him or one of the two D's.
my personal list: drysdale, sanderson, raymond
Prospect Info: 2020 Ives Preliminary Draft Rankings -- Top 75
- Thread starter StevenToddIves
- Start date
my personal list: drysdale, sanderson, raymond
beekay414
#FireEveryone
This is where I'm at as well. If both blue liners are off the board and Raymond's there, he's the upside pick. I mean, we could play it safe with Rossi and then shoot the moon at 18/20 but, hell, we have multiple avenues we could take in October. I'm just tired of the speculation lol. This was all supposed to be over in June!!!!
Billdo
Registered User
beekay414
#FireEveryone
You know what'll happen...the Pens or Caps will bottom out just in time to win the '22 lottery lol.
I’ll be happy with anyone on that list but Perfetti. He’s a very good prospect but to me, seems like the weakest link out of them all.
i don't think, it was a joke. you would truly love to see shane wright skate for the devils. me too. and if it was just a joke, you are wrong. wright would be a delicious get for any nhl team.
i fully understand, you don't advice to tank for his service and i wouldn't either. but rationally you can't be sure, that the devils won't be a lottery team. so there's a very small chance (today), that the devils 2022 pick is in the lottery and wins us the right for wright.
to better our chances more 2022 picks are required. but as i explained, they won't be easily available. therefore trading for 2021 first round picks with protection could improve the odds. if any cap dumps come up, ask for a 2021 first and offer protection. if multi-year cap dump is in play, ask for the 2022 pick outright.
billingtons ghost
Registered User
- Nov 29, 2010
- 10,576
- 6,835
Yikes. What is downright terrifying to me is that with so very little hockey having been played from then until now, people have put so much weight on a tournament that Stutzle and Sanderson rocketted up and some guys that were hurt for a short time or hit a dry spell plummetted - All it took was watching Stutzle for a couple of games to absolutely blow everyone's mind. (Watch the same highlight film again and again, and then move this guy or that guy up or down).
I think it's been said here time and again, but there's such little hard data going into these big, big decisions - I feel like I'm going into a final exam for which I forgot to study.
thethinglonger
Castron & Crew
Going to venture into this discussion not to steal any of STI's thunder, but rather give a few more names to keep an eye out for in the later rounds of the draft, just so Steve doesn't have to do all of the heavy lifting by himself 
Sleeper Pick: Daniel Torgersson - LW/RW, Frolunda HC U20
There are few prospects in this draft class that have the combination of size and speed that Torgersson possesses. Combine that with a long arms-length and you have a player that is exceptional at creating consistent offensive zone pressure. Torgersson is a very athletic player - you can tell by his acceleration and almost jumpiness to his skating starts & stops. Torgersson puts his all into every shift and because of that (and his physical prowess) he is near elite at puck retrieval. Torgersson has relatively good hockey IQ and is able to recognize a play developing and get to where he needs to be. This is prevalent while cycling and looking for rebounds. He's a big kid and still has more room to grow to fill out his frame, but he doesn't use that size to his advantage. He's projected to go in the 3rd round, but TheDraftAnalyst has him ranked in the first round. All in all, a very reliable player who at this point doesn't look to have top-6 upside in terms of scoring threat. If he can put everything together though...... But until then, I think it would be fair to say that the majority of his goals will likely come from rebounds and trash goals (I say this because while he had an incredibly high shooting percentage in his league, indicating his ability to get to the high-danger scoring areas of the ice, there's no element of deception in his game yet. As a 6'3" 205 lbs player, that's okay in juniors when you can continue skating with defensemen draped over you, but when going up against pro d-men, you're going to need a little bit more than just size.)
He'll also be one of the hardest-working players you find on the ice.
Sleeper Pick: Daniel Torgersson - LW/RW, Frolunda HC U20
There are few prospects in this draft class that have the combination of size and speed that Torgersson possesses. Combine that with a long arms-length and you have a player that is exceptional at creating consistent offensive zone pressure. Torgersson is a very athletic player - you can tell by his acceleration and almost jumpiness to his skating starts & stops. Torgersson puts his all into every shift and because of that (and his physical prowess) he is near elite at puck retrieval. Torgersson has relatively good hockey IQ and is able to recognize a play developing and get to where he needs to be. This is prevalent while cycling and looking for rebounds. He's a big kid and still has more room to grow to fill out his frame, but he doesn't use that size to his advantage. He's projected to go in the 3rd round, but TheDraftAnalyst has him ranked in the first round. All in all, a very reliable player who at this point doesn't look to have top-6 upside in terms of scoring threat. If he can put everything together though...... But until then, I think it would be fair to say that the majority of his goals will likely come from rebounds and trash goals (I say this because while he had an incredibly high shooting percentage in his league, indicating his ability to get to the high-danger scoring areas of the ice, there's no element of deception in his game yet. As a 6'3" 205 lbs player, that's okay in juniors when you can continue skating with defensemen draped over you, but when going up against pro d-men, you're going to need a little bit more than just size.)
He'll also be one of the hardest-working players you find on the ice.
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thethinglonger
Castron & Crew
Sleeper Pick: Isaak Phillips - LD, Sudbury
Jumping immediately from a player who will hopefully be available in the 3rd round to one who quite a few independent scouting services don't even have ranked, here's Isaak Phillips, a prospect who I very much have a soft spot for.
The name of the game for Phillips is raw potential. Already possessing NHL size and exceptional skating, Phillips was somehow able to fly under the radar this year - it may help playing on the same team as Byfield. We all remember our growth spurts when we were younger (if we were lucky enough to have them), but from 2017/2018 to this past season, Phillips grew from 5'10", 149 lbs to 6'3", 195 lbs. At that point, you might be learning to skate all over again. Even still, Phillips found himself in an all-situations role for Sudbury including seeing massive improvements in the second half of the season in transition play, zone exits, and even joining the offensive rush. Phillips is one of the oldest players in the draft with a late September birthday. Even still, his growth and development between his first and most recent OHL seasons can't be ignored. Where Phillips struggles is with his decision-making and read of the game. This is not to say that he's overwhelmed by the pace of play in the OHL, but rather he approaches the game with the mindset of being afraid to make a mistake. As a result, he usually sticks to the overly-simplistic play rather than having trust in his excellent skating skills (not just straight line speed, but also lateral movement) and thus he limits his own offensive upside. There's quite a lot of forward talent in Sudbury, so perhaps with Byfield graduating next season (not sure what the Canes will do with Blake Murray yet), Phillips will get more of an opportunity to showcase his skills. It may be that all he grows into is a defensive defenseman, but he's got pro tools and would be a home-run swing of a pick in rounds 5-7. Bottom line for me is that any player with his size and skating is worth taking a flier on in the later rounds.
Jumping immediately from a player who will hopefully be available in the 3rd round to one who quite a few independent scouting services don't even have ranked, here's Isaak Phillips, a prospect who I very much have a soft spot for.
The name of the game for Phillips is raw potential. Already possessing NHL size and exceptional skating, Phillips was somehow able to fly under the radar this year - it may help playing on the same team as Byfield. We all remember our growth spurts when we were younger (if we were lucky enough to have them), but from 2017/2018 to this past season, Phillips grew from 5'10", 149 lbs to 6'3", 195 lbs. At that point, you might be learning to skate all over again. Even still, Phillips found himself in an all-situations role for Sudbury including seeing massive improvements in the second half of the season in transition play, zone exits, and even joining the offensive rush. Phillips is one of the oldest players in the draft with a late September birthday. Even still, his growth and development between his first and most recent OHL seasons can't be ignored. Where Phillips struggles is with his decision-making and read of the game. This is not to say that he's overwhelmed by the pace of play in the OHL, but rather he approaches the game with the mindset of being afraid to make a mistake. As a result, he usually sticks to the overly-simplistic play rather than having trust in his excellent skating skills (not just straight line speed, but also lateral movement) and thus he limits his own offensive upside. There's quite a lot of forward talent in Sudbury, so perhaps with Byfield graduating next season (not sure what the Canes will do with Blake Murray yet), Phillips will get more of an opportunity to showcase his skills. It may be that all he grows into is a defensive defenseman, but he's got pro tools and would be a home-run swing of a pick in rounds 5-7. Bottom line for me is that any player with his size and skating is worth taking a flier on in the later rounds.
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AfroThunder396
[citation needed]
I'd be happy with Perfetti, but he seems like he has the highest bust potential out of the guys that might be available.
IMO that by itself isn't reason enough to not take the guy, you're alway better off taking a guy because of what he is as opposed to what he isn't. If the scouts think he's BPA I will defer to them, they've seen way more of him than I have. I know Perfetti has electrifying skill and 1st line potential, which we desperately need.
Nicomo Cosca
Registered User
Why do you say that? Other than a slight knock on his skating from some people (which seems fine to me), I don’t see any reason to think his skills won’t transfer over to the NHL.
AfroThunder396
[citation needed]
I don't think his bust potential is high per se, just that the rest of his cohort seem to safer. Bust potential is never zero.
But like with all skill players it comes down to time and space at the pro level. We saw Jack Hughes, even with his super elite skill, struggle with it often at the pro level. Less time, less space, bigger bodies. The good ones always figure it out, and I'm sure Perfetti will too.
Now of course Perfetti likely won't be 18 when he makes his NHL debut and would have a bit more experience. I wish his skating was a little better. But still, I think Rossi and Holtz and Raymond bring a bit more to the table or are more likely to translate their skills. Doesn't mean I think Perfetti will bust or suck or anything, just that he's not as safe as his peers. Just my opinion.
Billdo
Registered User
Sleeper Prospect Profile:
W Dmitri Rashevsky, St. Petersburg MHL
"True sleeper" fans, this one is for you.
By this, I mean -- a name a lot of people who have not heard who you take in the 5th round and becomes an all-star first-liner. Rashevsky is no guarantee of this, of course, but he has that type of potential and he might be one of the most interesting case studies in the 2020 draft.
First off, I don't normally write about over-agers. Though I believe in "late bloomers" -- unless there is a specific flaw which has been alleviated, such as a late growth spurt or extreme skating improvements, normally a player who has been passed over 220 times in 2019 is not worth a top 50 pick in 2020, it's just that simple. I think Rashevsky is the second over-ager I've highlighted as a 2020 sleeper (after Oksentyuk), and his upside is even higher.
Rashevsky came almost literally out of nowhere. An October, 2000 birthday, he struggled with injury and inconsistency for most of 2018-19 and finished with a ridiculously poor 5 points in 24 MHL games. I don't know what genie he made a side-deal with before the 2019-20 campaign, but he came back a completely different hockey player.
I'm not going to rely too much on the stats, because 44 goals in 60 MHL games is impressive, but I temper that with the realization that Rashevsky was one to three years older than a lot of his competition. So, Rashevsky's statistics are not as absurdly good as they sound. But -- his skill level certainly is.
First, his shot is absolutely ridiculous. I would not put it in the same category as Perreault, Quinn or Holtz -- but it's certainly worth mentioning in the same breath as guys like Gunler, Bourque and Amirov. I don't know where this shot came from. Maybe Rashevsky went to the crossroads with his hockey stick and made a deal with the devil. But it's incredibly accurate, he gets it off quickly and with authority, and he's especially good at getting it off in motion so as to change the goaltender's angle. Rashevsky is able to do this because he also -- and I don't know where these came from either -- has exceptional hands. The combination of Rashevsky's hands and shot rank just below elite guys like Holtz and Perreault. The ability to make quick moves and, while doing this, be able to get off a shot with high velocity and pinpoint accuracy is rare, and almost always the hallmark of an NHL sniper. You can't teach it.
The rest of Rashevsky's game lacks the red flags you would expect for a player passed over completely in his draft-eligible season. He's actually a better passer than some of the wingers talked about as first round picks -- Gunler, Amirov, Peterka, etc. His vision is not elite, but it's not too far off. This is far from a one-dimensional shooter, he can really sauce the puck. He's very smart, especially offensively -- we're talking about an uncommon player who is almost virtuoso in his deception. Defensively and physically? Neither are his forte, but he is not weak in these qualities. If Rashevsky has one weakness, it's his skating -- which is not poor, but very average. I have hopes this could improve as he puts more leg-muscle on his lanky, 6'1-165 frame.
So, where will Rashevsky go in the 2020 draft? My answer is an emphatic "f**k if I know". Maybe some team takes a shot on him in the late first round. Maybe he falls to the 6th round. Let someone else figure it out. I'm going to go watch some more Dmitri Rashevsky highlights.
W Dmitri Rashevsky, St. Petersburg MHL
"True sleeper" fans, this one is for you.
By this, I mean -- a name a lot of people who have not heard who you take in the 5th round and becomes an all-star first-liner. Rashevsky is no guarantee of this, of course, but he has that type of potential and he might be one of the most interesting case studies in the 2020 draft.
First off, I don't normally write about over-agers. Though I believe in "late bloomers" -- unless there is a specific flaw which has been alleviated, such as a late growth spurt or extreme skating improvements, normally a player who has been passed over 220 times in 2019 is not worth a top 50 pick in 2020, it's just that simple. I think Rashevsky is the second over-ager I've highlighted as a 2020 sleeper (after Oksentyuk), and his upside is even higher.
Rashevsky came almost literally out of nowhere. An October, 2000 birthday, he struggled with injury and inconsistency for most of 2018-19 and finished with a ridiculously poor 5 points in 24 MHL games. I don't know what genie he made a side-deal with before the 2019-20 campaign, but he came back a completely different hockey player.
I'm not going to rely too much on the stats, because 44 goals in 60 MHL games is impressive, but I temper that with the realization that Rashevsky was one to three years older than a lot of his competition. So, Rashevsky's statistics are not as absurdly good as they sound. But -- his skill level certainly is.
First, his shot is absolutely ridiculous. I would not put it in the same category as Perreault, Quinn or Holtz -- but it's certainly worth mentioning in the same breath as guys like Gunler, Bourque and Amirov. I don't know where this shot came from. Maybe Rashevsky went to the crossroads with his hockey stick and made a deal with the devil. But it's incredibly accurate, he gets it off quickly and with authority, and he's especially good at getting it off in motion so as to change the goaltender's angle. Rashevsky is able to do this because he also -- and I don't know where these came from either -- has exceptional hands. The combination of Rashevsky's hands and shot rank just below elite guys like Holtz and Perreault. The ability to make quick moves and, while doing this, be able to get off a shot with high velocity and pinpoint accuracy is rare, and almost always the hallmark of an NHL sniper. You can't teach it.
The rest of Rashevsky's game lacks the red flags you would expect for a player passed over completely in his draft-eligible season. He's actually a better passer than some of the wingers talked about as first round picks -- Gunler, Amirov, Peterka, etc. His vision is not elite, but it's not too far off. This is far from a one-dimensional shooter, he can really sauce the puck. He's very smart, especially offensively -- we're talking about an uncommon player who is almost virtuoso in his deception. Defensively and physically? Neither are his forte, but he is not weak in these qualities. If Rashevsky has one weakness, it's his skating -- which is not poor, but very average. I have hopes this could improve as he puts more leg-muscle on his lanky, 6'1-165 frame.
So, where will Rashevsky go in the 2020 draft? My answer is an emphatic "f**k if I know". Maybe some team takes a shot on him in the late first round. Maybe he falls to the 6th round. Let someone else figure it out. I'm going to go watch some more Dmitri Rashevsky highlights.
@StevenToddIves: time to enlight us about vasily ponomarev.
I had Ponomarev ranked #45 on my last list, I expect him to be in the same range for my final list (which I'm currently hard at work on). Lightning round write-up: very smart, no weakness, plays the game the right way, two-way force with heart and hustle. Very slick passer but lacks the speed and shot to be a first-line guy, so I'd say upside of a second-line center but very high floor as 3rd/4th line center. I'd be shocked if he went in the first round, but also shocked if he fell past the second round. He's just that kind of player.
I think Stutzle is the classic case of "people still don't trust the DEL", where Stutzle was playing phenomenal hockey. Had Stutzle been playing for Modo in Sweden, I think he would have been universally ranked top 10 entering the 2020 draft year. Moritz Seider was a perfect example of this last year. Once these guys also outplayed SHL and CHL guys in the WJC, people were like "wow, they're for real" when all the evidence indicated such ideas all along.
Other risers just made tremendous developmental leaps in their draft year -- the perfect example for this was Jack Quinn. In 2018-19 he was an intriguing prospect for your 2nd round pick. In 2019-20 he was "holy s**t is this kid amazing or what?"
There are myriad reasons players rise or fall in their draft-eligible seasons, but the good-drafting teams seem to hit more often than not while the bad-drafting teams tend to miss more often than that. It's an imperfect science, but it's still a science.
Going to venture into this discussion not to steal any of STI's thunder, but rather give a few more names to keep an eye out for in the later rounds of the draft, just so Steve doesn't have to do all of the heavy lifting by himself
Sleeper Pick: Daniel Torgersson - LW/RW, Frolunda HC U20
There are few prospects in this draft class that have the combination of size and speed that Torgersson possesses. Combine that with a long arms-length and you have a player that is exceptional at creating consistent offensive zone pressure. Torgersson is a very athletic player - you can tell by his acceleration and almost jumpiness to his skating starts & stops. Torgersson puts his all into every shift and because of that (and his physical prowess) he is near elite at puck retrieval. Torgersson has relatively good hockey IQ and is able to recognize a play developing and get to where he needs to be. This is prevalent while cycling and looking for rebounds. He's a big kid and still has more room to grow to fill out his frame, but he doesn't use that size to his advantage. He's projected to go in the 3rd round, but TheDraftAnalyst has him ranked in the first round. All in all, a very reliable player who at this point doesn't look to have top-6 upside in terms of scoring threat. If he can put everything together though...... But until then, I think it would be fair to say that the majority of his goals will likely come from rebounds and trash goals (I say this because while he had an incredibly high shooting percentage in his league, indicating his ability to get to the high-danger scoring areas of the ice, there's no element of deception in his game yet. As a 6'3" 205 lbs player, that's okay in juniors when you can continue skating with defensemen draped over you, but when going up against pro d-men, you're going to need a little bit more than just size.)
He'll also be one of the hardest-working players you find on the ice.
THANK YOU!
Seriously, a thousand times, thank you. I've been waiting for you to help me out here forever, ha. Great write-up of Torgersson (whom I have ranked very highly) and better than anything I could've come up with, so you just saved me some work.
Your prospect write-ups are consistently outstanding and I'd love to see more.
Another outstanding write-up. I considered Phillips but left him off my sleeper list, but I will definitely take another hour or two to do some homework on him because of this.
If you ask me who I think is going first overall in 2024, I'm hopping on the first bus to Antarctica.
Sleeper Prospect Profile:
RW Adam Raska, Rimouski QMJHL
I'm going to start to say we're not talking the most talented kid in the world, but I have many Czech fans I talk hockey with, so I tend to give a bit more attention to their prospects, and it's hard not to love Raska. The name of his game is heart and hustle, and while he lacks a standout skill he also lacks any weakness. Raska is just that kid you throw out on your checking line who forechecks like an absolute maniac, forces the opposition into mistakes, and is always in the right place to take advantage when opposition mistakes occur.
I'm the guy who always roots for the Blake Colemans and Tyler Mottes of the NHL, and though Raska lags a bit behind that pair in talent, I think this is a kid who wills himself into the pros. I would say he's a good bet to go late rounds to the Rangers, since from what I've heard Lafreniere is a big proponent of Raska's game. The Devils did this last year taking Patrick Moynihan from the US-NTDP. Moynihan has more physical talent than Raska, but I would say that the fact Jack Hughes won't shut up about Moynihan certainly played a part in the Devils drafting him.
RW Adam Raska, Rimouski QMJHL
I'm going to start to say we're not talking the most talented kid in the world, but I have many Czech fans I talk hockey with, so I tend to give a bit more attention to their prospects, and it's hard not to love Raska. The name of his game is heart and hustle, and while he lacks a standout skill he also lacks any weakness. Raska is just that kid you throw out on your checking line who forechecks like an absolute maniac, forces the opposition into mistakes, and is always in the right place to take advantage when opposition mistakes occur.
I'm the guy who always roots for the Blake Colemans and Tyler Mottes of the NHL, and though Raska lags a bit behind that pair in talent, I think this is a kid who wills himself into the pros. I would say he's a good bet to go late rounds to the Rangers, since from what I've heard Lafreniere is a big proponent of Raska's game. The Devils did this last year taking Patrick Moynihan from the US-NTDP. Moynihan has more physical talent than Raska, but I would say that the fact Jack Hughes won't shut up about Moynihan certainly played a part in the Devils drafting him.
Sleeper Prospect Profile:
RD Jake Ratzlaff, Rosemount USHS
This is going to be a quick one, because I admittedly have barely seen Ratzlaff and he's not likely to play hockey, anyway. But what we have here is a ridiculously athletic, 6'2-205 guy who can skate, hit and bomb the shot from the point. His physical tool kit is actually extraordinary, but unfortunately he's considered one of the two or three best linebacker recruits in the nation and is apparently going to focus on his football career. I just felt the need to include him because in terms of sheer athleticism he's right up there with Drysdale and Grans at the top RD of the 2020 draft class.
RD Jake Ratzlaff, Rosemount USHS
This is going to be a quick one, because I admittedly have barely seen Ratzlaff and he's not likely to play hockey, anyway. But what we have here is a ridiculously athletic, 6'2-205 guy who can skate, hit and bomb the shot from the point. His physical tool kit is actually extraordinary, but unfortunately he's considered one of the two or three best linebacker recruits in the nation and is apparently going to focus on his football career. I just felt the need to include him because in terms of sheer athleticism he's right up there with Drysdale and Grans at the top RD of the 2020 draft class.
Sleeper Prospect Profile:
C Theo Rochette, Quebec QMJHL
I'm trying to get these all done so I can finish my Final 2020 Rankings in the next week or so, so I'm sorry if I'm pumping too many sleeper profiles out at once. So, I'm sitting here drinking coffee and blasting Sunny Day Real Estate (you need to listen to "Diary" if you like music) and trying to get as much done as possible. Thanks again to @thethinglonger for taking care of one of my favorites for me in Daniel Torgersson.
Rochette is my favorite Swiss prospect of 2020, so shout to @Guadana who seems to love it when I mention that type of stuff. His best quality is his hockey IQ, which -- as most of you know -- I hold in far higher regard than most draft writers. But he's an incredibly smart center who makes the most of a solid but not extraordinary tool kit. His smarts give huge boosts to his impressive passing game and decision making with and without the puck.
What I like most about Rochette is that his draft position will be lower than I receive his value. While I think this is a kid who needs a lot of time in the weight room, I see him as comparable in many ways to a likely 2nd round pick in Vasily Ponomarev who could be had in the 5th/6th round range. Why? Well, he had a really tough draft-eligible season.
At the outset of the season (Rochette was playing for Chicoutimi at that point), he contracted mono. After missing a great deal of laying time, Rochette seemed weak and lethargic for most of the year. I don't think he fully recovered until the tail end of the season. Entering February, Rochette was a major disappointment with only 6 goals all season. Leaving February, it seemed Rochette had finally recovered and he scored 8 goals that month. So, I think Rochette is a better player than many scouts have seen. Not a perfect prospect by any means, but certainly a player whose reward out-reaches their risk as late as he is likely to be available.
C Theo Rochette, Quebec QMJHL
I'm trying to get these all done so I can finish my Final 2020 Rankings in the next week or so, so I'm sorry if I'm pumping too many sleeper profiles out at once. So, I'm sitting here drinking coffee and blasting Sunny Day Real Estate (you need to listen to "Diary" if you like music) and trying to get as much done as possible. Thanks again to @thethinglonger for taking care of one of my favorites for me in Daniel Torgersson.
Rochette is my favorite Swiss prospect of 2020, so shout to @Guadana who seems to love it when I mention that type of stuff. His best quality is his hockey IQ, which -- as most of you know -- I hold in far higher regard than most draft writers. But he's an incredibly smart center who makes the most of a solid but not extraordinary tool kit. His smarts give huge boosts to his impressive passing game and decision making with and without the puck.
What I like most about Rochette is that his draft position will be lower than I receive his value. While I think this is a kid who needs a lot of time in the weight room, I see him as comparable in many ways to a likely 2nd round pick in Vasily Ponomarev who could be had in the 5th/6th round range. Why? Well, he had a really tough draft-eligible season.
At the outset of the season (Rochette was playing for Chicoutimi at that point), he contracted mono. After missing a great deal of laying time, Rochette seemed weak and lethargic for most of the year. I don't think he fully recovered until the tail end of the season. Entering February, Rochette was a major disappointment with only 6 goals all season. Leaving February, it seemed Rochette had finally recovered and he scored 8 goals that month. So, I think Rochette is a better player than many scouts have seen. Not a perfect prospect by any means, but certainly a player whose reward out-reaches their risk as late as he is likely to be available.
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Sleeper Prospect Profile:
RW Ryder Rolston, Waterloo USHL
Yes, that Ryder Rolston. Man, it makes me feel old.
Out of all the north/south forwards in the 2020 draft, Rolston is the, uh... north-est/south-est. Don't expect creativity or any fanciness whatsoever. He's just a very fast kid with good size who forechecks like a demon and shoots the puck as soon as he gets it. Someone will take him by the end of the third round because of his size/skating combo and the pedigree, but we need to emphasize that he is the classic high-floor/low-ceiling winger. Ryder Rolston will certainly make the NHL at least as a 4th liner, but his upside is a third liner with some goal-scoring pop.
I'm writing him up because with his effort and heart it's tough not to like Ryder, and of course I was a huge fan of his dad. In junior high I had goldfish named Guerin and Rolston. And I think this kid is an NHL-er, for certain. But unfortunately, I don't see him making sense for the Devils because they are loaded with bottom-6 RWs and -- if Ryder even lasts to the 3rd round -- the Devils need to be aiming for a bit more upside with their mid-round picks in 2020.
RW Ryder Rolston, Waterloo USHL
Yes, that Ryder Rolston. Man, it makes me feel old.
Out of all the north/south forwards in the 2020 draft, Rolston is the, uh... north-est/south-est. Don't expect creativity or any fanciness whatsoever. He's just a very fast kid with good size who forechecks like a demon and shoots the puck as soon as he gets it. Someone will take him by the end of the third round because of his size/skating combo and the pedigree, but we need to emphasize that he is the classic high-floor/low-ceiling winger. Ryder Rolston will certainly make the NHL at least as a 4th liner, but his upside is a third liner with some goal-scoring pop.
I'm writing him up because with his effort and heart it's tough not to like Ryder, and of course I was a huge fan of his dad. In junior high I had goldfish named Guerin and Rolston. And I think this kid is an NHL-er, for certain. But unfortunately, I don't see him making sense for the Devils because they are loaded with bottom-6 RWs and -- if Ryder even lasts to the 3rd round -- the Devils need to be aiming for a bit more upside with their mid-round picks in 2020.
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