Welcome to Today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects”. As we go through the Summer of 2013 I will be featuring a team-by-team look at the top prospects in the NHL. I will go team by team through the NHL bringing you a look at each Teams Top Prospects. I will be following the order of the first round of the NHL draft (as if there were no traded draft picks). You can find all the articles here. Since we had an extensive NHL Draft preview, I will not be reviewing the players who were drafted in the 2013 draft, as there have been no games since then, and my reports on them will not have changed. What I will be doing is linking you to those articles, as well as taking a look at prospects that were acquired before this year’s draft; their progress, and their chances of making the 2013-14 roster of the NHL team in question. I will also bring you one sleeper pick – a player who was either drafted in the 4th-round or later, or was an undrafted free agent signing who I pick as my darkhorse to make the NHL. For those wondering, the cut-off for what is or isn’t a prospect is typically about 50 NHL games played or being 25 years old. These are not hard or fast rules though, and I may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances (especially due to the fact that the latest NHL season was only 48 games).

The Florida Panthers had an awful season this year, there is just no sugar coating it when they went from a division winner who pushed the eventual Eastern Conference Champions to 7 games in 2012, to the last overall record in the NHL. Yes, injuries were a factor, a huge factor, as the team didn’t really ice a full lineup all season long. To top it all off the Panthers lost the draft lottery to the Colorado Avalanche, and didn’t get Nathan MacKinnon. When they did take Aleksander Barkov at second overall, it left many questioning the move with Jonathan Drouin and Seth Jones available. In looking at the Panthers prospect pool, one that ranked 2nd in my LWOS rankings last summer though, we will have to defer to the Panthers scouts on this one. There is no doubt that Barkov is extremely talented, and we had him ranked #4.

There were some bright spots, as seen in Calder Trophy winner, Jonathan Huberdeau. This is an instance where we have to play with our prospect rules due to circumstances. I have a hard time saying that Huberdeau, who played the entire 48 game season, and won the Calder Trophy is still a prospect. No, he’s graduated into a young NHL star. The same should be said of Drew Shore who played 43 games this season, and is expected to be a full-time Panther again next season. He may not have had the success of Huberdeau, but he’s got enough experience to put him in the graduate column.

2013 Draft Picks (Reviewed By LWOS): Aleksander Barkov, Ian McCoshen

Graduates: Jonathan Huberdeau, Drew Shore

#1 Prospect: Jacob Markstrom, Goalie

Born Jan 31 1990 — Gavle, Sweden

Height 6.06 — Weight 196 — Shoots Left

Selected by the Florida Panthers in Round 2, #31 overall of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft

Coming into the season with 8 career NHL appearances, the injury to Jose Theodore really allowed Markstrom a lot of playing time this season as he was able to get into 23 games for the Panthers. Long considered one of the top goaltending prospects in the world, Markstrom will be given every opportunity to be the Panthers starting netminder in 2013-14 as GM Dale Tallon has made it clear that this team is on a youth movement.

At 6’6″ tall, Markstrom is part of the new breed of NHL goalie, giants who cover a ton of net and give shooters very little net to look at. Markstrom combines his excellent size with excellent coverage on angles, solid puck tracking and an ability to almost always keep his shoulders square to the puck. In this way he further minimizes the amount of net his opponents look at. Markstrom has well refined butterfly technique and quick legs that take away the lower portion of the net. His lateral movement is very good and he goes post to post quickly and efficiently. He also has a good glove hand which helps him take away the top portion of the net.

If there is an area where Markstrom still needs work, it is in his rebound control. He is prone to giving up bad rebounds to the front of the net, especially on hard, low point shots. This lack of rebound control can cause headaches for his defence at times, but he also has the ability to recover quickly and be in position for many of the second chance opportunities the defenders can’t clear. This is something that is a common problem with young goalies though, and should be something he can work out in time.

Another problem that arose was Markstrom’s tendency to let one bad goal snowball into three or four this season. Really though, being mentally tough is something that should come with age and experience. In fact this problem was much worse when he first came up to the Panthers than it was by the end of the season. Overall though we are nitpicking here, because Markstrom has all the talent necessary to be an elite NHL netminder. His first real chance to take the reigns for a full year is coming this October.

Prospect #2: Nick Bjugstad, Centre

Born Jul 17 1992 — Blaine, MN

Height 6.05 — Weight 212 — Shoots Right

Selected by the Florida Panthers in round 1 #19 overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Bjugstad decided to stay in school and played his junior year at the University of Minnesota this year. While he wasn’t quite as dominant as he was as a sophomore, when he was a second team All-American, he was still one of the better players in the WCHA and the NCAA as a whole. When the season ended for the Golden Gophers Bjugstad finally decided to turn pro, inking an ELC with the Panthers, playing in 11 games for the big club, and even scoring his first NHL goal. He also represented team USA at the IIHF World Championships, as part of the Bronze Medal winning team.

Another giant, the centre is listed at 6’5 and 212 lbs. He certainly looks the part as he towers over competitors in both the NCAA and in most of his matchups in the NHL. Bjugstad has a number of offensive weapons. He skates very well for a man his size. He has great balance and a long and powerful stride that helps him drive to the net. Bjugstad protects the puck well, controlling the play on his stick, and buying time for teammates to find an opening. When they do, he has the vision and playmaking skill to find them. However Bjugstad’s biggest asset is his NHL ready wrist shot. He is a pure sniper with a heavy, accurate shot and a deceptively quick release.

Bjugstad is a good two way centre. He is as efficient in the defensive end as he is in the offensive end of the ice. At the NCAA level he was used to kill penalties, using his large frame and long stick to cut down passing lanes and create turnovers. At even strength he backchecks effectively and uses his size and reach to keep opposing forwards to the outside and to protect the front of the net both against the rush and against the cycle game.

If there is a criticism of Bjugstad it is that despite his size, he’s not very physical. By that I mean that he’s not a big hitter either in a defensive role or on the forecheck. Its not that he’s soft or anything like that. He is willing to take a hit to make a play and is willing to go to the front of the net, or work the corners and get his nose dirty to produce points, but Bjugstad just doesn’t initiate contact and dominate physically like you’d hope for from someone his size. He mainly uses his size to shield the puck in the offensive zone, and to keep opponents away from the net in his own end. Bjugstad will fight for a spot on the Panthers roster. However he might also see some time with their AHL affiliate this season.

Prospect #3 Michael Matheson, Defence

Born Feb 27 1994 — Pointe-Claire, PQ

Height 6.02 — Weight 175 – Shoots L

Drafted in the First Round, 23rd Overall By the Florida Panthers in the 2012 NHL Draft

The Panthers first round pick in the 2012 Draft, Matheson had an outstanding freshman campaign for Boston College. Joining the 2012 National Champions wasn’t easy for an 18 year old, but Matheson quickly earned top 4 ice time and was great offensively with 25 points in 36 games for the Eagles. A little overwhelmed by the faster NCAA game at the start of the year, Matheson adjusted and became a better defender as the year went on.

Matheson is an excellent skater. His stride is extremely smooth, and very powerful. He has a great first step, and excellent acceleration which helps him reach top speed extremely quickly. He has excellent edgework, agility, and pivots. This sublime skating helps him in all aspects of his game.

Matheson’s offensive game really took a step forward at Boston College. Considered a work in progress after his year in the USHL, he seems to have really improved last summer, and came to BC producing from the get go. His slapshot isn’t a howitzer, but it does have decent velocity. What’s more important though is that Matheson keeps his shots low and accurate, allowing his teammates to screen goalies, tip in pucks, and pounce on rebounds. Matheson makes a great first pass in the defensive zone which greatly helps the transition game. He has also shown a willingness to pick his spots and join the rush at key times. Matheson has also used his vision and passing skills to make strong plays in the offensive zone and to become a strong contributor on the BC powerplay.

As stated, Matheson seemed overwhelmed at first with the increased speed, and stronger forwards in the NCAA as opposed to his time with Dubuque in the USHL. However he was able to quickly overcome that. He has excellent instincts, and plays a solid positional game. Matheson angles attackers to the outside and forces them into non-dangerous areas of the ice. He tries to keep the front of the net clear, and is quick to pounce on loose pucks. Matheson is willing shot blocker and understands how to cut down passing lanes. Matheson is willing to engage in battles for the puck but he needs to improve his upper body strength at this level and going forward. Matheson will likely be back with Boston College next season, looking to further improve as a two way defenceman.

Super Sleeper Yaroslav Kosov, Right Wing

Born Jul 5 1993 — Magnitogorsk, Russia

Height 6.03 — Weight 220

Selected by the Florida Panthers round 5 #124 overall 2011 NHL Entry Draft

Make no mistake, this pick is our pure sleeper pick conforming to the rules of being drafted round 4 or later, and is not the fourth best prospect in the Panthers system. The system is so deep Kosov likely doesn’t even crack the top 10 if we were to rank them that way. Still thats a reflection of the Panthers depth, and not a knock on Kosov.

Kosov is a talented winger with a power forward’s body. He’s played in the last two World Junior Championships for Russia, scoring 8 points in 14 games. He has very good hands and stickhandling ability, along with a powerful stride. He loves to drive the net and has really soft hands which allow him to make quick plays and bury the puck in the back of the net when he does get in close. Kosov also has good vision and passing skills. He is set to spend next season in Russia, playing in the KHL for Magnitogorsk, but the Panthers do hope he will eventually make his way over to North America.

The Panthers system is chock full of talent. We haven’t even gotten to players like Rocco Grimaldi, Vincent Trocheck, Kyle Rau, Alex Petrovic, Quinton Howden, Colby Robak, John McFarland, and Michael Houser. This is a system with outstanding depth. Last year we had them as the 2nd best system overall, and while the graduation of Huberdeau would usually make a system fall in the rankings, he has been replaced with another elite level prospect in Barkov. The Panthers system has it all, depth at every position, as well as quality and quantity. Expect to see them near the top of our team prospect rankings once I’ve gone through every team’s top prospects.

Thanks for reading, as feel free to follow me on twitter @lastwordBKerr. Give the rest of the hockey department a follow while you’re at it – @LastWordBigMick, @TheHockeyMitch, and @LastWordOnNHL, and follow the site @lastwordonsport.

Interested in writing for LastWordOnSports? If so, check out our “Join Our Team” page to find out how.

photo credit: bridgetds via photopin cc