You're all over the place on this one. It comes across like you'll say anything to be able to declare this one a win. Rasmussen being pro-ready says very little about how good this pick is. Vilardi being hurt right now (and probably not pro-ready) says very little about how good that pick is. And Cody Glass, Pettersson, Necas, etc.
Players being NHL-ready sooner isn't a good criterion for how good a player is. That actually cuts against Rasmussen more than it helps him, because it's highly likely he's a high floor, low ceiling type player. He's big, strong, and doesn't have to be skilled with the puck to be effective (which is good, because he's not). But is he going to become skilled? I guess we'll see. The other guys are skilled and have yet to become big and strong. I know which one I'd prefer, but Rasmussen is the guy we've got. There's nothing else to do. But I have no idea how you're declaring that a win for Rasmussen over the other prospects. He's doing the only thing he can do: he's showing he has a high floor.
And I still think Ras is way worse than Necas.
I've not declared it a "win". Ras is doing well. Better than expected if you were to believe the opinion of this board (including the main board here) on him as a zero skill grinder who only scored goals in junior because of his size. That's all, and it could be the start of a season where he proves some doubters wrong.
Now sure, maybe Vilardi turns into Gretzky 2.0 and Necas becomes Datsyuk 1.5, but let's be real; if Rasmussen had incredible puck skills and playmaking to go along with his already terrific two-way game, faceoffs, size and net-frong ability he would have been a top 1 pick not a top 10 pick. He was available to us because he has flaws or things to work on and those two guys were drafted later because they have flaws too. If Necas/Vilardi were more than longshots to become top 6 centers they would have been drafted earlier, that much is pretty hard to even debate.
And just like Necas etc, he can get stronger (a lot stronger with that kind of frame), he can get smarter, he can get faster, he can adapt to the pro pace.. it's well known big guys are actually often late bloomers so I don't know why so many think he's supposed to be someone who is already close to his ceiling. It'll be years before we know the results of the '17 draft, but just this kind of pre-season performance is kind of a slap in the face of the people who have called him low-ceiling.
We do.
-People who watch hockey for the entertainment value
A team of 12 Rasmussens might be boring. But 1 Rasmussen mixed in with Athanasiou/Mantha/Nyquist/Tatar/Larkin/Bertuzzi, maybe throw in another top 10 pick or two such as Svechnikov or Dahlin, some d-men like Hronek/Cholowski/Saarijarvi/Hicketts/etc, a goalie like Mrazek.. ? Having Rasmussen around to win faceoffs, board battles and score a lot of "ugly" goals could be pretty neat.
However, I really think that by getting a guy like Rasmussen who can take that role and look to be defensively responsible as well, you let Mantha, Svech, and others develop into the playmakers and the guys who go get the puck and hang onto the puck. You're no longer tempted to waste a Mantha on net front duties because he's 6'5", you're able to let him roam around and do more of what he did in juniors offensively when he filled the score sheet up like crazy.
Yep. Rasmussen centering skilled wingers like Mantha/Svech/Nyquist/Tatar/AA is a very nice thought.
First and foremost is that the Wings are loaded with big players who project to play wing, and I have a feeling when its all said and done he converts to wing. Second, he's not been the guy at the levels he's played at to carry play. The Wings need play makers centers worse than anything right now. Third, this was a draft that they could have taken a risk and it wouldn't be unforgivable, why? Because it was a shallow draft and there were a lot of high ceiling moderate to high risk guys. This pick is the type of pick that is made when a GM believes the year was a one off bad year and wants someone who is a lock for the NHL. It is not a pick a team with a long rebuild ahead would make.
1. Ras already looks great on faceoffs and with his two-way game. I'd say he looks like a VERY safe bet to make it as a C.
2. Wings need a lot of things. It doesn't really matter if Necas is more of a playmaker if our scouts believe Ras can be a #2C who scores 25+25 and Necas will be a middle-6 winger or a #3C that scores 15+25 or something.
3. Rasmussen wasn't a risk? He's arguably the most controversial pick of the 1st round. Wings gambled on him being more than just a big guy. People just hate the pick because it's not the kind of risk they wanted to take. Also, Ras isn't making the NHL this year and wasn't picked to do it. Like Necas/Vilardi he's likely 1-2 years away. The theory that he was drafted to be a quick fix doesn't hold up to any scrutiny, especially with Cholowski over Chychrun being the choice just one year earlier.
Rasmussen has very raw playmaking instincts, and that's quite polite.
I saw him make quite a few nice passes. He'll never be Datsyuk/Thornton but I think he could have more playmaking in him than he has shown so far in his junior career.
