few Leafs games and a lot of highlights (the Canadian media is obsessed with Schenn and how badly this team is struggling) I’ve seen him make a lot of stunning defensive plays. He plays like a veteran a lot of nights, and that’s the kind of thing you need to see from a young defenseman.
7. Nikita Filatov – C – Columbus Blue Jackets, 18
(6- 2008) 3 GP 1-0-1, E, 7:33 ATOI
VERDICT: STAY
There was never any doubt that Nikita was the second-best forward in the draft after #1 pick Steven Stamkos, but the Blue Jackets decided that he needed a little more development and sent him to the AHL to start the season. Soon after, Jared Boll went down with a head/neck injury and Filatov was back up before he knew it. The difference between Filatov and Stamkos may be that Filatov has played against men before, in Russia’s Higher League (Div II of the Russian Super League), and in the 5 games he played with the Super League team. Nikita has so far adjusted well to his new surroundings but the Blue Jackets have plenty of options with him. Between staying up, going to the AHL, or sending him to OHL Sudbury, I can’t see a bad choice with this kid. Because he didn’t start the year in Columbus he’s a different story than the rest of these guys, but it makes him the only one who has been shown that they won’t hesitate in sending him to the minors for further development.
VERDICT: STAY
There was never any doubt that Nikita was the second-best forward in the draft after #1 pick Steven Stamkos, but the Blue Jackets decided that he needed a little more development and sent him to the AHL to start the season. Soon after, Jared Boll went down with a head/neck injury and Filatov was back up before he knew it. The difference between Filatov and Stamkos may be that Filatov has played against men before, in Russia’s Higher League (Div II of the Russian Super League), and in the 5 games he played with the Super League team. Nikita has so far adjusted well to his new surroundings but the Blue Jackets have plenty of options with him. Between staying up, going to the AHL, or sending him to OHL Sudbury, I can’t see a bad choice with this kid. Because he didn’t start the year in Columbus he’s a different story than the rest of these guys, but it makes him the only one who has been shown that they won’t hesitate in sending him to the minors for further development.
8. Jakub Voracek – R – Columbus Blue Jackets, 19
(7- 2007) 5 GP 2-3-5, E, 11:43 ATOI
VERDICT: STAY
Another 2007 draftee making his debut, Voracek sits third in rookie scoring after Fabian Brunnstrom (DAL) and Kris Versteeg (CHI). Columbus has a lot of rookie forwards this year and they’ll be able to learn together and I imagine a few of them could challenge for the rookie scoring title throughout the year. Voracek is a little older and a little more experienced than most of the others mentioned so far, and he’s a gifted playmaker who is going to be loved by trigger-men like Rick Nash in the future. Voracek is another guy who might have been able to play last year, but instead had a 101 point season in the QMJHL. Was picked 7th, but could have definitely gone top 5 (no offense meant to Thomas Hickey and Sam Gagner). Columbus is a bubble team this year, and with a talented young core, they have the chance to be more.
Another 2007 draftee making his debut, Voracek sits third in rookie scoring after Fabian Brunnstrom (DAL) and Kris Versteeg (CHI). Columbus has a lot of rookie forwards this year and they’ll be able to learn together and I imagine a few of them could challenge for the rookie scoring title throughout the year. Voracek is a little older and a little more experienced than most of the others mentioned so far, and he’s a gifted playmaker who is going to be loved by trigger-men like Rick Nash in the future. Voracek is another guy who might have been able to play last year, but instead had a 101 point season in the QMJHL. Was picked 7th, but could have definitely gone top 5 (no offense meant to Thomas Hickey and Sam Gagner). Columbus is a bubble team this year, and with a talented young core, they have the chance to be more.
9. Mikkel Boedker – R – Phoenix Coyotes, 18
(8- 2008) 5 GP 2-0-2, -2, 16:31 ATOI
VERDICT: STAY
Boedker has a solid group of young guys and a great group of veterans on a team coached by Wayne Gretzky. What I mean to say is: he’s in a really good place to be a rookie. It’s the opposite for Stamkos (I feel like I have to keep defending this) because he’s on a team full of veterans brought in as free-agents during a crazy off-season under a retarded coach and crazy owners (...oops). Boedker is getting good time on the PP and, would you believe it, he’s getting time on the Penalty Kill as well, and that pretty much sums up why this kid should stay. If he’s trusted and able to play on the PK as a rookie forward, this early in the year, that’s damn good.
VERDICT: STAY
Boedker has a solid group of young guys and a great group of veterans on a team coached by Wayne Gretzky. What I mean to say is: he’s in a really good place to be a rookie. It’s the opposite for Stamkos (I feel like I have to keep defending this) because he’s on a team full of veterans brought in as free-agents during a crazy off-season under a retarded coach and crazy owners (...oops). Boedker is getting good time on the PP and, would you believe it, he’s getting time on the Penalty Kill as well, and that pretty much sums up why this kid should stay. If he’s trusted and able to play on the PK as a rookie forward, this early in the year, that’s damn good.
10. Luca Sbisa – D – Philadelphia Flyers, 18
(19- 2008) 5 GP 0-0-0, -4, 18:44 ATOI
VERDICT: GO
Out of all the rookie defensemen this year, I feel this one was the most rushed. It’s great that he’s made the team but he’s just not ready. It’s no use shoving him into the league, and unfortunately he’s not going to be helping anyone make the playoffs. I don’t know enough about the Flyers or their fans to know whether they’d argue this point or not, but it’s hard to deny. If he was NHL ready, he’d have been drafted higher. He’s getting almost 4 minutes of PP time per game, but is unable to produce even a secondary assist... it doesn’t help that the Flyers are struggling pretty badly right now. I believe it’s in his best interest to be sent down, which I imagine he will be at the 9 game mark.
So there you have it- my personal take on the future of the future of the league. This has been Macke, for the Hockey Junkies.
VERDICT: GO
Out of all the rookie defensemen this year, I feel this one was the most rushed. It’s great that he’s made the team but he’s just not ready. It’s no use shoving him into the league, and unfortunately he’s not going to be helping anyone make the playoffs. I don’t know enough about the Flyers or their fans to know whether they’d argue this point or not, but it’s hard to deny. If he was NHL ready, he’d have been drafted higher. He’s getting almost 4 minutes of PP time per game, but is unable to produce even a secondary assist... it doesn’t help that the Flyers are struggling pretty badly right now. I believe it’s in his best interest to be sent down, which I imagine he will be at the 9 game mark.
So there you have it- my personal take on the future of the future of the league. This has been Macke, for the Hockey Junkies.
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