Best grinders or checkers of th 05 class

[BobMarleyNYR]

List the players you think are the best grinders and checkers available in the next draft...

Min are...

Michael Blunden
Adam Hobson
Chad Denny
Dan Ryder
Blair Jones
Joe Finley
Francois Bolduc
Adam McQuaid
Nicholas Tuzzolino
Matt Kassian

Click to read more...

 

[Hunter74]

I dont agree with Dan Ryder. Thats if he's the same Dan Ryder who plays for the Petes.

Personally i find him to be kinda soft and rather suspect when it comes to his defensive duties. I dont expect him to drop the gloves but it would be nice to see alittle more grit in his game along the boards and especially in traffic areas.

 

[HabLover]

List the players you think are the best grinders and checkers available in the next draft...

Min are...

Michael Blunden
Adam Hobson
Chad Denny
Dan Ryder
Blair Jones
Joe Finley
Francois Bolduc
Adam McQuaid
Nicholas Tuzzolino
Matt Kassian

I like Richard Clune from Sarnia of the OHL. Cody Bass and Cal Clutterbuck are also very good, although CC isn't eligible until '06.

 

[Petes1]

I dont agree with Dan Ryder. Thats if he's the same Dan Ryder who plays for the Petes.

Personally i find him to be kinda soft and rather suspect when it comes to his defensive duties. I dont expect him to drop the gloves but it would be nice to see alittle more grit in his game along the boards and especially in traffic areas.

I agree with you Dan Ryder isn't one of the top grinder's or checkers in the draft, because quite frankly he isn't either of those. But to say he's rather suspect in his defencive duties makes me think you've only seen him once or twice. He's the Petes best defencive forward, led the team in plus minus, was the best penalty killer and voted 3rd best defencive forward in the East.

 

[BobMarleyNYR]

That's what I meant, Ryder could make a good 3rd line Draper type guy, with a little less offense probably.

 

[sunb]

Are you talking about the best grinders / checkers available for draft (the best grinders / checkers in juniors) or about who will be the best grinders / checkers in the NHL?

The former category of players may be better grinders / checkers now but usually it is the top prospects who reinvent their games and become the better grinders / checkers in the NHL.

While those guys you listed above may seem great 3rd / 4th liners now, they likely won't make their NHL with their weak talent. Guys like Setoguchi or Bourret may seem like scorers now but may likely transform their games to suit the 3rd / 4th lines for NHL duty.

 

[BobMarleyNYR]

There's more players out of the first round that WILL make the NHL, we know this from history... I never hear anyone talk about the players that will make good character forwards, and with quite a few posts and only one person actually mentioned any names... do we watch anyone but the top 30?

 

[turnbuckle*]

I like Richard Clune from Sarnia of the OHL. Cody Bass and Cal Clutterbuck are also very good, although CC isn't eligible until '06.

I like those selections. I see Steve Downie being an effective grinder/checker in the NHL someday.

 

[CurtisJD13]

I wouldn't even really consider Adam Hobson a grinder or checker at this point. I saw him play 37 times this year, he only had 53 penalty minutes at the end of the season. He won the team's most sportsmanlike conduct award. I think Adam will be drafted in the late 3rd or early 4th round as a guy with the potential to be a 3rd line setup/penalty kill specialist. Ala Mike Ricci.

At 6'0 205, he has good enough size, but he lacks the grit and tenacity to be a checker, maybe playing under a new coach and getting more ice time will change that next season.

 

[BobMarleyNYR]

"... penalty-kill specialist..." AKA, a grinder.

 

[Pipeandin]

Bailey

Jason Bailey of USNDP and now Michigan. Great work ethic good energy.