FI Leafs Top Prospect Project - #4 Poll Thread
- Thread starter MindzEye
- Start date
number17
Mod Squad
I'm gonna go on a limp here and vote for Brown.
Brown isn't your prototypical top prospect, but I like how he's a well rounded player with good hockey IQ. He doesn't have any one raw skill that's exceptional, but this is a guy who's beat the odd at every level and didn't look out of place in his rookie AHL season at all.
You can argue his skating may not be up to par in the NHL for a top 6 F, you can argue he doesn't have an NHL shot, he sure doesn't have NHL size (just what IS NHL size these days anyways?) ... thus why I said go on a limp but I like Brown.
Brown isn't your prototypical top prospect, but I like how he's a well rounded player with good hockey IQ. He doesn't have any one raw skill that's exceptional, but this is a guy who's beat the odd at every level and didn't look out of place in his rookie AHL season at all.
You can argue his skating may not be up to par in the NHL for a top 6 F, you can argue he doesn't have an NHL shot, he sure doesn't have NHL size (just what IS NHL size these days anyways?) ... thus why I said go on a limp but I like Brown.
axlsalinger
Well-known member
Bracco probably has more upside, but Brown is further along in his development and the numbers the past 2 years look great. At this point in time, I have him slightly ahead.
This is exactly how I feel.
It's easy to write Brown off, but every where hes gone he does good things. Really impressive first year in the AHL.
hockeylover
Well-known member
He's done good things but seeing the lists of players who've done what Bracco's done in the USNTDP and the list of players who've done what Brown has, Bracco's numbers seem to stand out as special, I'm not sure Brown's do.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
I'll post this again here for anyone wanting some context for Brown's rookie season in the AHL. I bolded an important point at the bottom, as 1 point in the 2011/12 AHL season was the equivalent of 1.05 points in 14/15. Basically that would make Brown's .8ppg worth about .84ppg in 11/12 and more in the few season previous.
I went to the trouble of calculating average GPG in various AHL seasons though, but I have little desire to era adjust every scoring figure in this list though.
I went to the trouble of calculating average GPG in various AHL seasons though, but I have little desire to era adjust every scoring figure in this list though.
Yeah I know. Next year I'll probably say differently cause I imagine Bracco having a great year. Right now this second I gotta give it to Brown.
hockeylover
Well-known member
How come?
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
This I agree with to an extent. Though I caution taking Bracco's numbers at face value (as I argued with LM about), they're still impressive regardless, when viewed in what I believe to be their proper context. Brown's AHL numbers are encouraging in part because of how unheralded a prospect he was, but we're talking about numbers matched or somewhat bettered by guys who are just okay NHL'ers like Holland, Granlund, Pirri, etc....and Brown doesn't bring a whole pile of other things to the plate with him either. His offensively ability is the best thing about him as a prospect and it's limited (though still potentially quite good...there's nothing wrong with a guy having a 55-60 point ceiling) where Bracco's is a lot less limited because of better tools. Better skater at 18, better hands, vision, etc. Brown has done an awesome job at scraping every bit of ability he has out of his personal toolkit, but we're pretty damn close to as good as he's going to get.
hockeylover
Well-known member
This bolded part is exactly it for me.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Not that I agree with it the outlook personally, but I can see where someone would prefer the 55 point upside player whose proximity to the league and their ultimate upside is much closer than the 75 point upside player who is way further away from getting there.
hockeylover
Well-known member
I don't have a problem if that's the case, I'm just trying to get him to elaborate on why. Better discussion.
I just like Brown better as a prospect right now. Part of that is his experience (not fair to Bracco) and personal biased. That's why I said I'll probably change my mind this year because I know Bracco is a pretty nice prospect and hes probably going to light it up this year again.
Montana
Champion
I think its also safe to say that Brown has the higher floor & odds of being a contributor at the NHL.....while Bracco....as electrifying as his upside is, also has a very legit chance (in part because as you say, he's much further away from the show) of never making it.
It wouldn't be my preference, but I can definitely see a very fair argument for ranking Brown over Bracco atm.
Pretty much this.
I'm positive though that at some point this year the argument is going to go one way or the other (probably in Bracco's favor).
axlsalinger
Well-known member
I would often go for upside in a case like this (every player evaluation is different), but in this case while I agree that Brown definitely has the higher floor, he also has a comparable upside IMO. For best-case-scenario ceiling, it's Bracco no question, but it's far from guaranteed that he continues to put up similar numbers against tougher competition or even gets to the show. And Brown does have intriguing upside in his own right.
As others have said, it's quite possible we will all rank Bracco higher in a year or two, and neither guy is a "bad" pick in this spot.
As others have said, it's quite possible we will all rank Bracco higher in a year or two, and neither guy is a "bad" pick in this spot.
MindzEye
Wayward Ditch Pig
Yeah, when you're arguing between a kid who did pretty crazy things for the NDTP last year and another kid who lit up the OHL in D+2, and then followed that up with an excellent AHL rookie season, your system is doing pretty well. Brown & Bracco would be in the conversation for 1-2 in a bunch of systems around the league.
