Bull****. I don’t Believe these no draft lists exist. If he’s still available in the 3rd round you’re taking him on potential.
Why is it hard to believe a team wouldn’t want anything to do with a guy who has major attitude issues? If his antics are likely to wear thin at the NHL level, how does that change at any other level? Do you want a guy who is going to turn your locker room upside down having a negative impact on your AHL team and its prospects?
I get that there’s a chance he grows out of the immature phase, that’s up to the scouts/management that interviewed him, but you can’t blame others for not wanting anything to do with the kid if they’ve been burnt before.
As an Oil fan, I think back to Rob Schremp. His issues weren’t as glaring as it appears Merkley’s are, yet I think he caused enough distraction and turmoil every training camp for the first 3-4 years we had him. Razzle dazzle that catches the media’s eye, which leads to 100 questions to the coach about why he can’t crack the team, which leads to public humiliation when the coach has to pick apart his game, rinse and repeat.
I’m sure you’ve witnessed similar tendencies with Ho-Sang (to a lesser degree).