Prospect Info: At 9th Overall the Detroit Red Wings Select Michael Rasmussen

[Reddwit]

People are really obfuscating the problem with this pick.

It's not just that Rasmussen isn't a great pick at #9 given what was left on the board, it's also that he isn't a great pick for us in particular. He isn't a high-potential guy. For everyone quick to point out that McKenzie thought he deserved to be picked at 9, why aren't you also pointing out that McKenzie compared him to Tomas Holmstrom and Anders Lee? The Wings don't need another secondary forward with a niche skillset - they needed pure skill. There were other guys still around that fit that bill.

Hell, after all my trashing of Tippett as the Wings potential choice, I would've preferred him here because, as I said, we need skill and at least Tippett has that in spades.

 

[Go Wings]

Tyler was a scout before coming to Detroit. CBJ drafted Johansson who seems like a pretty good center. I think he'd have a cup ring today if he was healthy against the Pens.

Johansson 4th overall yah that was a stretch lol.

 

[Tatar Shots]

As someone who had Vilardi ranked as the 3rd best player in the draft, i'm obviously not happy passing on him for Rasmussen. The team was desperate for a playmaker down the middle and instead got a guy who is reliant on his teammates getting the puck on net. Would have preferred Valimaki from Tri-City over Rasmussen. With Rasmussen you are likely looking at a 3C who you can park in front of the net on the power play. I think Hanzal is a good comparison for high end upside when looking at Rasmussen. Not a bad player by any means, but the team was desperate for a playmaker and didn't get one.

 

[Winger98]

And that's what this board is about. Posters opinions and wants.

Don't stop the good fight.

Hopefully tomorrow is better.

Frk It is right, though, in pointing out that he's made his preferences clear well before the actual draft and it isn't just a knee jerk reaction.

I think someone responded in another thread with what my biggest fear is with this pick.

That Holland is so gung ho on win now mode that he selected the player he thinks he can play in the league the fastest rather than the guy who will have the biggest impact.

You have a good point about defenceman though, hopefully we load up with all our 3rd rounders and get a ton of defenceman because it's going to be a few years before they are NHL ready. (if they ever are).

Either way I don't see us being anything but a lottery team again next year despite Holland saying otherwise. Maybe we get lucky in the draft and land Dahlin.

That was me. We'll get a good handle on expectations later on when we find out whether or not GR is an option. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him in GR to start the year and called up with Svech after Christmas.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Like all this stuff aside, I want you to watch the first half of this video and tell me about how he's the new Mantha.



Rasmussen has a decent shot, but he's drastically less skilled when it comes to vision and puck skills. He can wrist the puck okay, score tap-ins from on the doorstep, deflect the odd puck in front of the net, and that's it. Is that really worthy of a top 10 pick to you, especially when this team has almost no skill at center or on defense? They could have used that pick to address their weaknesses, and they just didn't.

 

[Red Stanley]

First, I try to put a positive spin on everything in life, what's the point in living life unhappy and seeking the negative in things? The pick is already made, what good does it do to sulk and hope he sucks just so we can be right?

Second, draft picks are forgotten far far more often than they are remembered.

Third you trust the opinion of those who hate the pick because they agree with your already cemented point of view. It's called confirmation bias and its extremely common.

Fourth, yes I believe that guys who are employed to actually evaluate the talent of a player are better at evaluating prospects than fans. Fans watch hockey games, scouts watch players. It's very rare to find a fan who watches a single player even when he's not involved in the play. Fans watch the puck.

Lastly, there is a vast ocean of difference between not being "excited" about a pick, and not even being able to imagine him being a success. He was the 5th ranked North American Skater in the draft, 9th in Bob Mackenzie's rankings, 10th in a couple others and 11th in LWOS's rankings.

Perhaps he was a slight reach at #9, but I don't think it was a strange choice, it's just an unpopular one here because there were players we wanted more available.

Good post. I'm not going to pretend to have an educated opinion on draft rankings, but I still enjoy reading everyone's evaluations of prospects, whether it's hearsay or not. I do think pretty much anyone we picked could've ended up addressing a need since we need a lot of things. Maybe this pick was the safest?

 

[left hand path]

more than half of rasmussen's points came from the powerplay this year. pretty worrying for a player drafted at 9th overall.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

That was me. We'll get a good handle on expectations later on when we find out whether or not GR is an option. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him in GR to start the year and called up with Svech after Christmas.

He cannot play in GR next season. When you're drafted out of the CHL, you can't play in the AHL until you're 20 or you've played 4 years. Rasmussen has 2 years, and of course he's much younger than 20.

 

[HisNoodliness]

Good post. I'm not going to pretend to have an educated opinion on draft rankings, but I still enjoy reading everyone's evaluations of prospects, whether it's hearsay or not. I do think pretty much anyone we picked could've ended up addressing a need since we need a lot of things. Maybe this pick was the safest?

Necas was the safest pick easily. He would have been a 3C with 1C upside. Rasmussen is a 4C with 3C upside. There's nothing to like about this.

 

[Red Stanley]

Like all this stuff aside, I want you to watch the first half of this video and tell me about how he's the new Mantha.



Rasmussen has a decent shot, but he's drastically less skilled when it comes to vision and puck skills. He can wrist the puck okay, score tap-ins from on the doorstep, deflect the odd puck in front of the net, and that's it. Is that really worthy of a top 10 pick to you, especially when this team has almost no skill at center or on defense? They could have used that pick to address their weaknesses, and they just didn't.

Net-front presence on the PP and otherwise, power forwards who drive the net and stay in the dirty areas, lack of physical forwards overall are all glaring weaknesses we've had for a while now. Whether we've addressed any of those with this pick, or could've addressed others better with a different pick is a matter of speculation. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[Winger98]

He cannot play in GR next season. When you're drafted out of the CHL, you can't play in the AHL until you're 20 or you've played 4 years. Rasmussen has 2 years, and of course he's much younger than 20.

That's good to know, I like the idea of the kid staying down a bit. I can't imagine the Wings breaking camp with him.

 

[Vatican Roulette]

Frk It is right, though, in pointing out that he's made his preferences clear well before the actual draft and it isn't just a knee jerk reaction.

I completely agree.

I wasn't saying Frk it is wrong at all, he's completely right.

I did the same thing.

 

[wingsnut19]

Like all this stuff aside, I want you to watch the first half of this video and tell me about how he's the new Mantha.



Rasmussen has a decent shot, but he's drastically less skilled when it comes to vision and puck skills. He can wrist the puck okay, score tap-ins from on the doorstep, deflect the odd puck in front of the net, and that's it. Is that really worthy of a top 10 pick to you, especially when this team has almost no skill at center or on defense? They could have used that pick to address their weaknesses, and they just didn't.

Seems to have a really quick wrist/ snap shot and seems be willing to fight to get into position to score. Sure, he's abusing smaller players with his size, but he'll be able to do that at the NHL level as well. You also see a lot of plays where he just puts himself in the right spot to score from. I'm not huge on the pick, but I do like that highlight real.

 

[Vatican Roulette]

That's good to know, I like the idea of the kid staying down a bit. I can't imagine the Wings breaking camp with him.

Give him 9 games then send him back to Tri-City.

Give him a look at what he has to go against.

 

[Ennui]

I'm warming up to the pick after seeing some footage of his play, he obviously has the advantage of size and an easier physical acclimation to the rigors of the NHL, yet he also has the tools of a scorer as well as the physical abilities to become the go-to power forward for the Wings. What I like the most from what I have heard/seen of him is his drive to improve as well as hearing that he has been taking it upon himself to follow a professional nutrition and exercise regime.

This kid has the talent and has the physical gifts to be whatever the hell he wants to be, and what really separates the Joe Thorntons from the Hugh Jessimans is their drive to improve and their professional hunger. Rasmussen will definitely need time, but he has the potential to be something special, he just needs the zeal to achieve it.

It's also a little nuts that people seem to be judging him on a year's performance. He's gotten as far as he has with injuries and without the professional guidance that an NHL organization, especially one with a reputation for being a good development organization, can provide him. Give him some time and patience, and more importantly, let's see how the Wings do on day two of the draft.

 

[Petes2424]

Necas was the safest pick easily. He would have been a 3C with 1C upside. Rasmussen is a 4C with 3C upside. There's nothing to like about this.

Make sure you save this post. Do you remember what McKenzie said right after the pick? Have you watched him play?

It's ok to not like a pick or hope it was a different pick but quit making things up.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Seems to have a really quick wrist/ snap shot and seems be willing to fight to get into position to score. Sure, he's abusing smaller players with his size, but he'll be able to do that at the NHL level as well. You also see a lot of plays where he just puts himself in the right spot to score from. I'm not huge on the pick, but I do like that highlight real.

Really? Difference of opinion, I guess. When I watch at least the first part of that video, what sticks out to me is the only reason he scores those goals is because he's standing in front of the net. It's not skill, it's not really hockey sense, or anything like that. It's just being willing to stand there, take punishment, and wack away at the puck. That's really underwhelming to me. I want to believe this is a player who has finesse scoring upside, and I'm just not really seeing it.

Honestly, players like Rasmussen kind of bum me out. I don't enjoy the sport of hockey because I like to see huge guys stand in front of the net and hack and wack the puck into the net. I enjoy it because of skill and slick puckhandling and seeing-eye passing and great shots. I'll give Rasmussen that he's got a decent shot, but he's just so far away on everything else. Even so, I wouldn't be so upset if the Wings had some skilled players to complement Rasmussen, but they really don't. They're a very skill-lite, hard-working group right now, and that makes this pick puzzling. I thought they needed skill to complement the grinders, not another grinder to complete the set.

 

[Filppula]

Honestly he just sounds like a bigger Sheahan. And that itself is uninspiring.

As always time will tell. I think they'll at least give him plenty of opportunities being such a high pick.

 

[wingsnut19]

Really? Difference of opinion, I guess. When I watch at least the first part of that video, what sticks out to me is the only reason he scores those goals is because he's standing in front of the net. It's not skill, it's not really hockey sense, or anything like that. It's just being willing to stand there, take punishment, and wack away at the puck. That's really underwhelming to me. I want to believe this is a player who has finesse scoring upside, and I'm just not really seeing it.

Honestly, players like Rasmussen kind of bum me out. I don't enjoy the sport of hockey because I like to see huge guys stand in front of the net and hack and wack the puck into the net. I enjoy it because of skill and slick puckhandling and seeing-eye passing and great shots. I'll give Rasmussen that he's got a decent shot, but he's just so far away on everything else. Even so, I wouldn't be so upset if the Wings had some skilled players to complement Rasmussen, but they really don't. They're a very skill-lite, hard-working group right now, and that makes this pick puzzling. I thought they needed skill to complement the grinders, not another grinder to complete the set.

It isn't interesting, but it wins games. I went into the draft thinking I'd be happy with anyone rated around that draft position other than Rasmussen, so I'm far from happy, but now we all just have to cross our fingers and hope.

 

[Hogan86]

A bit of a swing and a miss. Lots of other guys left on the board with a lot more talent.

 

[Martinez]

1. This pick would be ok at 15. But even in this weaker draft I expect someone who can make things happen with the puck. Maybe even a boom or bust guy. We need high end talent, high upside guys.

2. We don't hate every move or draft pick that the wings make. I would have been super happy for necas or vilardi. Happy for liljegren, valimaki, Suzuki. Fine with brannstrom, foote, Yamamoto, Joseph, kostin

3. When many of us spend hours and hours of our free time researching these guys we have the right to form strong opinions on players and even question what the wings do/hate what they do. Players bust. So just because a guy got drafted early doesn't mean they are better than we thought.

4. I will obviously cheer for Rasmussen and could end up really liking him. But right now the pick looks bad

 

[Mlotek]

506th in WHL for +/- and 23rd on his team.

Maybe if he improves drastically defensively he might reach Brian Boyle potential.

 

[Reddwit]

It isn't interesting, but it wins games. I went into the draft thinking I'd be happy with anyone rated around that draft position other than Rasmussen, so I'm far from happy, but now we all just have to cross our fingers and hope.

It wins games when you have about half a dozen other pieces in place first. Our transition game sucks. Our playmaking sucks. Our PPQBing sucks, and we just picked a guy who needs ideally all of the above to be an impact player.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Seems like a very strange pick based on his talent ceiling.

He sounds like Vanek in the sense that his value is tied to the PP.

Would it be fair to characterize his game as one dimensional?

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Holland can't even make an obvious pick. Just unbelievable. We are a ****ing laughing stock.

In his interview he says he picked him cause "he has character".

God I can't wait until he's gone.

That's the reason I hate the pick if true. Otherwise I don't really care cause I wanted makar. Let's go dahlin oh wait he probably doesn't have character