Jason MacIsaac said:
I'd say because he wasn't the second best player in the draft. I don't know what Anaheim was thinking at the time....Latendresse is the same player...maybe a little faster.
No. Not even close.
Ryan has a weakness is his game right now which will make it tough to bring him to the league (skating.) Plus, he's not as physical as he should be, and power forwards usually develop slowly. Latendresse is a better skater, but he's no Gartner. And that's the understatement of the century. Latendresse, he honestly can play 4th line in the NHL right now IMO, but I don't think he has 1st or 2nd line potential. He's solid with the puck, but nowhere close to Ryan's league. Ryan has amazing ice vision and hands, he's unselfish and just as effective offensively setting people up as his is scoring goals; in fact, maybe a MORE so. And he's imposible to knock off the puck; he scores those Jagr-style goals where he carries a defenseman on his back (in no way am I comparing Ryan to Jagr; that would be as funny as that Perry v.s. Crosby thread.)
This year in Owen Sound, Ryan needs to work on his skating. He will take on a more physical role IMO (if he wants to make it in the NHL as a 19 year old, he HAS to), and try to improve his average defensive zone play (an area where Latendresse exceeds him....and the OHL isn't exactly the best place to learn defense, except if you play for Sudbury.)
The ideal path for Ryan:
05-06 - Owen Sound - Compete with Rob Schremp
(I think he'll get the 10-games-and-down thing with Edmonton; Schremp's not nearly ready for the NHL, although he's one of the few Oilers that is dangerous in the PP and that may keep him around...I think his skating could take another step up, and he needs to play the wing in London, because that is where he'll be as a pro; he's not at the all-around level of my other hometown favorite, Dustin Brown) for the OHL scoring title, in the process getting more aggressive and physically growing a bit more. After the year, signs with Anaheim and plays playoff games with their AHL affiliate if they make it.
06-07 - AHL - AHL is a better place to learn defense. Play at least half the season at the AHL level, improving his backcheck and hopefully making his skating about average, which is where it needs to be. Play either the other half of the year in the AHL if Anaheim is a great team that year, or if they blow, bring him in for the rest of the year, and send him down to the minors for the playoffs. Or maybe sign him, give him 20 games or so in the O.C., and send him to the AHL till the fall.
07-08 - NHL - He better be there, and by this time he should be a Calder candidate.
He has tremendous potential. However, I'll give you he's a higher risk than Latendresse. But there probably arent many teams that would rather have Guillame Latendresse over Bobby Ryan.
sure both Lantendresse and Perezhogin last, good thing Steen wasn't there cause i guess he'd be last based on the Steen vs Perezhogin thread 
(atleast for those who see Perezhogin for more than a stick swing 
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