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2002-2003 Top Ten Predator Prospects
Welcome to the Predators Report prospects page. Below are the top ten best rated prospects in the organization as rated by the Hockey News. The links to the left under the heading "Prospect Central" will take you to a complete list, broken down by team or league. All prospects that are property of the Nashville Predators will be listed. All information sources are listed in silver. Media guide is the official Nashville Predators media guide from the listed season.
#1-Scottie Upshall (UHP-shawl) · Right Wing
Team: Kamloops (WHL)
Shoots: Left · 6-0 · 184 lbs.
Born: Fort McMurray, Alberta · October 7, 1983
Drafted: 1st rd, 2002 (6th overall)
Acquired: 2002 NHL Entry Draft
A good skater with quick acceleration...Plays a solid all-around game...Has keen on-ice perception and uses his teammates well...Has the knack to position himself well in the offensive zone...Has the ability to create good scoring chances...Possesses great skills and has the ability to score in many different ways...Plays bigger than his size and does not shy away from the physical game...Plays a very consistent game and is always a standout player...Plays hard away from the puck. (02-03 Predators media guide) "He has a chance to be a good scoring winger. He finishes every check, will be in your face and makes things happen. He plays an abrasive style and plays on the edge." (Craig Channell, Predators director of amateur scouting) The best of the rest is super pest Scottie Upshall, a 5-11 left winger who plays much bigger than his size. He's highly skilled and gets under opponents' skin better than anyone. Has speed, quick hands, and great moves. Plays like a big man trapped in a small man's body and would be a legitimate top 10 candidate in most draft years. (USA Today)"Character and intelligence are the most appealing of his many assets." (David Boclair, THN writer)
#2-Dan Hamhuis (HAM-yoos) · Defense
Shoots: Left · 6-0 · 208 lbs.
Born: Smithers, British Columbia · December 13, 1982
Drafted: 1st rd, 2001 (12th overall)
Acquired: 2001 NHL Entry Draft
A very good, well balanced skater with good agility and excellent speed...A very skilled, intelligent defenseman who anticipates the play very well and makes good decisions...Is a confident puck carrier and is very capable of leading the offensive rush...Possesses excellent passing skills and is a strong playmaker...Has excellent stamina and logs a tremendous amount of ice time...A very strong competitor and a hard worker...Plays a very sound positional game and is very poised and efficient in the defensive zone...Is strong in the corners and in front of the net and has shown a mean streak at times...Specializes in the hip check along the boards and is a very good open ice hitter. (01-02 Predators media guide)
#3-Jordin Tootoo (TOO-too) · Right Wing
Team: Brandon (WHL)
Shoots: Left · 5-9 · 193 lbs.
Born: Churchill, Manitoba · February 2, 1983
Drafted: 4th rd, 2001 (198th overall)
Acquired: 2001 NHL Entry Draft
A strong skater with good acceleration, agility and balance..Has good hockey sense and handles the puck well in tight situations...Has one of the hardest shots in the WHL and is often used at the point on the powerplay...Works very well in the corners and along the boards and drives hard to the net...A very dedicated and competitive player and a very hard worker...Plays a very physical game and is one of the hardest bodycheckers in the league...An effective antagonist who can take opponents off their game...Will sacrifice himself to make the play. (01-02 Predators media guide)
#4-Brian Finley (BRIGH-uhn FIHN-lee) · Goaltender
Catches: Right · 6-3 · 205 lbs.
Born: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario · July 3, 1981
Drafted: 1st rd, 1999 (6th overall)
Acquired: 1999 NHL Entry Draft
A butterfly style goaltender who goes down on most shots staying square to the puck for rebounds...Has very quick, controlled, smooth movement...Possesses tremendous reflexes with very fast feet and legs...Gets pads down and extended quickly to handle shots...Is able to recover efficiently from scrambles...Goes to the paddle down technique to close off the lower net...Good with his blocker and glove hand, however tends to juggle the puck at times...Has excellent anticipation, timing...Rarely caught out of position...Very good concentration and focus...Poised and confident...A solid competitor and a quiet leader. (99-00 Predators media guide)
#5-Denis Platonov (DIHN-his PLAH-tah-nahv) · Right Wing
Team: Kazan (Russia)
Shoots: Left · 6-1 · 194 lbs.
Born: Saratov, Russia · November 6, 1981
Drafted: 3rd rd, 2001 (75th overall)
Acquired: 2001 NHL Entry Draft
Good skater with excellent agility...Strong skills in traffic...Competitve and hard working...A strong two way player. (01-02 Predators media guide) "He is big and strong and has great acceleration on his skates with the puck. He can create open space for his teammates and give a perfect pass from traffic and he can also keep the puck in traffic. He has a strong, quick and sharp wrist shot. He can be a scorer and a playmaker." (Alexei Dementiev, Predators European amateur scout)
#6-Timofei Shishkanov (TEEM-oh-fay SHISH-kuh-nahv) · Left Wing
Team: Quebec (QMJHL)
Shoots: Right · 6-1 · 213 lbs.
Born: Moscow, Russia · June 10, 1983
Drafted: 2nd rd, 2001 (33rd overall)
Acquired: 2001 NHL Entry Draft
Shishkanov's 6'1 and 203lb frame is definitely more then sufficient for the rigors of the NHL. He is a very talented player. Timofei is an excellent skater, able to blow by his opponents with great moves and fast speed. He also possesses a solid shot, though he rarely uses it and does not really have a trademark shot that he is known for. Timofei Shishkanov is also a very good puck handler, able to work it in both zones of the ice. According to a Finnish observer from the U18 2001 World Junior Championships, Timofei had a comprable skill set to that of Kovalchuk (Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk), but "the difference between Kovalchuk and Shishkanov is the hunger, Kovalchuk wants all the time desperately [to] score goals, but Shishkanov sometimes floats around." The observer added further that Kovalchuk shot the puck a lot more then Shishkanov, while Shishkanov seemed "meaner, more unpredictable and stronger then Kovalchuk". The main area where Shishkanov loses to players of Kovlachuk's class is in his hockey sense. He still has not developed that knack for making split second decisions on the ice that players of Kovalchuk's caliber possess. (www.russianprospects.com) Excellent skater with a powerful stride...Good acceleration speed and very good balance...Can change both tempo and directions at top speed...Clever and cool with the puck...Has soft hands...Controls the puck well in traffic and finds his man even in tight situations...Has good size, is strong, and has good straight ahead speed...Plays with intensity. (01-02 Predators media guide)
#7-Jonas Andersson (JOH-nas AN-duhr-suhn) · Right Wing
Shoots: Right · 6-3 · 202 lbs.
Born: Stockholm, Sweden · February 24, 1981
Drafted: 2nd rd, 1999 (33rd overall)
Acquired: 1999 NHL Entry Draft
A good, effective skater...Is well balanced and has quick acceleration...High overall skill level...An offensive minded winger...Likes to go straight to the net...Possesses soft hands and is a good, crisp passer...A good competitor with strong desire. (99-00 Predators media guide) A speedy winger who left Sweden at a early age. Andersson has fine offensive skills and seems to be a very popular prospect on the other side of the pond. Has the potential to become a good NHL-player. (www.eliteprospects.com)
#8-Libor Pivko (LEE-bowr PEEV-koh) · Left Wing
Team: Zlin (Czech)
Shoots: Left · 6-2 · 194 lbs.
Born: Novy Vicin, Czech Republic · March 29, 1980
Drafted: 3rd, 2000 (89th overall)
Acquired: 2000 NHL Entry Draft
A good skater with decent hands...A hard worker...An effective passer and playmaker. (00-01 Predators media guide)
#9-Brandon Segal (SEE-guhl) · Right Wing
Team: Calgary (WHL)
Shoots: Right · 6-3 · 206 lbs.
Born: Richmond, BC · July 12, 1983
Drafted: 4th rd, 2002 (102nd overall)
Acquired: 2002 NHL Entry Draft
A well-balanced skater with a strong stride and a good change of pace...Possesses strong puck-handling skills and is a creative playmaker...Works well in heavy traffic and is effective in one-on-one situations...Has a quick wrist shot...A smart player with good hockey sense and natural offensive instincts...A feisty player who can play an aggressive game...Displays a lot of desire and drive on every shift...A dependable player who is used in all game situations...An unselfish player. (02-03 Predators media guide) "Brandon is a big kid who goes to the net. He has good hands. He goes to the areas where maybe the other guys don't like to go. He pays the price to get the puck. Not only can he put them in, but he can make plays, and he also has a real physical aspect to his game." (Mike Roony, Predators Western amateur scout)
#10-Patrick Jarrett () · Center
Team: Owen Sound (OHL)
Shoots: Right · 5-11 · 181 lbs.
Born-Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario · February 6, 1984
Drafted: 5th rd, 2002 (138th overall)
Acquired: 2002 NHL Entry Draft
A smooth skater with good agility...Very strong hockey sense...Uses his head rather than physical play to beat opponents...Sees the ice well and has good awareness of his teammates around him...A naturally offensive-minded player with very good passing and playmaking skills...Very good at anticipating the opposition's moves, often resulting in turnovers and scoring chances. (02-03 Predators media guide) "He's a very smart player with great vision. He handles the puck well and distributes the puck very well to his wingers. He's more of a play-maker than a goal scorer, and is also a good two-way player. His upside is tremendous." (Greg Royce, Predators assistant director of amateur scouting)
© 2002-2003 ThePredatorsReport.com
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