Right on, Bill.
Easily one of the top-3 kids in terms of skill, character and heart I have covered/scouted in 15 years of looking at New England talent. That's no guarantee of success by any measure, but how can anyone question a kid who bagged 37 goals, 78 points in 30 games when every single team Dexter went up against sold out to stop him?
One thing that potentially dropped him to Boston in the late 2nd, as his stock was trending downward coming out of the combine (I wrote my pre-draft article for NEHJ in mid-May, which means I can never account for the information that comes out of the combine):
1. Several NHL guys mentioned a hip injury that hampered him late in the year and concern it might be a little more serious than originally thought. I have not been able to verify that, but if that was talked about in NHL war rooms, then it puts his slide to 56 in perspective.
Also- seeing more and more that getting into Harvard might be an issue for him, and that BC is growing into the picture as an option. I think that would be a blessing in disguise hockey-wise, but his 1st choice is Harvard, so pulling for him to achieve his personal goal.
Either way- this kid enhances the Bruins' organization, but is going to take a long time to realize his immense potential. Luckily, like Ryan Fitzgerald, time is clearly on his side and late 2nd round means zero pressure on him to come riding to the rescue anytime soon.
Those questioning the pick are welcome to do that. But all that tells me is that they have done a zero amount of homework on Donato, haven't seen him play, talked to him, or really have a clue. If they had, there would at least be a grudging respect for him, even with the dissent. Disagreement makes the world go 'round, I guess, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a kid in this draft who wanted to be a Bruin more, or who has lived/been around the Hall of Fame talents he's been exposed to.
