Anyone else excited for this year's rookie crop?

[solt0131]

These guys should have RC's this year:

Nicklas Backstrom
Patrick Kane
Jonathan Toews
Sam Gagner
Jonathan Bernier
Carey Price
Peter Mueller
Bobby Ryan

This is a strong rookie class based on what these guys have done in the preseason....if I'm forgetting some guys, please add some names to this list.

Thanks.

[go_steelers07]

i thought Nicklas Backstrom had a card last year..... doesn't he play for the Devils or RedWings?

[hockeyron]

Milan Lucic and David Krejci made the Bruins roster ....


ron

[solt0131]

Wrong Backstrom

[ope4021]

Jack Johnson will get alot of love.

[allhockey]

Have you guys noticed the play of Nicklas Backstrom lately? He has 4G/5A in his last 8 games and is getting a ton of ice time under new coach Bruce Boudreau. I have seen him live in two of those games and he is really seeing the ice well & next to AO has been the Caps best player. (He WAS the Caps best player last night vs the Habs). I know some of you guys like him and/or have had positive posts about him, just thought I would pass my thoughts on............

[frozenntimesports]

Have you guys noticed the play of Nicklas Backstrom lately? He has 4G/5A in his last 8 games and is getting a ton of ice time under new coach Bruce Boudreau. I have seen him live in two of those games and he is really seeing the ice well & next to AO has been the Caps best player. (He WAS the Caps best player last night vs the Habs). I know some of you guys like him and/or have had positive posts about him, just thought I would pass my thoughts on............

Big fan of Backstrom, helpling my fantasy squad immensely. Might be drinking the kool-aid but he could be a 1.2 ppg player the rest of the way.

[allhockey]

K&M's Daddy- could not remember if it was you or the Bammer who liked young Nicklas, the local rag (Wash Post) had an article on him in yesterday's daily dose of propaganda, you may want to bring it up on line. NB is playing really well you can just see him gaining confidence with every shift & as the good ones do, he just looks very comfortable on the ice............

[MaddoxBT]

You forgot Andrew Cogliano, James Sheppard and Bryan Little. I also really like Jiri Tlusty, Dan Winnik and Martin Hanzal long-term.

David Clarkson is a nice sleeper.

This is a better RC class than 05-06 in terms of depth. Crysby is overrated and Ovechkin is looking like he will be a top-10 forward but not exactly a generational talent (I'd take him over Crysby in a heartbeat). Kane and Toews both have comparable talent, as does Backstrom. Johnson and Phaneuf are the same dude (Johnson is a lot smarter and meaner, but a little less polished). There were a bunch of 05-06 guys who had a lot of potential, but haven't panned out yet. In 07-08 stuff, you can go through a bunch of guys who are actually producing before you even get to the guys with potential who haven't had a chance yet.

Carey Price could very well drive 07-08 long-term like Sidney Crysby does 05-06. It's been a LONG time since we've had a stud rookie goalie prospect in a major hockey market the same year as his RC year like this. Never in the history of modern hockey cards, really.

[allhockey]

[
Carey Price could very well drive 07-08 long-term like Sidney Crysby does 05-06. It's been a LONG time since we've had a stud rookie goalie prospect in a major hockey market the same year as his RC year like this. Never in the history of modern hockey cards, really.[/QUOTE]


agreed I was really bummed last night at the game here in DC that Price was not in goal. My seats were in the corner 5 rows from the ice and I was really looking forward to seeing Price in net as was the folks in the section. Huet had his first start in 3 weeks and still played well enought to beat the home team. Price could be a big player as could Pogge in Toronto (both great markets for hockey as everyone knows) thought I think some of the shine has come off his star. Jonathan Bernier will be in net for the Canadiens at the World Jrs in a few days. He has a card in UD series one as well.

[frozenntimesports]

You forgot Andrew Cogliano, James Sheppard and Bryan Little. I also really like Jiri Tlusty, Dan Winnik and Martin Hanzal long-term.

David Clarkson is a nice sleeper.

This is a better RC class than 05-06 in terms of depth. Crysby is overrated and Ovechkin is looking like he will be a top-10 forward but not exactly a generational talent (I'd take him over Crysby in a heartbeat). Kane and Toews both have comparable talent, as does Backstrom. Johnson and Phaneuf are the same dude (Johnson is a lot smarter and meaner, but a little less polished). There were a bunch of 05-06 guys who had a lot of potential, but haven't panned out yet. In 07-08 stuff, you can go through a bunch of guys who are actually producing before you even get to the guys with potential who haven't had a chance yet.

Carey Price could very well drive 07-08 long-term like Sidney Crysby does 05-06. It's been a LONG time since we've had a stud rookie goalie prospect in a major hockey market the same year as his RC year like this. Never in the history of modern hockey cards, really.

You can't have two once in a generation talents in the same draft class. The last few years have produced some great rookie cards:

Staal, Bergeron, Fleury, Horton, Svatos, Crosby, Ovechkin, Getzlaf, Richards, Lundqvist, Phaneuf, Stastny, Malkin, Kopitar, O'Sullivan, Kane, Toews, Price, Mueller, Backstrom... and a lot more that I haven't mentioned.

Not to rip on Crosby, but anyone on that list has a chance to be the it player in the NHL. The Euro players are probably out because of the anti-Euro bias in the NHL, but if I had to guess, I would go with Carey Price and Paul Stastny as the two with the biggest upside at this point. The goalie in Montreal = the quarterback in Dallas and Stastny might be the most dangerous pure offensive weapon in the NHL right now.

[MaddoxBT]

You can't have two once in a generation talents in the same draft class. The last few years have produced some great rookie cards:

Staal, Bergeron, Fleury, Horton, Svatos, Crosby, Ovechkin, Getzlaf, Richards, Lundqvist, Phaneuf, Stastny, Malkin, Kopitar, O'Sullivan, Kane, Toews, Price, Mueller, Backstrom... and a lot more that I haven't mentioned.

Not to rip on Crosby, but anyone on that list has a chance to be the it player in the NHL. The Euro players are probably out because of the anti-Euro bias in the NHL, but if I had to guess, I would go with Carey Price and Paul Stastny as the two with the biggest upside at this point. The goalie in Montreal = the quarterback in Dallas and Stastny might be the most dangerous pure offensive weapon in the NHL right now.

The fun thing about Stastny is that he's a beast defensively as well. He is probably the best two-way player in the NHL right now.

Heh, and when he was drafted, I was hoping for 60pts a season and not a liability defensively when he was fully developed. He's already as good (if not better) than his dad.

[andrew13]

you guys see the russian guy is starting a rival NHL? a lot of the fringe euros are going to go over there most likely to play. and probably a lot of starts once they become UFA/RFA's. might make things interesting to say the least.

[MrSimmons]

My personal favorites would be Peter Mueller, Martin Hanzal, and Carey Price. I really enjoyed watching Mueller play over the last couple of seasons in Everett and it's fun to watch him in Phoenix. My 3 year old nephew has grown up watching Mueller play and he will sit and watch a Coyotes game without moving just waiting for Mueller.

I only saw Hanzal in person once but you can see he has the tools to stay in the NHL for a long time. Price played for a division rival and never really performed when he played in our arena but I make a point to record Candians games to see how he continues to improve. I think Lucic of Boston can be an impact player but I doubt that he will make a huge impact among collectors. He was a surprise to stay with the Bruins so there wasn't a lot of advance publicity about him.

[EGRHOCKEYFAN]

The Coyotes rookies are beginning to breaK out since the Coyotes finally found a Number #1 Netminder. Watch for Tobias Enstrom. He might sneak in the top three rookie candidates the way he is performing this season. He might end up with 50-65 points playing the power play with Kovalchuk and company. Not bad for an 8th round pick that found played himself onto the team and not even on the depth chart at the beginning of the training camp, while the Thrashers were counting on several former first round pick defensemen to make their roster this season :eek:.

[frozenntimesports]

you guys see the russian guy is starting a rival NHL? a lot of the fringe euros are going to go over there most likely to play. and probably a lot of starts once they become UFA/RFA's. might make things interesting to say the least.

It can only help the NHL to have an organized NHL Jr. league in Europe. It could wind up being like NFL Europe only not sucking.

[Vintage Collector]

Crosby is crazy talented. His cards will continue to increase in value. Just watch this kid play and he will only get better.

Ovechkin is underpriced right now so grab them while you can.

This years class is great for buying singles and keeping sealed boxes if you can.