While Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin and Pavel Datsyuk are the three Hart Trophy finalists, Washington's Mike Green was the NHL's best player in terms of the RealGM Ice Impact Counter.
“It isn’t tennis, I can tell you that much!” xxclaimed one local observer who, out of embarrassment, wished to remain anonymous. “They both just kinda…push the ball over the net, you know?"
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By Adam Silliphant
With the emergence of Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, the NHL certainly has an abundance of future stars emerging through their respective organizations. Here is a list ranking the NHL’s top prospects.
1. Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
Patrick likely wouldn’t have been the consensus top prospect in the NHL prior to the season. However, he has emerged as one of the league’s top young stars and has impressed with very good statistics in his first NHL season. Patrick Kane is a fantastic offensive player with all the tools necessary to become elite in that aspect. Heading forward, it would be beneficial to Kane if he improved his defensive play and overall strength.
2. Erik Johnson (St. Louis Blues)
Erik Johnson is going to be a franchise defenseman. Johnson is the type of player you build your team around and provide trust to carry a team for years to come. At approximately 6’4, Johnson is a large, strong defenseman with offensive abilities. Johnson has had high expectations placed upon him from when he was drafted, but it’s expected that he’s going to make an immediate impact for the Blues rather soon.
3. Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks)
Having two of the leagues' top prospects must make Chicago Blackhawk fans smile. With Jonathan Toews, they get a player who will be their captain in the near future. He shows excellent leadership abilities both on and off the ice. Toews is reliable on both ends of the ice and shows constant improvement as time goes by. In Chicago, they often rank their deadly duo as 1(a) Patrick Kane 1(b) Jonathan Toews, and rightfully so. Toews is a smooth skating forward with solid stick handling abilities. He’s going to be an offensive force sooner rather than later.
4. Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens)
When Price was drafted, many thought he was drafted too soon. It’s unlikely that many share the same opinion as they previously did. Price started the 2007-2008 season with the Montreal Canadiens and made his highly anticipated first start rather quickly. He showed some success in the NHL as a young goaltender and showed that he is, without a doubt, a future franchise goaltender. Carey Price shows such great poise in the net, proven with his quick reflexes and flawless technique. He currently isn’t ready to play full time in the NHL, but it’s expected that he will make the transition in the near future.
5. Jack Johnson (Los Angeles Kings)
It’s rather rare that you witness a top prospect similar to Jack Johnson get traded so quickly after being drafted. Johnson was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes but was traded soon after to the Los Angeles Kings in a deal that sent immediate defensive help to the Hurricanes. With Jack Johnson, the Kings have a smooth skating physical defenseman who certainly does not shy away from contact. Jack Johnson projects to be a future top pairing defenseman and is a player that the Kings expect to build their blue line around soon.
6. Nicklas Backstrom (Washington Capitals)
Backstrom is an excellent selection for one obvious reason: Alexander Ovechkin. Nicklas Backstrom displays breath-taking play making abilities that will benefit both Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin for years to come. Backstrom is regarded as one of the best players to emerge from Sweden since Peter Forsberg. Such comparisons have placed large expectations on him, but he’s certainly up for the challenge. Both Backstrom and Ovechkin are going to give goaltenders nightmares for quite some time.
7. Kyle Turris (Phoenix Coyotes)
After an impressive season playing Junior in Burnaby, Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes decided to select him with the 3rd overall selection in the 2007 draft. Turris also shows excellent leadership abilities as well as tremendous offensive skills. Heading forward, Turris will need to improve his overall strength to ensure a smooth transition into the NHL.
8. James vanRiemsdyk (Philadelphia Flyers)
James vanRiemsdyk was extremely impressive in the recent World Juniors as he was among the leading scorers of the tournament. Standing 6’3, James is a true Power Forward that can put the puck in the net in a hurry. He was recently drafted 2nd overall in the 2007 NHL draft and is exactly the type of player the Philadelphia Flyers love. James vanRiemsdyk is a good skater despite his size but does need to add strength to live up to his potential.
9. Sam Gagner (Edmonton Oilers)
Sam Gagner has absolutely amazing stick handling abilities along with an overall knack for the net. Gagner was drafted 6th overall in the 2007 draft but is often considered to be the best player to come out of the draft. As an 18 year old rookie, Sam made the Edmonton Oilers since the entire organization thought he was good enough to make the squad. Heading forward, Sam will receive additional responsibilities, more ice time, and will make a larger impact in the near future.
10. Tukka Rask (Boston Bruins)
Tukka Rask has come a long way since being selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Acquired by the Bruins in 2006, he has made extreme strides and has since made a recent appearance in the NHL for his squad. Tukka Rask has all the tools necessary to become a franchise goaltender and is showing them since being brought over to play in North America. He is extremely quick in his crease and has solid reflexes. It’s expected that Tukka Rask will be handed a roster spot within the next 2 seasons on the Boston Bruins. Rask is still rather raw but is blossoming into quite the goaltender, likely due to extensive training provided by the Boston Bruins and their minor league affiliates.
