Prospect Info: 2015 NHL Draft - Pick #41 - Ryan Gropp

[QJL]

I recently moved to Seattle and will certainly be catching a few games this upcoming season. I'll give a few write ups on his play this year assuming he sticks with the T-Birds.

 

[R S]

I recently moved to Seattle and will certainly be catching a few games this upcoming season. I'll give a few write ups on his play this year assuming he sticks with the T-Birds.

He will remain in Seattle.

They're a good young team and having Gropp and Barzal being another year older is going to be huge for their offence.

 

[NYR89]

I'm pumped we picked this kid. Gives me a reason to see the Thunderbirds finally

 

[Konamic Ice Hockey]

It is well worth it, Two for Tuesdays is awesome.

 

[dshea19]

If this kid pans out, looks like the Rangers have their PP guy. Looking at highlights, his goals are not highlight reel goals on the rush. They are goals from someone who is always lurking around the net and seems to know where to be for rebounds and has a laser wrist shot. He really looks like a pure shooter. If only he was NHL ready now. This team desperately needs someone like him. However, he is a kid, so at couple of years, at least.

 

[Bluenote13]

If this kid pans out, looks like the Rangers have their PP guy. Looking at highlights, his goals are not highlight reel goals on the rush. They are goals from someone who is always lurking around the net and seems to know where to be for rebounds and has a laser wrist shot. He really looks like a pure shooter. If only he was NHL ready now. This team desperately needs someone like him. However, he is a kid, so at couple of years, at least.

He reminds me of Brett Connelly, and they said he was not far from NHL duty when he was drafted. Gotta keep some perspective here.

 

[offdacrossbar]

He reminds me of Brett Connelly, and they said he was not far from NHL duty when he was drafted. Gotta keep some perspective here.

ouch.

that name.

played alot here in the cuse. he always seemed to do less with more. if you know what i mean.

 

[dshea19]

He reminds me of Brett Connelly, and they said he was not far from NHL duty when he was drafted. Gotta keep some perspective here.

Very true. He has to earn it and prove himself. However, his game does seem suited to the pros. He needs to get stronger and continue to improve. Still, if he pans out and Etem turns into Poulliot pt. 2, the Rangers would have gotten a lot in return for Hags. Lots of ifs, but the ifs are what they have now.

 

[haveandare]

The more I watch of and read about this guy the more I like this pick.

No, it's not a sure thing, but frankly neither is Bracco or anyone else people wanted the team to take at this position. You simply don't get sure things much in any draft, and you don't get them at all in the second round - every player comes with "if"s and "but"s.

The main thing that I really like about him is that he's got a shooters mentality but doesn't seem to be totally useless in his own end - that's a very nice fit for NYR considering what they've got and what they need. Nobody is getting minutes on these team if they can't really play in both ends (save Glass for god knows what reason), and the team needs someone who shoots first in the worst way. Granted, it's juniors, but he just makes a lot of goalies look stupid out there. Seems to have very good control over his shot, especially around the top of the net, which is doubly impressive given the speed of his release and the power he seems to be generating behind his wrist shot. Also seems pretty proficient at sneaking into open space - almost Gaborik like in that regard, though again, we're talking about a really big kid playing in juniors, so take that for what it is.

Also, very encouraging to see that he took the reigns and went nearly PPG with Barzal out for an extended period of time.

Lastly, from any and all quotes I've read from him directly, he seems to be very well spoken, self-reflective and self-critical and just have a good head on his shoulders in general. Sounds sort of like McD when he talks about the game in terms of being honest and thoughtful.

Like I said to start, he's not a sure thing, but only a handful are, and none of them were available here. I like the pick a lot given it's spot.

 

[Kanneda]

This is great http://mynorthwest.com/745/2717711/Ryan-Gropp-is-working-towards-the-2015-NHL-Draft

 

[TheTakedown]

This is great http://mynorthwest.com/745/2717711/Ryan-Gropp-is-working-towards-the-2015-NHL-Draft

He's got some serious work ethic:

"For me the biggest thing was improving my overall game," he said. "Being a 200-foot player, being a guy that can be relied on for the penalty kill late in games when we're up a goal or whatever it may be. My physical play is another thing I'm working on along with my consistency, so there's a handful of things I'm working on."

 

[RangerBoy]

Corey Pronman gave the Rangers a B

Organizational assessment: The Rangers didn't have a first round pick but still ended up having a decent draft. Ryan Gropp and Robin Kovacs are two high-pace forwards with skill and physicality. The Rangers system is somewhat thin, and this won't vault them forward, but adding something is better than nothing.

Day 2 picks: Gropp plays the game with speed, intensity, and has physical abilities that can make him a force. Gropp is strong on the puck, and can flash a top-end wrist shot, as well. He can kill penalties well, but that's less due to his anticipation and more about his frame, speed and intangibles. His decisions and pace need work.

Kovacs led Sweden's second-division circuit in goals and points by an under-20 player and was also the leading scorer on his pro team. He plays a fast-tempo type of game with his above-average to high-end speed and great work ethic. He shows a tendency to play the body and plays the game with an edge. At times, he could stand to slow the game down or show better creativity and decision-making.

Zborovskiy is a smart two-way defenseman with size. He skates fine for his size, too. I don't love the offensive skill, but I've seen him make some things happen on the powerplay due to his intelligence.

Saarela came into the season as a touted prospect. However, while he played well generally, he underwhelmed at times, hence the drop. He's a very skilled puck-handler and playmaker and can evade pressure effectively due to his skill and lower-body strength. His off-puck game needs work, as his defense and physical effort aren't the best.

Morrisson is a small and slight player, but he skates real well, with a jump in his step and pressures opponents. His game is built around pace.

Huska has been on the radar for a few years as a big goalie who can move laterally, but technically he could use a lot of improvements.

http://espn.go.com/nhl/insider/stor...nman-grades-every-nhl-team-2015-draft#Rangers

 

[Ghost of jas]

Corey Pronman gave the Rangers a B



http://espn.go.com/nhl/insider/stor...nman-grades-every-nhl-team-2015-draft#Rangers

A 'B' from Pronmann...without a #1? Shocking.

 

[Open Mind]

Two really good posts. Timing to be in the right place at the right time is a big deal. He is a player that doesn't have to have the puck very much to kill you.

And I get that sitting around until #41--a lot of other guys being picked before him--and your guy can seem almost anti-climatic. The main thing is he becomes a productive player. He has size and skating and what appears to be very strong elements of a goal scorer's kind of killer instinct. Those elements if they're nurtured could give us a really really good player.

Agree. I mean he's obviously not a lock. But you read the above posted article and the kid has a good head on his shoulders and the kind of attitude you want to see. And the knack of where to go without the puck and letting the play come to you... kinda scarce on this team. I like the pick.

And I hated to see Hagelin leave. A very underrated guy IMO.

Same. Trade makes sense in the confines of the cap. Still gonna miss him a lot. Super likeable player.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

A 'B' from Pronmann...without a #1? Shocking.

A "B" from Pronmann for the Rangers alone is shocking. Without a #1 seems like he made a mistake.

 

[Miamipuck]

I love grades the day after a draft. Without fail three quarters of the grades or more will be radically different when you can accurately grade the players picked.

 

[King'sPawn]

Hey Rangers fans, over the past year I've been doing shift by shift videos on the 2015 draft. It's usually a dull video, since I try to keep it as objective as possible, but it is intended to give you an idea of his skills and style of play.

I wanted to have at least one video on each prospect for a team who drafted a player I didn't already do a video on. Only Nashville, Chicago, and the Rangers were in this group. I know it's been a couple weeks since the draft, but I still wanted to do a video for you guys. I had footage on Gropp (granted it was from 10/24/14), but it's better than nothing.

I hope you enjoy!

 

[RangerBoy]

TSN and NHL Network analyst Craig Button was in Seattle earlier this season to take in a Thunderbirds game and had a chance to see Gropp firsthand.

"(Gropp's) skill is undeniable and he's got size," said Button. "When you watch the things that he's capable of doing, it excites. For the New York Rangers there's a lot to like and they're going to allow him time to develop. Much like (current Rangers prospect and former Calgary Hitmen star) Adam Tambellini – he could be that type of development projection."

http://mynorthwest.com/745/2778601/Rangers-trade-up-to-take-Ryan-Gropp-in-second-round-No-41-overall

 

[Ola]

Thx kings

 

[Mikos87]

Thanks for the video... he can really skate! Had a monster shift there where is positioning was outstanding in the zone.. great rotations.. getting open, creating chances... then I saw him skate at full speed an cancel an icing...

I don't know much about him, and I didn't watch the junior leagues much this past year... but definitely someone to keep an eye on.

Systems fit.

 

[Edge]

http://mynorthwest.com/745/2778601/Rangers-trade-up-to-take-Ryan-Gropp-in-second-round-No-41-overall

I happen to agree on some of the Tambellini thinking, though I think Gropp is more advanced at the same stage.

 

[zg628]

Obviously the wheels aren't there (yet), but a fair amount of what I saw on his tape offensively is what I think we all want to see out of Kreider more consistently. He's got good size (6'2") for an 18 year old and gets a lot of his action below the hashmarks. His wrister is good but where I see his biggest value (esp. if he fills out) is as a guy who can win battles down low and make a career scoring garbage goals (I say that as a 100% positive thing). We all know we need to have capitalized on many more second chance opportunities than we have in the last 2 seasons; it's very likely the reason we don't have a Cup banner from either run. Maybe this guy changes that.

 

[Edge]

Obviously the wheels aren't there (yet), but a fair amount of what I saw on his tape offensively is what I think we all want to see out of Kreider more consistently. He's got good size (6'2") for an 18 year old and gets a lot of his action below the hashmarks. His wrister is good but where I see his biggest value (esp. if he fills out) is as a guy who can win battles down low and make a career scoring garbage goals (I say that as a 100% positive thing). We all know we need to have capitalized on many more second chance opportunities than we have in the last 2 seasons; it's very likely the reason we don't have a Cup banner from either run. Maybe this guy changes that.

I don't think his size is going to be something he deploys as a weapon so much as an attribute that makes him very hard to move from his danger zones. I also don't know if I see him as a garbage goal type, so much as a guy who camps in the slot and nails his spots.

I don't see Gropp being a guy who intimidates or punishes people with his size, but rather one who pisses them off because they have to try and dislodge him from the real estate in front of the goalie.

 

[Raspewtin]

I don't think his size is going to be something he deploys as a weapon so much as an attribute that makes him very hard to move from his danger zones. I also don't know if I see him as a garbage goal type, so much as a guy who camps in the slot and nails his spots.

I don't see Gropp being a guy who intimidates or punishes people with his size, but rather one who pisses them off because they have to try and dislodge him from the real estate in front of the goalie.

Sounds like Matt Moulson to me, with a nicer shot though

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Not a bad comp.