The Edmonton Oilers have some nice prospects in Europe at this time. Regular readers of this blog will know a lot about Magnus Paarjavi-Svensson and his progress this season, but there's also Anton Lander, Teemu Hartikainen and Linus Omark to consider.
Desjardins' NHLE's are applied across the European leagues and we've had some interesting results over the last few seasons. The first thing you'll notice is that (unlike junior and to a certain extent college) we're dealing with older players in the SEL, SM-Liiga and KHL.
- Alexei Mikhnov (25) (RSL) 18-27-45
- Linus Omark (20) (SEL) 13-24-37
- Alexander Bumagin (RSL)(20) 18-15-33
- Josef Hrabal (RSL) (20) 4-12-16
- Mikhail Zoukov (RSL) (22) 4-12-16
Interesting list. Mikhnov was the class of the group, but also 25 years old. Omark's equivalencies are always good (as you'll see) and Bumagin showed well here. Hrabal tests well in Desjardins and Zoukov at 22 wasn't setting the world on fire.
2008-09
- Linus Omark (21) (SEL) 21-29-50
- MPS (17) (SEL) 9-13-22
- Alexander Bumagin (23) (KHL) 7-14-21
- Teemu Hartikainen (18) (SML) 15-5-20
- Anton Lander (17) (SEL) 5-9-14
- Josef Hrabal (23) (SEL) 0-8-8
- Johan Motin (18) (SEL) 0-3-3
Omark had another impressive SEL season and at 21 years old one would have to think he was the most impressive offensive draft prospect to come out of Europe (for the Oilers) since the days of David Vyborny, Miroslav Satan and Martin Rucinsky. Hemsky is a better player but the Oilers plucked him from the Q. Hartikainen makes his appearance and shows well. The Oilers drafted MPS and Lander after their 17-year old seasons, but I've included their numbers so we can see where they are moving forward.
2009-10
- MPS (18) (SEL) 16-22-38
- Linus Omark (22) (KHL) 20-15-35
- Teemu Hartikainen (19) (SML) 12-14-26
- Alexander Bumagin (24) (KHL) 9-14-23
- Anton Lander (18) (SEL) 9-12-21
This is a really interesting season for all kinds of reasons. Omark is off from his previous season, but changing leagues (and roles) might have something to do with it. Omark's skillset is duplicated throughout the roster so his chances of making the Oilers may not be as great as it appears. He might end up being a solid trade chip for GM Tambellini this summer.
Paajarvi-Svensson's improvement year over year is very good (+16) and compares nicely to other 18-year old NHLE's for Oilers prospects past and present.
Totals at 18-years old
- Sam Gagner 13-36-49 (actual NHL season)
- Ales Hemsky 12-30-42
- Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson 16-22-38
- Mike Comrie 15-20-35
- Marc Pouliot 14-18-32
- Jordan Eberle 14-16-30
- Riley Nash 11-19-30
- Philippe Cornet 11-17-28
- Andrew Cogliano 10-14-24
- Anton Lander 9-12-21
- Teemu Hartikainen 15-5-20
- Shawn Horcoff 8-11-19
That's a pretty impressive slot on this list and remember this kid isn't one dimensional. Lander's number is also impressive considering his scouting report lists him as a defensive center. I think he's probably a better prospect than I rated him in December and it'll be interesting to see him in training camp in the next couple of seasons. Hartikainen had a nice season and might end up in the NHL before a bunch of kids like MPS, Lander, Nash and Vande Velde.
The Oilers Euro drafting has improved a lot over the last few seasons, and the dual MPS-Lander picks last summer mean that the European scouts have delivered some of the very best prospects in the system over the last couple of seasons.
Oh Mikhnov. One day, my large Russian. One day we'll be together.
ReplyDeleteMost people are a little Irish on St. Paddy's. I'm just a little gay for Russians.
ReplyDeleteApparently I'm the only person not out drinking. That's fine, I got to take my kid out to the field behind our house and bring a beer with me. The other parents avoided me :(
ReplyDeleteSchitzo: One of the great events of evening when my kids were small. Walk to the park with a little backpack of snacks, water and 2 beer.
ReplyDeleteI should really write a book on parenting. :-)
Parenting?
ReplyDeleteThat should be a standard Wednesday evening. If they learn to drink responsibly (albeit not at the "let's go to the park" age) then you've done it properly, and they won't learn about stomach pumps at when the host's parents are at the cabin.
If you get my drift.
Can't get drunk on weekdays. School. Heh anyways.
ReplyDeleteGoing to the park is awesome no matter the age.
I'l bring my kid to baseball soon as i can. A memory to share.
Ah yeah my baseball season is beginning. Looked like an ass on first practice since 2 years. Threw the ball all over the place.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah Dorito, as long as your kid is not the one vomiting and blocking the toilet, you're probably fine.
If they learn to drink responsibly (albeit not at the "let's go to the park" age) then you've done it properly
ReplyDeleteI quoted the Simpsons one too many times in front of the little one, and he told his daycare lady that daddy drinks to get very happy, and then very sad.
Awwwwwwwwkward.
Schitzo: Real test will be the teenage time. If he's listening to gangstah rap with pants at his knees while not knowing while not being aware of the Europe's location, it's a signal.
ReplyDeleteYou don't know the stupid shit i hear every day.
One of the best is ''Why don't the Africans drink the water from the sea? They're stupid''
And they're 17
Just like Homer Simpson said, "Water, water everywhere, so let's all have a drink."
ReplyDeleteSchool the next day doesn't change anything...just switch to water at 11pm and go to bed shortly after. I can tell when I see the young teachers come in the staff room in the morning after a tough night. Mayhaps I'm just a "seasoned veteran"
ReplyDeleteLT: Are you serious? Trading Tambellini to Dynamo Moscow for Linus Omark is an absolutely great plan of action.
ReplyDeleteHey I applaud any parent who makes an honest attempt to set a good example for their children. Especially in regards to alcohol consumption.
ReplyDeleteI work with young people, a lot, mostly post-secondary students. As a volunteer I man distress lines and offer counselling services. Some of what I hear, hell most of what I hear, makes me alternately want to cry or kill someone (parents and teachers mostly, though their are times I end up giving up on humanity in general). Decades in I still struggle with distance.
I don't think I have gotten through a week in the past five years when I haven't worked with a rape survivor. Most all of their stories begin with drinking themselves senseless. Alcohol as sexual lubricant. Sadly, sometimes taken with a chaser of chrome cleaner or rohipinol or E or crystal meth. Broken lifes, made more desperate because they feel however awful what happened to them was they are, at some level, responsible.
Occasionally, I get to make a difference. A young person wakes up one Monday and comes into see us. They get that perhaps sleep walking through the week so you can binge on the weekend isn't how they want to live. That being in control might have its appeals.
The most distressing thing I think about the entire experience is that lately I'm seeing more and more young people who party every night. They don't know how else to interact with their peers. Their deepest personal relationships involve hooking up with friends.
It all leaves me ineffably sad. So if you are making an honest attempt to break the cycle, good on you!
So, back to hockey...
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that NHLE work very well for 17 year old juniors. How is it for Europeans. The 17 year old European that jumps to the NHL at 18 is pretty rare (Hedman last year, any others?). So are there any good reference points for 18 (or even 19 if we have to) year old seasons at least?
LT: You need not and probably should not respond to my 10:32 post, lest I incur your wrath.
ReplyDeleteAny hoo, I've got a good gut feeling about Lander. Omark is, I fear, too small to do well. There's not a lot of room on NHL ice and I think he needs that room.
Plus all Omark needs is one shove from Ovechkin or one hit from Tootoo and he's done. It's sad but true.
I guess I'm just tired of all the needless violence. See Wisniewski knocking out Seabrooke tonight.
What's going on these days?
Woooo. Etc.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's currently indecipherable to me for some inexplicable reason (?!), I would hope that one day Desjardins completes a more compendious look at the projections for scoring between minor leagues and the NHL at greater than junior ages. If it is an amount of work requiring publication for it to be worth it for him, so be it.
Otherwise it's rather difficult to predict just how good a season a player is having in Europe given that he may 25 years of age or greater.
There's a reason that Joesef Vasicek was only a 45 point player in the NHL but at age 28 now scores in the top tier of the KHL.
Hopefully that made sense. I would like to think even if it doesn't it was an admirable effort on my part.
I think we need to make some moves with our mid-level prospects. Like make some trades for picks in this years draft. If we wait another year then the 2011 draft is supposed to be very weak.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best is ''Why don't the Africans drink the water from the sea? They're stupid''.
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered that. ;)
(sorry. been working on the same autocad file for 15 hours straight. my brain's melted.)
Schitzo, don't forget that Futurama line:
ReplyDelete[The movie cuts to a shot of a giant ice cube being dropped into the ocean.]
SUZIE: Just like Daddy puts in his drink every morning! (sadly) And then he gets mad.