NHL DRAFT [Feb-06]: Esposito Tops 2007 Rankings
Esposito Tops 2007 Rankings (posted 2.22.06)
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by mckeenshockey.com
01 .. Angelo Esposito .. RW .. Quebec (QMJHL)
02 .. Nick Petrecki .. D .. Omaha (USHL)
03 .. Mikael Backlund .. C .. Vasteras (Swe)
04 .. Colton Gillies .. C .. Saskatoon (WHL)
05 .. Brandon Sutter .. RW .. Red Deer (WHL)
06 .. Tristin Llewellyn .. D .. Tri-City (USHL)
07 .. Logan Couture .. C .. Ottawa (OHL)
08 .. Alex Grant .. D .. Saint John (QMJHL)
09 .. Thomas Hickey .. D .. Seattle (WHL)
10 .. Sam Gagner .. C .. Sioux City (USHL)
11 .. Zach Hamill .. C .. Everett (WHL)
12 .. Mark Katic .. D .. Sarnia (OHL)
13 .. Karl Alzner .. D .. Calgary (WHL)
14 .. James van Riemsdyk .. C .. NTDP-17 (USA)
15 .. Michal Repik .. RW .. Vancouver (WHL)
16 .. Michael Biega .. RW .. Salisbury (USHS)
17 .. Alex Plante .. D .. Calgary (WHL)
18 .. Jakub Voracek .. RW .. Kladno (Cze)
19 .. James O'Brien .. C .. NTDP-18 (USA)
20 .. Tyson Sexsmith .. G .. Vancouver (WHL)
21 .. Patrick Kane .. RW .. NTDP-18 (USA)
22 .. Zach Torquato .. C .. Saginaw (OHL)
23 .. Logan MacMillan .. C .. Halifax (QMJHL)
24 .. Stephen Lund .. D .. PEI (QMJHL)
25 .. Bryan Cameron .. C .. Belleville (OHL)
26 .. David Stich .. D .. Plzen (Cze)
27 .. Keaton Ellerby .. D .. Kamloops (WHL)
28 .. Brett Sonne .. LW .. Calgary (WHL)
29 .. Mike Hoeffel .. LW .. Hill-Murray (USHS)
30 .. Brad Phillips .. G .. NTDP-17 (USA)
31 .. David Skokan .. C .. Rimouski (QMJHL)
32 .. Brad Malone .. RW .. Cushing Academy (USHS)
33 .. Scott Brannon .. RW .. Cape Breton (QMJHL)
34 .. Justin McCrae .. C .. Saskatoon (WHL)
35 .. Keven Veilleux .. C .. Victoriaville (QMJHL)
36 .. John Albert .. C .. NTDP-17 (USA)
37 .. Maxim Grachev .. LW .. Rimouski (QMJHL)
38 .. Drayson Bowman .. C .. Spokane (WHL)
39 .. Kevin Shattenkirk .. D .. NTDP-17 (USA)
40 .. Vitaly Karamnov .. C .. Dynamo Moscow (Rus)
41 .. Juraj Valach .. D .. Zvolen (Svk)
42 .. Ondrej Roman .. C .. Vitkovice (Cze)
43 .. Brendan Smith .. D .. St. Michael's (OPJHL)
44 .. Teddy Ruth .. D .. NTDP-17 (USA)
45 .. Jean-Simon Allard .. C .. St. John's (QMJHL)
46 .. Dwight King .. LW .. Lethbridge (WHL)
47 .. Sergei Korostin .. RW .. Dynamo Moscow (Rus)
48 .. Brett Bruneteau .. C .. Omaha (USHL)
49 .. Ryan Hayes .. LW .. NTDP-17 (USA)
50 .. Oscar Moller .. LW .. Djurgardens (Swe)
51 .. Drew Schiestel .. D .. Mississauga (OHL)
52 .. Ian Cole .. D .. NTDP-17 (USA)
53 .. Maxime Tanguay .. C .. Rimouski (QMJHL)
54 .. Luke Pither .. C .. Kingston (OHL)
55 .. C.J. Severyn .. LW .. NTDP-17 (USA)
56 .. Matt Fillier .. C .. St. John's (QMJHL)
57 .. Raffael D'Orso .. G .. LLL Regents (QAAA)
58 .. Egor Averin .. RW .. Avangard Omsk (Rus)
59 .. Jonathan Blum .. D .. Vancouver (WHL)
60 .. Luca Cunti .. C .. Dubendorf (Sui)
Top 20 Russian prospects for 2006 NHL Draft (posted 2.3.06)
by Evgeny Belashchenko/RussianProspects.com
A look at how the top eligible Russian prospects stack up for the 2006 NHL Draft according to Evgeny Belashchenko of RussianProspects.com. Andrei Popov, Yuri Alexandrov, and Semen Varlamov currently rank as the top forward, defenseman and goalie respectively, while Igor Makarov's apparent rift with Soviet Wings management has contributed to his plummeting stock.
1. Yuri Alexandrov (D)
Holding steady as the top eligible Russian by performing well at the Super League level. He is also the captain of the `88-born national team and is really developing into a power play quarterback there.
2. Andrei Popov (F)
Widely considered the Russian with the most potential in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, but, despite his success with Traktor, his lack of success at the recent U18 tournament combined with his general skating shortcomings have prevented him from taking over the top spot.
3. Semen Varlamov (G)
Russia's top goaltender showcased his potential at the 2006 U20 WJC and will likely do so again at the U18 WJC in April. Possesses great reaction and speed in the crease. Likely the future of Russia's goaltending and the best homegrown product since Ilya Bryzgalov.
4. Artem Anisimov (F)
Possesses great size, good hands and scoring touch, and is one of Russia's top centermen eligible for this year's draft.
5. Nikolai Kulemin (F)
While a pleasant surprise to those who first saw him at the U20 WJC, Kulemin is old news to those who've watched him consistently earn icetime on the star-studded Metallurg Magnitogorsk squad.
6. Ivan Vishnevsky (D)
Considered one of the top eligible Russian defenders, Vishnevsky moved to the Canadian juniors during September of 2005. A recent upper-body injury, believed to be his shoulder, is concerning though.
7. Alexander Vasyunov (F)
A talented sniper who continues to prove to be Russia's top `88-born scoring threat in the Russian junior leagues as well as internationally.
8. Gennady Churilov (F)
Established himself as one of the rising stars in the Russian Super League, but failed to impress at the U20 WJC.
9. Alexei Sopin (F)
Did not make Russia's U20 squad, but played very well for High League's Kapitan Stupino (Rus 2). Has also seen some Super League work earlier in the season with Dynamo. Possesses a durable 5-11, 190-pound frame and impressive top speed that would do well at the NHL level if his development continues.
10. Alexander Bumagin (F)
Recovered fully from the concussion suffered earlier in the season. There was concern that he may have also suffered a broken neck, but fortunately not. Needs to keep stepping up his game in the Super League as he is now one of the few legitimate scorers for financially-strapped Lada. Also needs to better observe the athletic regimen to continue improving.
11. Vladimir Zharkov (F)
One of the up and coming `88-born forwards, Zharkov has not yet had much exposure on the international arena, but did impress at the recent U18 tournament in the Czech Republic. He has also made his Super League debut with CSKA (Moscow).
12. Viktor Tikhonov (F)
Grandson of the legendary coach Tikhonov. Viktor enjoyed a significant growth spurt and now stands at 6-foot-3, but hasn't quite filled in his frame. The young forward possesses a lot of potential and has been quite successful with HC Dmitrov in the High League (Rus 2). Very interesting forward who is creative and sees the ice well.
13. Igor Makarov (F)
Probably one of the bigger disappointments over the past couple of months. Apparently, there is now a rift between Makarov and the head coach of the Soviet Wings (Krylja Sovetov), which resulted in Makarov's relegation to the junior farm club in the first league. With Soviet Wings 2, Makarov has stopped trying and appears visibly disinterested in playing hockey. Needs to find his motivation quick as that was one of his most attractive qualities, especially since he didn't blow anyone away in any category beyond his aggressiveness and quickness.
14. Igor Antosik (F)
Filled out his 6-foot-3 frame and also improved his skating over the past six months. He sits third in scoring with Kapitan Stupino in the High League despite skating on the fourth line. Also, there has been no sign of any discord, in fact the coach has praised Antosik on several occasions. Still, he skates on the bottom unit because he is on loan from Dynamo which typically means he holds less priority than the players signed directly to Stupino.
15. Igor Zubov (D)
A reliable blueliner who has held his own in international competition. Zubov doesn't particularly stand out in any category, but is a solid all-around blueliner.
16. Marat Kalimulin (D)
Has been thrust into the Super League and held his own at the new level of competition. A quick average-sized defenseman who makes up for his lack of size with his aggressiveness. Opposing forwards usually have a very hard time shaking him.
17. Anton Belov (D)
Returned from wrist surgery that forced him to miss the U20 WJC and continues to perform well and regain his form with CSKA in the Super League. Despite being two years older than the `88-born prospects, Belov remains one of the most promising undrafted Russian prospects.
18. Sergei Shirokov (F)
Matured this season and become a full-fledged Super League caliber player. Still, despite his achievements in the Super League and internationally, the young forward's only drawback remains his relatively low upside. He may potentially fit the role of a supporting cast in the NHL and may develop into another Sergei Mozyakin which might still be expecting a lot.
19. Dmitri Zyuzin (C)
Zyuzin hasn't met the hefty expectations put on him after a strong 2004-05 season and a solid 2005-06 preseason. He struggled throughout the season and has been unable to develop into a reliable and stable Super League forward. Yet, he's remained at the forefront of the U20 national team list largely due to the head coach Mikhalev also being the benchboss of Zyuzin's club Salavat Yulayev.
20. Alexei Shvalev (D)
Shvalev is quickly developing into one of the strongest `88-born Russian defensemen after Alexandrov and Vishnevsky. The young blueliner has great size, sees the ice well, possesses solid skating abilities, and has already enjoyed several months of Super League experience. Look for him to rise even further in the rankings.