Bobrovsky

[Enapai]

Justin -

First, I gotta say I love your work. I saw your notes in the ramblings section on his signing a few days ago. I was wondering if you could expand on them a little, specifically why you think he was worth the money. I'd be interested to know where Bobrovsky would fall on your top 100 as I did not see him on there on the latest update (thru March).

I have 3 mid round picks in a 6 round prospect draft in my dynasty league. I have decided to build my depth of goaltending prospects. Right now I have 3 picks slated for goalies (which tend to fall due to goalies only getting points for W and SHO). I have had my eye on Hackett for a while. If he is there with my first pick I will be nabbing him. Other guys I have my eye on are Eriksson, Stalock (I already have Sateri - so this would help with my SJ connection), and Khudobin. With your piece of Rynnas he is in the mix as well. Where does Bobrovsky match up to these guys? If Campbell is there how does he match up skill wise (obviously the team picking him will impact his value)?

Also, I have DiPietro as my third goalie and just acquired Koskinen for the farm. Is there another goalie I should have on my radar for the Isles. I see them as a team trending upward and am looking to get a lock on their goaltending connection while it can be had on the cheap.

Thanks for the great stuff. I have been loving your "state of" series and am looking forward to seeing your prospect report material.

[GoalieGuild]

Enapai,

Hey thanks for the kind comments and questions!!

So yes, Bobrovsky is obviously set to make his first appearance on the Top-100. It is tough to say where he might end up since I haven't started the updating process yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's in the 50's or low 60's.

I would say Bobrovsky is low on the totem pole compared to the guys you listed (other than Sateri and Eriksson) because they have been developing in North America and should have an easier time transitioning than him. Sateri will take longer to transition to the speed and ice surface over here compared to Bobrovsky and Eriksson. I would rank Eriksson higher than Bobrovsky.

Campbell has shown many flashes of absolute brilliance, which would be the main reason why his stock is soaring right now. I would definitely take a chance on Campbell and not even think twice about it. He's a hot commodity and for good reason and I've been able to speak with him and interview him and for his age, he's extremely mature. And yes, most of his value moving forward depends on where he's drafted.

The interesting thing about Bobrovsky is how much of an "unknown" he was, but how Philly gave him such an incentive-laden contract. The kid is really quick and has awesome size and is just a different kind of animal compared to most russian prospects. He's more like a Bryzgalov ... quick and lanky and really active.

If you are looking for a good Islanders prospect with some decent upside that could actually make it through to the NHL in the next 3-4 years then definitely try to secure Kevin Poulin. Had a monster year in the QMJHL and if my memory serves me right, he either has one more year of junior eligibility or will be turning pro over the summer. Good size, good mechanics, very well-rounded goalie with good upside!!!

The thing to realize about Bobrovsky is that the Flyers have confidence in his ability to improve ... from what I've seen (which is very little) he has the ability to be an NHL goalie no doubt, but I hope the Flyers don't try to rush him through the ranks. Even if he started in the ECHL, it would be good for his development to play as many games as possible. Sticking him in the AHL makes me a little wary.