Prospect Info: Pick #149: Michael Parks, RW, Cedar Rapids (USHL)

[GKJ]

http://www.ridertownusa.com/team/players/ushl/view.php?player=23

has audio


Going to UND!


Missouri native

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[member 30781]

My god. What a joke. Can we invest in some QUALITY scouts? I know we have Pat Burke, Brian Burke's son as a scout. He is the NCAA scout in the New England area. SOMEONE has to catch his eye, right?

EDIT: Maybe this was Pat's pick, since he went to UND and loves anyone from there.

 

[CS]

Don't understand why so many are skipping some of the European talents, but I don't mind this pick.

Another Missouri native like Pat Maroon.

 

[bennysflyers16]

I ve wanted this kid for 3 years now, One of our best picks in a long time

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

http://mckeenshockey.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1038045

"Speak softly and carry a big stick." A West African proverb made famous by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in discussing his views on American foreign policy in the early 20th century. Over 108 years after the leader of Rough Riders articulated those words at the Minnesota State Fair in 1901, they are words that describe Cedar Rapids RoughRider Michael Parks. Parks is a fairly soft-spoken young man, and while it's not certain how long the team-supplied Reebok sticks he uses are, it is certain that Parks lets his game do the talking. The winger doesn't talk loud, but his speed, skating, skill, and ability to make moves and plays at full speed, as well as his two-way play, sure make noise on the ice, and they've earned him selection to Team USA for three tournaments the past two seasons and a scholarship to the University of North Dakota. They're also highly likely to earn him selection at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in June, in addition to serving him well in the future.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey was able to talk to Michael Parks of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders after a game in December. Parks discussed his selection to Team USA for the World Junior A Challenge, his game, his time with the St. Louis Selects, his hockey prior to midget major, his commitment to UND, and some of his favorites from yesteryear and today.

McKeen's: Back in November you were playing with Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge, and things turned out pretty well. Although I suspect I know the answer to this question, given who your coach is, when did you find out when you made the team, who told you, and what was your reaction?

Parks: I found out I made the team (pauses), I think it was about a month into the season, directly from coach [Mark] Carlson, and I was just real honored to be selected and real excited at the same time. I knew it was a big responsibility and I was real happy to be chosen to the team.

McKeen's: I figured it would be coach Carlson telling you.

Parks: Yeah.

McKeen's: But, sometimes I talk to people about things like this and they tell me, "Oh, my roommate told me." It's like, "Oh, okay," but that's more with the USHL All-Star Game. Before I continue with more questions on the World Junior A Challenge, you've played for Team USA before, both with the Select U-17 Team and the Select U-18 Team. How did you learn you'd made those two teams?

Parks: I found out I made the Under-17 and Under-18 Select Teams from the head coach of those teams, which was Eric Rud both years, with St. Cloud. I was told within several days to a week after the Select Festivals.

McKeen's: That seems to be, pretty much, the way it works with those.

Parks: Yeah.

 

[Mgkibbles]

This is my favorite pick so far, but the Flyers need to start looking overseas from here on out.

 

[BillyShoe1721]

Not a fan...

 

[member 30781]

Not a fan...

Yea, not a productive draft.

 

[sa cyred]

Good good pick

 

[jb**]

any good quality goons avaliable?

I would really like to see them take high risk/high reward type guys drafting this late or soem obscure guys that may pan out.

 

[GKJ]

Well we knew from the start it wouldn't be a productive draft, but unless you guys are out there watching these guys on a regular basis, I don't see where we label 5th round picks as terrible selections

 

[member 30781]

Well we knew from the start it wouldn't be a productive draft, but unless you guys are out there watching these guys on a regular basis, I don't see where we label 5th round picks as terrible selections

Well considering, professional scouts HAVE seen these guys and rank guys like Pettersson and Thrush that high, that should say something, shouldnt it?

EDIT: Add Victor Ohman to that.

 

[CS]

Well we knew from the start it wouldn't be a productive draft, but unless you guys are out there watching these guys on a regular basis, I don't see where we label 5th round picks as terrible selections

Pretty much, but there is some skill left on the board out in Europe that we just seem to be overlooking.

 

[sa cyred]

Well we knew from the start it wouldn't be a productive draft, but unless you guys are out there watching these guys on a regular basis, I don't see where we label 5th round picks as terrible selections

Too many people are looking at pre draft rankings and stats

 

[97FlyersKing18]

Hopefully we won't see any of these players we drafted with the Flyers within the next two years. It is good to have prospects develop and get comfortable with being a professional athlete.

Parks is going to a big time college with a knack for developing players that can be productive in ALL 3 zones. Give the Souix a chance with Parks, he is only 18 years old.

 

[Mgkibbles]

Well we knew from the start it wouldn't be a productive draft, but unless you guys are out there watching these guys on a regular basis, I don't see where we label 5th round picks as terrible selections

There are scouting reports available for a lot of these guys and its pretty simple to draw fair conclusions without having to watch the prospect play.

 

[GKJ]

Well considering, professional scouts HAVE seen these guys and rank guys like Pettersson and Thrush that high, that should say something, shouldnt it?

EDIT: Add Victor Ohman to that.

As I said for someone else, whatever is keeping 29 other teams away from these guys must be keeping the Flyers away too.

On the European thing, we know just as a rule of thumb: They're not into Europe. I'm a fan of players from certain countries, and I'm sure these European scouts aren't happy.

 

[member 30781]

Hopefully we won't see any of these players we drafted with the Flyers within the next two years. It is good to have prospects develop and get comfortable with being a professional athlete.

Parks is going to a big time college with a knack for developing players that can be productive in ALL 3 zones. Give the Souix a chance with Parks, he is only 18 years old.

Oh hes goin to North Dakota. I thought it was Notre Dame.

 

[sa cyred]

Well considering, professional scouts HAVE seen these guys and rank guys like Pettersson and Thrush that high, that should say something, shouldnt it?

EDIT: Add Victor Ohman to that.

There's a reason why every team is passing on these players

 

[GKJ]

There are scouting reports available for a lot of these guys and its pretty simple to draw fair conclusions without having to watch the prospect play.

Which is fine, but again, no one else is drafting them either. It's not like the first round where we took a huge reach. If we did take these other guys, that's fine, but I don't see where it's plausible to get pissed off over guys picked in the 5th round of the draft. I'll wait when someone we didn't take becomes the next Zetterberg and Datsyuk

 

[BringBackHakstol]

My god. What a joke. Can we invest in some QUALITY scouts? I know we have Pat Burke, Brian Burke's son as a scout. He is the NCAA scout in the New England area. SOMEONE has to catch his eye, right?

EDIT: Maybe this was Pat's pick, since he went to UND and loves anyone from there.

You are ridiculous. Teams don't pick straight off of CSB's list and never have. How many players selected in the 4th and 5th round have you seen play? Do you really think your reading on the internet is better than the dozens of scouts paid to actually do this for a living?

There are scouting reports available for a lot of these guys and its pretty simple to draw fair conclusions without having to watch the prospect play.

No it's not.

 

[Mgkibbles]

Which is fine, but again, no one else is drafting them either. It's not like the first round where we took a huge reach. If we did take these other guys, that's fine, but I don't see where it's plausible to get pissed off over guys picked in the 5th round of the draft. I'll wait when someone we didn't take becomes the next Zetterberg and Datsyuk

But then you're just using hindsight which is the easiest thing to do. I think its better to search through the information available at the time they're picked so you can at least go back and see if your thoughts on the player were on or off target.

 

[GKJ]

By the way, since CSB was brought up. CSB is employed by the NHL. They are a group of paid scouts just like every NHL team employs. All they are, are a 31st NHL team making their rankings and posting their draft boards for the public to see. Just like it only takes one team to like someone, the CSB is one of those teams who like one guy enough to put them 4 rounds ahead of where guys end up going.

 

[CS]

You are ridiculous. Teams don't pick straight off of CSB's list and never have. How many players selected in the 4th and 5th round have you seen play? Do you really think your reading on the internet is better than the dozens of scouts paid to actually do this for a living?

Actually, you have a point. The CS list is normally pretty much brutalized by the actual draft.

That said, I'm a little annoyed that we're passing up on Pettersson, even if other teams are passing on him.

There's some other dynamic Euros available that aren't getting drafted either. I think it might have something to do with the growing strength of the KHL and 3rd-line Euros being 1st-line there, but we need any talent we can get.

 

[member 30781]

No it's not.

Yes it is. I actually have seen a good number of prospects play, even in Europe. The writeups on the internet are from professional scouts. EJ McGuire, who once worked for the Flyers, is the head scout for CS. You dont think his assessments of players dont hold any gravitas?

Thats not saying in my terms, but just for the people who dont know much, if anything at all, about prospects.