, and Mathieu Carle, all showing some positives for the big club. For White as a 2nd year pro, it is most impressive when you consider the rapid progression he's made since last season where he was used mostly on the 4th line for the Bulldogs. Yannick Weber had a tough go in his NHL callup, but the second year pro is coming off a strong rookie year, along with David Desharnais and J T Wyman who also failed to impress in the limited ice they got.
For this list, Max Pacioretty has graduated, players that are on AHL deals only are not considered and I opted to remove Steve Quailer from the list since he's out for the entire season with a knee injury, (here's to a speedy and full recovery to him!).
Top 20
1. PK Subban
2. Louis Leblanc
3. Mac Bennett
4. Danny Kristo
5. Alexander Avtsin
6. Ryan White
7. Ben Maxwell
8. Yannick Weber
9. Tom Pyatt
10. Mathieu Carle
11. Maxim Trunev
12. Joonas Nättinen
13. David Desharnais
14. David Fischer
15. Cédrick Desjardins
16. Brock Trotter
17. Dustin Walsh
18. Joe Stejskal
19. Andreas Engqvist
20. J T Wyman
HM Andrew Conboy, Greg Pateryn, Gabriel Dumont
1. P.K. Subban (RD, 43rd overall, '07) No surprise here, PK is and has been the Habs top prospect for some time as the Toronto native is poised to be a standout player for the Habs if his current play is any indication. The first year pro leads Hamilton in goals, assits, points and shots among defensemen, his +15 is team leading as he's one of only three players that are in the double digit +/-. He's 2nd in the AHL in scoring for rookie defensemen as well. It won't be long before he's doing his spin-o-rama's in the NHL.
2. Louis Leblanc (C, 18th overall, '09) It's been a good start to his NCAA career for Leblanc as he is 2nd on his team in scoring despite missing two games with a wrist injury. He was cut from Team Canada but should be on the team next year, hopefully he can build off this for the future.
3. Mac Bennett (LD, 79th overall, '09) The Habs may have found a hidden gem in the 3rd round of this past summers draft, as they selected the Rhode Island native out of the US High School prep league. Bennett missed some time in his draft year due to injury but that didn't stop Timmins and his staff from taking a chance on hiim. The smooth skaing two way defensemen has made the jump up to the USHL this year before he leaves for Michigan in the fall to join another Hab prospect Greg Pateryrn Bennett was named to Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge and for his efforts he was named to the All Star team.
4. Danny Kristo (RW, 56th overall, '08) Danny Kristo is about to play in the WJC's for a second year in a row, as he has been enjoying a very successful season this year as a freshman at North Dakota where he leads his team in scoring. The speedy winger has goal scorers hands that can get the puck off in a hurry and he's not afriad to use it, something the Habs could use more of. In the NCAA he has been playing on the point on the PP, which appears to be helping his overall offensive game as goalies are aware he likes to shoot the puck.
5. Alexander Avtsin (RW, 109th overall, '09) The 18 year old is currently red hot, picking up 5 points in his last four games while seeing on average around 8 minutes a game. The skilled winger is slated to leave Russia for North America this summer as the Montreal Juniors own his CHL rights.
6. Ryan White (W/C, 66th overall, '06) It's been a great year so far for Ryan White, as he appared in 13 games for the Habs, picking up two assists. In Hamilton he was given an A and saw a much bigger role with the club after spending most of his rookie year on the 4th line. If White can continue to improve on his game and skating, the future looks bright for him and the Habs, as they could use his gritty style. (p>
7. Ben Maxwell (C, 49th overall, '06) Scoring has been down for the second year pro, but he's getting his chances as he's second on the team in shots with 78. In addition this years team has struggled at times with the offense, and he is 2nd on the team in assists and 3rd in points. At some point he should start seeing more goals as he is a skilled player. Hopefully seeing his teammates get called up over him, after he saw seven games with the Habs in his rookie year, will get him going as the Dogs will need his scoring if they want to bring home another Calder Cup.
8. Yannick Weber (RD, 73rd overall, '07) Things did not go as hoped when Weber was recalled to the NHL this year, after some good showings last year, but he is showing improved play in his own end while also taking the body more often. With the new system in place this year, Weber has struggled to score goals, after breaking the record last year for goals by a defensemen in Hamilton. He has just one goal on 66 shots after getting 14 last year.
9. Tom Pyatt (C, 107th overall, '05) Pyatt impressed management enough for them to acquire him via the Scott Gomez trade, and so far it's paying dividends as he has shown to be a tireless worker that uses his speed well at both ends of the ice. For his efforts he saw 19 games with the Habs this year and while he didn't register a point, he showed a willingness to play the system as he excelled on the PK.
10. Mathieu Carle (RD, 53rd overall, '06) Carle saw his first NHL action in his 3rd pro season, and didn't disappoint as he showed some good things for a young defensemen. Last year saw a marked improvement in his defensive play, while also adding some additional offense, to an already skilled player. With some additional experience he could challenge for an NHL spot in the future.
11. Maxim Trunev (W/C, 138th overall, '08) Some fans will get their first look at the offensively skilled forward, as he makes his WJC debut for Russia today. The offense has been a little slow in coming this year in the KHL but that could bode well for the Habs as it is the last year of his contract with Severstal and has expressed interest in coming over.
12. Joonas Nättinen (C, 65th overall, '09) The lanky center will make his second appearance in the WJC's, and he's currently in his second season in the Finnish Elite league, after seeing time with Espoo last year. So far he's already recorded career highs in games played, assists and points, although he has yet to score a goal. He does have 6 goals in 7 games at the junior level this year, so he is showing he can score, but for such a young player to produce offenisvely in the FNL is difficult. Nattinen has one more year on his contract with Espoo, and should be back for his 3rd World Juniors next year.
13. David Desharnais (C, Free Agent Signed, '08) What a year it's been for Desharnais, as he got to dress in his first NHL game, something many likely thought would never happen for him due to overlooking his talent by discounting his physical abilities. While the game didn't go that well for him in limited action against the Stanley Cup Champs, it has gone very well for him in the AHL as he leads the team in goals and is second in points, despite missing 14 games and has been one of Hamilton's top players all year.
14. David Fischer (RD, 20th overall, '06) For David Fischer, fans will question when will he be able to put it all together and be a standout defensemen. With high expectations due to where he was picked in the draft, Fischer has been slow but steady in his development at Minnesota. The blueliner has the physical tools to be an NHLer, as he is a great skater with good speed and his lanky frame gives him a long reach that comes in handy on the PK. In addition he can move the puck up ice in a hurry with crisp passes, but it remains to be seen just how much upside he has. It is a contract year for Minnesota native, as the Senior will wrap up his NCAA career around mid-March unless his team gets hot in the 2nd half and somehow finds a way to the Frozen Four Tournament. If not the Habs will need to decide his future, if they will want him to join Hamilton when his season officially ends.
15. Cédrick Desjardins (G, Free Agent Signed, '08) It's the first time for Desjardins to make the top 20 ranking, as he enjoys a very successful year in Hamilton, taking over the starting goaltending role from Curtis Sanford. He recently broke the Hamilton record for the longest shoutstreak and at one point had 4 shutouts in 5 games. When he gets hot, look out as he has shown he can win big games and has down well in the Q, ECHL and now the AHL.
16. Brock Trotter (LW/C, Free Agent Signed, '08) Trotter had a major injury during his first draft eligible season that forced him to miss an entire season. He was passed over in '07 but the following season he left the NCAA half way through the season to join Hamilton. Last year Trotter had a solid rookie year that saw him pick up 49 points in 76 games. This year he leads the team in scoring with 26 points in 31 games and has shown improvement in his overall game, as the skilled left wing can really hurt teams while on the PP but must learn to be effective without the puck as well.
17. Dustin Walsh (C, 169th overall, '09) Walsh is a lanky center with good hands, he's enjoying a solid freshman year that has him 2nd on his team in goals with four and third in points with six.
18. Joe Stejskal (RD, 133rd overall, '07) Stejskal has struggled offensively this year with just two points after a career year last season. But the physical blueliner is considered to be among the top D in the ECAC as he can block shots, will take the body but also has some offensive skills as he can fire the puck but it's been a down year for Dartmouth as they sit at the bottom of the league.
19. Andreas Engqvist (C/W, Free Agent Signed, '09) The Swedish center was passed over in the '06 and '07 drafts just like Brock Trotter, but the Habs opted to give him a tryout this past summer and must have seen something they liked as he left with a 3 year contract in toe. This year his production has dropped off slightly but is slated to come over next season where he will likely be Hamilton bound.
20. J T Wyman (W/C, 100th overall, '04) Wyman has made big strides in his development this year, playing a much bigger role in Hamilton as he gets top 6 ice time, PP and PK duty as well. For his efforts he saw three games with the Habs and while he failed to impress, hopefully he can build off the solid second pro season for the future.
