Craig Button's Top 50 NHL-Affiliated Prospects NOT in the NHL

[Rodgort]

Why exactly is Strome too high? He should be #1 on that list in my opinion. I don't see anyone else on the list with better NHL projection than him. Some players might be flashier than him but I believe he will be the most valuable NHL player from that list.

His skating is really not up to NHL standards and I just think more prospects in Ari are passing him by. I have been reading lots of scouts very disappointed in his season to date, he really should have grabbed at least the #3 C role in Ari. I could of course be wrong on his outcome (who is ever right), but I just see him as at best a 2nd liner

[CascadeFilly]

Nice to see Roslovic squeezing in (not that the list means anything). His speed, skill level and compete surprised me at training camp.

[lucafen4]

I'm still a bit compuzzled how Pulock did not make this list. 10g 14a in 30 AHL games this season, he's still progressing and pegged to be a top pair Dman...

[Jouko-Pouko]

His skating is really not up to NHL standards and I just think more prospects in Ari are passing him by. I have been reading lots of scouts very disappointed in his season to date, he really should have grabbed at least the #3 C role in Ari. I could of course be wrong on his outcome (who is ever right), but I just see him as at best a 2nd liner

Not all prospects develop at same pace, and despite how shocking it may seem to some people, there are lots of great players who have played junior hockey at the age of 19. The center position is so difficult to play at the NHL level, and I don't see him having any success playing wing. Ryan Getzlaf is one example of a player who played two more years in junior after he was drafted, yet he became a great NHL center. Mark Scheifele is a more recent example.

I'm still a bit compuzzled how Pulock did not make this list. 10g 14a in 30 AHL games this season, he's still progressing and pegged to be a top pair Dman...

I can't remember ever thinking he could become a top pair D-man. I actually don't even remember reading about such a projection. There's also nothing wrong with being a 2nd pair D-man, those guys are earning $4M+ and are crucial for team success. That's where I see Pulock ending up. But yeah, he probably should have been on the list.

[lucafen4]

Not all prospects develop at same pace, and despite how shocking it may seem to some people, there are lots of great players who have played junior hockey at the age of 19. The center position is so difficult to play at the NHL level, and I don't see him having any success playing wing. Ryan Getzlaf is one example of a player who played two more years in junior after he was drafted, yet he became a great NHL center. Mark Scheifele is a more recent example.



I can't remember ever thinking he could become a top pair D-man. I actually don't even remember reading about such a projection. There's also nothing wrong with being a 2nd pair D-man, those guys are earning $4M+ and are crucial for team success. That's where I see Pulock ending up. But yeah, he probably should have been on the list.

I read it here: http://www.dobberprospects.com/ryan-pulock/

[rataylor22]

All I know about Button is he's absolutely terrible and shouldn't be employed. So that's about how much stock I put in this list.

[CascadeFilly]

I can't remember ever thinking he could become a top pair D-man. I actually don't even remember reading about such a projection. There's also nothing wrong with being a 2nd pair D-man, those guys are earning $4M+ and are crucial for team success. That's where I see Pulock ending up. But yeah, he probably should have been on the list.

I agree that Pulock is not top pairing material, but that he should've been on the list.

[Jouko-Pouko]

I read it here: http://www.dobberprospects.com/ryan-pulock/

I must have missed that. Potential top pair D-men are usually drafted in the top-10 unless they're late bloomers which Pulock wasn't since he already had 3 very productive junior seasons under his belt when he was drafted. But like I said, there's nothing wrong with becoming a 2nd pair D-man. Those guys still play 20+ minutes per game and with Pulock's offensive game, that will include PP time as well.

[The Iron Sheik]

All I know about Button is he's absolutely terrible and shouldn't be employed. So that's about how much stock I put in this list.

Disagree, he's passionate and very knowledgable about prospects. People love to hate anybody. He's one hundred times better than Corey pronman and fake scouts

[rataylor22]

Disagree, he's passionate and very knowledgable about prospects. People love to hate anybody. He's one hundred times better than Corey pronman and fake scouts

Quite frankly, he's an idiot. But we can agree to disagree. Passion doesn't prevent stupidity.

[CascadeFilly]

I like Button, for the record, and I always enjoy his take on prospects.

[Jouko-Pouko]

I personally like this list. Obviously I have some differing opinions but overall I like it.

I don't subscribe to some players that get hyped up with gaudy junior totals, and it seems like Button is the same. Him and I are often on the same page for a number of guys.

Jake Virtanen in the 40's pre draft 2014... bang on! HE definitely has his misses too, like we all do though.

Button was a big reason why I had Virtanen outside my top-10 in 2014. Everyone else had him really high (#7 on TSN ranking, #7 on ISS ranking) but thanks to Button I ranked Virtanen a bit lower which pretty much guaranteed I wouldn't be getting him because others were still high on him.

Other good rankings from Button in 2014:
- He ranked Nick Ritchie #16 while all other rankings had him in the top-10 - Ritchie is a good player but he wasn't a top-10 prospect
- He ranked Travis Sanheim #8 while other rankings didn't even have him in their top-20 - that's looking like a solid find as well

But other rankings that don't look so great right now:
- Adrian Kempe at #10 (others had him on average #25)
- Vladislav Kamenev at #12 (others had him on average #38)

Both have a good future but he ranked both a bit too high. But yeah, I think his ranking is a valuable addition to the others that are available. That's why I love starting my own draft list with average from at least 4 different sources; if someone is really high or really low on someone (big difference from the average), I take notice. Button isn't afraid to say it if he feels different than others. Although sometimes it feels like he might be doing it on purpose if there are no good options available.

[The Iron Sheik]

Quite frankly, he's an idiot. But we can agree to disagree. Passion doesn't prevent stupidity.

You say that about everyone so this isn't surprising.

He's extremely plugged into the prospect world and knows his stuff.

[lucafen4]

I must have missed that. Potential top pair D-men are usually drafted in the top-10 unless they're late bloomers which Pulock wasn't since he already had 3 very productive junior seasons under his belt when he was drafted. But like I said, there's nothing wrong with becoming a 2nd pair D-man. Those guys still play 20+ minutes per game and with Pulock's offensive game, that will include PP time as well.

Personally, I think the jury is still out on what he becomes. NYI has taken the long approach in the hopes the extra top pair minutes & situational exposure in the AHL translate to the NHL. I'd wager a bet 2nd pair is his floor.

He went 15th overall, so it's not like he was drafted back in Duncan Keith, Shea Weber, or Roman Josi territory. More in Karlsson draft territory. Basically, I'm just providing examples that illustrate being drafted outside of the top 10 isn't a death sentence of becoming a top pairing Dman. Obviously, there's a stronger correlation of becoming one, if you're drafted in the top 10, but you still find Luke Schenn's there.

I think being on the Isles is going to open up top pair minutes and opportunity. But as Shattenkirk has shown, being a 2nd pair Dman is not a hindrance to production.

regardless, he should be in button's top 50. I would have had him around 36-40, just behind Theodore & Honka.

[LuigiC173]

hopefully Shestyorkin can translate his KHL dominance to the NHL once Lundqvist fades.