I think Vilardi didn't get kicked around in the same way that Zadina didn't really get kicked around. Everyone assumed he'd be gone.
I think that makes sense in terms of why posters thought that, but the Wings ranked Vilardi on their board he was just lower. Now we are certainly hoping a sliding prospect in Veleno proves everyone wrong that we just picked up. However, I don't think the Wings were stunned to see Vilardi on the board when it came time to pick, they just weren't that interested like some of the other teams passing on him. I will be fascinated to watch his transition to pro hockey because I am also in the camp of I really wonder if his skating will plague his career. He has high-end playmaking and vision but if he can't keep up or get space he might be in big trouble.
I know there was some injuries on the big two all-star talents that I am about to list, though it is worth noting Vilardi has already had/has core issues as a junior player, but his skating reminds me of Heatley (post-accident) and Cheechoo. It is a real problem and one that without some fixes might shorten his NHL career significantly. Those other players played in a different era and struggled when the pace of play picked up. I guess to put another way the only Wings prospect I think skates as poorly as Vilardi is Holmstrom in terms of the strange gate and lack of pace.
Time will tell, I certainly hope all these prospects pan out or at least pan out after the Leafs and Hawks trade them and they revive their careers on those unlucky enough to be drafted by those franchises...
But the red flags on Vilardi are real. I heard the same concerns from a friend that scouts from Nashville, there are several around the industry that really wonder what he is as a NHL player.
Z's loss is going to be felt in a massive way. I like breaking Rasmussen in on the wing. I am not certain if he will be the #2C or what his role is down the line. A ton of that comes from what we will see and figure out in the next couple seasons. I believe in his talent, I believe he will help us improve. He is an impressive prospect and certainly a weapon moving forward. But should we win the Hughes sweepstakes or get a Turcotte, his future well might be on the wing. By the way I think that reorganizes the thoughts on him anyway because on the wing he projects to do a lot more damage offensively in my opinion.
