As part of our prospect rankings series, we asked our readers to vote for their top-10 prospects. The ballots have been cast and today we bring you the results. There are some differences between the fan vote and our own rankings; only two prospects appear at the same ranking here as they do in ours while one player that our readers put in their top-10 failed to crack ours.
Our top-10 was determined by total points percentage [each players’ points divided by total available points]. Points were awarded in inverse fashion (1st place vote gets 10, 2nd gets 9, down to 10th getting 1).
Just Missed the Cut
11) Artturi Lehkonen (14.12%)
12) Brett Lernout (11.59%)
13) Tim Bozon (9.78%)
14) Darren Dietz (6.92%)
15) Christian Thomas (3.85%)
19 other players received at least one vote. Michael McNiven signed after the ballot was released and thus will not appear here.
#10 – Martin Reway (18.41%)
The small but highly skilled forward is one of the most talented prospects in the organization. However, his unwillingness to play in North America and even to attend summer camps with the rest of the prospects clearly rubbed some readers the wrong way.
| Player | % of #10 votes | Player | % of #10 votes |
| Gregoire | 10.99% | Thrower | 2.20% |
| Reway | 8.79% | Bourque | 1.65% |
| Fucale | 8.79% | Johnston | 1.65% |
| Dietz | 8.24% | Bennett | 1.10% |
| Andrighetto | 7.14% | de la Rose | 1.10% |
| Bozon | 7.14% | McCarron | 1.10% |
| Carr | 6.59% | Audette | 0.55% |
| Lernout | 6.04% | Dumont | 0.55% |
| Juulsen | 6.04% | Fournier | 0.55% |
| Lehkonen | 4.40% | Evans | 0.55% |
| Vejdemo | 3.85% | Koberstein | 0.55% |
| Crisp | 3.30% | Hudon | 0.55% |
| Thomas | 3.30% | Hanley | 0.55% |
| Tinordi | 2.75% | ||
#9 – Daniel Carr (21.32%)
Boy, how one year can change things. In this poll last year, Carr only received a handful of tenth place votes. This time around, the AHL’s top rookie goal getter in 2014-15 was on over 55% of the ballots and had at least one vote in all ten rankings.
| Player | % of #9 votes | Player | % of #9 votes |
| Reway | 12.09% | Thrower | 1.65% |
| Carr | 11.54% | Johnston | 1.65% |
| Fucale | 10.99% | de la Rose | 1.10% |
| Andrighetto | 9.34% | Bennett | 0.55% |
| Tinordi | 7.69% | Audette | 0.55% |
| Lehkonen | 7.14% | McCarron | 0.55% |
| Juulsen | 6.59% | Scherbak | 0.55% |
| Dietz | 5.49% | Dumont | 0.55% |
| Bozon | 4.95% | Hanley | 0.55% |
| Lernout | 4.40% | Ellis | 0.55% |
| Gregoire | 3.30% | Bradley | 0.55% |
| Vejdemo | 2.75% | Addison | 0.55% |
| Hudon | 2.75% | ||
#8 – Zach Fucale (26.92%)
Last season wasn’t Fucale’s best and understandably, there are a few more questions surrounding his overall upside. Interestingly enough, his so-so performance didn’t result in a massive decline in votes as he appeared on just 1% fewer ballots than last year.
| Player | % of #8 votes | Player | % of #8 votes |
| Lehkonen | 11.54% | Dumont | 1.10% |
| Fucale | 10.99% | Scherbak | 1.10% |
| Reway | 10.44% | Addison | 1.10% |
| Tinordi | 9.34% | McCarron | 1.10% |
| Carr | 8.24% | Nattinen | 1.10% |
| Lernout | 7.69% | Vejdemo | 0.55% |
| Juulsen | 7.14% | Thomas | 0.55% |
| Andrighetto | 5.49% | Thrower | 0.55% |
| Dietz | 5.49% | Audette | 0.55% |
| Bozon | 3.85% | Bradley | 0.55% |
| Hudon | 3.85% | Koberstein | 0.55% |
| de la Rose | 2.75% | MacMillan | 0.55% |
| Ellis | 1.65% | Hanley | 0.55% |
| Gregoire | 1.10% |
#7 – Jarred Tinordi (38.08%)
Despite a mediocre 2014-15 season and a tough training camp, there is still a large section of the fan base that has confidence in the big blueliner. Conversely, he did appear on over 20% fewer ballots than he did in our 2014 poll so there are more doubters starting to creep up.
| Player | % of #7 votes | Player | % of #7 votes |
| Andrighetto | 13.74% | Dietz | 2.75% |
| Fucale | 12.09% | Gregoire | 1.65% |
| Carr | 9.89% | Thrower | 1.65% |
| Tinordi | 9.34% | McCarron | 1.10% |
| Lehkonen | 8.79% | Thomas | 1.10% |
| Juulsen | 8.24% | Dumont | 0.55% |
| Lernout | 7.14% | Ellis | 0.55% |
| Hudon | 6.04% | Crisp | 0.55% |
| Reway | 4.95% | Addison | 0.55% |
| Bozon | 4.95% | Hawkey | 0.55% |
| de la Rose | 3.85% | ||
#6 – Sven Andrighetto (40.27%)
Andrighetto had a very similar season compared to his rookie one so it should come as no surprise that his seeding here is identical to the 2014 ballot. In fact, his points percentage is just 0.67% off of what he received last year. Consistency all around.
| Player | % of #6 votes | Player | % of #6 votes |
| Juulsen | 13.74% | Dietz | 3.85% |
| Andrighetto | 13.19% | Lehkonen | 3.30% |
| Fucale | 12.64% | McCarron | 2.20% |
| Tinordi | 9.89% | Scherbak | 1.65% |
| Carr | 8.24% | Gregoire | 0.55% |
| Reway | 7.69% | Dumont | 0.55% |
| Hudon | 6.59% | Thrower | 0.55% |
| Lernout | 5.49% | Bradley | 0.55% |
| de la Rose | 4.40% | Koberstein | 0.55% |
| Bozon | 4.40% | ||
#5 – Noah Juulsen (42.91%)
Juulsen was a draft pick that made some fans happy and others rather upset and it showed in the balloting. Nearly 30% had him in Montreal’s top four while 25% had him 10th or off the ballot entirely.
| Player | % of #5 votes | Player | % of #5 votes |
| Hudon | 17.03% | Lehkonen | 3.30% |
| Andrighetto | 12.09% | Lernout | 1.65% |
| Tinordi | 11.54% | Bozon | 1.65% |
| de la Rose | 10.99% | Thomas | 1.65% |
| Juulsen | 9.89% | Audette | 1.10% |
| Fucale | 8.24% | Dumont | 0.55% |
| Carr | 4.95% | Dietz | 0.55% |
| Scherbak | 4.40% | Gregoire | 0.55% |
| Reway | 4.40% | Johnston | 0.55% |
| McCarron | 4.40% | Bennett | 0.55% |
#4 – Charles Hudon (59.95%)
Although his strong rookie season wasn’t enough to earn a recall from the Habs, it was enough to vault him into the top five in the fan rankings. Nearly 40% of the ballots cast had the 21 year old in their top three. Not bad after receiving just two top three votes last season.
| Player | % of #4 votes | Player | % of #4 votes |
| de la Rose | 25.82% | Carr | 3.30% |
| Hudon | 15.38% | Reway | 1.65% |
| Juulsen | 14.84% | Lehkonen | 1.65% |
| Tinordi | 9.34% | Lernout | 1.10% |
| McCarron | 8.24% | Bozon | 1.10% |
| Andrighetto | 6.59% | Vejdemo | 1.10% |
| Scherbak | 5.49% | Johnston | 0.55% |
| Fucale | 3.85% | ||
#3 – Jacob de la Rose (67.20%)
Not a whole lot changed for de la Rose from when you compare these results with 2014. He was on nearly the identical percentage of ballots (93.96% to 93.70%). However, more top five votes push his ranking up from fifth last season.
| Player | % of #3 votes | Player | % of #3 votes |
| de la Rose | 25.27% | Fucale | 2.20% |
| Hudon | 19.23% | Reway | 1.65% |
| Scherbak | 10.99% | Carr | 0.55% |
| Tinordi | 10.99% | Lernout | 0.55% |
| Juulsen | 10.44% | Thomas | 0.55% |
| McCarron | 9.89% | Audette | 0.55% |
| Andrighetto | 6.59% | Gregoire | 0.55% |
#2 – Michael McCarron (84.45%)
Last year, he didn’t make the top ten. But after a much better junior campaign, he appears to be back in the good graces of many fans. He appeared on the most ballots and had almost as many first place votes this year as he had total votes (1 through 10) on last year’s ballot.
| Player | % of #2 votes | Player | % of #2 votes |
| McCarron | 36.26% | Carr | 1.10% |
| Scherbak | 22.53% | Bozon | 1.10% |
| Hudon | 14.84% | Reway | 0.55% |
| de la Rose | 12.64% | Lehkonen | 0.55% |
| Juulsen | 3.85% | Thomas | 0.55% |
| Andrighetto | 3.30% | Johnston | 0.55% |
| Tinordi | 2.20% | ||
#1 – Nikita Scherbak (87.36%)
Scherbak followed up a strong first junior season with another quality campaign. Accordingly, Scherbak followed up a strong showing in last year’s poll (2nd overall, 74.02% points) by jumping into first spot overall according to your votes.
| Player | % of #1 votes | Player | % of #1 votes |
| Scherbak | 50.55% | Carr | 1.10% |
| McCarron | 33.52% | Juulsen | 0.55% |
| de la Rose | 6.04% | Reway | 0.55% |
| Andrighetto | 3.85% | Tinordi | 0.55% |
| Hudon | 2.75% | Thomas | 0.55% |
Thanks to all that voted. HW’s top ten prospects will be revealed in the coming days.