Prospect Info: At 9th Overall the Detroit Red Wings Select Michael Rasmussen
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newfy
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- Jul 28, 2010
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I think the thing with this hot streak of his that people arent considering for some reason is that he played the first half of the year needing surgery. He comes back,gets healthy and all of a sudden goes on a tear. I dont think that thats the only factor, but he played half his season pretty injured trying to make the world junior team. If hes healthy all season and plays like he did from wings training camp without getting hurt I think his numbers would be better. How much better? I'm not sure and its a game of what ifs, but these last 2 months make me think they would be better
Heres the issue with every single one of those rankings. Nobody knew the serious surgery Vilardi was going to have in the off season. His hip is damaged goods and most teams took that into consideration. Noone knew how much that was going to impact his skating. He looks like hes been fine based on point totals but being a weaker skater and having that surgery scared a lot of teams off from having him in the top 5.
Had he not been hurt like that, he doesnt make it to Detroits pick. But unlike others want to let on, hes certainly not head and shoulders ahead of Rasmussen. Neither are perfect prospects but theyve both had good years
jkutswings
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- Jul 10, 2014
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All good points. And ultimately I'm not trying to say that Vilardi is the next HOFer, while Rasmussen is the next career AHLer. To his credit, Ras has played extremely well since returning from the surgery. I simply did (and do) value the skill set that Vilardi has over the skill set that Rasmussen has, hence my strong preference for drafting one over the other. As far as styles of play, the power forward is way way down my list of how I'd build a team. Maybe even dead last. Just personal preference.
Now had it been Rasmussen versus nobody that I thought would amount to anything, then sure, I take him and don't think twice. I just have a lot of other types of players I prefer, so if one or more are available that I rank as a top 10 guy, I take them instead.
Dotter
THE ATHLETIC IS GARBAGE
You don't build a team in one draft. Vilardi has a nice skill set, but his well documented and known deficiencies are the deal breaker for me. I think RAS is a player that doesn't come around very often wheras a guy like Vilardi (without the warts) will be found in drafts more often. I think from the start of a rebuild perspective, RAS was the right choice. Wings are going to be a skating team. Vilardi doesn't fit that mold. And I think RAS is a player that makes your average playoff team to a legit playoff contender. He (and Bertuzzi) will be the type of guys that pick it up, whereas Nyquist's and Mantha's of the world don't have that 2nd gear and give that playoff elevation that SCF teams need.
I think that goes without saying with any draft. It is my opinion that RAS vs Vilardi will be a debate that will always be close. If that's the case, then it's just a matter of the style of play and the name you like on the back of the jersey better. I like the big bodied superior skater with underrated playmaking/passing skills with sick hands. My only request for RAS would to be more nasty and physical with a mean streak.
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Pavels Dog
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I think that's fair. If we took Ras over Pettersson I'd be a lot less pleased and a lot more worried it would come back and bite us. I guess I just don't see the big deal about Vilardi (or Necas).
Much as I do think Dotter sometimes over-eggs the positive pudding, I think the point about the unique-ness of what Ras has to offer in terms of the combo of physical potential, goalscoring and 2-way play is the kind of thing that doesn't come along too often at the level he currently projects as.
People have made comparisons with Bjugstad, and there's a slightly more offensive Jordan Staal comparison to be made too. I think he may yet prove to be more well rounded than those guys in terms of different ways to hurt you, but those are also the kind of players who on 2nd or 3rd lines have absolutely killed us over the last decade.
It seems likely that we will be monumentally average at best for a while yet, so as long as we hit with a more playmaking centre among the desperate need for D-men over the next 2-4 years, we will have a great first 3 centres, at least two of whom can be effective in the top 6 on the wing, all of whom bring different things to the party - even if Ras doesn't hit his ceiling.
Obviously, as with all draft picks, only time will tell, but my instinct is that we will have better options of players of the ilk of Necas or Vilardi fall to us if we keep missing the playoffs, but better versions of Ras tend to only be in the top 3. As Pavels Dog says, if it had been Pettersson, who so many voted for in the pre-draft threat, that had been passed over, we'd feel a lot more unhappy, as his upside long looked on a different level, and he's had a great post draft year. Vilardi & Necas have been pretty good it has to be said, but equally not to the level that should give us regrets.
People have made comparisons with Bjugstad, and there's a slightly more offensive Jordan Staal comparison to be made too. I think he may yet prove to be more well rounded than those guys in terms of different ways to hurt you, but those are also the kind of players who on 2nd or 3rd lines have absolutely killed us over the last decade.
It seems likely that we will be monumentally average at best for a while yet, so as long as we hit with a more playmaking centre among the desperate need for D-men over the next 2-4 years, we will have a great first 3 centres, at least two of whom can be effective in the top 6 on the wing, all of whom bring different things to the party - even if Ras doesn't hit his ceiling.
Obviously, as with all draft picks, only time will tell, but my instinct is that we will have better options of players of the ilk of Necas or Vilardi fall to us if we keep missing the playoffs, but better versions of Ras tend to only be in the top 3. As Pavels Dog says, if it had been Pettersson, who so many voted for in the pre-draft threat, that had been passed over, we'd feel a lot more unhappy, as his upside long looked on a different level, and he's had a great post draft year. Vilardi & Necas have been pretty good it has to be said, but equally not to the level that should give us regrets.
Pavels Dog
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Cyborg Yzerberg
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Just because you're trying to make it sound like a meme, doesn't make it so. Rasmussen had the most red flags of any of the 10-20 range prospects and the season he had, especially in comparison to some of his peers like Pettersson and Vilardi, are merited and justified. And it has nothing to do with disparaging Red Wing prospects; clearly other prospects like Hronek or Larkin and Mantha when they were still prospects, are appropriately touted.
Cyborg Yzerberg
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I'm underscoring the difference between the two; worst case scenario, our 9th overall pick is something resembling Brian Boyle, best case scenario, we have a beast of a winger that plays phenomenally around the crease.
Cyborg Yzerberg
Registered User
Larkin didn't need overripening, Larkin had phenomenal NCAA numbers, awesome WJC numbers, and performed well in a brief stint with the Griffins.
Rasmussen didn't have the type of +1 season that merits a promotion, frankly. Simmonds took a long time to develop into the guy who he is now, and maybe that'll be true of Rasmussen as well, but I think this guy needs another year of developing his offensive tool set, because if this guy develops into a bottom 6 grinder, because we rushed him up because of his big body, that'll be a massive waste of a 9th overall pick.
I think Hronek needs to come up next year, it's time. He's probably already a top 3 defenseman within our organization, frankly, with how bad our defense is.
Cyborg Yzerberg
Registered User
I really doubt he becomes better than Simmonds, frankly. Simmonds is one of the best power play players in the league with several seasons hovering around the 30 goal margin. But, if he does, then that's obviously a blessing.
We need Rasmussen to be a real player, frankly.
Pavels Dog
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Pavels Dog
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Is anyone else watching all these Tri City games?
Ras is playing awesome. His 2nd goal was complete BS luck today, but we will take it. He also had some pretty nasty turnovers. 2 that led to SilverTips goals in the 3rd.
Ras is a smart player over skill. He needs to be on a line with smart players or he is useless. He’s a great playmaker and a beast downlow (aka Getzlaf, Perry)
One thing that really sticks out is his skating. He can really move out there. He’s not slow. (Which is why the Staal, Simmonds comparisons don’t make sense to me.)
Ras looks raw. Hopefully there is tons of room for this kid to grow. I’m starting to love this Draft Pick.
FYI to everyone: Ras played center until coming back from injury. From that point on he has been playing left wing.
Ras is playing awesome. His 2nd goal was complete BS luck today, but we will take it. He also had some pretty nasty turnovers. 2 that led to SilverTips goals in the 3rd.
Ras is a smart player over skill. He needs to be on a line with smart players or he is useless. He’s a great playmaker and a beast downlow (aka Getzlaf, Perry)
One thing that really sticks out is his skating. He can really move out there. He’s not slow. (Which is why the Staal, Simmonds comparisons don’t make sense to me.)
Ras looks raw. Hopefully there is tons of room for this kid to grow. I’m starting to love this Draft Pick.
FYI to everyone: Ras played center until coming back from injury. From that point on he has been playing left wing.
Ulysses31
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Ulysses31
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newfy
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At this point I think giving him the Larkin treatment is exactly what he needs. These playoffs are showing hes too good for junior and at his size I dont think he should be playing teenagers anymore. Let him play a year on the wing and get used to the NHLs timing and speed then convert him to center just like they did with Larkin which really seemed to work out.
I think he could be on Larkins wing as well and that would be fine. Learning from Z is great and all and it will lead to a little more sheltered minutes, but I think Larkin is enough of a leader to take a young guy like Ras and turn him into something good
Progression isn't linear and to view his D+1 season based on looking at his composite numbers at the end of the year is misleading. The fact that he came into his own post-operation and has been physically dominating his opponents and scoring at a ridiculous pace over this recent stretch, and not just 4 or 5 games, is the indicator that he has figured something out at this level. Maybe he does need more seasoning, but we should be willing to find that out when he is starting next season with the Wings.
As for the rest of this thread, the pissing contest of what the right pick was at #9, Vilardi or Ras or Necas, is getting kind of tired. It's been, what, 10 months since the draft? Why are we all hung up on draft decisions from last year and obsessing over prospects that aren't even in our own pool? The fact of the matter is, neither Necas or Vilardi have done a damn thing to distance themselves from Ras, and Ras hasn't done a damn thing to distance himself from Necas or Vilardi. A player we drafted is excelling right now, and all some of you can do is sit here and complain about how we didn't pick the other guy that you wanted? Why is it so hard for us to look at the stretch that Ras has been on over the last 15-20 games, say "holy shit, we might have something more special than we thought," and have a little bit of optimism for once? As of late, it's not very often we get something positive in our favor.
Hatter of the Beach
I’m the real hero
I really see no reason to think either Necas or Suzuki are ahead of him in a redraft at this point. Granted I only saw two of Necas NHL games. Vilardi may sting, but I’ve done a complete 180 on the pick. Glad to see I was wrong
