« That’s what we are missing today, order, order! »
– Elvis Gratton
Corey Pronman’s controversial lists have once again exploded the Internet this week.
No surprise there.
In a perspective where he proposes to establish his ranking based on the anticipated career of players, when he ranks the logical favorite for the Rookie of the Year title, Lane Hutson, at 39th among U23, he should expect to be pelted with rocks!
At least we can console ourselves; he has adjusted his shot a bit since September when he had placed this same Hutson at… 87th!
But even at 39th, the list of players “out of place” ahead of the young sensation from the Canadiens is still too long to scroll through entirely; go see it for yourself if your heart can take it…
How can one think that Lane Hutson, superstar of the NCAA and now favorite for the Calder, will have the 39th best career among the analyzed players?
It’s not like Hutson is an obscure prospect in the second division at the end of Siberia; he is one of the new faces of the NHL!
Unless Pronman is doing it on purpose to annoy the Habs fans and generate clicks!
Ah-Ah!
For yes, in addition to Hutson at 39th, he also managed to not include Demidov in his top-15 and “forgot” to include Jacob Fowler, one of the best goalies in the NCAA, in his ranking of 150 players.
In his “defense,” he also did not include Red Wings prospect, goalie Trey Augustine, double gold medalist with the USA at the U18 World Championship and just as hot in the NCAA…
A top-15 that we wish to be more “clear-eyed”
Well, jokes aside, I won’t be recreating a list of 150 players here.
I will leave this pharaonic exercise of very high stakes (and the risks that come with it!) to Pronman and the almost impossible mandate he must fulfill with The Athletic.
We sympathize with him.
But to continue having some fun and try to restore a bit of order to all this (!), I focused on a top-15 by asking myself this simple question: based on the career we anticipate for them, would I trade player 1 for player 2 (and so on)?
For comparison purposes, I will put Pronman’s ranking in parentheses. We’ll see that we may not completely disagree on everything!
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Category “elite”:
Players with exceptional qualities and a significantly superior hockey IQ. Just below so-called “generational” players, without setting new historical standards of excellence, they are dominant and can be “franchise” players in some cases. Make other players better. Capable of executing exceptional plays with ease on a regular basis. Raise their team’s level every season. Their level of competition is generally above average. Significant impact and/or exceptional production year in and year out. Career exception, often filled with individual and collective honors. Hall of Fame almost guaranteed early in their career.
Ex.: P. Bure, S. Yzerman, J. Sakic, P. Forsberg, N. MacKinnon, P. Kane, N. Kucherov, A. Matthews, Q. Hughes, C. Chelios, C. Pronger, A. Vasilevskiy, C. Helleybuck, etc.
1. Macklin Celebrini (1st)
Celebrini won’t turn 19 until next June; he is nearing a point-per-game pace, plays the full 200 feet, and is already the best player on his team. The young man is producing beyond what even the most optimistic observers expected, who projected around 60 points in 80 games. A very serious Calder candidate, and similar in style and temperament, Celebrini could have a career relatively comparable to that of Yzerman and Sakic, respectively the 7th and 10th all-time leading scorers.
No disagreement with Pronman here. The native of North Vancouver seems to us to be the safest bet with the greatest potential on this list.
2. Connor Bedard (3rd)
Connor Bedard probably doesn’t have enough qualities to become a generational player as many had anticipated. He possesses a pretty unique shooting arsenal, but his speed and size, which weren’t issues at the junior level, prevent him from asserting himself as strongly and consistently in the NHL. Of course, he will become a little faster and a little stronger with the years, but he can never be the offensive reincarnation of McDavid or a player as complete as Sidney Crosby. Currently, we see more of a right-handed Auston Matthews very poorly surrounded at 5’10.
That said, he should have 100-point seasons sooner or later.
On that note, the next player on our list would have helped him reach that goal even more quickly…
3. Ivan Demidov (16th)
If the Hawks aren’t already very seriously questioning their choice at 2nd overall in 2024, they should be! Demidov is currently the best player outside of the NHL. This should no longer be the case for long, as the Canadiens have a nice spot waiting for him within their top two lines as of autumn 2025. Lane Hutson revolutionized the Tricolore’s defense from his first strides with the team. Demidov should do just as much with the offense.
A true magician with the puck and an intense player for the full 200 feet, we don’t exactly know what Demidov, at 19 years old, the best point producer per 60 minutes in the KHL, concedes to Bedard and Celebrini in terms of talent. We just can’t wait to compare them on NHL ice. In our eyes, he is in the same “elite” category and is already physically stronger than the other two. So let’s say it seems to be a pretty tight top-3…
Let’s also remind that the principal interested party sees himself as a “franchise player” without a hitch (7 min 30 sec.)!
Everyone screamed scandal (rightfully so!) because Pronman ranked Hutson 39th, but placing Demidov at 16th behind Guenther and Johnston, among others, is also not likely to age well for this expert from The Athletic…
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4. Lane Hutson (39th)
If just one of Luke Hughes, Jake Sanderson, Zeev Buium, Sam Dickinson, Owen Power, Artyom Levshunov, Brock Faber, Carter Yakemchuk, Anton Silayev, Brandt Clarke, and Zayne Parekh knows how to enjoy a better career than Lane Hutson, that will be something for Pronman who has ranked them all ahead of the Canadiens’ #48.
But the problem is that it’s highly likely not to happen!
Of the lot, Hutson is probably the one who has stood out the most at the junior/NCAA level (honorable mention to Buium), and among those involved, he is the one having the best start as a pro!
With what we know and what we see daily, should Lane Hutson belong more to the “superstar” category or the Bubble top and middle of the lineup player category?
It’s worth asking…
In this world, Hutson is even simply better than all the players Pronman has ranked in his “superstar” category, from Leo Carlsson to Lucas Raymond, passing through Luke Hughes and Matvei Michkov!
In our opinion, Hutson can thus already be anticipated as an “elite” player, capable of regularly performing unimaginable plays for the average person, on par with the three others ahead of him on this list.
Even the venerable Scotty Bowman – always very clear-headed and with his nose in hockey since time immemorial – dares to classify him in the same category as… Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes!
And Corey Pronman ranks him 39th? FAR behind Matty Beniers (17th), Owen Power (18th), Kent Johnson (24th), and Shane Wright (26th)?
This is not something you can make up. It’s hallucinatory.
In short, don’t do like the Utah Hockey Club and “sleep on Hutson” as the “Americans” say…
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Category “superstar”
Players with similar qualities but generally often just a bit less complete, consistent, and dominant than the elite. Production generally well above average. Superb careers punctuated by more marked dominant or productive periods. Ideally the “second-best players” on aspiring or championship teams. Strong chances at individual honors and/or access to the Hall of Fame.
Ex: J. Tavares, M. Tkachuk, W. Nylander, E. Karlsson, P.K. Subban, K. Letang, S. Weber, H. Lundqvist, S. Bobrovsky, etc.
5. Cole Hutson (95th)
Despite Pronman’s objections, Lane and Cole’s parents had the very good idea to procreate!
They have thus ensured the family’s financial health for generations to come while giving hockey fans years of joy.
Cole Hutson was 8th on my personal list last June. To my knowledge, no one had ranked him that high.
We know the rest. The Caps finally chose him 43rd overall and must today be rubbing their hands together thinking about the future. We are also eager to see if Cole will follow in his brother’s footsteps by spending two years in university or if he’ll jump to the NHL as soon as 2025.
In addition to having a very good season at BU, the “other brother” broke the record for the most points by an American defenseman during a U18 World Championship. Hutson even should have won the tournament’s MVP award, which ultimately went to Ryan Leonard, another Caps prospect…
Cole is Lane but a bit sturdier and a bit less electrifying with the puck, but still just as effective. He has, among other things, a better shot than Lane and is somewhat more fluid on skates in all directions.
Some, like “Snake,” think Cole will slightly outperform Lane, while others believe the opposite. But all agree that the difference between the two is likely minimal, hence my ranking!
And so, where is Cole on Pronman’s list? That’s right, at 95th place, in the “middle of the lineup” player category, just like when he had Lane at 87th!
Betting against Lane and Cole Hutson is an extremely bad idea year-round. You win with guys like that, proud, hardworking, proud, serious, tenacious, and incredibly talented players.
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6. Zeev Buium (8th)
Speaking of winners, Buium, winner of the last Frozen Four and the last two U18 World Championships, was my favorite defenseman in the last draft. Buium is still excelling with Denver this season, but as we saw at the U18 World Championship in Ottawa, it seems he has at least been matched by Cole Hutson in recent months. He remains a solid pick by the Wild, while the Flyers preferred to trade their 12th pick for the 13th pick (Jett Luchanko) and a 3rd round pick in 2025…
7. Tim Stützle (2nd)
We don’t really understand why or how the prospect expert from The Athletic managed to rank Stützle ahead of Bedard (3rd) in his latest evaluation, but anyway…
Stützle has always had the talent of a superstar, but in addition to not having Celebrini’s or Bedard’s shot, he doesn’t seem to have the mindset of an “elite” player or an “elite” leader. That’s the difference between him and the Celebrini-Bedard duo with whom Pronman has the audacity to place him.
More of a passer than a scorer, the dynamic German remains a superb skater and an excellent puck handler. We’re not quite sure if he’s developing in a favorable and optimal environment and culture for his career with the Sens, but to become a winner, he will need to continue his progression defensively and stop diving like in, you know, the other sport…
8. Adam Fantilli (10th)
Nothing much to say for now, but when Fantilli, 6’2″, nearly 200 lbs, learns to use all his tools at the NHL level, he could become one of the best forwards. In a way, it’s a bit like what Nathan MacKinnon managed to do in his fifth season in the big league. The Ontarian has an excellent mentor in Columbus in Sean Monahan and like many dynamic young forwards with multiple talents, everything should fall into place in due time.
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Category “Star / First-line player”
Players well above average, with a good number of dominant qualities or many nice qualities, but who won’t necessarily carry their team on their shoulders night after night. Significant impact and abundant, consistent production without being “exceptional” over many years. Very nice career. Aspiring or championship teams often rely on several players in this category.
Ex.: V. Damphousse, N. Suzuki, C. Caufield, K. Connor, P. Kessel, M. Scheifele, A. Markov, M. Schneider, J. Quick, etc.
9. Juraj Slafkovsky (14th)
The fact that he played for a good month with a completely switched-off Kirby Dach surely has something to do with it, but good Juraj has not quite lived up to expectations this season. He has not been able to return to his strong pace of nearly a point per game from the second half of 23-24. His confidence and creativity with the puck fluctuate, but generally, he is getting better and is establishing very nice chemistry with his teammates, especially Caufield.
That said, if he was able to maintain that rhythm for such a long period at 19 years old in his first real complete season, we can certainly imagine that he should be able to find and even surpass this standard in the near future… After a very promising first year at 19 (48 points in 76 games), Matthew Tkachuk also plateaued a bit at 20 (49 points in 68 games) before breaking out at 21 (77 points) and finally reaching a whole different level at 24 (104 points)…
Slaf still has chances of reaching “superstar” or “game breaker” level; he shows us regular flashes when he “gets angry,” but let’s remain slightly conservative for now…
10. Lucas Raymond (9th)
Another player who experienced a slight drop in his second full season at 20, Raymond, a brilliant forward, bounced back the following season and quickly became a point-per-game player. He is ranked behind Slaf because with very different talents but roughly equal, we believe that the physical strength of the latter will allow him to be superior to the young winger from the Wings in a playoff context. In any case, as of today, I wouldn’t want the Habs to trade Slaf for the Slovak in a one-for-one swap…
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11. Beckett Sennecke (21st)
Dominant in the latter half of his draft year, Sennecke continues his total domination of the OHL in 2024-2025.
The Ontarian was foolishly snubbed by the Canadian junior team, and the (overly) thinking heads of the organization fully got what they deserved a few weeks later when they were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Sennecke is 6’4″ and nearly 200 lbs of poetry on ice. Fluid on skates, soft hands, devastating shot; the Ducks tried to hit a home run with the biggest “riser” of last year’s draft. Even though they could have opted for Demidov, they won’t walk away empty-handed with the player from the Oshawa Generals.
We’ll see if all this poetry can translate into production at the NHL level…
12. Logan Cooley (13th)
Cooley is an electrifying player with the puck on his stick and seems to have progressed when he hasn’t. A bit in the same mold as his teammate Clayton Keller but more dynamic, the American now listed at 6’0″ and 191 lbs will become a point-per-game player annually. But at maturity, will he have a bigger impact on, say, a playoff hockey game than a Slafkovsky?
13. Brock Faber (23rd)
According to some, Faber should have received more consideration for the Rookie of the Year award in 2023-2024. The 45th overall pick in 2020 continues on the same path this season within a very good team in Minnesota. Good in all phases of the game, however, his offensive potential remains clearly lower than that of the defensemen ahead of him on this list.
14. Dylan Guenther (11th)
The winger from Edmonton was having quite a season under André Tourigny in Utah before getting injured last week. This followed an excellent second half in 2023-2024. Guenther, a very complete winger with a blazing and accurate shot, hasn’t finished filling the net with Keller and Cooley to feed him… A future 40-goal scorer.
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15. Matvei Michkov (15th)
The talent alone forbids us from not including Michkov in this top-15. The controversial forward has all the tools to become an annual 40-goal scorer and a player of more than a point per game. But will he learn not to be a burden defensively? Does he have the willingness to become a more complete player? Will he be a good teammate?
So many questions…
If it ever doesn’t work out for him in Philadelphia, perhaps some teams will want to give him another chance, but he is exactly the kind of player who may have to continue his journey in the KHL if he ends up burning too many bridges in America…
Honorable mentions: Luke Hughes (5th), Jake Sanderson (7th), and Seth Jarvis (25th) could also have earned a spot in this top-15. We see them as “star” players or future stars. Leo Carlsson? Maybe…
Conclusion
Whether we agree or disagree with this ranking or Pronman’s, we are always here to have fun comparing our ideas, let’s not forget that!
But I just couldn’t understand how Pronman could justify his, even at the level of his top-15. There would still be a lot to say, Carlsson at 4th, among others…
But let’s focus on the CH players.
No matter the exact ranking, it’s still acceptable for Slaf at 14th position, but in light of their respective achievements and obvious talent, there is no valid reason to exclude Demidov and Hutson from a top-15 of the best players under 23.
They are “elite” players or at minimum “superstar” potentials.
And if I’m right about this, it promises great things for your local team…
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