Consensus top 5 prospects are Spooner, Fraser, Koko, Morrow and Subban. Only sure bet to me from this group is Spooner. I'd throw Subban in there as well, but goalies are notoriously hard to project. I saw about 10 or 11 games in Providence this year and for the most part I'm relying on the "eye test". I'd usually focus on 1 or 2 players in a games so I could see what they were doing more than just when they had the puck. I'm no expert, but here is how I see it:
1. Ryan Spooner 11-35 46 (49 games) I really liked the progression of Spooner’s game this year. He added some muscle last off season. He developed a little more jam this year as a result. A lot has been made of his speed, but to me what makes that special is his ability to change direction and accelerate at the same time. When he gets to center ice and turns the skates to 10 and 2, he can explode in any direction, which keeps the D off balance. He’s developed a solid accurate wrist shot, particularly off the half wall, where he has the potential to be a Marc Savard like PP presence. He played in all situations in Providence on both the #1 PK and PP units. I don’t think his game translates well as a winger, but he’s ready now as a center. I can see him as a #1 or #2 center sooner rather than later.
2. Matt Fraser 20-10 30 (44 games). Pure shooter with good size and decent speed. Early in the season I thought he was just a sniper, but over the season I saw that he was willing to go into the traffic areas in front of the net. Showed some good stick ability to get on loose pucks and redirect tips, making him more than a one dimensional scorer. I’m not sure I saw enough checking ability to say he could break in on the 4th line, but small sample size aside, he looks like he could be a fit with Yeti and Loui as early as this coming season.
3. Alexander Khokhlachev 21-36 57 (65 games) Leading scorer for the PB’s. Shifty skater with excellent puck handling skills. He needs to be that way, because I haven’t seen that he has high end speed. He really needs to work on his D. Bruins like their centers to be strong on the forecheck. He made some progress there, but he has a ways to go. His creativity and confidence can lead to some turnovers as he looks to make the highlight play. He definitely needs another year in the AHL, particularly if Spooner moves up so he can get 1st Center special teams responsibilities. Scoring dropped off in the playoffs which is a minor concern.
4. Joe Morrow 6-23 29 (56 games) I know a lot of people are really high on him, but I’m not. He’s good in all phases and has a quick, fairly accurate shot, but isn’t great in any area. He’s definitely not a physical defenseman, and only had 28 PIMs on the year. I’m not sold on his hockey sense either. It seemed every game I saw he made a few plays where hesitation killed him and resulted in a turnover or missed opportunity. To me, the best comparison is Matt Lashoff. Natural ability to die for, but AHL ceiling.
5. Malcom Subban 15 -10 2.31 .920 I think he had an excellent year as a really young AHL rookie (Dec birthdate) Obviously he’s a big goalie, but he moves extremely well. Plays fairly upright and practically invites shooters to go 5 hole. Very good quickness post to post. Good, but not yet great on blocker and glove saves. Big weakness right now is rebound control. He needs to square up better and smother rebounds. A year as the #1 and 45+ games in the AHL will help his development curve. Could be ready for back up duty in 2015-16, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he is a #1 somewhere during that season.
Other snapshots:
Craig Cunningham: 25-22 47 (75 games) My darkhorse to take Thornton’s spot on the 4th line. Good offensive player, but I also really like his grit. He’s not a big physical presence, but is a willing checker and doesn’t back down.
Zach Trotman 8-16 24 (53 games) There’s a lot to like about his game, but he’s increasingly looking fragile. He’s had a few concussions and seems to get dinged up a lot and misses games as a result. Boychuck like shot from the point. Good physical presence and a smart hockey player. Needs more time in the AHL, but good depth for next season if he can stay healthy.
David Warsofsky 6-26 32 (56 games) I admit to having a irrational man crush on Warsofsky. I love his game. Dynamic skater and good leader on the ice. Krug is the obvious comparison, and I think he matches him in most areas except Krug has a better shot. Moves the puck extremely well on the PP. Size is his biggest issue. I think he is a slightly better defender than Krug, but is likewise challenged by bigger, stronger players. My guess is that he is trade bait since he’s blocked by Krug.
Jared Knight 5-14 19 (58 games) He missed most of last year due to injuries, so this was basically his rookie year. North – South player with a ton of jam. I think he has all the physical attributes to contribute at the NHL level on the 3rd or 4th line. I’m anxious to see if he can put it together as a 1st line player in Prov next year.
Niklas Svedberg 25-15 2.63 .910 Took a step back from last year. Part of last year’s better stats was probably due to a better D in front of him. He seemed more exposed this year on shots up high. I liked his battle level. He’s willing to challenge skaters and throws his body around. That sometimes gets him in trouble. I think he needs to pick his spots better when going after loose pucks and rely on technique to keep it out rather than cover. Hard to really say just from watching in the stands, but there were times when he appeared to lose focus this year. Could be confidence or just working on different technique, but he could look awful for long stretches in games.
Seth Griffith 20-30 50 (69 games) I don’t think he was on a lot of people’s radar as a potential impact player this year, but I was really impressed. Good skater and looks to have a high hockey IQ. Manned the point as a forward on the PP. I like his all around game and think he could be a 2nd or 3rd line winger after another year at the AHL.
Justin Florek 19-19 38 (69 games) Big kid with wheels. Very willing to go in the dirty areas. I don’t see him developing the overall offensive game to be a reliable 3rd line winger, but could excel on the 4th line as a checker with a little bit of scoring punch
I didn't see enough of Camara to offer any assessment, but let me know if there is anyone I missed that I can weigh in on.
