NFHL Future s Team Rankings

Transcription

1 NFHL Future s Team Rankings In this inaugural issue, NFHL Future will take a look at each organization s prospects. Prospects are defined as players 23 and under, whether playing in the NFHL or NMFHL. Prospects are rated on our system of where we project them to finish in their development combined with the likelihood of them achieving that standard. The following two rating systems are used and then combined to give each prospect a rating: Potential Ability 10 Hall of Fame material player 9 Elite player, Perennial All Star 8 Top 3 Forward/Top 2 Defenseman/#1 Goalie 7 Top 6 Forward/Top 4 Defenseman/Borderline #1 Goalie 6 Third Line Forward/3 rd Pair Defenseman/Back up Goalie 5 Fourth Line Forward/7 th Defenseman/Depth Goalie 4 Elite Minor League Forward/Defenseman/Goalie 3 Average Minor League Forward/Defenseman/Goalie 2 Below Average Minor League Forward/Defenseman/Goalie 1 Beer League or Retirement Looms Probability of Reaching Development A B C D E Guaranteed to reach projected development or even further. Likely to reach projected development, though may drop one level. Could reach projected development, though may drop up to 2 levels. Unlikely to reach projected development and could drop up to 3 levels. Little potential for reaching projected development. Team Rankings (Click the team to go directly to their article) 1 Edmonton Oilers 2 California Golden Seals 3 Washington Capitals 4 St. Louis Blues 5 Toronto Maple Leafs 6 Pittsburgh Penguins 7 Vancouver Canucks 8 New York Rangers 9 Boston Bruins 10 Hartford Whalers 11 New Jersey Devils 12 Detroit Red Wings 13 Buffalo Sabres 14 Quebec Nordiques 15 Calgary Flames 16 Minnesota North Stars 17 Winnipeg Jets 18 Montreal Canadiens 19 Chicago Blackhawks 20 Philadelphia Flyers 21 Colorado Rockies 22 Los Angeles Kings

2 Edmonton Oilers Team Rank: 1 st NMFHL Affiliate: Red Deer, 1 st Place Campbell Conference Depth at every position High end talent at forward Defensive defensemen Offensive defensemen Too many prospects to develop properly Edmonton s year and a half project of ripping apart their team in favour of picks and prospects appears, for the most part, to be over. And now we have the results. And these results are pretty staggering. They have, by far, the most prospects in our rankings, including almost their entire NMFHL team in Red Deer. It is a squad that is leading the entire league. With another 5 players playing for the parent club in Edmonton, a club in last place in their conference, Oiler management is going to be faced with some tough questions in the coming years. In fact, difficulties are going to arise right away. Quite simply, with this many prospects, many of which could become NFHLers, how do they develop them all? GM Jones must clearly think that having this many prospect will result in some stars just by the odds. We re not so certain that is the best course of action, but there is no denying that the Oilers cupboard is pretty well stocked in all positions. Laurie Boschman 1 Doug Wilson D 2 Steve Larmer LW 3 Don Beaupre G 4 Jari Kurri RW 5 Laurie Boschman C 6 Peter Andersson D 7 Anton Stastny LW 8 Rick Wamsley G 9 Dave Christian C 10 Robert Holland G 11 Tim Kerr RW 12 Mark Johnson C 13 Carey Wilson C 14 Brad McCrimmon D 15 Lucien DeBlois LW 16 Dale Hunter C 17 Kevin McClelland RW 18 Richie Dunn D 19 Craig Muni D 20 Joel Quenneville D 21 Barry Beck D 22 Steve Konroyd D 23 Randy Cunneyworth LW 24 Jim Korn D 25 John Hynes G 26 Kevin McCarthy D 27 Greg Tebutt D 28 Steve Stoyanovich C 29 Paul Messier C looks like he could become the strong pivot teams cherish and has superior passing skills. He is a poor man s Mark Messier, though a year older. Recently drafted Carey Wilson and 3 rd year centre Dale Hunter could also develop, though both look more like very good 3 rd liners, though Hunter could become a 2 nd liner. That isn t mentioning Mark Johnson, who is already getting 3 rd line minutes with Edmonton. The left wing is even more crowded. Recently acquired Lucien DeBlois has already established himself as one of the top defensive forwards in the game and has cemented himself as a 2 nd /3 rd line player. Steve Larmer was just drafted and could make the Oilers as early as next year. He is a well rounded forward, good at all aspects of the offensive game and well above average defensively. He is the type of player you can put on the ice at any time and feel confident something positive will happen. Anton Stastny has already had successful stints with Edmonton as an injury replacement and Dave Christian has taken off in the NMFHL and now leads the team in scoring and is 4 th overall. The right wing is a bit more open, but #1 overall pick Jari Kurri and Tim Kerr provide two snipers. The blue line does lack in offensive producers with the exception of Doug Wilson, who is in his 2 nd full season with the Oilers. However, there is a glut of defensive defensemen, several of which do have some adequate offensive capabilities. At 23 and locked into a no-movement contract, Richie Dunn is developing his offensive game, while the likes of Brad McCrimmon, Craig Muni, Steve Konroyd, and Barry Beck could have futures as well. Peter Andersson, though, is arguably the top prospect outside of Wilson. The

3 18 year old is already a top shut down man on the farm and has underrated offensive capabilities. In net, there is nothing different; it is a glut of potential. Don Beaupre and Rick Wamsley are the future with Beaupre looking like he could have #1 potential. Robert Holland, once thought to be the future starter, has seemingly been overtaken in the long-term outlook of the team, but at 23, still has the potential to be a #1. 21-year old John Hynes looks to be a solid back up, but is obviously lost in the shuffle of this team. And to think that there will be another 5 first round picks added to this list after this season. Steve Larmer 8B Laurie 8C Jari Kurri 8C Doug Wilson 9B Don Beaupre 8B Boschman Anton Stastny 7B Mark 7C Tim Kerr 7C Peter Andersson 8C Robert 7B Johnson Holland Dave Christian 7B Carey Wilson 7C Kevin 6B Brad McCrimmon 7C Rick 7B McClelland Wamsley Lucien DeBlois 6A Dale Hunter 6B Richie Dunn 6B John Hynes 6C Randy 6C Steve 5C Barry Beck 6B Cunneyworth Stoyanovich Paul Messier 4D Craig Muni 6B Joel Quenneville 6B Jim Korn 6C Steve Konroyd 6C Kevin McCarthy 5B Greg Tebbutt 5B

4 C alifornia Golden Seals Team Rank: 2 nd NMFHL Affiliate: Portland, 3 rd Place Campbell Conference Top prospect in the game Depth on the blue line Scoring on both wings Goaltending Lack of depth on the left wing 1 Michel Goulet RW 2 Denis Savard C 3 Craig Hartsburg D 4 Michael Thelven D 5 Brian Mullen RW 6 Doug Sulliman C 7 Brent Ashton RW 8 Dean Turner D 9 John Chabot C 10 Dino Ciccarellie RW 11 Paul Reinhart D 12 Rollie Boutin G 13 Dan Frawley C 14 Vladimir Krutov RW 15 Randy Pierce LW 16 Jim Weimer D 17 Reijo Ruotsalainen D OK, let s address the weakness in goaltending as this may cause some misunderstanding. Doug Soetaert is a star and past Calder Trophy winner. He is playing in Portland and is the odds on favourite to win Goalie of the Year honours. He is a star in the making and should not be playing in the NMFHL. However, as the Seals try to win the NMFHL and with Gilles Meloche taking the #1 position on the big squad, here is Soetaert. However, he is 25 year years old, therefore, he doesn t qualify in the rankings. Instead, they have Rollie Boutin and that is all that needs to be said about him. The Golden Seals, however, do boast the top prospect in the game. Michel Goulet has already established himself as one of the top players in the NFHL and will almost certainly bring the Calder Trophy home. He already has 25 goals and is 10 th in league scoring. He is just 20 and how the Flyers let him get away is beyond us. However, here he is and he will be decimating opponents for the next decade. And as soon as perhaps next season, he will have a running partner in Denis Savard. Another one of the top prospects, Savard makes up for a lack of size and strength with speed and uncanny ability with the puck. While neither he nor Goulet are particularly careful in their own end, the fact is that when they get together, it is probable that the other team would never even get the puck anyways. Doug Sulliman is a couple years older, but looks to have a bit more defensive presence down the middle, though John Chabot or Dan Frawley could be even better and fit in on the second line. The right wing has 3 potential snipers in Brian Mullen, Vladimir Krutov, and Dino Ciccarelli. Mullen is the youngest and also the most developed. He isn t as good with the puck as the others, but has a better shot, is faster, and plays a little bit of defense. Brent Ashton is also in the mix and may actually have the second best chance at making it as he brings well-rounded presence to the table. He is the worst shooter of the bunch, though still decent, but he is the best with the puck. On the blue line, Craig Hartsburg, another player received from Philly, is only a season or two away and provides a little bit of everything. Unfortunately, one of those things is some discipline trouble, but he also plays a rough game and makes opposing forwards honest. That he can run a power play is a big bonus. Michael Thelven is 2 years younger than Hartsburg, but will surpass him in talent. He doesn t have the edge of Hartsburg, but he is better offensively. Dean Turner is a solid all around player, fast, but has a pop gun of a shot. Reijo Ruotsalainen and Paul Reinhardt, a pair of 20 year olds, will have trouble moving forward without gaining a little edge to their play as they are both too passive. However, Reinhart s ability to move the puck may get him into the show.

5 Randy Pierce 6C Denis Savard 9B Michel Goulet 10B Craig Hartsburg 8C Rollie Boutin 6B Doug 7B Brian Mullen 7B Michael Thelven 8C Sulliman John Chabot 7C Brent Ashton 7C Dean Turner 7C Dan Frawley 6C Dino Ciccarelli 6B Paul Reinhart 6B Vladimir Krutov 6C Jim Weimer 6D Reijo Ruotsalainen 5B

6 W ashington Capitals Team Rank: 3 rd NMFHL Affiliate: Baltimore, T-9 th Place Wales Conference Depth at left wing Elite defensive prospects Prospects playing in the NFHL Weak at right wing Scoring on the wings The Washington Capitals have some solid prospects coming up to go along with the elite talent of Mike Bossy and future potential of goalie Murray Bannerman, both of who are already with the parent squad. And, with the 1 Mike Bossy RW 2 Larry Murphy D 3 Alexei Kasatonov D 4 Bobby Smith LW 5 Murray Bannerman G 6 Dave Poulin C 7 Guy Carbonneau C 8 Tim Higgins RW 9 Bob Parent G 10 Pat Conacher C 11 Merlin Malinwoski LW 12 Don Laurence RW 13 Harald Luckner LW 14 Greg Terrion LW 15 Gilles Hamel LW 16 Bill Gardner LW 17 Graeme Nicolson D exception of right wing, they have talent coming up from every position. Although, to be fair, Bossy is a right wing, so they do have youth there. On the farm, though, they are limited to Don Laurence and Tim Higgins. Higgins is having a decent year offensively, already over 20 goals, but if he makes it up to Washington, it will be in a defensive role. Laurence has some skills passing the puck, but lacks competency in the offensive zone. At centre, Guy Carbonneau is a top notch defensive forward, but may be in the wrong position at centre. He doesn t offer a lot of offensive potential, but may work better working doggedly on the wing. Dave Poulin should be on the farm developing his skills, he isn t quite ready to be a pro, but was signed to a ridiculous contract in the off season and eliminating any chance of playing on the farm. The left wing has an impressive collection of talent, led by Bobby Smith. While almost useless in the defensive zone, Smith possesses remarkable offensive instincts. He has a great shot, moves the puck well, and is willing to take the body. There isn t a lot of shooting ability in the rest of the wingers, but there is a lot of depth that will result in bottom six forward positions. Merlin Malinowski and Gilles Hamel have some puck skills, but lack any type of shot and really suffer in their own ends. Like Harald Luckner, Bill Gardner, and Greg Terrion, a lot of work needs to be done. There are two elite defensive prospects that the team has to be thrilled about their development. Larry Murphy and Alexei Kasatonov are going to be stars in the NFHL. Both are skilled at both ends of the ice, though Murphy has more tools to be an offensive blue liner and the Capitals would be wise to exploit those skills. Kasatonov, on the other hand, while not lacking offensive, is a bit more defensively conscientious and much more disciplined. Both look like they will be anchoring their top blue line pair for the next decade. In net, Murray Bannerman has been the understudy for a couple years in Washington and is developing and learning at the expected pace. He is a top back up now, but it is only going to be a couple more seasons before he is battling to be a #1. It could be as early as next year if the Caps go more the development route with new management than the win sooner attitude of the previous regime. Bob Parent is their prospect in Baltimore and he has back up written all over him. Bobby Smith 8B Dave Poulin 7C Mike Bossy 10B Larry Murphy 8B Murray 8C

7 Merlin Malinowski 6C Guy Carbonneau 7C Tim Higgins 6B Alexei Kasatonov Harald Luckner 6D Pat Conacher 6C Don Laurence 6C Graeme Nicolson Greg Terrion 5C Gilles Hamel 5C Bill Gardner 5D Bannerman 8B Bob Parent 3B 6C

8 S t. Louis Blues Team Rank: 4 th NMFHL Affiliate: Kansas City, 5 th Place Campbell Conference Elite centre prospects All around defensemen Goaltending Defensive forwards Speed among the forwards 1 Igor Larionov C 2 Kelly Hrudey G 3 Viachesalv Fetisov D 4 Ken Linseman C 5 Risto Siltanen D 6 Rick Vasko D 7 Mike McPhee LW 8 Rick Lanx D 9 Doug Keans G 10 Gaston Therrion D 11 Aaron Broten LW 12 Ric Seiling RW 13 Greg Gilbert RW 14 Lee Norwood D 15 Tim Hunter RW The St. Louis Blues would have rated even higher if not for a trio of trades over the last couple weeks that saw the team deal away 3 of their top prospects in John Tonelli, Andy Moog, and Lucien DeBlois. Tonelli was replaced with draft picks, one of which will most likely garner a top 7 or 8 pick in this season s draft. Moog is replaced by Doug Keans as a prospect goalie, while DeBlois was replaced by a couple of offensive forwards, notably Peter Lee, who at 24, is just a year too old to be included on this list. Despite these departures, the Blues have a lot of promise in a few players. Their centre position is especially looking good with Ken Linseman already playing with the Blues and former #1 overall Igor Larionov knocking at the door. Both look like they could become #1 centres and already possess elite passing skills. Larionov probably has the inside edge due to his discipline and better defensive awareness, but it is a duo that Blues fans should be looking forward to. The future on the wings isn t as bright, a fact I am sure management will seek to address this off season. Ric Seiling has a decent shot on the right wing and adds a little grit to his game, but has trouble handling the puck and doesn t back check well. Greg Gilbert has some skills, but will need to work on his shot and a lot of other details to make any sort of impact at the NFHL level. The left side has Aaron Broten and Mike McPhee, neither of whom can shoot the puck. McPhee can handle it, though, and both are adequate in their own end. As many as five of the blue liners in Kansas City could find themselves playing in St. Louis within the next 3 4 seasons. Viacheslav Fetisov could be there next season as management simply can t ignore his sublime play in his own end any longer. He does need to work on foot speed, but he has some toughness and can make the first pass out of the zone. Under the tutelage of Mark Howe, he could blossom. Rick Vasko and Risto Siltanen are in a similar position, but Vasko is a couple years older and more developed. Though he needs work on his discipline, Vasko has the offensive capabilities and is good enough defensively to play in the NFHL. Like so many other young defensemen, though, he has to get a bit more aggressive against the big boys. Siltanen is even better defensively, but lacks the size and strength, relying more on body position and stick management. Rick Lanz and Gaston Therrion could each also make the pros, but their time table is a few years off. Finally, in net, with the departure of Moog, Kelly Hrudey has been handed the title of goalie of the future in St. Louis. He s got a temper, but he has the skills and projects to be a #1 goalie within 3 years, which is extraordinarily fast these days. Doug Keans won t just relinquish his dreams to Hrudey, but looks to be more like a very top end backup.

9 Mike McPhee 6B Igor Larionov 9C Ric Seiling 6D Viacheslav Fetisov 8C Kelly Hrudey 8B Aaron Broten 6C Ken Linseman 8C Greg Gilbert 5C Rick Vasko 7C Doug Keans 6C Tim Hunter 3C Risto Siltanen 7C Rick Lanz 6B Gaston Therrion 6C Lee Norwood 5C

10 Toronto Maple Leafs Team Rank: 5 th NMFHL Affiliate: Newmarket, 5 th Place Wales Conference Time to develop prospects Depth on the wings Scorers on either wing Depth at centre Defensive defensemen 1 Mark Napier LW 2 Troy Murray C 3 Andy Moog G 4 Rick Vaive RW 5 Andy Schliebener D 6 Robert Picard D 7 Brent Sutter LW 8 Doug Wickenheiser RW 9 Sean McKenna RW 10 Al Secord LW 11 Dave Feamster D 12 Michel Bolduc D 13 Bob McGill D 14 Dirk Graham RW Like other top teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs don t have many prospects playing with their pro team. Mark Napier is the only Maple Leaf in this category, though he is having an impact with his play in the NFHL. However, like the other top teams, the Leafs have the luxury of time to keep their prospects on the farm to develop while the pro team challenges for glory. And they need the time because there are no prospects pushing to get into the Maple Leaf lineup right now. Troy Murray is the top prospect at centre, by default since he is the only one. However, he is a legitimate prospect who simply needs time. He is only 18, but is already defensively sound. He has some offensive skills that will develop over time and comes with an edge. Rick Vaive is the only person they have with any sort of goal scoring ability. He is 3 rd on the team with 23 goals, but has work to do on his defensive game. The team lead in goals, with 25, is held by Brent Sutter, the top prospect on the left side and also only 18 years old. He is showing he can play in this league, but needs to work on a lot of things to move up to the NFHL. There are a handful of teenagers patrolling the blue line, as well, but none appear to be destined for greatness, much less a regular job with the Leafs. Robert Picard may have the best chance to move to the big club, but at 23, he is also the oldest. Goaltending, though, looks to be set with Toronto s recent acquisition of Andy Moog. While it doesn t appear he will become an elite goalie his draft ranking may have indicated, all indications are he can become a #1 in time. Mark Napier 8B Troy Murray 8B Rick Vaive 7C Andy Schliebener 7C Andy Moog 7B Brent Sutter 6B Doug Wickenheiser 6B Robert Picard 6B Al Secord 6C Sean McKenna 6B Dave Feamster 6C Dirk Graham 5C Michel Bolduc 6C Bob McGill 5B

11 P ittsburgh Penguins Team Rank: 6 th NMFHL Affiliate: Saskatoon, 3 rd Place Wales Conference Depth at centre position Defensemen with professional potential Strength throughout the lineup Elite distributor of puck Top end sniper High end prospects 1 Pete Peeters G 2 Dave Babych D 3 Tom Fergus C 4 Ron Duguay RW 5 Kevin Lowe D 6 Charlie Huddy D 7 Sergei Makarov C 8 John Ogrodnick LW 9 Ryan Walter C 10 Mario Marois D 11 Craig MacTavish C 12 Dave Hunter LW 13 Tom Roulston RW 14 Steve Payne LW 15 Randy Ireland G 16 Perry Turnbull C 17 Ray Allison RW The Penguins don t have a lot of talent coming down the pipeline that will become top guys. What they do have, however, is a lot of depth, especially at centre. Sergei Makarov is closest to making the big squad, potentially as early as next year if the Penguins elect to continue their slow rebuild. He has one of the best shots on the team and handles the puck well. Defensive awareness, however, may hurt any chances he has. Tom Fergus, though, may be their best bet. At just 18, Fegus is already 4 th on the team in scoring and is showing he could be a tough, skilled forward all teams dream about. Ron Duguay is the best purely offensive player in the system, but his window of opportunity is closing. On defense, recently drafted Dave Babych is already playing full time in the NFHL as a 19 year old and he looks like he will become a staple at both ends of the ice. Kevin Lowe and Charlie Huddy give them a couple more prospects who will provide stability for years to come. They aren t flashy, but they ll do the job. In net, Pete Peeters has already supplanted Cap Raeder as the #1 goalie on the parent club at just 23 years of age. They will be set in net for many years. Most of Pittsburgh s prospects are in the age range of 21 to 22. The next couple years of development will be key to the future of this organization. The prospects are getting lots of opportunities in Saskatoon and they have the team challenging for the conference lead. John Ogrodnick 7C Tom Fergus 7B Ron Duguay 7D Dave Babych 8C Pete Peeters 8B Dave Hunter 5B Sergei Makarov 7C Tom Roulston 5B Kevin Lowe 7B Randy Ireland 5B Steve Payne 5B Ryan Walter 6C Ray Allison 4B Charlie Huddy 7B Craig MacTavish 5B Mario Marois 6C Perry Turnbull 4B

12 V ancouver Canucks Team Rank: 7 th NMFHL Affiliate: Victoria, T-6 th Place Campbell Conference Play making forwards Speedy forwards No goaltending prospects Scoring 1 Thomas Steen RW 2 Reg Kerr D 3 Torrie Robertson LW 4 Doug Lecuyer LW 5 Lance Nethery C 6 Warren Holmes C 7 Andre Dore D 8 Steve Patrick LW 9 Jim Pavese D 10 Mark Reeds RW 11 Owen Lloyd D 12 Steve Christoff LW 13 Mark Renaud D The Vancouver Canucks make a habit of trading their #1 picks each draft year. In fact, they don t have a 1 st round pick in the next 3 drafts. One look at their prospect cupboard is proof. There isn t a sure-fire prospect in the bunch, though there are a couple prospects who should eventually make the ferry ride to the mainland. Right winger Thomas Steen is likely the closest to getting the call. He is an adept stick handler, passes the puck well, and can play in his own end. In other words, he is the prototypical Swede. However, he has a terrible shot, which leads me to believe management will eventually move him to his more natural centre position. Unfortunately for him, and any other centres that come aboard, there is no one who looks capable of scoring on any sort of regular basis. Left wing Torrie Robertson has the most promise, but looks like he would top out at a 2 nd line forward and only with a lot of training. However, he has the speed and strength that might be beneficial in that role. Recently acquired defenseman Reg Kerr actually has experience playing in the NFHL with the strong Jets squad. He will be the only prospect to actually get steady playing time with the pro squad and could become a solid top four defenseman. Doug Lecuyer doesn t have a better shot, but he does have some play making ability. Like most of the Vancouver prospects, he is fast and he also knows his responsibilities in the defensive end. If the team wants a play maker on the wing, Lecuyer might have a future. Warren Holmes and Lance Nethery are at centre and though Holmes leads the team in scoring, at 23, he may have reached his potential already. He has decent puck moving skills but is terrible in his own end and has a pop gun shot. Nethery probably has a better future as he can play defense. The defense is a rag-tag group that all can move the puck reasonably well. However, none can be considered responsible in their own end. Defense is sort of important for a defenseman. Owen Lloyd is the best, which he should be as the oldest at 23, and he could actually make the parent club, but he is no more than a 3 rd pairing blue liner. Goaltending is absent for prospects, though they have had 3 spend time in the nets. This may be the most pressing issue for management, but how they can get a top guy without being able to draft one will be a good question that they better have an answer for. Torrie Robertson 7C Lance Nethery 6B Thomas Steen 7B Reg Kerr 7C Doug Lecuyer 7D Warren Holmes 6C Mark Reeds 6D Andre Dore 6C Steve Patrick 6C Jim Pavese 6D Steve Christoff 5C Owen Lloyd 5B Mark Renaud 4C

13 N ew York Rangers Team Rank: 8 th NMFHL Affiliate: New York, 8 th Place Wales Conference Elite forwards already playing in the NFHL No depth at any position No goaltending prospects 1 Mark Messier C 2 Joe Mullen RW 3 Michel Galarneau D 4 Andy Brickley LW 5 Greg C. Adams C 6 Bill Stewart D 7 Glen Cochrane D 8 Tim Tookey C 9 Steve Ludzik RW 10 Jimmy Mann RW If not for two players, New York s prospect pool would be almost empty. As it is, their farm club is still void of any significant, impact-type players, though there are a couple who may make the big squad one day. No, the jewels of New York s prospects are two players plying their trade in the NFHL on the parent Rangers. Joey Mullen is a very good shooter, though he lacks defensive awareness. The top dog, though, is the recently acquired Mark Messier. Only 19, the reigning Calder Trophy winner came at a heft cost to the team, but in him, they have a player who can dominate this league for the next 15 years. He is Mr. Everything. He can shoot, he can pass, he can play it rough, and he at least knows where his own zone is. If they can keep his temper in check, the Rangers will be set. There is simply not too much you can say about his future, though. On the actual farm club, the four players that may have a shot at making it, especially if the Rangers go for a rebuild as it appears they are, are Greg C. Adams, Andy Brickley, and defensemen Bill Stewart and recently acquired Michel Galarneau. Adams is quick and has a good pass and can also play defense, which is where his future probably lies. He isn t a good shooter, but he will use his body when necessary. He looks like a good 3 rd liner. Winger Andy Brickley has a chance to move up the organizational depth charts. He can move the puck and does everything else well. Not great, but well. His problem is conditioning, but he is just 19, sometimes it takes players a bit longer to learn the training they need to do to make it at the next level. He should be squarely in management s sights for development. Stewart is 23, so his growth is now limited. However, he is decent defensively and has some good offensive skills that could prove valuable to the club with the loss of Bobby Orr. No one is going to confuse him with Orr, but he does have some ability. However, like Adams and Messier, discipline has been a problem for Stewart. Michel Galarneau is a little more adept at the offensive end of the ice, though he won t be lighting the world on fire, either. But he is young at just 19, possesses a great shot and offensive instincts, and does an admirable job in his own end. As New York s apparent rebuild gets going, stockpiling prospects in the NMFHL will be key. Right now, the cupboard is pretty bare. Andy Brickley 7D Mark Messier 10B Joe Mullen 8B Michel Galarneau 7D Greg C. Adams 6C Steve Ludzik 3B Bill Stewart 6C Tim Tookey 4C Jimmy Mann 3C Glen Cochrane 5C

14 Boston Bruins Team Rank: 9 th NMFHL Affiliate: Sudbury, T-1 st Place Wales Conference Speed up and down the lineup Top prospect at centre, left wing, and goal Overall depth at centre Defensive depth Weak scoring from right side 1 Brian Propp LW 2 Mike Foligno RW 3 Bengt Gustafsson C 4 Bob Froese G 5 Hakan Loob C 6 Timo Blomqvist D 7 Alain Cote LW 8 Keith Crowder RW 9 Fred Boimistruck D 10 Doug Shedden C 11 Bruce Crowder LW 12 Tony Currie RW 13 Wayne Babych LW 14 Steve Penney G 15 Ed Hospodar D 16 Brad Palmer C 17 Brad Smith RW 18 Mike Gillis LW The Boston Bruins recently decided it was time for a little rebuild and dealt away their best defenseman, long-time Bruin Brad Park. While it is bad news for the parent club, Sudbury gets better for it. Already challenging for the best record in the conference, Sudbury adds one of the top prospects in the game, Brian Propp, to the fold in the Park deal. While he won t likely become a top goal scorer, Propp has dazzling puck skills and will be the offensive catalyst for the Bruins starting next season. He may be joined by Bengt Gustafsson at centre as he has shown remarkable creativity and leads the team in points, sitting in the top 30 overall. Hakan Loob and Doug Shedden provide a couple of different looks at centre. Loob provides a little more traditional centre skills with superior puck handling skills, while Shedden has a great shot. In net, Bob Froese appears on track to make the NFHL in a couple of seasons, though it is still unclear exactly how high he can go. With proper development, a starting role could be in his future. The right wing and defense are areas that management will have to deal with. There are only 3 defensive prospects, though each has a shot at making the climb to the NFHL. Fred Boimistruck looks to be the most ready and could become a good offensive weapon if he can learn to be more disciplined. Timo Blomqvist has the tools to be a steady, unspectacular presence on the blue line. Tony Currie and Keith Crowder lead the right wing, but neither look like impact players. Mike Foligno, though, is already playing with Boston at 21, so management does have luxury of time to either further develop one of Currie or Crowder to join Foligno in a couple years, or draft someone else. Brian Propp 8B Bengt Gustafsson 7B Mike Foligno 7B Timo Blomqvist 7D Bob Froese 7C Alain Cote 6B Hakan Loob 7C Keith Crowder 6B Fred Boimistruck 6B Steve Penney 5B Bruce Crowder 6C Doug Shedden 6C Tony Currie 6C Ed Hospidor 5C Wayne Babych 5B Brad Smith 4B Brad Palmer 5C Mike Gillis 3B

15 H artford Whalers Team Rank: 10 th NMFHL Affiliate: Connecticut, 6 th Place Wales Conference Elite blue liners Deep in defensemen Prospects playing in the pros Scoring at any forward position High level forward prospects Depth in net The Hartford Whalers come close to matching the Edmonton Oilers in terms of number of prospects. These two teams will, for the second year in a row, battle for last spot in the league and their respective prospect pools show proof of that. Unlike the Oilers, Hartford is concentrating on their blue line first. With two successive #2 overall picks, the Whalers now have a defense anchored by two superstars in the makings who will make the lives of opponents miserable for years. Paul Coffey and Ray Bourque are both in the NFHL gaining valuable experience. A year older at 20, Bourque is the 1 Ray Bourque D 2 Paul Coffey D 3 Neil Labatte D 4 Illka Sinisalo RW 5 Rob Ramage D 6 Daryl Evans LW 7 Craig Levie D 8 Jacques Cloutier G 9 Bennett Wolf D 10 Gord Salt C 11 Paul MacKinnon D 12 Tom Laidlaw D 13 Mike Forbes D 14 Rick Paterson C 15 Gord Wappel D 16 Guy Lash RW 17 John Baby D 18 Kevin LaVallee LW 19 Don Nachbaur C 20 Mike Simurda RW 21 Walt Poddubny C 22 Ed Cooper LW 23 Tim Coulis RW 24 Jim Fox RW superior defender, while Coffey may have the better offensive skill set. Yet, there are 3 other prospects on the blue line playing with Hartford. Despite some discipline issues, Rob Ramage is another lock on the blue line for years to come. He is a great disburser of the puck, but he really struggles in his own zone. But he adds some intensity and toughness to the lineup. Neil Labatte and Craig Levie are also playing in Hartford. Both also suffer from discipline issues, but Labatte has a huge upside that could see him playing in the top four for years. Craig Levie is decent defensively, but adds no offense and looks like he will be just holding the job until some of the younger d-men move up. Bennet Wolf could be one of those moving up, though his skating may hold him back. But he adds some more toughness and grit, as well as making a great first pass. He has a pop gun shot, though. Wolf, though, will be challenged by Tom Laidlaw and Paul MacKinnon. Moving away from the blue line, the Whalers have one forward prospect on the big club, centre Gord Salt. Salt is a good passer, has speed, and is solid in his own end. He suffers, though, from unwillingness to go into the tough areas of the ice and, when he does, his shot lets him down. But, he is all the team has at that position right now. They do have two bright hopes for players in Connecticut on the wings. On the left side, Daryl Evans combines speed and size with a good shot to look like he could become a solid power forward. He does need to work on his play away from the puck and in his own zone, though, but his 20+ goals with Connecticut prove he has some offensive skills. On the right side, free agent signee Illka Sinisalo could be the sniper the team needs. He has a sizzling shot and can stick handle with the best in the league. He also is a blur on the ice, arguably the fastest player in either league. However, like many Europeans coming over, he is going to have to work on his conditioning to play in the longer North American season as well as deal with the more physical play over here. Jacques

16 Cloutier is learning on the job with the parent club. Playing back up to Vladimir Myshkin, Cloutier needs a lot of work on his skating and movement across the ice to become an effective tender. He has the reflexes, but needs more work on his technique. Daryl Evans 7C Gord Salt 6C Illka Sinisalo 7C Ray Bourque 10B Jacques Cloutier Kevin LaVallee 5D Rick Paterson 5C Guy Lash 5C Paul Coffey 10B Ed Cooper 3B Don Nachbaur 4C Mike Simurda 4D Rob Ramage 7C Walt Poddubny 3B Tim Coulis 3C Neil Labatte 7C Jim Fox 3C Craig Levie 7D Bennett Wolf 6C Paul MacKinnon 6D Tom Laidlaw 5C Mike Forbes 5C Gord Wappel 5C John Baby 5C 6C

17 N ew Jersey Devils Team Rank: 11 th NMFHL Affiliate: Albany, 7 th Place Wales Conference Elite centres Blue line prospects Depth down the middle Scoring wingers Lack of depth in net 1 Wayne Gretzky C 2 Bernie Nicholls C 3 Greg Millen G 4 Moe Mantha D 5 Randy Johnston D 6 Bob Sullivan RW 7 Mike Bullard C 8 Marc Chorney D 9 Ted Nolan C 10 Dan Lucas LW 11 Thomas Eriksson D 12 Larry Melnyk C 13 Larry Landon C 14 Mike Meeker RW 15 Jordy Douglas LW When talking about New Jersey prospects, the conversation basically starts and ends with their two elite centres. Blessed with drafting the top two players in each of the past two entry drafts, New Jersey has Wayne Gretzky and Bernie Nicholls on the big club, patrolling the top two lines and both only 19 years old. What a luxury to not have to worry about pivots on your top two lines for the next decade. The next order of business, though, has to be getting some scoring wingers for these two. While there is depth down the middle, though not high level depth outside of the above mentioned duo, there is little to pick from on the wings. Bob Sullivan leads the way on the right wing, but won t develop much past 3 rd line duties. He has some skills and has a bit of an edge, but he isn t an answer. The other right wing prospect is Mike Meeker, who looks to be a career minor leaguer. Dan Lucas and Jordy Douglas are similar players on the left wing. Mike Bullard has a terrific shot at centre and has used it well to be tied for the team lead in goals so far this year. Other than that skill, though, Bullard doesn t have a lot to propel him into the NFHL. Ted Nolan, Larry Melnyk, and Larry Landon are also call ups on an emergency basis at best. The blue line has a couple of prospects who look like they could make the jump. Moe Mantha is the youngest of the blue liners, but has the most potential as an offensive blue liner. He is a terrific passer and can quarterback the power play and is deceptively strong. Randy Johnston adds defensive skills, but lacks toughness. While he has a better shot than Mantha, he isn t great with the puck. Marc Chorney and Thomas Eriksson are minor leaguers. Greg Millen is the only goalie prospect with New Jersey and is actually playing on the big club. Whether or not he becomes a #1 will depend on how the Devils handle him, though. He has the skills, but he will need proper coaching. Dan Lucas 5C Wayne Gretzky 10B Bob Sullivan 6C Moe Mantha 7C Greg Millen 7C Jordy Douglas 3C Bernie Nicholls 9B Mike Meeker 4C Randy Johnston 6B Mike Bullard 6D Marc Chorney 5C Ted Nolan 5C Thomas Eriksson 5D Larry Melnyk 4B Larry Landon 3B

18 D etroit Red Wings Team Rank: 12 th NMFHL Affiliate: Windsor, 11 th Place Campbell Conference Potential at centre Defensive depth Weak offensive wingers Defensive defensemen Detroit s best two prospects aren t even playing on their NMFHL team in Windsor. Glenn Anderson is already a rising star in the NFHL at just 20 and Dale McCourt is gaining significant experience, as well as producing, at the 1 Glenn Anderson RW 2 Dale McCourt C 3 John Anderson RW 4 Curt Giles D 5 Barry Pederson C 6 Doug Crossman D 7 Mark Hardy D 8 Ric Nattress D 9 Glen Hanlon G 10 Steve Tambellini C 11 Rollie Melanson G 12 Alan Haworth LW 13 Lars Molin LW 14 Tim Bernhardt G 15 Rik Wilson D 16 Rob Plumb LW 17 Willie Huber D 18 Mike Moller RW highest levels. After that, there are some holes that need to be addressed in the coming years. The most significant will be defensively. While there are a lot of prospect defensemen in Windsor, there is precious little in the defensive department. The team has given up almost 75 goals more than any other team in the league and languishes at the bottom of the standings. While the likes of Curt Giles and Mark Hardy have the potential to make it into the NFHL one day, neither is a defensive stalwart. With the exception of Mike Moller, who simply doesn t have the skills to make it to the NFHL, the forwards have trouble coming back into their own end as well. Goalie Glen Hanlon will play in the league one day, but he just isn t getting the support he needs. On the other end, the prospects also desperately lack any type of fire power out side of John Anderson, who has a respectable 23 goals. There is some hope that Barry Pederson and Steve Tambellini could develop into serviceable centres, though Pederson will have to work a lot on his shot to move up to the next level. Alan Haworth 5C Dale McCourt 7B Glenn Anderson 8A Curt Giles 7C Glen Hanlon 6B Lars Molin 5C Barry Pederson 7D John Anderson 7C Doug Crossman 6B Rollie Melanson 5B Rob Plumb 5D Steve Tambellini 6C Mike Moller 3C Mark Hardy 6B Tim Bernhardt 5C Ric Nattress 6B Rik Wilson 5D Willie Huber 4B

19 Buffalo Sabres Team Rank: 13 th NMFHL Affiliate: Syracuse, 4 th Place Wales Conference Goaltending prospects Left wing puck movers Depth at centre Defensive defensemen 1 Keith Brown D 2 Curt Fraser LW 3 Pat Riggin G 4 Dave Hindmarch LW 5 Joe Contini C 6 Behn Wilson D 7 Ron Carter RW 8 Markus Mattsson G 9 Jody Gage LW 10 Lowell Loveday D 11 Louis Sleigher LW 12 Don Gillen RW The Buffalo Sabres are one of those teams that are using veteran players to be successful at the NMFHL level. However, that is not to say there aren t some prospects helping the cause and should have Buffalo management making plans to make room for them in the near future. Curt Fraser is the closest to being NFHL-ready. Tied for 2 nd on the team in scoring and already with 20 goals, Fraser has elite passing skills and combines it with speed, hockey sense, and a little toughness. His shot isn t great, but it can do the job. But, like many of the forward prospects in Syracuse, he is hapless in his own zone. Dave Hindmarch is similar, in that he is on the left wing and moves the puck well. However, he is more defensively responsible and has a much worse shot. On the right side, Ron Carter is making a case for being in Buffalo s long-term plans as a playmaker. He is among the team leaders in assists, but has a dismal 6 goals this year. He does have a decent shot, but his job will be as a tough, gritty player who will go in the corners and get the puck to set up his teammates in front. There are 2 possibilities for advancement on the blue line. Keith Brown is almost a lock to make the parent club, though it may take a couple more seasons of development. He is already ready in terms of ability to move the puck, but he still needs to work on his strength and aggressiveness, especially in his own zone. He won t be a shut down defender, he is certainly going to be a more offensive-bent blue liner, but he will still need to not be a liability put on the ice. Behn Wilson also has the chance to move up. He has a similar skill set to, Brown, though, but is much more aggressive. He is a big guy, but still needs to learn how to use his size and toughness against the best in the world. He simply takes too many penalties and is out of position too often. Goaltending is a strength, though neither Pat Riggin nor Markus Mattsson are ready for the big show any time soon. Riggin has the biggest upside of the two and could be a #1 with proper coaching and development. This is worrisome since he hasn t played yet in Syracuse as their goaltending rotation has seemingly left him out. That doesn t bode well for the franchise. Ken Dryden is clearly in his twilight, no matter how well he is playing. With no real goalie to take his place in the next couple years, the Sabres should be looking at Riggin as their future and develop him accordingly. Curt Fraser 7C Joe Contini 6B Ron Carter 6C Keith Brown 8B Pat Riggin 7C Dave Hindmarch 6B Don Gillen 4C Behn Wilson 6C Markus Mattsson 5C Jody Gage 5D Lowell Loveday 5D Louis Sleigher 4C

20 Q uebec Nordiques Team Rank: 14 th NMFHL Affiliate: Fredericton, T-1 st Place Wales Conference Elite goaltending Depth down the middle Scoring throughout the team Prospective defensemen It is odd stating that scoring is required for a team that is leading their conference and is 2 nd overall in goal scoring, but that is what the Nordiques need. While Stan Smyl, Doug Berry, and Mike Crombeen all rank in the top 1 Pelle Lindbergh G 2 Patrick Sundstrom C 3 Steve Weeks G 4 Steve Kasper C 5 Stan Smyl C 6 Duane Sutter LW 7 Mike Crombeen RW 8 Brad Marsh D 9 Steve Bozak C 10 Bob Brooke C 11 Randy Velischek D 12 Gaston Gingras D 13 Tim Watters D 14 Jean Savard D 15 Doug Berry D 16 Mike McDougall LW 17 Dave Silk RW five in league scoring, only Smyl can be considered the least bit a sniper. Berry and Crombeen are also 23 and reaching the limits of their talent. Their scoring exploits are more a case of having chemistry than elite talent. There are a couple bright spots among the forwards, though. Patrick Sundstrom looks like he has the talent to be a first round steal. He only lacks a shot, but his skating, puck handling, passing, and defensive ability are all on track to be NFHL caliber. Stan Smyl, the NMFHL s leading scorer, and Steve Kasper are also patrolling down the middle and have shots to make the big squad. The wings and blue line, though, are different stories. Duane Sutter and Crombeen on either wing have some skill, but they look to peak at 4 th line jobs. Sutter may have a chance at a 3 rd line job if he can continue to bang the body and prove to be effective at moving the puck. The four blue line prospects won t be pushing anyone for jobs and will have trouble making it to the show. Gaston Gingras is the only one with any offensive ability, but he is a defensive liability, so work as a power play specialist may be his calling card. On the flip side, Brad Marsh provides a solid defensive presence, but zero offense. Randy Velischek is the youngest of the bunch at just 18, but he will need every one of those extra years to develop the skills necessary to make the next jump. Goaltending, though, is where the Nordiques shine. Already playing significant time in the NFHL is Pelle Lindbergh. The sky is the limit for Lindbergh and with a solid goalie coach, he could be collecting awards for a decade in a couple seasons. He is fast and moves well and is just 21. Steve Weeks is also 21 and doesn t have as high of a projection, but he can easily be a back up in the league, even taking over #1 duties for lengths of time. This is a luxury that gives Quebec management time to look at the rest of their team with absolutely no worries about goaltending. Unless they once again forget to sign one of them, of course.

21 Duane Sutter 6C Patrick 7B Mike 6C Brad Marsh 5B Pelle 9C Sundstrom Crombeen Lindbergh Mike 4B Steve Kasper 6B Dave Silk 4B Randy Velischek 5C Steve Weeks 7C McDougall Stan Smyl 6C Tim Watters 5C Bob Brooke 5C Gaston Gingras 5C Steve Bozak 5C Jean Savard 5C Doug Berry 5C

22 C algary Flames Team Rank: 15 th NMFHL Affiliate: Timmins, 10 th Place Campbell Conference Depth on the blue line Puck movers at centre Backup goalie prospects Scoring forwards Prospects at right wing 1 Tomas Jonsson D 2 Gordie Roberts D 3 Darren Jensen G 4 Larry Lozinski G 5 Hector Marini C 6 Lindy Ruff D 7 Paul Gagne LW 8 Tim Lockridge D 9 Paul Mulvey LW 10 Joe Ward C 11 Paul Marshall RW 12 John Barrett D 13 Billy Carroll C 14 Joe Patterson LW 15 Tim Trimper LW The Calgary Flames are looking to make their second straight appearance in the NFHL playoffs. Their first appearance was forgettable as they failed to win a game in their first round loss. This year, they brought in forwards requiring compensation during free agency and acquired a couple of super stars recently to make an impact in the playoffs. This, of course, comes at the expense of their farm club in Timmins. And that is clearly demonstrated by their record and their position in these rankings. They did boast one of the top prospects in the game, Mark Messier, but dealt him in that deal for Bobby Orr and Marc Tardif. And there is very little left. Hector Marini looks a good bet to make the big club soon. He possesses good passing skills and a decent shot, but really needs to work on his skating. But the club likes his toughness. Billy Carroll and Joe Ward also have some skill moving the puck around, but neither can shoot and discipline issues are a concern that may limit their ability to move up. Carroll, though, is giving management some pause as he leads the team in scoring. The left wing lacks any scorers but Paul Mulvey does help make things go in the offensive zone. He just doesn t finish the plays. Paul Gagne may have the best chance in his development as he is just 18 and has some defensive prowess, something the rest also lack. He also needs to work on his skating. Paul Marshall is the only prospect on the right wing. He s a great puck mover, but that is it. On the blue line, Tomas Jonsson looks like an offensive blue liner, with adequate defensive skills. His lack of physicality, though, may keep him from being a top pairing defenseman. Lindy Ruff and Gordie Roberts also look like they could be in the pros one day. Roberts especially has promise as a shut down defender with toughness and great skating. He needs to cut down on dumb penalties, though. Ruff appears to be somewhere in between those two. He has a more offensive bent to his game, but also adds some grit. Conditioning and discipline have plagued his career, though. Tim Lockridge is solid in his own zone, but has no offensive game and has work to do on his strength and aggressiveness to be a defensive blue liner. In net, Darren Jensen and Larry Lozinski are solid and will give the Flames a couple of options as they develop. Neither looks like they will be #1s, but with them battling each other, it is possible one will take that next step. Paul Gagne 6C Hector Marini 6C Paul Marshall 5D Tomas Jonsson 7B Darren Jensen 7C Paul Mulvey 6D Joe Ward 5C Gordie Roberts 7C Larry Lozinski 6B Joe Patterson 4B Billy Carroll 4B Lindy Ruff 6C Tim Trimper 4C Tim Lockridge 6C

23 John Barrett 5D

24 M innesota North Stars Team Rank: 16 th NMFHL Affiliate: Cleveland, 2 nd Place Campbell Conference Deep with blue line prospects Strong pro team reduces necessity of rushing prospects Goaltender prospects Scoring throughout the forward ranks Discipline issues on the blue line 1 Neal Broten C 2 Doug Smail LW 3 Craig Ludwig D 4 Jay Wells D 5 Brad Maxwell D 6 Dave Morrison RW 7 Stewart Gavin LW 8 Mike Ramsey D 9 Tony McKegney C 10 Larry Playfair D 11 Dean Hopkins R Years of success at the major league level have left the prospect cupboard a little bare in Minnesota. The team, though, continues to remain competitive thanks to a strong contingent of veteran players. However, the parent club won t have many players, especially forwards, pushing to get into the lineup any time soon. The one exception may be Neal Broten. The prototypical shifty centre, Broten has very good puck distribution skills and has the speed to play with the big boys. He will need to work on his defensive game, though, but the team has time to work on that as their star players continue to make Minnesota a threat to win every year. That he has 58 points in 54 games in the NMFHL signals that he may be ready to make the jump sooner rather than later. Doug Smail also looks like he could make the big club shortly. He is especially adept in his own end, something all coaches love and will make room for. He even has some offensive flair, and at 23, he is scoring at a point per game pace. On the blue line, Cleveland has 4 prospects that could see pro time in the next few seasons. Craig Ludwig may have the best chance. The defensive defenseman won t bring any offense to his game, but he is strong and moves well, as well as being the youngest of the bunch. What separates him, though, is his demeanor. He is the only prospect who can be called disciplined. Larry Playfair, Jay Wells, Brad Maxwell, and Mike Ramsey all have a tendency to take bad penalties and that will limit their ability to move to the next level. Wells and Maxwell do bring some offense to their game. With Vladislav Tretiak plying his trade in net and doing it for the next several years, there is no rush for a goaltending prospect. However, there appears to be a dearth of prospects coming in the junior ranks over the next couple seasons, so it may be something management needs to work on in the near future. Doug Smail 7C Neal Broten 7B Dave Morrison 6C Craig Ludwig 7C Stewart Gavin 5B Tony McKegney 5C Dean Hopkins 4B Jay Wells 6B Brad Maxwell 6C Mike Ramsey 5B Larry Playfair 4B

25 W innipeg Jets Team Rank: 17 th NMFHL Affiliate: Brandon, T-4 th Place Campbell Conference Strong prospects on right wing Puck moving prospects 1 Jim Peplinski RW 2 Mike Gartner RW 3 Doug Morrison C 4 Kevin Krook D 5 Rob McClanahan LW 6 John Bethel LW 7 Darren Veitch D Weak depth at centre No goalie prospects As we see in a few of these rankings, using 23 and under only players doesn t necessarily give an accurate picture of the team s future. Winnipeg, for example, has no prospect in net coming down the line. However, is there a real need for one when they have one of the top goalies in the league who is only 26? No, not really. However, the fact remains, they have no one coming down the pipeline and that is something they will have to eventually address. Brandon does have one big strength that the Jets organization has to be excited over and that is two prospects on right wing. Mike Gartner and Jim Peplinski are very solid prospects who will undoubtedly be in the big leagues soon. Gartner is a year more developed, but has the skills that will translate into a job with the big squad. He has very good puck moving skills, a good shot, and, most impressively,, he is one of the fastest players in the league, either the NMFHL or NFHL. He does need to work on his strength so he can t be pushed off the puck as easily, but by all accounts, he is a point producer in the making. Peplinski may actually have a higher upside than Gartner. His offensive skills are almost as good, but he also brings a grittiness that Gartner lacks. That does mean he is penalized a lot more, though that isn t reflected in league play in the NMFHL this year, so he will need to work on that to make the jump. Doug Morrison has a shot to make it at centre, though he won t be a star that the Jets have grown used to having over the last couple seasons. He is strong with the puck and makes plays, but he lacks a defensive game and his shot needs some work. The left side has Rob McClanahan and Jon Bethel, both of whom move the puck well. However, they both struggle to put the puck in the net or really offer anything else. On defense, Kevin Krook has promise as a solid top four guy. He is decent with the puck and offers a little intensity and toughness. He isn t going to awe anyone doing anything, but he won t stick out for mistakes either. However, he is 22, so he has limited time to develop his game further to make a real impact with the team. Darren Veitch has a couple extra years to develop and he will need them all if he wants to be more than an occasional call up. Rob McClanahan 5B Doug Morrison 6B Jim Peplinski 7B Kevin Krook 6C John Bethel 5C Mike Gartner 7B Darren Veitch 5D

26 M ontreal Canadiens Team Rank: 18 th NMFHL Affiliate: Halifax, T-9 th Place Wales Conference Depth in net 3 rd and 4 th line depth down the middle Scoring ability at the forward ranks Depth on the blue line High end talent The Montreal Canadiens have been the class of the NFHL for half a decade now. Record number of President s Trophies, consecutive Wales Conference championships, and an SMJ Cup to their name, the Habs have done it all at the professional level. And their farm system has suffered for it. Halifax is tied for 9 th in the Wales Conference of the NMFHL, but that is 1 Mike Krushelnyski LW 2 Rod Langway D 3 Jim Craig G 4 Mark Osborne LW 5 Lindsay Carson C 6 Roland Cloutier C 7 Steve Baker G 8 Miles Zaharko D 9 Mike Dwyer LW 10 Gerry Minor C 11 Richard Sevigny G 12 Brent Peterson C 13 Jim Hamilton LW 14 Yves Guillemette G 15 Brian Hill RW 16 Alain Lemieux C 17 Richard David LW 18 Dennis Cyr C 19 Glenn Hicks LW a bit deceiving since it is a 3-way tie for last place. And there isn t much to give thought that they may climb out of that position. However, they do have a couple of strong prospects already playing at the NFHL level, which helps their ranking some. Mike Krushelnyski won t be a prolific star in this league, but he is going to be a solid player who does everything well and can play anywhere on your top two lines. On the back end, 23 year old Rod Langway is already a veteran and has emerged as a top blue liner. Again, he won t be a superstar, but he is going to be a top pairing defenseman. The strength of the team is in net, though you couldn t tell by their 2 nd most goals allowed in the conference. Jim Craig is back up on the parent club, but with Richard Sevigny, Steve Baker, and Yves Guillemette in Halifax, the Habs do have a lot of options. Though, to temper those expectations, the options are for back up goalie. None look like they have the ability to take that next step to a true #1, though Craig may be able to with a couple seasons of solid training and development. The rest of the forward ranks are of similar quality. There is nary a star in the making in the bunch, but we could see a few of these players in 3 rd or 4 th line roles, or as depth players in the future. Lindsay Carson is one of them, but he will need lots of work on his defensive awareness. He has good puck moving skills, but his shot also needs work. Gerry Minor or Roland Cloutier could also eventually join him and push for a bottom 6 spot. On the left wing, Mark Osborne may have the best chance at making it to the Habs. He is similar to Krushelnyski in that he doesn t do anything extraordinarily well, but he is a little better than average. He is good enough defensively and is fast enough, that he could make it as a checker on the 3 rd line. The right wing is perilously thin, so management will have to look into moving their wealth of centres and left wingers to the right side next season to have a chance of further development. The blue line, though, is a different matter as the only prospect in Halifax is Miles Zaharko, who could push as high as a 3 rd pairing blue liner, but looks more like a 7 th defenseman at best. Montreal has had a tendency to trade their picks away as they continuously strove for the Cup. They will have to address this in the future and stock up on blue liners.

27 Mike Krushelnyski 7B Lindsay Carson 6C Brian Hill 5C Rod Langway 7B Jim Craig 7C Mark Osborne 6B Roland Cloutier 6C Miles Zaharko 6C Steve Baker 6C Mike Dwyer 6C Gerry Minor 5B Richard 5B Sevigny Jim Hamilton 5C Brent Peterson 5C Yves 5C Guillemette Richard David 4B Alain Lemieux 5C Glenn Hicks 3B Dennis Cyr 4D

28 C hicago Blackhawks Team Rank: 19 th NMFHL Affiliate: South Bend, T-6 th Place Campbell Conference At least one player pushing for pro job at each forward position Depth at right wing Weak at goaltender High end talent on the blue line South Bend is a below.500 team, but that doesn t mean there isn t talent coming up. Chicago can look forward to several players joining the team over the next couple seasons, the first of which should be their top prospect, 1 John Tonelli LW 2 Mats Naslund C 3 Val James D 4 Eddy Godin RW 5 Darryl Sutter RW 6 Doug Lidster D 7 Mike Allison LW 8 Kim Davis C 9 Bill Derlago C 10 Jerome Dupont D 11 Mark Lofthouse RW 12 Normand Aubin RW 13 John Hilworth D 14 Marco Baron G 15 Basil McRae LW 16 Wes Jarvis C 17 Normand Rochefort D Mats Naslund. Obtained from the Flyers in the Marcel Dionne trade, Naslund already boasts NFHL-ready puck moving skills. He will be an elite distributor of the puck and will rack up assists one day, despite a less than stellar season so far. He could also use work on his shot, but he is quick and coaches love his willingness to compete and force the issue. He isn t passive, but he does need some work in his own end. That will come with time and experience, though. Recently acquired John Tonelli may be the biggest benefactor of Naslund s skills. The trigger man acquired from St. Louis has struggled this season in the NFHL with the Blues, leading to his trade, but has all the skills necessary to be a top sniper in this game. He is fast, moves the puck well enough, and is even responsible in his own zone. Right winger Eddy Godin will probably follow Naslund. He leads the team in scoring right now and is 15 th overall. Similar to Naslund, he moves the puck well, but he is better rounded. He has a good, hard shot, plays the body with relish, and is very solid in his own end. He does have a couple years of development on Naslund, but at just 23, he could be on the Hawks next season on the 3 rd line and could work his way up. The defense is anchored by Val James, another 23-year old. He is solid in his own end, tough, but needs to get a bit more aggressive to take advantage of his strength. However, he makes a great first pass and can even help out on the power play. Doug Lidster and Jerome Dupont are several years younger, but have the skill set to develop into NFHLers. Lidster looks set to become a good shut down defenseman with a little bit of offense, while Dupont is more offensive. He is fairly bad defensively, though, so a specialist role may be his calling card. Or it could be his ticket out of the league. Marco Baron is the only option in net and he isn t going to be an answer to any question for Chicago. This is one area the Hawks will need to address in the coming years. However, with their two goalies in the NFHL only 26, it isn t a rush. But it isn t something they can put off too long, either, as it does take a while to develop goalies. Mike Allison 6C Mats Naslund 8B Eddy Godin 7C Val James 7B Marco Baron 4C Basil McRae 4C Kim Davis 6C Darryl Sutter 6B Doug Lidster 6B Bill Derlago 5C Mark Lofthouse 5D Jerome Dupont 5C Wes Jarvis 4D Normand Aubin 4B John Hilworth 4C Normand Rochefort 3B

29 P hiladelphia Flyers Team Rank: 20 th NMFHL Affiliate: Sulphur, T-9 th Place Wales Conference Goaltending Bottom 6 level forwards Toughness No depth in the forward ranks Lack of offensive production from any position 1 Mike Moffat G 2 Trevor Johansen D 3 Keith Acton C 4 Ray Neufeld RW 5 Chris Nilan RW 6 Dave Morrow D 7 Brian Young D 8 Ken Ellicott G 9 Dave Semenko LW 10 Blake Wesley D 11 Randy Hillier D It is a little unfair to the Flyers to rank them so low as they do have several superstars playing for the parent club who just miss out on being included in this list. Bernie Federko, Bryan Trottier, and Guy Chouinard are superstars in the league and are just 24 years old, therefore just missing inclusion in these rankings. They have also traded 2 of the top prospects in the game away this season. With them, the Flyers would be at the top, if not close to it. However, they are not included and without them, it is pretty sparse. And being tied for dead last in the Wales Conference is all the proof you need. There is one very bright spot, though, and that is Mike Moffat in net. Just drafted, Moffat looks like a steal and he could be ready for back up duty in as little as 2 seasons. Quite a feat for a 20 year old. With Don Edwards only 25, there is no need to rush Moffat, so you can be sure he will be given time to properly develop and then burst onto the scene. Sulphur also has a few defensemen, of which a couple could make the big squad. Trevor Johansen most likely will in the not too distant future. He is sound defensively and is adept at moving the puck up the ice. He also has some grit to his game, which is a nice bonus, but tends to cross the line. Discipline is a huge issue. That may be what costs him a pro job in the end. He is 23, so his window of opportunity isn t getting any bigger. And the way GM Matheson plies his trade, you just never know when new, fresh faces for the blue line will be brought in and push him further down the depth chart. Dave Morrow is also 23 and isn t quite as developed as Johansen, but he controls his temper better. Management may be more willing to take the safer choice in Morrow, at the expense of some skill and toughness. In the forward ranks, there is no one who looks like they will crack the top 2 lines, but with some development, there are a couple 4 th liners in the making. Keith Acton and Ray Neufeld could become 4 th liners, particularly Acton as he is a good skater. Neither is offensively gifted, but they are able to move the puck well enough for limited action. However, if any team wants to get rough with the Flyers, they are more than willing and able to respond. Enforcer Chris Nilan is already playing with the big club, the only prospect to do so, while Dave Semenko is patrolling Sulphur s ice and putting the scare into everyone. With Dave Schultz on the big club as well, the Flyers are a scary group. Dave Semenko 4B Keith Acton 5B Ray Neufeld 5B Trevor Joahnsen 6C Mike Moffat 8B Chris Nilan 5C Brian Young 6C Ken Ellicott 6C Dave Morrow 5B Blake Wesley 5C

30 Randy Hillier 5C

31 C olorado Rockies Team Rank: 21 st NMFHL Affiliate: Aurora, 9 th Place Campbell Conference Goaltender prospects Prospects on the blue line 1 Jack O Callahan D 2 Al Jensen G 3 Dave Parro G 4 Fred Arthur D 5 Marc Crawford RW 6 Ray Markham C 7 Kevin Maxwell RW 8 Dave Watson RW Little to no depth at centre or left wing No high end prospects Scoring Aurora is a victim of their parent club s winning now attitude. The Colorado Rockies have traded away their first round picks in recent years and when they have picked, they have eventually traded the player picked. Case in point is Brian Propp. One of the top prospects in the game, Propp was a victim in Colorado s desire for an upgraded blue line. As such, Aurora s talent level in prospects is very low, especially among forwards. They have a couple defensive prospects who could be with the big club one day. Jack O Callahan possesses an extremely well played defensive game, combined with some intensity and strength. He won t offer much in terms of offense, though. Fred Arthur, recently acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks, does everything decent, but won t wow anyone with any one trait. They play in front of a couple of promising goalies in Dave Parro and Al Jensen. Jensen has the ability to be a #1 eventually, though he will need to work on his rebound control. Parro looks like he could be a good back up within a couple years. Neither will reach the heights of Denis Herron, but Herron could (should?) be in net for another 4 or 5 years, so there is lots of time to develop. When we move into the forward ranks, it gets ugly quickly. Not one of the four prospects here looks like they will make the NFHL, so they may want to buy homes in Aurora, not rent. If any of the four do make it, though, it will be centre Ray Markham. He has some play making skills, but lacks a shot, defensive play, and intensity. There is often talk of the Rockies rebuilding. It won t happen this year, probably not next year either. So fans in Aurora may have to get used to a struggling squad until the parent club puts some more effort into development. Ray Markham 4B Marc Crawford 5D Jack O Callahan 7C Al Jensen 7C Kevin Maxwell 4C Fred Arthur 6C Dave Parro 6C Dave Watson 3B

32 Los Angeles Kings Team Rank: 22 nd NMFHL Affiliate: Binghamton, 8 th Place Campbell Conference Depth at right wing Toughness at the forward positions 1 Jere Gillis LW 2 Paul MacLean C 3 Tom Gorence RW 4 Dwight Foster RW 5 Lou Franceschetti RW 6 Dan Geoffrion RW Bona fide prospects on defense or in goal Depth at centre Top end scorer Los Angeles prospect pool is dangerously thin, but it became this way due to management s decision to go for the glory in the NFHL. In acquiring superstars Gilbert Perreault and Marcel Dionne, as well as other trades, the Kings have sacrificed to win now. Paul MacLean has the best chance to make the Kings in the next few seasons, though he needs to work on his speed. Jere Gillis is the top prospect and is 2 nd in team scoring for Binghamton, matching terrific speed and strength, with a dose of puck management skills. However, at 23, he will need to establish himself in the next couple of years if he hopes to stick with the big club for more than just a call up. Jere Gillis 6C Paul MacLean 6B Tom Gorence 5B Dwight Foster 5C Lou Franceschetti 4B Dan Geoffrion 3C