Monday, December 10, 2012

NHL 2013 Draft War Room Top 90 December Rankings (Part 1: Top 10)

2002 NHL Entry Draft
10 Year Logo Flashback: 2002 NHL Entry Draft (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
NHL 2013 Draft War Room Top 90 December Rankings (Part 1: Top 10):


Guest post by Eldon MacDonald
This is the second in a series of nine postings of the top 90 prospects for the 2013 NHL draft.

Max Domi (Terry Wilson/OHL Images.)
The biggest problem I had in the 11 to 20 category was whether or not to include Anthony Mantha. He certainly has the size, the skills and certainly the results to be included in this category. However, he has consistency issues: sometimes he plays like Superman and at other times, The Invisible Man. Since he has been playing with a little more consistency lately I have included him in this category at #13. Go ahead, Anthony, make us all proud.

Background


  1. Players drafted 1 to 15 have an 82% success rate; 16 to 30 have 76%: Therefore, if you average the two numbers, players drafted 11th to 20th have about a 79% success rate. This means 2 to 3 of the players below are not going to make it.
  2. Vitals: The vitals reading left to right are:
    1. Shoots
    2. Position
    3. Height and weight
    4. Birth date
    5. Citizenship
    6. League
    7. Team and player number
  3. Rankings: Check out some of the web sites listed below if you want a different perspective on the rankings:

Round 1 – 11 to 20 – Historical success rate of about 79%

11. Burakovsky, André
a – Vitals: L – LW – 6’1, 176 – 9-Feb-95 – AUT – SWE-2 – Malmo #55
b – 12-13 Stats: 19 1 3 4 6 +2
c – Rank: NHL–SWE-2; CR-THW–16; FC-13; HP-8; ISS-11; McK-18; THG-15; THN-17; TSN-21
d – Commentary: Mr. Clutch – Speed, hands, offense, puck protection; just needs to fill out a bit. His dad, Robert, played 23 games for the Ottawa Senators.

12. Zadorov, Nikita
a – Vitals: L – D – 6’5, 230 – 15-Apr-95 – RUS – OHL – London #65
b – 12-13 Stats: 27 2 9 11 26 +20
c – Rank: NHL–OHL-7; CR-THW–22; FC-18; ISS-19; McK-13; THG-19; THN-15; TSN-7; OHL-OHL-7
d – Commentary: Mr. Awesome – Imposing size and wing span, great stick work, excellent mobility, good on the man-to-man, tough to play against. Shows you what Hal Gill might look like if he could skate.
e – Twitter: @zadorov61

13. Mantha, Anthony
a – Vitals: L – RW – 6’3, 200 – 16-Sep-94 – CAN – QMJHL – Val D’Or #8
b – 12-13 Stats: 26 25 19 44 30 +15
c – Rank: NHL–QMJHL-6; CR-THW–57; FC-19; HP-30; McK-15; THN-17; TSN-HM
d – Commentary: The Invisible Man – Amazing skills, amazing reach, fantastic results; big guy who just seems to appear out of nowhere all the time (like Paul Bunyan lurking in the weeds) – just needs to be more consistent.

14. Morrissey, Josh
a – Vitals: L – D – 6’0, 184 – 28-Mar-95 – CAN – WHL – Prince Albert #10
b – 12-13 Stats: 28 5 14 19 33 +9
c – Rank: NHL–WHL-6; CR-THW–8; FC-14; HP-10; ISS-25; McK-12; THG-16; THN-13; TSN-8
d – Commentary: The Cog – Elite skating defenseman who is equally effective at both ends of the ice; a key cog behind his team’s success as he plays in all situations.
e – Twitter: @Morrissey_10

a – Vitals: L – RW – 6’1, 198 – 20-Apr-95 – USA – QMJHL – Quebec #73
b – 12-13 Stats: 27 16 19 35 26 +7
c – Rank: NHL-QMJHL-5; CR-THW–14; FC-24; HP-11; ISS-18; McK-21; THG-12; THN-11; TSN-20
d – Commentary: Mr. Heartbeat – He possesses a tantalizing combination of size and speed that you just can’t overlook. Plus, he seems to be get better and better each time you see him.
e – Twitter: @Adamerne73

16. Hägg, Robert  
a – Vitals: L – D – 6’2, 201 – 8-Feb-95 – SWE – SWE J20 – MODO J20  #14
b – 12-13 Stats: 22 8 11 19 18 +6
c – Rank: NHL-SWE-4; CR-THW–13; FC-15; HP-23; ISS-17; McK-14; THG-21; THN-10; TSN-HM
d – Commentary: The Game Pacer – Has the tools, size, shot, pass, spacing and the hockey sense to use those tools to his best advantage. Can elevate his game to the situation, something teams love to see. The Captain of his team.
e – Twitter: @Robbanhagg

a – Vitals: L – C – 6’4, 1219 – 26-Apr-95 – CAN – QMJHL – Rimouski #23
b – 12-13 Stats: 23 11 13 24 14 +15
c – Rank: NHL-QMJHL-4; CR-THW–35; FC-20; HP-12; ISS-26; McK-17; THN-22; TSN-15
d – Commentary: Mr. Not Just Anybody – Huge, excellent skater for a big guy; strong on defense for a rookie. Needs to initiate more plays and find just how intimidating his imposing size can be in physical encounters – when that happens and it will, watch out for “la magie”.
e – Twitter: @FredGauthier95 (not used to date)

a – Vitals: L – LW – 5’11, 182 – 26-Jul-95 – CDN – QMJHL – Quebec #94
b – 12-13 Stats: 14 7 13 20 4 +14
c – Rank: NHL-QMJHL-8; CR-THW–17; HP-29; TSN-25
d – Commentary: Mr. Electric – Enough speed to electrify the Colisée Pepsi, fantastic plus-minus since his line seems to have the puck all the time, exceptional puck control at high speed, a shot that goes boom-boom and a winner to boot.
e – Twitter: @aduclair10

19. Domi, Max
a – Vitals: L – C – 5’10, 194 – 2-Mar-95 – CAN – OHL – London #16
b – 12-13 Stats: 28 14 24 38 30 +18
c – Rank: NHL-OHL-4; CR-THW–15; FC-16; HP-15; McK-20; THG-11; THN-28; TSN-12; OHL-OHL-4
d – Commentary: McThrill – “He’s highly skilled. He makes plays. He scores goals. He can play with an edge but I would much rather it be a Mark Messier type edge than my type of edge. I just want him to live his dream and be himself. He doesn’t need to fight tough guys to do that”, Max’s Dad, long-time Maple Leaf enforcer, Tie Domi, to The Toronto Star.
e – Twitter: @max_domi

20. Lazar, Curtis
a – Vitals: R – C/RW – 6’0, 198 – 2-Feb-95 – CAN – WHL – Edmonton #27
b – 12-13 Stats: 27 8 9 17 14 +5
c – Rank: NHL-WHL-8; CR-THW–9; FC-11; HP-17; ISS-6; McK-11; THG-9; THN-6; TSN-10
d – Commentary: Mr. Detail – Kid has already gone to the Memorial Cup and won a gold medal on Team Canada at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka with Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin as his linemates. He is the detail man on every team he plays for; he does all the little things right; he is the guy every coach wants on their team. Could go higher if he picks up his scoring pace a little bit.
e – Twitter: @CurtisLazar95

Previous:

Part 1: The Top 10

*This article was previously published at The Hockey Writers.  
Next Up:
Part 3: 21 to 30

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NHL 2013 Draft War Room Top 90 December Rankings (Part 1: Top 10)

2011 NHL Entry Draft
2011 NHL Entry Draft (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
NHL 2013 Draft War Room Top 90 December Rankings (Part 1: Top 10):


Guest post by Eldon MacDonald
This is the first in a series of nine articles ranking the top 90 prospects for the 2013 NHL draft. This series are the musings of one hockey fan, for other hockey fans, with the intention of making them memorable enough to enable even the casual reader to remember the prospect’s name when it comes up at the draft next June.
Some will prove successful; ultimately some will not. I am hoping to achieve a better success rate than the 19% chance the NHL teams currently have in selecting an NHL player in the fourth round.

NHL Entry Draft Historical Success Rate

In looking back at the 2003 to 2005 entry drafts, it is interesting to note the success rate for each of the rounds. By my calculations (players that are NHL regulars, for the most part; your list could be slightly different), here are the figures:
01-15: 82% (03-93%; 04-73%; 05-80%)
16-30: 76% (03-93%; 04-67%; 05-67%)
31-45: 33% (03-33%; 04- 7%; 05-60%)
46-60: 24% (03-33%; 04-33%; 05- 7%)
61-90: 24% (03-33%; 04-20%; 05-20%)
91-120: 19% (03-10%; 04-30%; 05-17%)
120-150: 11% (03-10%; 04-13%; 05-10%)
151-180: 9% (03-13%; 04-13%; 05- 0%)
181-210: 10% (03-17%; 04- 3%; 05-10%)
Over 210: 12% (03-13%; 04-10%; 05-15%)
Overall: 23% (03-25%; 04-20%; 05-23%) 

The 2013 Draft

In looking over the 2013 draft, there a number of things that stand out:
  1. This is a good draft class – especially for forwards. Where were all the good forwards for the 2012 draft; they were still in the womb, holding out 2013 draft eligibility.
  2. This is a QMJHL-heavy draft – This year the Dub has their usual plethora of defensemen but it is the “Q” which is producing quality talent at an astonishing rate. Usually the scrub of the draft, this year the QMJHL is likely to put anywhere from 7 to 10 prospects in the 1st round and still have some left over for rounds two and three. The OHL, however, is having an off-year. While it still is producing a large quantity of prospects, the league does not dominate the high-end part of the draft like it usually does. As for US players, most of the high-end ones are in the CHL (Jones, Erne), but there are a number of Team USA and USHL players who have a chance of crowding the end of round one. As for Europe, Sweden is producing at their usual high rate of late. Finland could produce up to 3 first rounders (Barkov, Ristolainen Lehkonen). Russia is generally having an off year (other than Nicushkin) unless you include their countrymen playing in the CHL (Zadorov, Zykov).
  3. The goalies – Last year two goalies were selected in the first round. This year there are three goalies at this point who have a chance of being first rounders – Fucale, Comrie and Martin. More may emerge in the second half of the season. However, I have not included any of them in my first round rankings. This should not be considered a reflection on the abilities of these three goalies, but more a consideration that there is a glut of goalies of NHL caliber in the pipeline at the moment. Teams who have two or more first rounders make good candidates for taking a goalie in the first round. Thus, we should not discount the possibility of goalies being selected come the Friday night of the draft.

The Top 10 in 2013

  1. Top 15 has 82% success rate: At an 82% success rate, 1 to 2 players on the list below are not likely to ever become regular NHL players. I wonder which players will not be on the 82% side.
  2. Vitals: The vitals reading left to right are:
    • Shoots
    • Position
    • Height and weight
    • Birth date
    • Citizenship
    • League
    • Team and player number
  3. Rankings: You should check out some of the web sites listed below if you want a different perspective on the rankings:

Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin: The dynamic 2013 NHL draft eligible duo from the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL (Photo: Mike Dembeck)

Round 1: 1 to 10 – Historical success rate = 82%

a – Vitals: L – C – 6’0, 182 – 1-Sep-95 – CDN – QMJHL – Halifax #22
b – 2012-13 Stats: 26 22 34 46 33 +26
c – Rank: NHL–QMJHL-1; CR-THW–1; FC-1; HP-1; ISS-1; McK-1; THG-1; THN-1; TSN-2
d – Commentary: Mr. MacMoney – Generational talent; clutch scorer; able to elevate his game at key times; and an intensity like “The Rocket”, Maurice Richard.
e – Twitter: @Mackinnon9

2. Jones, Seth
a – Vitals: R – D – 6’4, 206 – 3-Oct-94 – USA – WHL – Portland #3
b – 2012-13 Stats: 25 7 12 19 21 +20
c – Rank: NHL–WHL-1; CR-THW–2; FC-2; HP-2; ISS-2; McK-2; THG-2; THN-2; TSN-1
d – Commentary: The Bear Back There – Don’t roil him or you will pay. Franchise blueliner with bear-like size who can take over a game. Son of Popeye Jones, former long-time NBA player.
e – Twitter: @seth_jones04

3. Monahan, Sean
a – Vitals: L – C – 6’2, 193 – 12-Oct-94 – CAN – OHL – Ottawa #20
b – 2012-13 Stats: 24 12 24 36 8 -3
c – Rank: NHL–ONT-1; CR-THW–3; FC-5; HP-3; ISS-5; McK-5; THG-4; THN-5; TSN-6; OHL–OHL-1
d – Commentary: Mr. Everything – All around centre who can do everything and has the size and leadership that teams are so desperate for.
e – Twitter: @Monahan20

a – Vitals: L – LW – 5’11, 190 – 28-Mar-95 – CDN – QMJHL – Halifax #27
b – 2012-13 Stats: 20 15 16 41 14 +19
c – Rank: NHL–QMJHL-2; CR-THW–7; FC-6; HP-4; ISS-4; McK-9; THG-5; THN-7; TSN-13
d – Commentary: Mr. Smooth and Easy – Vision, passing, stick-handling are sublime; makes everyone around him better, even the dynamo named Nathan MacKinnon.
e – Twitter: @jodrouin27

5. Barkov, Alexander
a – Vitals: L – C – 6’2, 205 – 2-Sep-95 – FIN – FIN-1 – Tappara #16
b – 2012-13 Stats: 27 13 14 27 4 +9
c – Rank: NHL–FIN-1; CR-THW–6; FC-3; HP-5; ISS-3; McK-4; THG-3; THN-3; TSN-3
d – Commentary: Big Finnish centre who can skate, pass, shoot and score; having considerable success in top Finnish men’s league, the SM-liiga.
e – Twitter: @Barkovsasha95

6. Lindholm, Elias
a – Vitals: R – C – 6’0, 192 – 2-Dec-94 – SWE – SWE-1 – Brynas #28
b – 2012-13 Stats: 28 5 12 17 2 -2
c – Rank: NHL-SWE-1; CR-THW–11; FC-4; HP-6; ISS-10; McK-3; THG-6; THN-4; TSN-5
d – Commentary: Calle Järnkrok’s cousin has the size, smarts and defensive acumen to be one of the most sought after players in this draft.
e – Twitter: @lindholmelias

7. Shinkaruk, Hunter
a – Vitals: L – LW – 5’11, 175 – 13-Oct-94 – CDN – WHL – Medicine Hat #9
b – 2012-13 Stats: 25 17 21 38 8 +3
c – Rank: NHL–WHL-2; CR-THW–4; FC-8; HP-13; ISS-7; McK-7; THG-7; THN-9; TSN-11
d – Commentary: Mr. Fast and Furious – A go-to scorer with elusive speed.
e – Twitter: @H_S_9

8. Ristolainen, Rasmus
a – Vitals: R – D – 6’3, 203 – 27-Oct-94 – FIN – FIN-1 – TPS #55
b – 2012-13 Stats: 24 2 5 7 18 -5
c – Rank: NHL–FIN-2; CR-THW–12; FC-7; HP-7; ISS-8; McK-6; THG-8; THN-8; TSN-19
d – Commentary: Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting, told NHL.com:
“He’s a mobile, strong, offensive-minded defenseman with very good puck-handling and passing skills. He’s young, but he knows how to use his size and strength. He’s one of the best young defensemen in Europe in his age group. He’s a leader on the ice and plays with confidence”.

9. Pulock, Ryan
a – Vitals: R – D – 6’1, 211 – 6-Oct-94 – CAN – WHL – Brandon #2
b – 2012-13 Stats: 24 9 16 25 12 +14
c – Rank: NHL–WHL-3; CR-THW–5; FC-9; HP-14; ISS-15; McK-8; THG-10; THN-14; TSN-9
d – Commentary: The Captain – Elite defenseman with NHL shot and vision. Shows leadership and yes, he is the Captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings.
e – Twitter: @rpulock2

10. Nurse, Darnell
a – Vitals: R – D – 6’5, 184 – 4-Feb-95 – CAN – OHL – Sault Ste. Marie #25
b – 2012-13 Stats: 28 5 15 20 64 +9
c – Rank: NHL–OHL-2; CR-THW–24; FC-12; HP-19; ISS-9; McK-23; THG-14; THN-12; TSN-23; OHL-OHL-2
d – Commentary: Dr. Defense - Prongeresque like blueliner with like-minded size, skating and in the process of developing like-minded temperament. Father (Richard) played football for the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the CFL and uncle (Donovan McNabb) for the Washington Redskins of the NFL.
e – Twitter: @drtwofive
*This article was originally published at The Hockey Writers.  
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Saturday, December 1, 2012

Is NHL 13 The Cure For NHL Withdrawal Syndrome?

Jeremy Roenick, ice hockey player of the San J...
Would n't you like to play the role of Jeremy Roenick, NHL CBA mediator, if EA Sports made a special mode in NHL 13? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Is NHL 13 The Cure For NHL Withdrawal Syndrome?: 

 Excerpt:

 "NHL 13 is the latest entry of the continual evolution of the EA Sports hockey series, with each edition getting more realistic than the last. While simply playing the game as is helps ease the dismay and apathy felt by NHL hockey fans during the NHL lockout, I have embarked on a quest to unveil features that would go even further to help ease or even potentially cure NHL Withdrawal Syndrome.
Features Wishlist For NHL 13
  • Gary Bettman – Donald Fehr Fight Mode: featuring a variety of slapstick maneuver options (visualize Alexander Semin fisticuffs skills).
  •  Play the part of NHL CBA mediator with ability to choose a celebrity mediator from the following:
    • JR (Jeremy Roenick): in which case no one else gets a chance to talk.
    • BizNasty: use your imagination.
    • Chuck Norris: just cause.
    • Jonathon Toews: “Captain Serious” stare-down; first to blink gives up most concessions.
    • Clint Eastwood: #Eastwooding
    • Down Goes Brown: Bettman and Fehr make it too easy for one-liners from the most hilarious hockey personality on the planet
    • Robert De Niro: “Are you talking to me?”
    • Jack Nicholson: “You can’t handle the truth.”
    • David Letterman: I’m sure Dave can come up with a Top 10 highlighting how dim-witted it is that there is no agreement to thispoint.
    • Charlie Sheen: A Sheen-esque party might loosen up all parties involved. #Winning
  • Play the part of an Insurance Agent during NHL Lockout laughing all the way to the bank, especially when Sidney Crosby signs across the pond. Cha-ching on a hefty $400,000-per-month premium.
  • Play the part of filthy rich Russian oil tycoon KHL franchise owner, control his actions during his monumental post-Sid signing party bash.
  • Play the part of the commissioner starting up an alternate rival pro league and enticing players to join – the Planet Hockey League (PHL).
  •  Instead of clicking “Quit” to exit game, you select “Gary Bettman Mode” and your PS3 shuts down and refuses to come back on for random periods of time.
  •  Be a Pro – Roman Hamrlik Mode:  where you have to keep dodging hits from your own teammates
  • Enhanced “Be A Player” Mode: create yourself in the game and watch as your virtual player sits on his couch playing NHL 13 until the lockout is over.
  • When you start the game Ricky DiPietro is already on the injured reserve list and you have to play a full season before he is eligible to be used.
  • Enhanced GM Mode: sign your star player to a 9-10 million dollar a year deal in July and try to get 10-20% back in September.
  • When you launch the game it does not actually start; rather, a screen appears with Morgan Freeman stating you have to pay 15% more, but Visa is gladly accepted. Then and only then, the game will start.
  • Every five seasons in Be A GM Mode, a season gets cancelled.
  • Ryan Kesler dive mode
  • Mini-game where you play as Shea Weber and you slam different players’ heads into the boards.
  • David Booth hunting mini game, with extra points for biggest buck you bag.
  • Be a Pro Goalie Mode: start out as a rookie goalie; when you become too good, the games changes the rules to offset your skills – for instance,  equipment shrinks during the game and nets get bigger and bigger.
  • Phoenix Coyotes Owner Mode: additional owner features include getting to attend city council meetings and discuss/threaten relocating to Seattle, Kansas City or Quebec City. You also get to hear pitches from the cities involved on why you should move the team there and start a bidding/bribery war if possibly. Also known as Grand Theft Franchise Mode.
  • CHL Franchise Beat The System Mode: see Portland Winterhawks and Windsor Spitfires for more details.
What additional feature on NHL 13 would you like to see to ease the pain of NWS (NHL Withdrawal Syndrome)?

Continue to read the full article, originally posted at The Hockey Writers:
Link: http://thehockeywriters.com/is-nhl-13-the-cure-for-nhl-withdrawal-syndrome/

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