In Part 3 of our 2011 Prospect Rankings, we start to see some more familiar
names including a pair from the most recent entry draft. A lot of these
players qualify as projects, ones who have the tools to be useful at a higher
level but will need a fair bit of work in order to realize their potential.
Overview
This year, we changed things up a little. The top-10 have been voted on
by members of our HW writing staff while the remainder of the rankings were done
by yours truly. Here are the criteria that each player had to meet to be
eligible to be in these rankings:
1) The player must be 24 years old or younger as of October 1, 2011
2) The player must have no greater than 40 games of NHL experience (including
regular season and playoffs)
3) The player has to be signed on an NHL contract
As the Habs brought several youngsters up last season, this year’s list will
look a lot different as many of the top prospects are no longer eligible.
Here are the departures from last year’s list:
Graduated: David Desharnais, Lars Eller, Frederic St. Denis, P.K.
Subban, Yannick Weber, Ryan White, Alexei Yemelin
Released: Patrick Johnson, Petteri Simila, J.T. Wyman
Traded: Mathieu Carle, Ben Maxwell, Ryan Russell
Recently acquired Michael Blunden also does not qualify for prospect
status due to NHL experience while Raphael Diaz does not meet the age
requirement.
Rankings
#30) Greg Pateryn
Defenceman, Michigan, CCHA (NCAA)
5th round pick (128th overall) in 2008 (acquired via trade from Toronto)
Slow and steady is the best way to describe Pateryn’s progression so far.
Last season was his best to date with the Wolverines as he moved up on the depth
chart to the point where he received significant minutes on a nightly basis.
His offensive game, though still quite raw, also took a step forward. He
will return to Michigan for his final season (where he will continue to mentor
Mac Bennett) and as long as he stays healthy and has a decent campaign, we
should see him earn an entry-level deal with the Habs.
2010-11 Stats: 40 GP, 3-14-17, 28 PIMS
Previous HW Ranking: 33rd
#29) Darren Dietz
Defenceman, Saskatoon, WHL
5th round pick (138th overall) in 2011
This hard hitting blueliner is something of a late bloomer considering two
years ago, he spent most of his time playing midget hockey. He didn’t play
a lot last year with the Blades being a veteran-laden team but is expected to
log significant minutes in the upcoming WHL season. In terms of a typical
development curve, he’s starting off a little later than most but his first step
last year is certainly encouraging.
2010-11 Stats: 68 GP, 8-19-27, 66 PIMS, +17
Previous HW Ranking: N/A
#28) Olivier Archambault
Left Wing/Centre, Val D’Or, QMJHL
4th round pick (108th overall) in 2011
There’s no denying the fact that Archambault has very good offensive upside.
He was the top pick in the QMJHL draft back in 2009 (ahead of 3rd overall pick
Jonathan Huberdeau) but unfortunately, the consistency just hasn’t been there
for him yet. He was moved to Drummondville in the offseason and if that
can kick start his offence, the Habs could have a steal on their hands. If
the move doesn’t help him though, his ceiling will basically become that of a
mediocre minor leaguer. Still though, that’s not a terrible risk to take
in the latter stages of the 4th round.
2010-11 Stats: 65 GP, 20-33-53, 28 PIMS, -7
Previous HW Ranking: N/A
#27) Peter Delmas
Goalie, Wheeling, ECHL
Free agent signing in 2011
At the beginning of 2010-11, the former Colorado 2nd rounder was the
forgotten one. There was no room for him in Hamilton or in Wheeling so he
was off to an even lower level in Wichita. As injuries and recalls plagued
Pittsburgh’s prospects in Wheeling (the team is a shared affiliate), Delmas
finally got his chance and he certainly made the most of it, taking over the
starter’s job down the stretch and into the playoffs. This year, he’ll be
battling with Robert Mayer (ranked 36th) for a full time spot with the Bulldogs.
2010-11 Stats: 24 GP, 15-6-2 record, 2.03 GAA, .928 SV%, 3 SO
Previous HW Ranking: N/A
#26) Dustin Walsh
Centre, Dartmouth, ECAC (NCAA)
6th round pick (169th overall) in 2009
Walsh is another of the Habs’ more recent collegiate late round gambles and
he appears to be one of the ones who could very well turn into a decent
prospect. He took a significant stride forward offensively in 2010-11 and
quickly moved up in the Big Green’s lineup. As a 3rd year player, he
should slide in on one of the top two lines this season and could be poised for
a breakout campaign. Of note, he is the only NCAA prospect at Montreal’s
rookie camp; he has to pay his own way to attend the camp as well.
2010-11 Stats: 65 GP, 20-33-53, 28 PIMS
Previous HW Ranking: 35th
