Prospect Info: 2023 Offseason Prospect Rankings #6

[Predsanddead24]

Vote for the best prospect (with whatever reasoning you want) from the above poll.

Rankings:
1. Yaroslav Askarov (G, 11OA 2020 Draft)
2. Joakim Kemell (RW, 17OA 2022 Draft)
3. Matthew Wood (LW/C, 15OA 2023 Draft)
4. Luke Evangelista (RW, 42OA 2020 Draft)
5. Juuso Parssinen (C/LW, 210OA 2019 Draft)
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Click to read more...

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Tomasino ends off Tier 2 for me. And again, it's really nice we realistically have 6 guys of this quality, any of which could turn out to be the best player at the end of the day.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

Tomasino ends off Tier 2 for me. And again, it's really nice we realistically have 6 guys of this quality, any of which could turn out to be the best player at the end of the day.

who you have in Tier 2?

I have Wood and Askarov in Tier 1

 

[Olderfan]

Afanasyev is underrated. He’s shown well enough in camp the past 2 years to be on the opening roster but Preds went with career AHLers. Regular season AHL sort of meh but solid in playoffs. Preds have had enough of the opposite; good regular season, disappear in playoffs. 3rd or 4th liner with good fill in for 1st or 2nd in a pinch. Good attitude and big body.

 

[Predsanddead24]

Afanasyev is underrated. He’s shown well enough in camp the past 2 years to be on the opening roster but Preds went with career AHLers. Regular season AHL sort of meh but solid in playoffs. Preds have had enough of the opposite; good regular season, disappear in playoffs. 3rd or 4th liner with good fill in for 1st or 2nd in a pinch. Good attitude and big body.

I kind of feel like Afansyev is pretty appropriately rated. Jankowski and Smith are better players than him currently. I can see the argument it's worth playing Afanasyev over them in hopes he develops into something more, but he got his shot at the end of season and while he looked ok the results just weren't there. I think he's still a long ways away from even getting to sniff the top six though. Like you mention he had a good playoff run for the Ads so hopefully that is the start of things really clicking for him.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

Afanasyev is underrated. He’s shown well enough in camp the past 2 years to be on the opening roster but Preds went with career AHLers. Regular season AHL sort of meh but solid in playoffs. Preds have had enough of the opposite; good regular season, disappear in playoffs. 3rd or 4th liner with good fill in for 1st or 2nd in a pinch. Good attitude and big body.

ehh not so sure...didn't impress during his cup of coffee this year. He was a bad pick in 2019

 

[Predsanddead24]

He was a bad pick in 2019

I don't think I'd go that far. Even with the benefit of hindsight there's not really many guys drafted after him that have been clearly better.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I don't think I'd go that far. Even with the benefit of hindsight there's not really many guys drafted after him that have been clearly better.

Yeah, that whole draft isn't looking too great. At least we got a player at #45 who is still in the running for an NHL spot. If he makes it one day, even in a depth role, that's probably going to be better than many teams get out of picks from about #20 on. And if he doesn't make it... well, there will be many teams in the same boat with who they picked.

I think most of us when we watch Afanaseyev say "wow, he looks ready". Just in terms of his physical ability. He "looks like a player". The only holdup has been the offense. And I think it's fair... normal even... to expect him to show that side of his game first in the AHL. You don't put him in the NHL to develop that aspect of his game on a 4th line with limited minutes. So he has been right where he needs to be. And hopefully it won't take him long on Milwaukee's 1st line this year to show that he is ready for a permanent recall.

Next year the contracts are up for all of Smith, Jankowski, McCarron, Trenin, Sherwood, Gurianov... they are all UFA. The deck may be cleared dramatically for him (and others) the season after this one. The timing is right.

 

[Olderfan]

I kind of feel like Afansyev is pretty appropriately rated. Jankowski and Smith are better players than him currently. I can see the argument it's worth playing Afanasyev over them in hopes he develops into something more, but he got his shot at the end of season and while he looked ok the results just weren't there. I think he's still a long ways away from even getting to sniff the top six though. Like you mention he had a good playoff run for the Ads so hopefully that is the start of things really clicking for him.

Jankowski is adequate. That appears to be his ceiling. I’ve never fully understood Smith; I’m sorry about that. Afanasyev is a 22 year old drafted prospect and has likely earned a chance(2 training camps; playoffs). 17 NHL games isn’t much to go on. Either a chance or just send him back to Europe; anothet Milwaukee year is counter productive. But just an opinion and he must have another good camp.

 

[herzausstein]

ehh not so sure...didn't impress during his cup of coffee this year. He was a bad pick in 2019

I wouldnt go as far as to say he was a bad pick. There hasnt been alot to show from 2nd round on in that draft. Even many of the later 1st round picks are struggling to make any nhl impact. Still really early though. Theyre still young.

Afanaseyev i think could be a 3rd or 4th line player at the nhl level as a maximum.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

Yeah, that whole draft isn't looking too great. At least we got a player at #45 who is still in the running for an NHL spot. If he makes it one day, even in a depth role, that's probably going to be better than many teams get out of picks from about #20 on. And if he doesn't make it... well, there will be many teams in the same boat with who they picked.

I think most of us when we watch Afanaseyev say "wow, he looks ready". Just in terms of his physical ability. He "looks like a player". The only holdup has been the offense. And I think it's fair... normal even... to expect him to show that side of his game first in the AHL. You don't put him in the NHL to develop that aspect of his game on a 4th line with limited minutes. So he has been right where he needs to be. And hopefully it won't take him long on Milwaukee's 1st line this year to show that he is ready for a permanent recall.

Next year the contracts are up for all of Smith, Jankowski, McCarron, Trenin, Sherwood, Gurianov... they are all UFA. The deck may be cleared dramatically for him (and others) the season after this one. The timing is right.

Parsinnen is from that draft and will probably end up being our most impactful player

 

[Armourboy]

He reminds of a lot of promising players we've had over the years. Plays a good overall game but whatever it is that let you push them up the line up and keep them around just never shows up. Hopefully he finds it cause he's a fun guy to watch.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

I think after this selection of Tomasino, there is a decent drop off. In my opinion everyone selected so far has some level of top line upside, some more than others, but all well within their potential. I think of the remaining guys, there are certainly some NHL'ers, but most are bottom 6/bottom pair guys with some middle 6/middle pairing sprinkled in.

 

[triggrman]

I think after this selection of Tomasino, there is a decent drop off. In my opinion everyone selected so far has some level of top line upside, some more than others, but all well within their potential. I think of the remaining guys, there are certainly some NHL'ers, but most are bottom 6/bottom pair guys with some middle 6/middle pairing sprinkled in.

I don't know, I hear really good things about Molendyk. Like his potential is just as high as anyone else's in our org.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

I don't know, I hear really good things about Molendyk. Like his potential is just as high as anyone else's in our org.

That's true. I actually forgot about him. I'd say he has top line potential based on his skating, but most likely outcome is middle pair for upside. That probably puts one more on that list for me.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Ranking The Nashville Predators’ Top Prospects Post-Draft

A case could be made that the Nashville Predators farm system is the deepest it’s ever been. The team has seemingly everything it could want from its future wave of incoming talent — a blue-chip goaltender, a scoring forward with an elite offensive skillset, at least four forwards top-six...

nashvillehockeynow.com

They stole our idea...and are somewhat close to us so far.

 

[Viqsi]

I don't know, I hear really good things about Molendyk. Like his potential is just as high as anyone else's in our org.

Yeah. This vote for me is basically a referendum on just how much I want to lean into Shiny Toy Syndrome.

In the end I flipped a coin:

 

[maplepred]

I don't know, I hear really good things about Molendyk. Like his potential is just as high as anyone else's in our org.

i sure hope you are right on this one. I would love this outcome. I felt like we reached on Molendyk, could have maybe got him second round. I sure hope he pans out either way now that he’s a pred.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

i sure hope you are right on this one. I would love this outcome. I felt like we reached on Molendyk, could have maybe got him second round. I sure hope he pans out either way now that he’s a pred.

Yes, it sounds like we "reached for good reasons", part of which was just organizational, but the proof will be in the pudding in the coming season. Molendyk didn't achieve notably flashy stats or accomplishments relative to our other "shiny new toy" like Wood, so it's understandable we don't yet have a body of evidence to push him higher in the rankings. He has a few years to rise up the rankings. Guys like Tomasino, Evangelista, and Parssinen won't be "prospects" anymore after this year, they'll be NHL regulars.

 

[Scoresberg]

Svechkov's about to prove a lot of people here wrong.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Svechkov's about to prove a lot of people here wrong.

I hope so, but opinions on him are still based on his draft year stuff. He's really not had many games or much going on.

 

[herzausstein]

Svechkov's about to prove a lot of people here wrong.

I certainly hope so. Would love to have a him become a good 1st line center. Right now ive got him personally projected for 2/3C

 

[AintLifeGrand]

lets call it and move on to 7

 

[maplepred]

lets call it and move on to 7

Fontaine and Knak up next?