PEI Defenseman Gragnani

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LHJMQFAN

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Oct 30, 2004
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I have been watching Marc-André Gragnani of the PEI Rocket play for quite a while now and the kid is really improving on a game to game basis. I have been told he was outstanding in the last trip to RN and ValDor and against Moncton on their last game he was everywhere and playing the puck better than some forward. He really impressed me.
I hope he gets positionned well for the upcoming draft because he deserves it. He works hard on every shift and never lets the team down, he even fought in ValDor to protect his goalie.
He needs to put on some size but he is still growing and size can always be added. What he has and no one can deny is a great vision and hockey sense, something you cannot teach. He anticipates well and more and more he shows combativity and willingness to get out of the corner with the puck. I think he is helping his team in trying to secure a play-off spot and if they succeed part of it will come to his great sense of team work. Keep up the good work Grags, I, for one, am rooting for you! :handclap: :yo: :handclap:
 

pei fan

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Jan 3, 2004
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This kid has alot of talent and I think could end up as the biggest sleeper in the draft.Yes he does need to add size and with that become more physical but he has
some skills that others don't have.His hockeysense is far beyond that of the
average 17 year old defenseman.I just enjoy watching this kid play.I'd be interested
to hear from others who have seen him play.
 

LHJMQFAN

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Oct 30, 2004
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I am happy to see that I am not the only one enjoying the way he plays. Yesterday night against Moncton he got a lot of ice time but he must be used to it it has been like that almost all year. Can't wait for the draft if there is going to be one.... :dunno:
 

ZombieMatt

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May 20, 2002
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LHJMQFAN said:
I am happy to see that I am not the only one enjoying the way he plays. Yesterday night against Moncton he got a lot of ice time but he must be used to it it has been like that almost all year. Can't wait for the draft if there is going to be one.... :dunno:

He saw huge minutes last night, I agree. He must have gotten at least 25 minutes, and was playing in all situations.
 

pei fan

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Jan 3, 2004
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Matt MacInnis said:
He saw huge minutes last night, I agree. He must have gotten at least 25 minutes, and was playing in all situations.
You still haven't commented on his game Matt.
to answer the question where will he go I think the last ranking he was pegged about 3rd/4th round but i think he might be worth a look in the late 2nd round.
 

ZombieMatt

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May 20, 2002
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Sorry, I was on my way out when I posted last.

I like Gragnani. I've seen him 6 times this season, and he brings a really good, solid, skill set to the Rocket. Other than the fact that he definitely needs to add at bare minimum 15 lbs before he can play pro, and probably would be better suited with 20 lbs.

He's just solid all around. He's got great positioning, both offensively and defensively, and he doesn't play scared, he lets his instincts take over for him, and he has the smarts to do that. He isn't afraid to pinch offensively or leave the front of the net defensively to help a battle in the corner, but always seems to make the right choices when he does.

His stick handling is a bit of a weakness, but that can be developed. He seemed to be fighting the puck just a tiny bit a few times (in particular last night that I noticed), but those times were pretty rare. He makes solid decisions with the puck as well, and had one really good play while carrying it through the neutral zone where he made a nice pass in tight to a streaking forward. Nothing came of the chance, but its just things like that which make him what he is.

I'm not sure if I'd go so far to say late second round. I'm very interested in seeing who goes first between him and Moncton's Oskars Bartulis, because they are fairly similar players (Gragnani is more of a grinding type and willing to fight, but that aside). I'd guess he's going to be a mid-late third rounder, somewhere between 75-90.
 

LHJMQFAN

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Oct 30, 2004
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I would say Bartulis will go first because he was invited to the prospect game and Gragnani was not. They probably rank him higher but you never know, it depends on what happens until the end of the season :)
 

ZombieMatt

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May 20, 2002
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LHJMQFAN said:
I would say Bartulis will go first because he was invited to the prospect game and Gragnani was not. They probably rank him higher but you never know, it depends on what happens until the end of the season :)

I would tend to agree BUT all it takes is one team really liking Gragnani and it's the other way.
 

LHJMQFAN

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Oct 30, 2004
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I have been told that he seems not to play with his regular sticks these days and that could be why he is fighting with the puck a little bit more than usual... I really hope for him that a team will like him so much to let him come out early enough, if there is a draft... :yo:
 
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