Five Wild Prospects Make Top 100: Mikael Granlund the Top Spot

by BReynolds on Sep 16, 2011 10:48 AM CDT in Prospects

The best prospect in the world belongs to the... Wild?

Wild fans, despite only having a team for about ten years, have a severe case of Chicago Cubs syndrome. You see, Wild fans always have so much hope for their team, and have been met, more times than not, with some strong disappointment. Even the solace of a high draft pick didn't do much for the fans, as those high draft picks usually turned into third line grinders or complete and total disasters.

When discussing the new group of prospects coming through the ranks, the Chuck Fletcher class as it were, Wild fans keep their feelings close to the chest, not wanting to be exposed as a "homer" or as someone putting too much faith in someone that another team's fan base might think is worthless.

All that said, Wild fans like to hear good news about their team. Hell, any news, really. Good news is most welcome, and the gentlemen at Puck Prospectus give Wild fans some thing to be happy about today. Make the jump for the list, which includes five Wild prospects in the top 100.

In his top 100, writer Corey Pronman uses criteria I can get on board with:

Statistical performance is used as a complementary aid and adjusted for age, league quality, and other performance-altering factors. However, due to the lack of context in non-NHL statistics such as zone starts, quality of competition, and not having on-ice shot metrics, statistics are not given a heavy emphasis.
My criteria for a prospect is based on a subjective evaluation if Prospect X has become an established NHL regular. While this leaves room for error, I feel I make fewer errors in terms of prospect definition then when I set arbitrary age or games played limits.

Looking at his list, the first thing that jumps out is the fact that Mikael Granlund is ranked as the best prospect on the list. Yes, that Mikael Granlund.

Here's the proof:

Top 100 NHL Prospects
1. Mikael Granlund, Center, Minnesota Wild
2. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Center, Edmonton Oilers
3. Ryan Johansen, Center, Columbus Blue Jackets
4. Brayden Schenn, Center, Philadelphia Flyers
5. Sean Couturier, Center, Philadelphia Flyers
6. Ryan Strome, Center, New York Islanders
7. Jonathan Huberdeau, Center, Florida Panthers
8. Vladimir Tarasenko, Right Wing, St. Louis Blues
9. Adam Larsson, Defense, New Jersey Devils
10. Andrei Loktionov, Center, Los Angeles Kings

I would not be lying when I say I was floored to see Granlund top the list. I know the kid is good, but I have yet to see him ranked that high. I haven't seen him in the top ten anywhere else.I am not sure how much stock to put in the list, but the fact that someone other than Wild fans think the kid is the best prospect in the world... that can maybe allow Wild fans to boast about something, if only until someone else crushes their spirit.

Other Wild prospects making the list:

42. Marco Scandella, Defense, Minnesota Wild

60. Jonas Brodin, Defense, Minnesota Wild

69. Charlie Coyle, Center, Minnesota Wild

93. Jason Zucker, Right Wing, Minnesota Wild

Certainly a little different order than Wild fans put them in, or I would put them in, but still... five Wild players in the top 100? That's going to take some getting used to.

What say you, Wilderness? Happy to see Granlund in the top spot? Is it too high? What the other guys on the list? What about the list as a whole?

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I don't think it is too high

He has competed at some of the top levels of hockey in Europe and on the World Stage and done very well plus he was billed as one of the smartest players in the draft when we took him so that makes his potential even better.

AWESOME

Unashamed Alex Burrows Fanboy, MN Wild Lover, and believer in the FLA Cats Blueprint

by JMarushin on Sep 16, 2011 11:01 AM CDT reply actions

Well, I think that Granlund gets a boost

because he’s one of the highest recent draft picks that didn’t play in the NHL, at least a couple games, last year, and he doesn’t play in a league that direct stat comps. Yet, he does play in the league that comps well to the AHL, helped lead his team to that league’s championship, getting playoff scoring numbers for a kid his age, seen only by Teemu and Saku in the past. Then he went on to be a key leader in Finland’s win at the World Championships. He gets a lot of hype, and he can easily be seen as maybe the best current non-NHL player. The problem is that I don’t think he has the highest ceiling of any of those prospects, but he could probably come into a team and make the biggest initial impact.

The Wild prospect that seems a bit out of place there is Brodin. I get Scandella being nearly, if not already, NHL ready to be a starting D man, with the potential to be a top pairing guy. Coyle… well he IS considered one of the top Power Forward prospects not in the league yet. Brodin just seems high to me for a good skating, smart, pass first defensive sort, who just happens to be only 2 months past his 18th birthday. I think Zucker is overrated by this list… but maybe not. He’s a hard one to really project, in my mind.

Still, it’s awfully nice that Wild prospects are being legitimately listed in a top prospect list. It’s been an awfully long time since the Wild even had multiple possibilities of young players that even could develop into difference making NHL players.

by Krotz the Wall on Sep 16, 2011 12:18 PM CDT reply actions

Granlund Rankings

He was ranked Number 10 in hockey’s future rating that were as of April 7th, 2011(Before his IIHF tourney). ESPN had him 7th sometime in August. TSN had at 10 all the way back before last season, September 2010. So he hasn’t been completely over looked. But this is the highest i’ve seen him.

by ThatGuy22 on Sep 16, 2011 12:21 PM CDT reply actions

In other Granlund news

HIFK started their season yesterday, Granlund recorded 2 assists in a 5-3 loss.

by ThatGuy22 on Sep 16, 2011 12:26 PM CDT reply actions

Trade him. Awful.

The young man said I will never give up, the inner war, I can hold against it
My mind, my mind, my minds in darkness

by TheDragonReborn on Sep 16, 2011 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Right

He didn’t even make his team win. Damn slacker.

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

Author, watchdog, enforcer and french-canadian connection for Hockey Wilderness.

twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Sep 16, 2011 2:21 PM CDT up reply actions

HA! Take that, everyone but Granlund :)

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

Author, watchdog, enforcer and french-canadian connection for Hockey Wilderness.

twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Sep 16, 2011 2:23 PM CDT reply actions

Give him 23 mil a year!!

I hate how these lists are always full of guys who had one good year of juniors. I think he is definitely close to a top 5 prospect though. I mean you have to give him credit for putting up good numbers in a top pro league. One thing that he doesn’t get enough credit for last year is battling through injuries to help his them win the championship. I hope he can display that kind of heart and will to win for many years to come in a Wild uniform. Oh yeah did anyone see that ESPN article where they are talking about him battling for a spot out of camp this year…bahaha what a joke some of their writers can be.

by GooterBaby on Sep 16, 2011 11:52 PM CDT reply actions

ESPN loves to “report” about hockey. I despise them.

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by BReynolds on Sep 17, 2011 11:51 AM CDT up reply actions

Yeo and Granlund will work well

Having a coach that is familiar with the growing pains of a younger prospect and has an effective program is key to Granlunds development. I like the prospect that Yeo really gets it. The part that is interesting will be in the development of his natural level of intelligence. Having Mikku, Marc and Dany around, to compete with, is setting the bar way high. Mikku will probably be the best role model, but just playing a few shifts sometime in Novembere with Dany and Marc on the same line, will get his head into how it should be done at this level. BUT, I’m looking forward to global warming when the Heater is having fun again, with some of the best set up men and scorers in the NHL. Have fun, but don’t go wild until that last puck clinks against the post at the back of the net.

by breezypoint on Sep 17, 2011 8:23 AM CDT reply actions

Nice!

I then scrolled down and realized they are way off on a lot of prospects…

by Kingpin45 on Sep 17, 2011 8:30 AM CDT reply actions

You mean

Coutier, strome, and teresenko? lol. I also think Schenn is a little high.

by wild32384 on Sep 17, 2011 8:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Wow.

That’s awesome!

by taralynn09 on Sep 17, 2011 1:16 PM CDT reply actions

I always get excited

About prospect articles like this, especially when we have horses in the race! I always try to keep perspective though and take the prospect listing for what it is. An entertaining and semi-educated guess. Out of 100 prospect lists, 100 will be different. Again, it gets me excited but I always keep perspective in things like this. Anything could happen to any of these prospects to raise or lower expectations.

I’m just glad people outside of the WILD community are recognizing our prospects. That always makes you feel a bit better about the direction of the franchise.

by TC Mooch on Sep 18, 2011 10:05 AM CDT reply actions