Richard Cloutier: Top 20 Oilers Prospects

Nice blog.

Wow...I guess sucking for the better part of 20 years really pays off hey!

Wow...I guess sucking for the better part of 20 years really pays off hey!
- LeftCoaster

If you ask Tambellini, he'll tell you that was his strategy.

Nail Yakupov is awsome. Jealous Nucks fan here.

If you ask Tambellini, he'll tell you that was his strategy.
- Maxbone

The sooner the Oilers find themselves a real GM, the better off they'll be! You've got the pieces, now you need to find the talent to surround them with. Kinda like when Pittsburgh drafted Mario Lemieux and then added players like Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy, Ron Francis, Paul Coffey, Kevin Stevens and Ulf Samuelsson within the next five years.

If you ask Tambellini, he'll tell you that was his strategy.
- Maxbone

Just curious about your thoughts on Pronman's write-up on Klefbom. Pretty different from yours.

3. Oscar Klefbom, Defense
2010-11 Ranking: 5th
Date of birth: 07/20/1993
Age: 18
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 201
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 33 GP, 2 G, 2 P, 13:41 ATOI (Farjestad-SEL)
Acquired: First round, 15th overall in 2011 by Edmonton

The Good: Klefbom is a gifted athlete who has high-end physical tools. He's an easy plus skater with great acceleration who moves exceptionally well for a player his size. Aside from having good size, he is very physically advanced for his age, never mind the fact most U-20 European players tend to be behind the physical curve whereas he is ahead of it. Klefbom has solid puck skills and flashes slightly above-average vision as well.

The Bad: The issues with Klefbom coming into the draft were that he was a little raw, and how well he would transition faster pace hockey. While people in the industry think he has the making of a great defensive defender due to his size and skating, he had not yet shown a lot of that at a high level outside of his own age group. Klefbom still shows some struggles with his decision making, and the occasional defensive gap, but in the second half of the year he took big strides forward.

Projection: He could be a great #3 defender who logs tough minutes and produces an average amount of offense.

Reider could turn into a sick 3rd line RW. Apparently he was the top PK guy in the OHL last year or something, plus he's got offensive skills. It's too bad Pitlick has converted to RW basically, if they could put together a 3rd line of Paajarvi-Pitlick-Reider that would work out pretty well for them if you ask me.

I'm hoping they keep him around.

Good read. One change in your list I'd make is take Tyrvainen out and put Gernat in his place. Although he's a super pest he really doesn't have much for hockey skills other than hitting.

Just curious about your thoughts on Pronman's write-up on Klefbom. Pretty different from yours.

3. Oscar Klefbom, Defense
2010-11 Ranking: 5th
Date of birth: 07/20/1993
Age: 18
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 201
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 33 GP, 2 G, 2 P, 13:41 ATOI (Farjestad-SEL)
Acquired: First round, 15th overall in 2011 by Edmonton

The Good: Klefbom is a gifted athlete who has high-end physical tools. He's an easy plus skater with great acceleration who moves exceptionally well for a player his size. Aside from having good size, he is very physically advanced for his age, never mind the fact most U-20 European players tend to be behind the physical curve whereas he is ahead of it. Klefbom has solid puck skills and flashes slightly above-average vision as well.

The Bad: The issues with Klefbom coming into the draft were that he was a little raw, and how well he would transition faster pace hockey. While people in the industry think he has the making of a great defensive defender due to his size and skating, he had not yet shown a lot of that at a high level outside of his own age group. Klefbom still shows some struggles with his decision making, and the occasional defensive gap, but in the second half of the year he took big strides forward.

Projection: He could be a great #3 defender who logs tough minutes and produces an average amount of offense.
- eichiefs9

It's weird, everyone you ask seems to have a totally different opinion of Klefbom. I think it'll be a wait and see what happens when he comes over here, but most of us Oil fans have high hopes of him.

It's weird, everyone you ask seems to have a totally different opinion of Klefbom. I think it'll be a wait and see what happens when he comes over here, but most of us Oil fans have high hopes of him.
- BarDownBobo

I don't really know a ton about him outside of what I read, but here's to hoping he turns into what you guys expect from him.

Unless you're playing the Islanders. Then I hope he's injured.

Richard Cloutier: Top 20 Oilers Prospects
- Maxbone

What no Martin Gernat? After last season I had him ranked ahead of Marincin.

I don't really know a ton about him outside of what I read, but here's to hoping he turns into what you guys expect from him.

Unless you're playing the Islanders. Then I hope he's injured.
- eichiefs9

I'm kinda the same way, but it sounds like he will be good. I'm hopeful of that, cuz outside of him and Schultz our D prospects are gonna be either hit or miss.

Just curious about your thoughts on Pronman's write-up on Klefbom. Pretty different from yours.

3. Oscar Klefbom, Defense
2010-11 Ranking: 5th
Date of birth: 07/20/1993
Age: 18
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 201
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 33 GP, 2 G, 2 P, 13:41 ATOI (Farjestad-SEL)
Acquired: First round, 15th overall in 2011 by Edmonton

The Good: Klefbom is a gifted athlete who has high-end physical tools. He's an easy plus skater with great acceleration who moves exceptionally well for a player his size. Aside from having good size, he is very physically advanced for his age, never mind the fact most U-20 European players tend to be behind the physical curve whereas he is ahead of it. Klefbom has solid puck skills and flashes slightly above-average vision as well.

The Bad: The issues with Klefbom coming into the draft were that he was a little raw, and how well he would transition faster pace hockey. While people in the industry think he has the making of a great defensive defender due to his size and skating, he had not yet shown a lot of that at a high level outside of his own age group. Klefbom still shows some struggles with his decision making, and the occasional defensive gap, but in the second half of the year he took big strides forward.

Projection: He could be a great #3 defender who logs tough minutes and produces an average amount of offense.
- eichiefs9

IMO for what its worth is, Klefbom will be a physical top 4 dman, maybe in a shutdown role with 2nd PP unit time. Ive watched him play live in wjc games and he has a good enough shot, and likes to hit. Hopefully he turns out like kronwall. I think i would have rated Schultz higher than him.

It's weird, everyone you ask seems to have a totally different opinion of Klefbom. I think it'll be a wait and see what happens when he comes over here, but most of us Oil fans have high hopes of him.
- BarDownBobo

That was written like 2 yrs ago.

Oscar has been improving by leaps and bounds over there.Maybe not quite at the level Rich makes him out to be. Though he has been getting very high praise, and was dominating most games before his injury.

Edit: I was referring to Pronmans draft report for Klefbomb

IMO for what its worth is, Klefbom will be a physical top 4 dman, maybe in a shutdown role with 2nd PP unit time. Ive watched him play live in wjc games and he has a good enough shot, and likes to hit. Hopefully he turns out like kronwall. I think i would have rated Schultz higher than him.
- Killbot460

Sounds a lot like Hamonic to me. Maybe not the exact same player, but generally the same standout qualities. Hopefully that's what you get out of him. I also can't see how anyone on earth would rate him over Schultz, but hey everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

That was written like 2 yrs ago.

Oscar has been improving by leaps and bounds over there.Maybe not quite at the level Rich makes him out to be. Though he has been getting very high praise, and was dominating most games before his injury.

Edit: I was referring to Pronmans draft report for Klefbomb
- steveb12344

I originally posted that one by mistake

The current one is from July.

Sounds a lot like Hamonic to me. Maybe not the exact same player, but generally the same standout qualities. Hopefully that's what you get out of him. I also can't see how anyone on earth would rate him over Schultz, but hey everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
- eichiefs9

thats a legit comparison i like it , sometimes i worrie about RC lol

(frank) Ya OKC Game on Sportsnet Sat night wooot wooot

http://hockeyprospectus.c...rticle.php?articleid=1398

Seguin ahead of Hall..

http://hockeyprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1398

Seguin ahead of Hall..
- Feeling_Glucky

fans here are gonna freak when they see where eberle was ranked.

http://hockeyprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1398

Seguin ahead of Hall..
- Feeling_Glucky

RNH ahead of Landeskog

fans here are gonna freak when they see where eberle was ranked.
- Jack-artist

looks about right.

The sooner the Oilers find themselves a real GM, the better off they'll be! You've got the pieces, now you need to find the talent to surround them with. Kinda like when Pittsburgh drafted Mario Lemieux and then added players like Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy, Ron Francis, Paul Coffey, Kevin Stevens and Ulf Samuelsson within the next five years.
- LeftCoaster

Well, I think that's kind of what Steve Tambellini is doing. Although, it's not bringing guys in by trade, he's instead drafting/signing players. He drafted Jordan Eberle & Taylor Hall, and is now surrounding them with players such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov, Oscar Klefbom, and Justin Schultz. Sounds like a pretty good start at building the nucleus of a Stanley Cup winning team, don't you think? Oops, sorry, forgot I was talking to a Canuck's fan. Kinda pointless asking you about a Stanley Cup winning team.

i think you're going to be a little disappointed with the way Klefbom turns out if you think he has franchise defenseman potential. I mean, maybe he has that potential, but I'd say the odds are pretty low. Also, I don't get how Hartikainen and Marincin leap frog Paajarvi based on a one month sample size of AHL play, and how Teemu's potential is now a whole line higher than Paajarvi's, when Paajarvi's scoring rates are still higher than Teemu's in both the NHL and AHL.
I'd argue Hartikainen is hitting pretty close to his potential where Paajarvi's barely scraped his own.