D Jake Ryczek - Waterloo Black Hawks, USHL (2016, 203rd, CHI)

[WhatTheDuck]

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=297332

Noticed that this kid put up big numbers after being traded to Waterloo mid season, eerily similar numbers to what Brandon Montour had for the same team when he was two years older. I don't know much about Ryczek other than that he's described as a skilled, smart puck distributor.

CSB has him ranked #114 amongst NA skaters which puts him in mid to late round territory, but teams tend to be fond of late risers, could that surge in production make him a draft day sleeper much like the name above?

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[WhatTheDuck]

No one has any info on this guy? True sleeper indeed!

Interesting note - D Adam Fox (who is getting some top 60 and even top 30 love) put up 22 points in 25 USHL games this year.

After being traded to Waterloo, Ryczek outpaced Fox with 20 points in his final 18 games.

 

[BondraTime]

No one has any info on this guy? True sleeper indeed!

Interesting note - D Adam Fox (who is getting some top 60 and even top 30 love) put up 22 points in 25 USHL games this year.

After being traded to Waterloo, Ryczek outpaced Fox with 20 points in his final 18 games.

Fox, unquestionably, has the better projections into pro.

Better skater
Better defensively
Bigger
Better offensively (59 points 64 games USDP, 9 points 7 games U-18's, top defenceman U-18's, etc.)
Can play in all situations

Fox had 22 points in 25 games, Ryczek had 34 points in 47 games.

Ryczek is basically a PP specialist, even at the USHL level. He had 19 pp points this season out of 34.

Fox had a somewhat similar number, 11 out of 22, while playing all situations.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Fox, unquestionably, has the better projections into pro.

Better skater
Better defensively
Bigger
Better offensively (59 points 64 games USDP, 9 points 7 games U-18's, top defenceman U-18's, etc.)
Can play in all situations

Fox had 22 points in 25 games, Ryczek had 34 points in 47 games.

Ryczek is basically a PP specialist, even at the USHL level. He had 19 pp points this season out of 34.

Fox had a somewhat similar number, 11 out of 22, while playing all situations.

I wasn't trying to say Ryczek is the better prospect, I'm sure there's a good reason why Fox is ranked much higher. Just thought it was worth pointing out that Ryczek was able to hang (production-wise) with one of the top offensive D prospects in the draft.

 

[DonskoiDonscored]

I don't get why people currently call Ryczek a smart defenseman, he is a turnover machine especially when there's the slightest bit of pressure (I recall multiple times this year where he was all alone starting the breakout, and once a single forechecker came near him he chucked the puck off the boards and turned it over).

His gap control isn't great, but his anxious play and awful decision making really makes it hard to get excited about him. It's truly abhorrent.

Obviously there's room to improve, but there's a reason why he is consistently lowly rated. He has a lot to work on.