Jared Knight, a 2010 second-round pick, has been a fixture in our top 10 since the preseason. Tyler Randell, a sixth-round choice in 2009, hasn't had a sniff of the rankings yet. So maybe it was a little jealousy over their respective prospect status that brought the pair into conflict on Thursday night. Or maybe it was just the fact that Knight wasn't too happy about losing 8-2 to Randell's Kitchener Rangers in an Ontario Hockey League clash.
Whatever the motivations, less than two months after bonding in Boston's rookie camp, the two Bruins prospects were duking it out in the OHL.
The bout was Randell's team-leading fourth of the season, as he follows up on his 10 fighting majors from last year. Knight is a far less experienced pugilist, as this was his first fight of the season after having just one fighting major last year. But Knight still has the edge where it matters most, as a highly-skilled forward projected to eventually play a key role on a scoring line in the NHL. That keeps him in the third spot in the Bruins' prospect rankings.
Randell is more of a grinder with more modest skills. He has just 2-2-4 totals through 15 games. He may have a pro future as well, but his ceiling is much lower, and he remains on the outside of the top 10 again this week.
Out West, Craig Cunningham did find a way to crack the list. All it took was being named the Western Hockey League's Player of the Month, as Cunningham currently leads the WHL in scoring with 7-29-36 totals in 18 games.
Cunningham's addition drops 2007 first-rounder Zach Hamill out of the top 10, as Hamill went another two games without a point and was a minus-2 for Providence. Providence coach Rob Murray even made Hamill, who has no goals and just one assist in eight games this year, a healthy scratch in one game over the weekend as a wakeup call. If Murray is comfortable leaving Hamill out of the lineup, we're comfortable leaving him out of the top 10 this week.
Now, on to the 10 prospects that did make the cut this week.
- 1
Last week: No. 1
Current Team: Peterborough (OHL) Ryan Spooner, C
Spooner continued his strong start to the season, even as his Peterborough club struggled through a winless week. Spooner can't be faulted for the Petes' losses in both ends of a home-and-home series with Ottawa and a matchup with Kingston, as he had three goals and an assist in the three games. For the season, the slick playmaking center had 10-9-19 totals in 13 games.
- 2
Last week: No. 2
Current Team: Providence (AHL) Joe Colborne, C
Colborne finally had a breakthrough week despite Providence's continued struggles. The big center assisted on both goals in a 3-2 loss to Albany on Friday, then scored his first professional goal Sunday against Worcester. After starting the season with just one assist and a minus-2 in his first five games, Colborne has 1-3-4 totals and is a plus-4 in his last four games
- 3
Last week: No. 3
Current Team: London (OHL) Jared Knight, C/RW
Knight was scoreless in three games this week, and stands at 4-7-11 through 14 games with London. He did make it onto the scoresheet against Kitchener with his bout against Randell. Knight had just six penalty minutes in 13 games coming into that contest, but added 11 more on Thursday alone.
- 4
Last week: No. 5
Current Team: Providence (AHL) Steve Kampfer, D
Kampfer has been Providence's most impressive defenseman so far this season, and he leapfrogs over Matt Bartkowski into the fourth spot on the prospects lists. Kampfer scored a short-handed goal with 3:01 left in the third to force overtime against Worcester on Saturday. The Bruins lost 2-1 in OT, but did collect their only point in three games over the weekend. Kampfer leads Providence with 2-4-6 totals and is a plus-2 through nine games despite Providence being outscored 34-18.
- 5
Last week: No. 4
Current Team: Providence (AHL) Matt Bartkowski, D
Bartkowski hasn't been able to maintain the momentum from his strong showing in Boston's camp, as he's struggled in Providence in his first pro season. He didn't have a point and was a minus-3 in three games this week, and is now just 0-1-1 and a minus-5 in seven games.
- 6
Last week: No. 6
Current Team: Providence (AHL) Max Sauve, C/LW
Sauve remained out of the lineup this week as he is still sidelined with a wrist injury. He remains at 3-1-4 and a plus-1 in four games. The three goals keep him tied for the team lead despite playing less than half of Providence's games, as the Bruins clearly miss his offensive production.
- 7
Last week: No. 7
Current Team: Prince Albert (WHL) Ryan Button, D
Prince Albert dropped both of its games again this week, falling to Swift Current and Moose Jaw, but Button managed to chip in an assist in each game. He now has 0-6-6 totals and is even with 13 PIMs through 17 games.
- 8
Last week: Unranked
Current Team: Boston University (Hockey East, NCAA) David Warsofsky, D
The compact-sized blueliner returns to the top 10 after putting up a pair of assists in each of the Terriers' games last weekend. Warsofsky (5-foot-8, 170 pounds) had two assists and was a plus-2 in a 5-1 win at UMass-Lowell, then had two more helpers and was a plus-2 in a 2-1 win over the River Hawks in the return match at Agganis Arena. Warsofsky now has 2-5-7 totals and is a plus-4 in six games.
- 9
Last week: No. 8
Current Team: Providence (AHL) Yury Alexandrov, D
It was a rough week for Alexandrov, who not only failed to produce a point in Providence's three losses, but he also was a minus-4. For the season, the Russian defenseman has 1-1-2 totals and is a minus-4 in nine games as he tries to adapt to the North American game.
- 10
Last week: Unranked
Current Team: Vancouver (WHL) Craig Cunningham, C
Cunningham turned 20 in September and would have been eligible to play in Providence, but the 2010 fourth-rounder couldn't come to terms with Boston and returned to the WHL for his overage year. He was named Vancouver's captain and immediately started piling up points. He has scored in 15 of the 18 games he's played, with 13 multiple-point outings, including a five-assist night against Kelowna on Oct. 20. He's averaging two points a game and is a plus-14 while leading Vancouver to first place in the WHL's B.C. Division at 10-6-1-1.
