According to ESPN’s Corey Pronman, Andrei Vasilevskiy is the best goaltending prospect in the world. According to ESPN’s Corey Pronman, Jonathan Drouin is the best prospect in the world.
Both are Tampa Bay Lightning property.
Given the amount of young talent that has transitioned through Tampa’s development system over the last couple of years, it’s hard to believe that there’s more on the way. And calling players like Drouin and Vasilevskiy ‘more’ is almost an understatement. These two are stars. These two are potentially generational players
Pronman isn’t exactly shy about praising either player in ESPN’s annual prospect rankings. The piece is available to ‘Insiders’ only, but it’s absolutely worth reading if you’re into all things hockey.
Pronman on Drouin:
After the Lightning elected to not keep him on the NHL roster for 2013-14, Drouin had another elite season in the QMJHL, torching the league in terms of point production. He led the QMJHL playoffs in points (41 in 16 games) despite Halifax not advancing to the final round. His skill level and hockey sense are both off the charts, he's a very elusive skater and he has the ability to create a scoring chance at will. When you combine all of his offensive elements (all of which are high-end), Drouin is the clear best forward prospect outside the NHL. He converted to center this season, showing pretty effective play in the defensive zone, which was previously a weakness. With a good summer from a physical development standpoint, he should be a player to watch for next year's Calder Trophy.
Pronman on Vasilevskiy:
I'm not exaggerating when I say this: Vasilevskiy is one of the best goalie prospects of the past 20 years. He's a special player who has excelled if not dominated at just about every level and major event he's participated in during the past five years, including the KHL playoffs. Vasilevskiy has good size -- 6-foot-3, 201 pounds -- elite athleticism, and a high hockey IQ and technical refinement you don't typically see in a goalie of his age (20).
It’s almost unfathomable to think that a team as good as the Bolts is about to add two young players of this quality. How often does a playoff team on the rise get to add a Drouin? How often does a goaltender with Vasilevskiy’s unique combination of size, skill, and smarts come along? I think it’s probably safe to say that the answer to both questions is a resounding “not often.…
In addition to Drouin and Vasilevskiy, who top their respective categories, Pronman also has four more Bolts skaters ranked in his top-100. Vladislav Namestnikov, Adam Erne, Slater Koekkoek, and Brayden Point all made the cut. I won’t spoil much more. You’ll have to read the piece for yourself.
It’s been said time and time again on this blog, but I’ll say it one more time: The future is ridiculously bright for hockey in Tampa. Now it’s your call! Which Lightning prospect are you most excited about?
As always, thanks for reading.
Michael Stuart has been the Tampa Bay Lightning writer for HockeyBuzz since 2012. Visit his archive to read more or follow him on Twitter.