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Prospect Ranking Update: Ericsson, Helm, Leino await
By Matthew Wuest - RedWingsCentral.com / November 12, 2008The Detroit Red Wings' prospect pipeline is clogged at the top and virtually overflowing with mature, NHL-ready talent.
The top six prospects on Red Wings Central's preliminary 2008-09 ranking are all members of the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins, and three of them — defenseman Jonathan Ericsson and forwards Darren Helm and Ville Leino — would be NHL regulars in most organizations.
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| Jonathan Ericsson, No. 1 in Red Wings Central's preliminary prospect ranking for 2008-09, is a top-four defenseman in the making. |
Among the other three, goaltender Jimmy Howard is expected to finally land in Detroit as a backup next fall; forward Justin Abdelkader is showing a tremendous blend of two-way ability and physicality; and blueliner Jakub Kindl has turned the corner after a difficult rookie campaign.
The top six represents Detroit's wave of the future and will be key as the organization works to manage their roster under the salary cap.
"It's a nice problem to have," said Griffins general manager Bob McNamara. "At the same time, there's something to be said for allowing your players to fully develop before you bring them into the NHL."
Ericsson remains Red Wings Central's No. 1 prospect. The 6-foot-5, 218-pounder will one day factor into Detroit's top four. As McNamara said, "He does everything like an NHLer, and he'll be in the NHL within the next year."
Helm maintains his No. 2 ranking, while Leino rises a whopping eight spots to No. 3 with his seamless transition to North American hockey.
"They've been real good for us, playing on the same line together," McNamara said. "They're in the same category (as prospects). Helm has that flat-out speed, he's more north-south. Leino has an east-west game and has that knack for holding onto the puck and creating space for his linemates."
Forward Mattias Ritola, whose development has quickly progressed in Grand Rapids, was the other big riser, jumping five spots to 10th overall.
Here's a look at the new list.
01. D Jonathan Ericsson, Grand Rapids (AHL). Of all the compliments Ericsson deserves, perhaps the most appropriate is owed to his patience. He's an NHL blueliner masquerading as an AHLer, but not for long. Ericsson almost didn't get signed three years ago; now he's a franchise cornerstone.
02. F Darren Helm, Grand Rapids (AHL). Helm has been compared to Kris Draper, but his upside is at least that of 24-goal No. 33 circa 2003-04. He brings tangibles and intangibles that are integral to any championship team, and is the "sixth man" type of player who can fill just about any role.
03. F Ville Leino, Grand Rapids (AHL). At age 25, Leino has a maturity edge over the other prospects on this list. He also has significant upside as a point-producer, and is off to a blazing start in the AHL. With the right linemates, the reigning Finnish SM-Liiga MVP should contribute right away in the NHL.
04. F Justin Abdelkader, Grand Rapids (AHL). Everyone knew he was a good checker, but Abdelkader is showing an impressive scoring touch early in his AHL rookie season. As the finer points of his game come along, Abdelkader should emerge as a gritty third-line cog in Detroit in a season or two.
05. G Jimmy Howard, Grand Rapids (AHL). If Howard was ready for NHL duty, he'd be backing up Chris Osgood right now, but he still has work to do. The Red Wings want him to fine-tune his game and work his way into the NHL backup job in 2009-10; otherwise, he'll be riding the waiver wire.
06. D Jakub Kindl, Grand Rapids (AHL). There are those in the Red Wings' organization who still consider the 2005 first-rounder their No. 1 prospect, but Kindl has simply been surpassed, despite his excellent upside. He's found his confidence as an AHL sophomore and has a future in Detroit.
07. G Thomas McCollum, Guelph (OHL). McCollum, who is already signed and off to a near-perfect start, is a long way from landing in Detroit, but he could be worth the wait in the end. He has a pile of potential and could eventually wrestle the "goaltender of the future" tag from Jimmy Howard.
08. D Brendan Smith, Wisconsin (NCAA). This "offenseman" ended up in hot water off the ice early this season, but keep in mind he's still a teenager and teenagers make mistakes. Smith has to show his head's in the game and improve his defensive play, but he's a skilled quarterback in the making.
09. F Cory Emmerton, Grand Rapids (AHL). Emmerton had an outstanding camp and fit right into Detroit's system in the pre-season. It has been easy to downgrade Emmerton because his junior career was derailed by injuries and illness, but he's healthy now and showing flashes as an AHL rookie.
10. F Mattias Ritola, Grand Rapids (AHL). The Red Wings have always loved Ritola's skills, but now he's showing up to the rink with his hard hat on and brings the competitive level they love. Ritola could have a Tomas Kopecky-type NHL role in a few years, although he's a different style player.
11. Jan Mursak, Grand Rapids (AHL). Mursak backs off defenders with his speed and skill, but the Red Wings are going to have to be patient as he adjusts to the rigors of the professional ranks. He was a solid point-producer in his junior days, but he needs to show that will translate at the next level.
12. F Dick Axelsson, Djurgarden (SEL). He's weak physically and has shown immaturity off the ice, but Axelsson has better pure offensive skill than any Red Wings prospect not named Ville Leino. The Red Wings have demanded he get stronger and are looking for him to score consistently in Sweden.
13. F Joakim Andersson, Frolunda (SEL). Skating is all that keeps Andersson from being a blue-chip prospect, but isn't enough of a detriment to keep him from bring signed. He's been slow to produce in the Swedish Elite League, but the checking-line prospect is a potential Tre Kronor world junior captain.
14. G Daniel Larsson, Grand Rapids (AHL). Larsson's style should translate in North America and it doesn't look like he's another Stefan Liv. He doesn't have the name of Jimmy Howard or Thomas McCollum, but Larsson is a quiet prospect who will look to gain ground on both of them this season.
15. D Max Nicastro, Chicago (USHL). He's billed as a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none, and that's a great compliment for any defenseman. Nicastro is one of the top blueliners in the United States Hockey League, and he could emerge as one of the organization's best prospects at Boston University.
16. D Logan Pyett, Grand Rapids (AHL). Pyett is small, just like Brett Lebda and Derek Meech, but offers a far more dynamic offensive flair than both NHLers. The question is, can he handle the rigors of pro hockey and match up against bigger, stronger forwards? His future depends on it.
17. F Gustav Nyquist, Maine (NCAA). Nyquist has stepped right in at Maine after coming over from Sweden and hasn't missed a beat. That's an impressive accomplishment. He's an extremely intelligent two-way player with a non-stop motor and early signs point to him being a mid-round gem.
18. F Julien Cayer, Clarkson (NCAA). He's the closest thing to a power forward this system's got, and that's definitely worth something. Cayer is big, physical and boasts a bullet of a shot, and the Red Wings are optimistic he will evolve into the full package in his four seasons at Clarkson.
19. F Stephen Johnston, Belleville (OHL). Upside's the word with Johnston. Barely anybody noticed the big forward on last year's deep team in Belleville, but the Red Wings caught a couple of glimpses and thought he was a hidden gem. He's already showing he's better than a lot of people realized.
20. D Sergei Kolosov, Grand Rapids (AHL). The Red Wings signed Kolosov because he held his own representing Belarus at the world championship in May, and they're easing him into the AHL. He's unusally physical for a Red Wings prospect, but the rest of his game needs significant work.
21. F Zack Torquato, Erie (OHL). Torquato has soft hands and finely-tuned offensive instincts, but isn't on track for the 100-point season that was expected of him when he was drafted. That said, he doesn't get much help in Erie, and it's probable the Red Wings will sign him to see what he can do in the pros.
22. F Johan Ryno, AIK (SWE-2). Ryno's development has gone from good to bad to worse. His move to Sweden's second level was already a step in the wrong direction, now a broken leg has him on the shelf, maybe until the new year. He's running out of time to resurrect his status as a top prospect.
23. F Jesper Samuelsson, Timra (SEL). If you're hoping for another seventh-round Henrik Zetterberg, you'll be disappointed. But Samuelsson is an intriguing prospect with smarts and playmaking potential. He's getting in the lineup in the Swedish Elite League; now he needs to earn himself more ice time.
24. F Brent Raedeke, Edmonton (WHL). The Red Wings saw shades of Darren Helm in Raedeke and signed him to a three-year free-agent contract out of training camp, essentially making him an extra 2008 draft pick. Helm comparisons may be wishful thinking, but Raedeke is certainly worth monitoring.
25. D Brian Lashoff, Barrie (OHL). His older brother, Matt, is on the cusp of the NHL. Brian is a long way off from that, but the Red Wings love his bloodlines and work ethic and feel he can be molded into a capable NHL blueliner. He's already making good strides after signing as a free agent.
OTHERS: F Anton Axelsson, F Gennady Stolyarov, F Randy Cameron, F Evan McGrath, D Bryan Rufenach, F Ryan Oulahen.
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The next wave
RWC's top 10 prospects (2009-10 preliminary)
| 01 | F | Tomas Tatar » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 02 | D | Jakub Kindl » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 03 | D | Brendan Smith » | Wisconsin (NCAA) |
| 04 | G | Thomas McCollum » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 05 | F | Gustav Nyquist » | Maine (NCAA) |
| 06 | F | Landon Ferraro » | Red Deer (WHL) |
| 07 | F | Jan Mursak » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 08 | F | Cory Emmerton » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 09 | F | Joakim Andersson » | Frolunda (SEL) |
| 10 | F | Mattias Ritola » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |