Claesson's actually had two full AHL seasons, plus he and Wideman were the only defenceman to have played more than 70 games last year on the highest scoring team in the AHL... and Wideman had 51pts, while Claesson still only had 3 goals. Defensive defenceman can put up points (especially assists) in the AHL on a high-scoring team without it meaning much at the NHL level - case in point, Volchenkov scored 45pts in the AHL but is about as defensive-minded a player as they come. Even Gryba and Borowiecki have recently had 20pts seasons on less offensive-minded versions of the B-Sens, and that certainly hasn't made them any less one-dimensional at the NHL level. Claesson seems like a very responsible, defensively-aware player with a lot of maturity to his game - but without any kind of dynamic quality, he's far more likely to be little more than a supporting depth player.
- khawk

he did that as a 25-26 year old NHL regular, who was playing in the AHL during the lockout (on a team that was loaded in talent)......not exactly the same as a 21 year old kid, playing only his 2nd year as a pro. Claesson still managed 30pts and was almost a +40. Also, and IMO this is the most important point, Luke Richardson has been raving about this kid for nearly 2 years, saying his game is much better suited to the NHL. Since taking over as coach in Bingo, Luke has rarely been wrong, so i'm willing to take his word this time too.

I think Claesson is our best D prospect (if you don't count Ceci as a prospect)

he did that as a 25-26 year old NHL regular, who was playing in the AHL during the lockout (on a team that was loaded in talent)......not exactly the same as a 21 year old kid, playing only his 2nd year as a pro. Claesson still managed 30pts and was almost a +40. Also, and IMO this is the most important point, Luke Richardson has been raving about this kid for nearly 2 years, saying his game is much better suited to the NHL. Since taking over as coach in Bingo, Luke has rarely been wrong, so i'm willing to take his word this time too.

I think Claesson is our best D prospect (if you don't count Ceci as a prospect)
- haywoodjablome

No, Volchenkov played most of that year as a 22 year-old... why would you not check that simple fact before making claims about his age in relation to Claesson's? Not to mention that it doesn't change the fact that AHL points are a bad way to forecast offensive production from primarily defensive-minded players. Also, I didn't say Claesson wouldn't make the NHL - I simply said I don't think he has enough of a well-rounded game to bump players like Cowen, Methot, Ceci, Wiercioch, out of top-4 roles. It's nice that Richardson had positive things to say about him - but those brand new multi-year extensions for Gryba and Borowiecki would seem to suggest that the organization is slightly less convinced of his NHL value at this point.

No, Volchenkov played most of that year as a 22 year-old... why would you not check that simple fact before making claims about his age in relation to Claesson's? Not to mention that it doesn't change the fact that AHL points are a bad way to forecast offensive production from primarily defensive-minded players. Also, I didn't say Claesson wouldn't make the NHL - I simply said I don't think he has enough of a well-rounded game to bump players like Cowen, Methot, Ceci, Wiercioch, out of top-4 roles. It's nice that Richardson had positive things to say about him - but those brand new multi-year extensions for Gryba and Borowiecki would seem to suggest that the organization is slightly less convinced of his NHL value at this point.
- khawk

my bad about the age thing, i just saw that he already had 2 or 3 years in the NHL, and just assumed......didn't realize he became an NHL regular at 19 or 20.

my point about AHL points, and what volchenkov did, is that he was playing on a team that was loaded with NHL level talent. Binghampton that year was friggin stacked, if memory serves, they walked over the league that year, they had something like 110pts and scored almost 300 goals in 70 games........that season was not normal.

as for him bumping wiercioch, ceci, cowen, etc......i agree with that, didn't realize that's what you were debating. i thought the debate was between him and the swede that ottawa took in the 1st round this year.

my point about AHL points, and what volchenkov did, is that he was playing on a team that was loaded with NHL level talent. Binghampton that year was friggin stacked, if memory serves, they walked over the league that year, they had something like 110pts and scored almost 300 goals in 70 games........that season was not normal.
as for him bumping wiercioch, ceci, cowen, etc......i agree with that, didn't realize that's what you were debating. i thought the debate was between him and the swede that ottawa took in the 1st round this year.
- haywoodjablome

Well, the bit about the other defenceman was to refute a claim that Claesson has a future top-4 role in him - I just don't think he does, especially at the expense of those other players, which is realistically what it would imply. And you're right - the Volchenkov year was a bit of an anomaly, but then again he scored half again as many points as Claesson did last year, virtually all of Claesson's points were assists, and Binghamton was the highest scoring team in the league last year as well. In short, if people are expecting significant NHL production out of Claesson, they might be pretty disappointed.

As for trying to compare Claesson to Englund, it starts to get pretty speculative - but yes, I'd suggest that if Murray and Dorion consider Englund as a 1st-round-quality player, then he most likely has a better chance of an eventual top-4 role than Claesson. And those extensions for Gryba and Borowiecki really do limit the opportunities that he Claesson will have in the next couple of years to prove himself at the NHL level. So hopefully there's some kind of trade in the near future that clears the path a bit for us to really see what he's capable of.