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Prospect write-ups—you know how it goes, so let's get to it:
Sven Bartschi, Left Wing, Calgary Flames (Portland-WHL)
The most common complaint I got through email, twitter or other avenues about my recent top 30 NHL prospect ranking was the omission of the Flames first round pick in 2011. Bartschi is currently lighting up the WHL, scoring at over a two-point-per-game pace. There are a few things to point out, though, to keep his scoring in context. Bartschi is a 19-year-old in the WHL, he's on a powerhouse club who are second in goals for, and they also have a very good top scoring unit. That is not to take anything away from Bartschi, and I would never put absolute credit on a player's skills or on external influences in regards to performance, as it's all a matter of balances. However, taking that into account, and based on what I've seen from him this year and from what I've heard talking to scouts, the consensus is that Bartschi is not a high-end type of prospect. Even one of the biggest Bartschi promoters I talked to amongst scouts said, "He isn't the most flashy or high-end player, but just does everything well." That describes him in a nutshell, although I have heard argument in the scouting world that his hockey sense and shot are high-end, which I could concede on. Bartschi is still a very good prospect; he's very projectable to be a significant two-way force on a second line for Calgary in a short time period maybe even touching first line status for a year or two in his prime, but I don't think he has the upside to generate a high production level in the NHL.
Joel Armia, Right Wing, Buffalo Sabres (Assat-SM-Liiga)
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Player Power Rankings: Niemi Vaults To Top