159th overall: Devils draft REECE SCARLETT (D)

[Classic Devil]

http://devils.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=567301

I'm a big fan of Scarlett. You guys got another solid defender. Here's my scouting report on him from earlier this month. He came in at #14 on my top 30 WHL players eligible.

#14 Reece Scarlett – D – Swift Current Broncos

- Reece Scarlett had the definition of an up and down season for the Swift Current Broncos. The long and smooth skating blueliner was pencilled in as one of the pillars of a very young blueline and showed stretches of brilliance, but his play truly did go down the tubes as the season went along. Scarlett provides very good two way play overall with good puck skills and the ability to lead the rush or start it with a crisp pass. He's a very strong quarterback of the powerplay and does an excellent job getting his shots through. On the defensive side of the puck he is a smart and safe defender who relies on body positioning and excellent stick work to prevent chances against. Toward the end of the year you could see that he was not the same player. He was either mentally or physically fatigued or a combination of the two. He also was jekyll and hyde on the national stage. He had a very strong showing during the CHL top prospects game, but at the end of the year he was exposed while playing for Team Canada at the World Under 18's. I still like his long term potential, even if he is still considered more of a project pick. I would like him to be a bit more aggressive at both ends of the ice, because I think he has the skill level to do that. He's very skinny with room to grow and add weight and muscle to his frame and his foot work and mobility tell me he will have the ability to contribute as a strong two way defender.

NHL comparable: Marc-Edouard Vlasic

Top end potential: Top 4 defender

Pick prediction: Late 3rd round

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-top-whl-draft-eligibles-part-two.html

Click to read more...

 

[R S]

Thanks for re-posting my stuff in here!

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Thanks for re-posting my stuff in here!

Thank you! Probably some of the best information we can get on the kid. Anything else you want to share would be welcome.

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

I liked this pick since it was announced. We got a 3 round talent at the start of the 6th round... can never go wrong with that. I was waiting on Renegade to post something about him

 

[Darius Dangleaitis]

Get the kid onto a contender. Did wonders for Gelinas.

 

[R S]

I liked this pick since it was announced. We got a 3 round talent at the start of the 6th round... can never go wrong with that. I was waiting on Renegade to post something about him

Sorry, been trying to spread my knowledge all over the HF nation.

 

[R8Devs]

I really like this pick after reading stuff about him.

 

[MJB Devils23*]

A good offensive upside. Me likey.

 

[dream catcher]

our D prospect pool is just filling up. We have done a 180 in a few short years there.

 

[MJB Devils23*]

our D prospect pool is just filling up. We have done a 180 in a few short years there.

You need a strong farm system if you want to contend every year. And when you have a deep defensive prospect pool, it makes life so much easier because you are in the driver's seat when GM's come calling.

 

[KarmaIsAKiller]

If he turns into another Paul Martin, I would be very pleased.

Save for the whole *****ing about his bionic shoulder part.

 

[MJB Devils23*]

If he turns into another Paul Martin, I would be very pleased.

Save for the whole *****ing about his bionic shoulder part.

And hopefully with some physicality.

 

[Jared Ramsden]

Along with Boucher, this was another great value pick. Playing on a bad team really took a toll on him as he was relied upon so heavily that his small frame wore down. Played close to 30 mins a night both times I saw him play last year. Lots of tools to work with, and when bulks up, that should help him absorb the heavy minutes better.

 

[Saugus]

He was ranked somewhere in the third round, and we got him in the sixth. That's great value for this pick.

I hope he continues the form he showed during the CHL Top Prospects game. Sounds like he has high potential if he continues to play like that.

 

[Getzo5]

Very good value in the 6th round.

Get the kid onto a contender. Did wonders for Gelinas.

Absolutely. I was thrilled when I heard about him joining the Sea Dogs.

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

Get the kid onto a contender. Did wonders for Gelinas.

Very good value in the 6th round.

Absolutely. I was thrilled when I heard about him joining the Sea Dogs.

I would actually prefer he stays in Swift Current for another year, get massive playing time and get moved the following year to a contender, where he'll probably get less ice time on a better team.

 

[Saugus]

This is another very mobile defensive prospect we've added here. Not as big as the guys we currently have in the pipeline, but speedy and with good offensive instincts. I like the trend of drafting defencemen with great skating.

 

[Tedenby21]

I think this pick was amazing value for where he was drafted. I love seeing stuff like what RS posted. He definitely needs to get bigger and become more physical but we are in no rush. I see him as a potential bottom pairing guy in the future.

 

[Getzo5]

I still wonder why he slipped that far. Playing a prospects game, projected to go in the late 3rd round of the draft. Hmm...

Just a random thought - this year`s draft hats are much better, have to buy one. Finally in black and not perforated.

 

[Tedenby21]

I read that his play kind of fell of as the season went on. There was a difference in his play from the heavy minutes he was logging and the physical punishment he had to put up with.

To me it just sounds like he needs to get stronger and have better conditioning. Maybe not so much conditioning because he was playing 30 min a night which is a lot.

 

[Saugus]

The WHL is a very physical league. The best defencemen tend to come from there. Scarlett probably got worn down over the season, as others said, he was playing big minutes.

 

[MJB Devils23*]

It seems to me like he'll be another Tallinder type.

 

[lucscaps]

I really like this pick, I think we really have something here. If he can add bulk, get him set up with Stevens on a weight and meal plan, this kid will be good.
I like that he's a righty, has played heavy minutes in the past, and has offensive upside.

 

[Brodeur]

Listening to The Pipeline Show (great podcast for prospects: http://www.thepipelineshow.com/media.php?s=1293858000&e=1314763200&sn=6). They were going over each team and since they're based in Edmonton, they spent more time on Reece Scarlett than the rest of our picks. Of note:

- some scouts they talked to didn't think Scarlett would last past #40
- very intelligent, maybe only Dougie Hamilton would have a higher IQ
- they thought he was overused in Swift Current and wore down over the year which affected his play at the U-18, to basically reiterate what RS said

 

[battlingBard56]

Listening to The Pipeline Show (great podcast for prospects: http://www.thepipelineshow.com/media.php?s=1293858000&e=1314763200&sn=6). They were going over each team and since they're based in Edmonton, they spent more time on Reece Scarlett than the rest of our picks. Of note:

- some scouts they talked to didn't think Scarlett would last past #40
- very intelligent, maybe only Dougie Hamilton would have a higher IQ
- they thought he was overused in Swift Current and wore down over the year which affected his play at the U-18, to basically reiterate what RS said

That's awesome. Also, sifting through some of the comments on the NHL Draft thread on the main page, it seems some fans of other teams were hoping their team would pick up Scarlett when it was their team's turn to pick and were disappointed when we snagged him.

I'm excited to see how this guy will develop and what he may bring later down the line. He's definitely got potential and being intelligent/having brain power goes a very long way in the NHL. (examples, Lidstrom, Niedermayer)