THN FUTURE WATCH: NYI B+, de Hann 28, Hamonic 61
Plus: Point Blank’s list of the team’s top prospects
Chris Botta on Twitter
The Hockey News has completed polling for its upcoming Future Watch issue, and the news is good for the Islanders.
The hockey bible has awarded a grade of B+ to the Islanders, the best the Islanders have fared since the early days of Charles Wang’s ownership. The B+ places the Islanders in the top ten of the league 30′s teams in prospect development, according to The Hockey News. This includes all players 21 and younger, such as John Tavares and Josh Bailey.
Although the Islanders may not have any blue-chippers, two defense prospects cracked the NHL’s top 100 list of youngsters not in the NHL. Calvin de Haan is ranked 28th and Travis Hamonic is No. 61.
The Hockey News obtains its information by interviewing 23 NHL scouts or directors of player personnel. The magazine’s rankings are consistent with our Islanders prospect list of two months ago when we ranked de Haan and Hamonic 1-2.
Since THN will not unveil their Islanders’ top 10 until the issue is published March 8, here is our list – for the first time, combining all Islanders prospects whether they are in Bridgeport, college, Canadian juniors or Europe.
Point Blank’s Top 10 12 NYI Prospects
10. Mark Katic, Aaron Ness (undersized dmen tie!)
9. David Ullstrom
8. Matt Donovan
7. Jesse Joensuu
6. Rhett Rakhshani
5. Matt Martin
4. Mikko Koskinen, Kevin Poulin (goalie tie!)
3. Kirill Petrov
2. Travis Hamonic
1. Calvin de Haan
As you can see, the Islanders have accumulated strong prospect depth since the start of the rebuilding period. With their 2008 and 2009 first picks already on the roster with mixed results, what the franchise still needs is an A+ prospect or two.
St. Louis defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is the Hockey News’ No. 1 player for Prospect Watch 2010. The rest of the top ten, in alphabetical order, are: John Carlsson (Capitals), Jordan Eberle (Oilers), Nikita Filatov (Blue Jackets), Cody Hodgson (Canucks), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Coyotes), Jacob Markstrom (Panthers), Luca Sbisa (Ducks), Brayden Schenn (Kings) and Colin Wilson (Predators).
Discuss this story and prospects in Comments.
55 Responses to THN FUTURE WATCH: NYI B+, de Hann 28, Hamonic 61
Plus: Point Blank’s list of the team’s top prospects
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Mark P says:
Can we get Carlsson for Sutton or Roloson…or BOTH?
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Great to hear from the pros that the Isles are headed in the right direction. This list shows 8 players on the defensive side and only 4 on the offensive side, time to start drafting some excellent offensive talent.
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Chris Mc says:
You have to remember that this is a list of prospects that is probably composed of 2008 and 2009 draft picks,so you can pretty much add Tavares and Bailey to this list. While I realize its a list of prospects, as an Islander fan you can’t look at the Islanders overall group of young talent and just discount these players bc they went straight to the NHL. I believe it you made a list of players in an organization age 21 or under, the Isles would easily bean A.
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Andre says:
I don’t think the ranking would change much even if we got a top 3 to 5 pick because the player will probably be on the Isles roster next year and won’t count in the team ranking. We would have had an A- to A grade if Tavares and Baily were on that list. The team is definitely headed in the right direction. We just need to add a major UFA or 2 to complement the youth.
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Not completely sold on Ullstrom. Need to see what he can do stateside. I do like the fact that he is 6-3 and pushing 200 pounds. The tenth spot could’ve been a toss up between someone like Cizikas, or Jason Gregoire, or maybe even Brian Day or Blake Kessel.
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rb says:
Why does Blake Kessel get so little respect as a prospect?
Right-handed shooting offensive defenseman with size (6-2, 205) don’t grow on trees. He’s 6-25-31 in 29 games for UNH as a sophomore, and one of the best offensive d-men in the NCAA. And, having a brother in the NHL, he probably knows better than most what you have to do to get there.
Is there some limitation in his game that scouts view as negative?
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After this draft its time to get focused on improving the immediate team and stop ‘rebuilding’ already.
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Jeff says:
How is Filatov in the top 10?
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Oh, and I’m still not sold on Snow’s drafting after watching his moves after the Tavares pick regardless if we have some nice prospects in the system or not.
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John says:
I am hoping the Islanders can rid themselves of their 30-somethings by next Wednesday. CB: Are Jason Gregoire and Rhett Rakhshani top 6 forwards or will they be lucky to be third liners. Draft Gudbrandson in June!!!!
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HilbertSnipe says:
#7 RB: I agree whole heartedly with you. As a student of UMass Amherst, I have watched him play a lot. You would never guess he is a sophomore and has stepped up his game in droves since Freshman year, where he held his ground. UMass has a pretty decent D core, with Martin Nolet and Justin Braun skating ahead of the rest, but Kessel just shines out there when he plays against us.
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kevin27nyi says:
they do have A+ prospects. just in the nhl
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IslesRock says:
Looking better, but it’s not great that Corey Trivino, a 2nd round pick, is not in the Isles top 10. Drafting kids so young is a real crap shoot.
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CB,
I would like to see an answer to rb at #7. I am interested too, he seemed to be a sure fire NHL’er, maybe not a star, but a serviceable player, and no one pays attention to him….
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starz31 says:
as other have touched on it…our best prospect is 19 years old and on our #1 line in the NHL. Throw Bailey up there too.
There’s no certainty that DiPietro will endure his entire contract at an elite level so having 2 solid goalie prospects is not a bad thing at all. It takes time for those players to grow so drafting them now won’t turn out to be a foolish move.
That said, criticism is fair regarding the slots at which those picks were made and considering other glaring needs on the roster.
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Joyce says:
You can sign me up for the John Carlson trade. He didn’t go high enough in the first round in 2008. It’s a shame the Caps got him.
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Brian G says:
Now all they need is a B+ NHL Team
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a REAL hockey fan says:
.. Isles are heading in the right direction it can be a sloooo process, but we have to stay STEADY!! P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E guys
.. We have to remember they have won ALOT of games in OT and the shootout! The regular season record can be a lil misleading, they have improved but they are not a playoff team right now imo
.. Get ALOT of teams in a bidding war for Sutton/Rollie (sounds like it already might be 1) and get the price upppp and uppp for the players, lets get more young talent and then add a couple free agents in the offseason!! Keep our eye on big pic and P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E !!
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jimfromStjames says:
It’s nice to see 4 (5) guys ranked above a player who did not look out of place during his last stay on LI ( Martin )
did they mention we lead the league in prospect injuries??
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Scott VanVoorhees says:
CB,
This is promising, but I have to wonder about players like Trevor Smith. He looked to be prety dominating the last couple of years on the Bridge, but seems to have leveled off. Has he reached the top of his skill or not a good fit for Gordon’s system – like a Tambellini? I remember being at a game against the Capitols where Drew Fata was called up and he played remarkably well, then shipped off to Boston. If Smith is not in our future, he should be a valuable asset in putting together a trade by the deadline. K O spoke highly of Trevor with his 1/2 season stint with the Sound Tigers. I hate to see this kid rot in the AHL when he seems to deserve a shot at the bigs. -
Ron says:
Does that mean Petrov gets hurt next?
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I too feel we need to be able to draft as high a prospect as possible in this draft. Get a blue chipper or nearly so, and then mold these youngsters into real contenders. They deserve it, ownershuip and mangaement deserve it and the fans deseve it. I have had full season ticketrs for over 30 years and after seeing the ugly, the great and ugly am ready for the next phase of the wheel.
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Spartiarti-RVC says:
if Tavares and Bailey were playing in Minors we would have a A+.
Petrov i dont see ever coming to US unless he is terrible. If he anything they think he will be trust me, he will stay in KHL.
Filatov can still be listed as prospect b/c he not in NHL.
We could use another top 5 guy in 2010 draft. that would be nice. Unlike last year, this year has been great ISLES hockey to watch. We can make a splash next year in playoffs.
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Irish Isle says:
Lets remember, we are still at the stage where we have to draft best player available. I hope that the bta will be Cam Fowler.
Hay CB, will The Hockey News be up-to-date in regards of the trade deadline?
Also I wonder if Hammer would have been ranked higher than 61 if he had a higher ranking his draft year. From what I read he dominated the QWJC’s this year before injury took him,
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boss15 says:
Those lists doesn’t mean a whole lot to me, i’m sure Tambellini was high on there a few years ago. Not to mention that these guys are in all different stages of development. After watching Bridgeport the other night I am much higher on Joensuu, he hits hard, has good hands, and is extremely aggressive around the net. If he plays that sort of game (any sort of game where he doesn’t have to accelerate) he will be a very successful 3rd liner on the Isles. Martin plays a similar game but probably not quite as much offensive upside, he may make it to second line however as a protector/instigator.
Jeff, I thought the same thing about Filatov but apparently his KHL stats are not that bad, 9G 14A in 24 games, skill wise probably belongs on the list but if you account for everything else probably not even in the top 50.
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3rd year of rebuild says:
With the 2011 draft being so weak the Isles need to load up on picks this year and draft as many in the top 100 as possible. There are so many good second and 3rd tier players number 25-60 and 61- 100ish in this draft that the Isles need to grab as many picks in the top 3 rounds as possible. I would be selling like Walmart going into this draft, everything old and expiring must go except Streit.
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4morecups says:
Hey Chris, I appreciate all your hard work you have done for Islander nation. What is you opinion on Matt Donovan? He made team USA, I was wondering if he could become an impact player in the NHL. If the Islanders somehow acquire the #1 overall pick who do you think they should draft? Personally I have not seen any of them play but I have heard Seguin plays like Matt Duchane with more offensive abilities, I think he would be a great player to have behind Tavares as their second line center, which would keep Bailey on the wing, I really think that would start putting together a very solid top 6 forward core.
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brian says:
The B+ ranking does include Tavaras and Bailey. THN rates organizations on prospects and young NHL’ers 21 and under.
Taveres and Bailey won’t be listed in the Top 10 Islander prospects beacause they aren’t prospects. But they are including in the B+ rating.
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gary91922 says:
With the wealth of B+ talent why don’t we package next years #1 and whatever picks we have this year (except our #1 this year) and get ourselves a second high #1 this year.
Let’s get ourselves two A prospects. Sprinkle an upgrade via free agency and we are a playoff team. Let simmer and this team will contend in 2 years.
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jva says:
John Carlson is NHL ready, he could make a difference quickly with a team like the Isles. CAPs are loaded!! Keep building thru the draft, really think Rhett Rhak will develop quickly in Bridgeport next year. We will be great again in 3 years!!
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TuxTax says:
Hope we find some “Red Wing-Type” surprises as well in our recent draftees. Also we talk so much about high character guys and what we get in return…check out the Valentine’s Day Puck video on the Islanders website. Bruno Gervais really epitomizes the word character in the video. That kid will remember that for the rest of his life.
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Matt S. says:
Erik Gudbranson is probably the best prospect we might have a shot at. If that’s the case i would be THRILLED. Hall, Fowler, and Seguin are going 1 2 3 ( not necessarily in that order ) and i don’t think the Islanders are getting better than the 4th or 5th pick at best. Gudbranson is going to be a beast on the blue line. maybe not a ton of points but someone that will shut down forwards and knock a lot of people on their wallet. has a nasty side to him also.
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hathead68 says:
agree with #7 and #12. Blake Kessel seems to be a good prospect. How are the Isles brass on him and what’s the thinking amongst other scouts?
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GGC says:
Petrov should be getting some recognition in the top 100 after his latest WJC performance.
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Sheppy says:
The two guys I really want are Kabanov/Connelly and Dylan McIlrath. McIlrath is the tough d-man we all want…and he can play. Unfortunately, he has risen into 1st round territory. While the popular thing is to want a d-man drafted high in the 1st round, take a look at our top prospects. The list is dominated by d-men! We need someone to put the puck into the net and put seats in the building. I do like Gudbrandson, though. He is a d-man that I hope they consider if they have to go d.
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Diane says:
Being in the top 10, even with no “blue chippers” is great to hear! If the prospects stay and they continue to develop nicely, our TEAM will be in the top 10 in a couple of (few) years, and if we finally start seeing a few top tier FA’s coming in too…. well yum!
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bCarey says:
CB: Generally what qualifies as an A+ prospect is drafted by the weakest teams, and therefore plays in the NHL right away. This is the recent trend, anyway. So how do you propose obtaining an A+ prospect, in the strict sense of a kid that stays in juniors or the minors for the beginning of his career?
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bCarey (37) I think you make a good point!
I guess if they are looking at and considering kids who are in juniors/minors as well as rookies and young kids like Brian (29) said, then those kids count-for at least a little while! Either way, its nice to hear that the Isles prospect/kiddie rating has gone up- but IMO its hardly unexpected. The Isles have drafted well over the past few years. The really great part is going to be when we start seeing more and more of these kids coming up and playing for the Isles. -
Mike from Philly says:
Kansas City is going to have a heck of a team in 2016.
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Filatov??? Cmon…his stock has dropped. Ill take seguin on this team next year to add to the mix
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Jim Clark says: 15 years of high draft picks and all we have in the farm system are the #28 and #61 ranked players in the minors? Looks like the Islanders are becoming the Chicago Cubs of hockey: a great beginning early in the franchise followed by a century of disaster. But without the charming old stadium/arena.
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Again, the B+ rating does include Tavares and Bailey. THN’s rating system does include NHL’ers 21 and younger.
Had the rating been based just on prospects (meaning NO Tavares, No Bailey) the Isles rating would have plummeted. In other words, THN would not have been impressed with the Islanders without Tavares and Bailey.
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battfist says:
No Jyri Niemi on the CB Top 10?
This is a Top 5 prospect in the system…
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MorDraftPicks says:
We need more picks obviously…..
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admin says:
(44) I will hold you to that, Batt. Top 5? Good luck.
As Brian has pointed out, the B+ includes Tavares and Bailey. Without them, the grade is probably a B-minus.
As for other youngsters who didn’t make my top 10, like Blake Kessel, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s not like I forgot about him. He didn’t make the top 10.
We went through this last year when readers could not believe I didn’t have kids like Max Gratchev, Shea Guthrie and Simon Lacroix on this list – and then the NYI didn’t even sign them. I’m not going to bat 1.000, but I stand by my advisors when I do these lists.
Now it’s Kessel and Niemi and Brian Day. I hope I am proven wrong. I’d say Kessel has the best chance.
See you at 3:00 for USA-Switzerland…CB
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50 in 50 says:
Hopefully we can draft a forward who can put the puck in the net. We have enough D-men and more then enough goaltenders. We need a proven NHL veteran or 2 that can teach, nuture and explain all aspects of the game to this young squad of players. Maybe Flash can leave a lasting impression with a couple of the Team USA guys who might want to become an important part of this re-build.
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JPinVA says:
Thanks to fox Sports I’ve had a chance to watch a few of Denver’s games and Rhett is going to be in the NHL at some point. I have a feeling he’ll get a full year in the AHL and who knows. He did play really well with Okie in the WJC. Maybe he’ll be the 2011-12 Matt Moulson.
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Smokey a.k.a. Botta is God says:
A lot of this stuff gave me the lulz.
CB, I like your list. I have seen nearly all the Isles’ prospects play multiple times, so I feel like I at least approach this from a standpoint where I can speak from some experience.
In regards to all these players, please look beyond the stats. If you watched Jyri Niemi at the WJC, you understand why he will probably never crack the NHL. Top five prospect in the system with the depth the Isles have is insanity. Brian Day has nice college goal totals, but he will also struggle to ever see NHL ice. Rhett Rakhshani is probably a nice role player with good intangibles– if HE ever makes it.
As far as sleepers, one guy who gets ZERO pub because he doesn’t have eye-popping numbers and doesn’t play for a powerhouse program is Shane Sims. Sims is a guy who has the size and skills to be a serviceable NHL defenseman down the road, and people should keep more of an eye on him IMHO.
Furthermore, to me, Hamonic should be ranked ahead of de Haan for two reasons: age and size. Hamonic is a year older and nearly ready to step into the NHL (he may need a half-season in Bridgeport), plus he is built like a truck and hits like one as well. Meanwhile, de Haan is young and needs to get way more bulk on him if he wants to make the big club. As the sure thing, I feel Hamonic should be #1.
Finally, I agree with Petrov’s ranking because of the probability that he may never head stateside, but if he does, all he needs is a little adjustment to his style to wreak havoc over here. If he agrees to play for the Islanders, I’d venture to say he’s the “A+” prospect you’re looking for.
P.S. For the record, the Islanders will not end up with two out of the top three picks, and they can pick up a fine player with any of the top ten selections.
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CB
Lol….sounds like plan.I never seen Niemi play for the Saskatoon. Ive only seen him play at the WJC…(I was bit dissapointed too but he did stick up for his teamamtes).
But how dnt you like the potential in a teenager who is 6’2″ 200lbs…has a shot clocked at 100mph?
Also Im a big fan of players who has intangibles you cant measure…(like Matt Martin). There is a reason Niemi was named captain of his national team. One should take note of how teammates/coaches view a teammate.Based on team needs and current injuries
Top 5 Isles prospects1. Matt Martin
2. Travis Hamonic (I pray he fully heals)
3. Calvin de Hann (ditto)
4. Rhett R.
5. NiemiIm probably reaching with Niemi but the Isles will need size on the blueline with all these undersized D prospects in the system.
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Michael P. says:
We should have a very nice defense core within a couple of years, Streit will still be here, add Hillen, Macdonald along with kids like Hamonic, Dehann, Donovan, Niemi, Kessel. I wonder about Tyler Spurgeon, very small D but is averaging a point a game(maybe the size issue is too much for him to overcome)
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Michael P. #52:
It’s Jared Spurgeon of Spokane in the WHL, and unfortunately, I’d say the odds of him overcoming his size (he’s more like 5’5″ in person) are overwhelmingly long. Heady player, though.
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Does Koskinen’s 2 appearances for Bridgeport alone make him a higher prospect than Anders Nilsson who has been playing against top players in the SEL the whole season? I’ve seen Nilsson a lot more than Koskinen so maybe I’m biased here but imo Nilsson’s the better pick.
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Niemi is not a Top 12 Prospect! He is terrible. Although he had 3 goals at the WJC, he was a Finland Team worse plus/minus -8! He can’t play D’. Forget about him. Why is Matt Donavan not getting any Respect? Did anyone watch the WJC? (7-3-2-5 +6). He has NHL Size, he is an Incredible skater, pinches all the time & almost never gets caught. Rarely makes a mistake in the D’ Zone. Here is my List
1- Hamonic(Ranked #61 by THN.. Actually deserves to be in Top 15)
2- DeHaan(#28 by THN..I agree)
3- Petrov (Deserves to be in Top 40 by THN. He led Rus at WJC in Every Category!)
4- Donavan (Deserves to be in Top 50 by THN. Prototypical New NHL D-Man.)
5- Joensuu- Why has no one noticed that he is already a Top Notch Defensive Forward?
6- Martin- NHL Power Forward; a dying art
7- Koskinen- He needs another 2 yrs of Healthy development, than watch out!
8- Kessel- Has Dominated NCAA Hockey. Very Underrated.
9- Cizikas- Already considered the best defensive forward in all of Jr Hockey.
10- Lee- Now that he has given up football he has taken off. The best forward in USHL. Already 215 lbs.
11- Poulin- One of the Top 3 Goalies in the Q’. Big time Potential.
12- Ullstrom- Great skill/size package.
13- Rakhshani- Deserves Hobey Baker votes but his size worries me.
14- Gregoire- Great hands; One dimensional Goalscorer.
This is exactly why we need to sell all vets and get another top 3 pick… We need at least 1 more star caliber player.