Florida Panthers Top Prospects: Best of the Rest (2012 Edition)

Once again, we will be releasing the top prospects list for the Florida Panthers after the world juniors. In the 4^th edition of the list, it has grown from 10 prospects, to 20 and now to 30 as the team’s prospect list has grown to a huge amount. Below are 3 prospects that just barely missed the cut.

Andrej Nestrasil, RW, 20, Prague, Czech Republic (Previous Ranking: 22)

6’2, 210lbs

Drafted 3^rd round (75^th overall) in 2009

 The transition to turning pro hasn’t been the easiest for Nestrasil. After a career year, in his final season in junior hockey. In which he had 70 points in 58 games with the PEI Rocket. In what is a deep and slow moving prospect pool, Nestrasil has found himself starting from the bottom in the Red Wings organization. His 11 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins saw him put up only 3 points, struggling on the bottom lines. The rest of the season has been spent with the Toledo Walleye in the ECHL. His offensive touch has been more apparent there with 7 points in 13 games, but only 1 goal.

“Even though he has fallen outside our top 30, we still expect good things from Andrej. It’s going to be a slow and hard journey for him to reach our pro team but he still has the skill set to be a productive player. It’s disappointing that his pro career is starting at the ECHL level and we would have expected a better offensive game from him at that level. He is quite a few years from making an impact still and this is not to say we have given up on him. He has fallen down on our depth chart but we have no problem giving him the time to vault right back up.”

Josh Birkholz, RW, 20, Maple Grove, Minnesota (PR: New)

6’1, 190lbs

Trade with Pittsburgh Penguins

 Consistency. That was the thing the Panthers wanted most to see in Birkholz’s second season in the WHL. After leaving college after his freshman year, Birkholz joined the Everett Silvertips of the WHL. He ended his first year in the league with a disappointing 29 points in 68 games. Though this season the offensive game has re-appeared and a more consistent player has arrived. He once again has 29 points, though this point at the halfway mark, 33 games in.

“We are happy with the improvements in his game this year. He definitely didn’t impress last year but we still took a flyer on him when we traded for him. His game at the pro level probably won’t be an offensive one, but he still needs to create more consistency and continue to play a solid two-way game.  Like Andrej, he does have a hard road ahead with all our depth, but he does provide the potential for a solid bottom 6 forward and we hope that he can continue to improve his game, and turn pro next season. We see at least two years in the AHL for sure before he would even have a chance at the pro roster.”

Brian Connelly, D, 25, Bloomington, Minnesota (PR: NR)

5’11, 185lbs

Free Agent

Brian Connelly has done all to impress at the AHL level. The minute defender put up 52 points for the Rockford Ice Hogs, being named their best defenseman last year. He was also an all-star, putting up 2 assists in the big game. And now into his 3^rd year in the AHL, he is going leaps and bounds to prove that he deserves a shot at the pros. Connelly has been one of the best offensive D’s in the AHL this season, with 29 points in 33 games, he is tops amongst defenders.  His quick puck movement and hard shot have been vital on the power-play and is seemingly ready for the opportunity.

“It was hard to leave Connelly off this list just because of his great play this season. But as a late bloomer his skills might be better suited for the AHL game. His size is definitely a disadvantage against the bigger forwards in the league and his defensive game is still far from perfect. But his offensive prowess is off the charts and he could easily run a PP. We have a lot of talented young D in our system and he is behind the 8-ball. But if he continues to impress, bulks up and work on his defensive game, there is no saying how far he could move up the charts.”