I got to see a lot of Hartman this last season with the Plymouth Whalers and am really curious to see how his career pans out. I wanted to share some early impressions of this unique and interesting hockey player.
I agree with a lot of the comments made and reports from scouts. He is gritty. Smaller than most but completely fearless. I believe he agitates because he is that talented and smart, wanting to prove he can dominate every single aspect of the game: scoring, checking, passing, mucking it up, etc.
What was most striking to me about his character on the ice is his intelligence. He is very calculated, sneaky. Don't know if it's because I was expecting his arrival but there is something special about how smart this guy is. Heads and shoulders above 70% of his age group and he loves to rub it in their face. He makes plays quickly and has a giant hockey IQ. No doubt he has a good shot- not the hardest but is accurate and is adept at getting open. In any fashion Hartman is a goal scorer.
A negative I saw was the amount of unnecessary penalties taken. Lots of slashes. Part of this I think was because he played with the US-U18 program before joining the OHL last year. He was a 17 year old rookie and seemed to have a chip on his shoulder. Every game he was out to show he wasn't afraid to be physical, to start stuff at any given moment. He needs to get over it and play a purely skill game.
I'm not sure if it's a positive or negative but Hartman is a strong individual. There are shifts I noticed he tried hard to look cool. His back check was circumspect, and I feel he could have given a little more to his team. He seemed dis interested at times. But I'm realizing that this is to be expected... for guys intending to be drafted I think it may be hard to focus on your junior team and not the scouts in the stands. His style, swagger, confidence, whatever you call it off the charts and that should be a good quality if it can be reigned in.
A memory I will cherish is how quickly he and Trocheck bonded as teammates on the Whalers after winning a gold medal. They were immediately put on a line together and although not playing together in the IIHC they had instant chemistry. They started warmups together usually doing insane catches and stick work off each other. To put Ryan in the same league as Trocheck's skill says a lot.
I thought I read Hartman's favorite player was Mike Richards? It makes perfect sense as to how both those players are smaller but tenacious, quick and smart. They can own guys twice their size. I can't help but compare him to Cory Emmerton. A 4th line center who has earned a place in the NHL and continues to improve every season. In the best scenario he is a mixture of both Kane and Toews- beautiful soft hands and straight up guts to fight in those dirty areas.