Rank YOUR Top 10 Ottawa Senators Prospects

As we await Round 2, which will be unreal in all probability, a little fun, time-wasting project.

Rank YOUR Top 10 Sens' Prospects. Who do you like the most in the system?

This is what I'll go with (I'm gonna assume that Elliott, Foligno, Bass, Lee etc. are graduated)

1.Erick Karlsson
2.Patrick Wiercioch
3.Peter Regin
4.Zach Smith
5.Louie Caporusso
6.Jim O'Brien
7.Ilya Zubov
8.Andre Petersson
9.Colin Greening
10.Emil Sandin

I would go with:

1. Wiercioch
2. Karlsson
3. Regin
4. Zubov
5. Jimmy O'
6. Lyamin (Still holding out hope)
7. Derek Grant
8. Z. Smith
9. Louie Cap.
10. Petersson

Derek Grant. Nice Bass, he's a big, big, big, big boy. I hope he makes it.

Bass Destruction wrote:I would go with:

1. Wiercioch
2. Karlsson
3. Regin
4. Zubov
5. Jimmy O'
6. Lyamin (Still holding out hope)
7. Derek Grant
8. Z. Smith
9. Louie Cap.
10. Petersson

Wiercioch ahead of Karlsson eh? Explain.

I personally would put Jimmy O ahead of Zubov but I can see him there because Zubov has played NHL games and is a fulltime AHLer not a Junior.

504Heater wrote:Derek Grant. Nice Bass, he's a big, big, big, big boy. I hope he makes it.

He also put up some big numbers this year, despite an injury. He had 1.7 points/game. Although he was held to just 1 goal and 2 assists in 4 playoff games.

He's committed to Michigan State next year, which could be good they didn't have a very strong year this year. They also have 5 graduating forwards, which should hopefully assure him some playing time next year.

I'm looking at the team's stats, they really do have a God awful team. Hopefully this will provide Derek with a learning opportunity, and a will to win.

Bass Destruction wrote:He also put up some big numbers this year, despite an injury. He had 1.7 points/game. Although he was held to just 1 goal and 2 assists in 4 playoff games.

He's committed to Michigan State next year, which could be good they didn't have a very strong year this year. They also have 5 graduating forwards, which should hopefully assure him some playing time next year.

I'm looking at the team's stats, they really do have a God awful team. Hopefully this will provide Derek with a learning opportunity, and a will to win.

Excellent. Is this the guy who's also pre-med? If so, he's apparently also a really cerebral player who can think the game at extremely high speed. So, if he gets a bigger chance to produce - and if the Sens can convince him to play some AHL as well instead of going straight to medicine - we most certainly have a winning 'character'.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

Bass Destruction wrote:I would go with:

1. Wiercioch
2. Karlsson
3. Regin
4. Zubov
5. Jimmy O'
6. Lyamin (Still holding out hope)
7. Derek Grant
8. Z. Smith
9. Louie Cap.
10. Petersson

Wiercioch ahead of Karlsson eh? Explain.

I personally would put Jimmy O ahead of Zubov but I can see him there because Zubov has played NHL games and is a fulltime AHLer not a Junior.

It's not so much based on skill, just Wiercioch is more type of Dman. A big body with offensive upside. I also like his family's story, and every time i read another article about him, I like him more and more. This kid went from being pretty much a nobody in the summer, to being one of the final cuts at Team Canada training camp.

I like Karlsson too. Saw him in a couple games at the World Juniors this year, I'm just more excited about Wiercioch.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:
Wiercioch ahead of Karlsson eh? Explain.

I personally would put Jimmy O ahead of Zubov but I can see him there because Zubov has played NHL games and is a fulltime AHLer not a Junior.

It was really close for me too Clutch. This kid has a nice resume of skills, size and a really good head for the game. I remember reading a post by a Denver fan on HF where he was saying that Wiercioch is amazing on special teams, but he's absolutely dominant 5 on 5. Like, he takes over the game completely. I was stunned back then, I'm still in shock as to how good a season he had in Denver - as a freshman!

It's a lot closer than people think between these two. The big difference is that while Karlsson could probably play in the NHL the year after next - or sooner - Wiercioch has to fill out to over 200 lbs and gain some more experience and confidence in the NCAA, then possibly the AHL.

504Heater wrote:

Bass Destruction wrote:He also put up some big numbers this year, despite an injury. He had 1.7 points/game. Although he was held to just 1 goal and 2 assists in 4 playoff games.

He's committed to Michigan State next year, which could be good they didn't have a very strong year this year. They also have 5 graduating forwards, which should hopefully assure him some playing time next year.

I'm looking at the team's stats, they really do have a God awful team. Hopefully this will provide Derek with a learning opportunity, and a will to win.

Excellent. Is this the guy who's also pre-med? If so, he's apparently also a really cerebral player who can think the game at extremely high speed. So, if he gets a bigger chance to produce - and if the Sens can convince him to play some AHL as well instead of going straight to medicine - we most certainly have a winning 'character'.

I think you are talking about Erik Condra. I was thinking about putting him up there, but the fact that he's graduated and has not been signed yet makes me think he's going to pursue medicine. In his freshman season he was the first Notre Dame player in over a decade to lead the team in scoring as a freshman. His sophomore season he posted the most points in a season since 1993. He was the alternate captain in his sophomore year and made captain in his final year, all while being pre-med. He also had a serious knee injury at the end of his Junior year, but managed to come back for his final year, and yet again lead his team in scoring.

That kid the leafs signed, Christian Hanson, was his teammate, finishing with significantly fewer points every year.

He could be good for us. A little though, at 5-11 and 184 lbs.

Here's my 10. I would expect the top 5 to have meaningful NHL careers, while the bottom 5 would be pleasant surprises if they had a long NHL career.

1. E. Karlsson
2. Regin
3. Wiercioch
4. Z. Smith
5. O'Brien
6. Zubov
7. Petersson
8. Caporusso
9. Daugavins
10. Condra

Yeah, I'm a little nervous. Apparently in August he becomes a free agent.

1. Erik Karlsson
2. Peter Regin
3. Patrick Wiercioch
4. Zach Smith
5. Jim O'Brien
6. Ilya Zubov
7. Louie Caporusso
8. Andre Petersson
9. Erik Condra
10. Derek Grant

Honorable mentions: Colin Greening, Ben Blood, Kaspars Daugavins, 2009 first round draft pick

Everyone must do one!

I like reading people's rankings.

504Heater wrote:Everyone must do one!

I like reading people's rankings.

What you will find even more interesting is post-draft whether Karlsson will rank 1 or 2 on the Ottawa Senators prospect chart.

Bass Destruction wrote:[It's not so much based on skill, just Wiercioch is more type of Dman. A big body with offensive upside.

Here's the thing: while Wiercioch's a big body, he seems to be a big body in the way that Kuba is a big body, rather than in the way Zdeno Chara or Brendan Witt is a big body.

Physicality, from what I've seen, isn't really a big part of his game. Whereas Karlsson can sometimes be absolutely merciless to the opposition. When he compared himself to Niklas Kronwall (another small guy), he wasn't that far off.

It's not the size of the dog in the fight...