August Question: Best Defensive Prospect Pool #1

Here are your choices - and remain unbiased!


Anaheim: Sbisa (47), Fowler, Gardiner, Vatanen, Clark, Mitera, Mikkelson (62)
Colorado: Shattenkirk, Elliott, Barrie, Cohen, Gaunce, Silas, Rutkowski
Florida: Kulikov (68), Gudbranson, Robak, Ellerby (22), Garrison (40), Petrovic, Comrie, LaPoint
Los Angeles: Hickey, Forbort, Voynov, Teubert, Drewiske (59), Martinez (4), Deslauriers
Nashville: Blum, Ellis, Franson (61), Roussel, Josi, Sulzer (22), Laakso (7)
Ottawa: Karlsson (60), Cowen (1), Rundblad, Wiercioch, Gryba, Wideman, Blood
Phoenix: Ekman-Larsson, Summers, Goncharov, Gormley, Stone, Brodeur, Ross
St. Louis: Pietrangelo (17), Cole, Junland (4), Ponich, Cundari, Nikitin, Fairchild

Number in brackets = # of NHL games played

What are the numbers in brackets?

hemlock wrote:What are the numbers in brackets?

I would guess number of NHL games played.

PKC wrote:

hemlock wrote:What are the numbers in brackets?

I would guess number of NHL games played.

Yes, that's right.

Phoenix, no question

I'd have to agree with Phoenix as well. Not only do they have some top end guys like OEL and Gormley, but they've got quality guys like Ross and Summers who on the low end project to be solid complimentary guys.

I actually like Ottawa in terms of balance, but really:

- OEL, Goncharov, Gormley

That's 3 potential N1 defensemen...

marakh wrote:I actually like Ottawa in terms of balance, but really:

- OEL, Goncharov, Gormley

That's 3 potential N1 defensemen...

Ottawa pretty much has that top-end talent too though with Karlsson, Cowen and Wiercioch/Rundbland.

I like what Ottawa/Phoenix and Anaheim bring to the table. Their are a lot of teams with deep defences though.

Phoenix...plus they already have a great young D in Keith Yandle who is very underappreciated. Don't know much about their other D asided from OEL, Gormley, and Goncharov

stempniaksen wrote:

marakh wrote:I actually like Ottawa in terms of balance, but really:

- OEL, Goncharov, Gormley

That's 3 potential N1 defensemen...

Ottawa pretty much has that top-end talent too though with Karlsson, Cowen and Wiercioch/Rundbland.

I like what Ottawa/Phoenix and Anaheim bring to the table. Their are a lot of teams with deep defences though.

Only one or two of ours could really become legitimate #1 defensemen. OEL and Gormley are both expected to be #1s, and Goncharov has the potential.

I'd say Ottawa's Behind Florida, Anaheim, and maybe Nashville.

Cowen was projected to got top-five if not top-three before his injury. He has now recovered. He lost a year but not his projection -- he's definitely #1 potential.

Karlsson flew under the radar, for sure, but I enjoyed seeing what he did last year. Definitely potential there to be a #1.

Wiercioch is an unknown quantity at this point. The NCAA is not the OHL/AHL and certainly not NHL. He's got great scoring touch but I'll reserve judgment until I see how he skates with another 20 lbs on his frame. Too early to tell.

Runblad (the spelling of his name is actually quite simple -- just think Blade Runner), according to many comments I'd read, mayb not have the offensive potential of Karlsson, but his size may allow him to be a better defenseman, overall.

To me, that's three potential #1s. And while you may say that OEL and Gormley are expected to be #1s, the reality is that they are both prospects with potential. No guarantees. Right now, Karlsson is the closest of all the others mentioned. He outscored Hedman on a team that struggled to score all year -- yes, it's too early to say that he will be better than Hedman, but it's also not too early to say that there's no guarantee that Hedman will be better than Karlsson. Remember when they were drafted -- it was a given that Hedman was above Karlsson in nearly every category. The consensus now is that he is taller.

OK, let me retract what I said about the spelling of Blade Runner's name. I've seen it spelled (misspelled?) both ways but it looks like Rundblad is the most common.

Big Ev wrote:Phoenix...plus they already have a great young D in Keith Yandle who is very underappreciated. Don't know much about their other D asided from OEL, Gormley, and Goncharov

Yandle is awesome. His progression as a player is mirrors Duncan Keith's rise. I don't think he'll get to that level, but he's still well on his way to being the clear cut #1 d-man in Phoenix. Very underrated, but now he's getting some notice after the breakout season he had last year.

wprager wrote:OK, let me retract what I said about the spelling of Blade Runner's name. I've seen it spelled (misspelled?) both ways but it looks like Rundblad is the most common.

It's Rundblad for sure.

I've searched (and found) both spellings used in online publications (I've ignored forum traffic, of course). Then I did a search in Swedish -- same results. A report from a St. Louis paper when the trade went down had it spelled Runblad in the title, and Rundblad in the text.

By the way, how come the Sens' website does not have him listed on their prospects page?