Ryan Stone - thoughts?

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fedorov_jr

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May 8, 2002
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the guy finished 2nd in WHL scoring this year with 99 points.... he was drafted just into the 2nd round of the very deep 2003 draft.... how do you rate him (Pittsburgh has him 18th on their team, and 6.0C!) and compare him to some of the players taken in the mid 1st round of the 2004 draft (Tukonen, Stafford, Zajac etc.)

thanx
 

Flames Draft Watcher

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fedorov_jr said:
the guy finished 2nd in WHL scoring this year with 99 points.... he was drafted just into the 2nd round of the very deep 2003 draft.... how do you rate him (Pittsburgh has him 18th on their team, and 6.0C!) and compare him to some of the players taken in the mid 1st round of the 2004 draft (Tukonen, Stafford, Zajac etc.)

thanx

I've seen a bit of Stone, Stafford and Zajac and I'd say Stone is the least appealing of that group. But he is a very good prospect. I just don't think he stacks up to Zajac and Stafford.
 

Jacob

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Feb 27, 2002
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From what I saw of him in training camp I had impressions of a Jason Wiemer type.
 

CRUNK JUICE

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Stone's the kind of guy who isn't going to get his points or be valuable to his team with hsi flair or flashy moves, because he really doesn't have much of either. He's going to have to earn his keep by grinding out every point he gets, being defensively aware, and generally being a pain in the @$$ for the other team (much like another Pens prospect, Maxime Talbot).

He was a very safe pick and I feel a grade of "C" is too low for him. I'm fairly certain you'll see this guy in the NHL someday as a checking line center (or centering a second line in a pinch).

Hope that helps.
 

Cain

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I loved what I saw in my limited viewing of Stone. Seemed to be a great playmaker...I only saw him in the Russia/CHL series...but he was the best canadian player when he played in my opinion.

He made Fehr's job easy.
 

Big Deaner

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What most people acknowledge about Stone is his excellent defensive play (one of if not the best defensive players in the league, top penalty killer in the league IMO, 4 short handed goals). But people forget about his offensive abilities, he's an 'energy' type forechecker who uses his size extremely effectively when cycling the puck. I think he's one of the best passers in the 'Dub, he's one of those guys who will wait until the last second, or until a guy is open before making the pass, often this means leaving himself open for a hit. Stone will do whatever it takes to win, whether that be taking a hit, dropping the mitts or blocking a shot. IMO when Stone plays he looks like a pro, I realize he doesn't skate like Bure but like many junior players his skating will improve. IMO Stone will be a second line player in the NHL one day, he's one of those players that goalscorers love having on their line because he does everything. He'll go into the corners to dig the puck out, he'll make an unbelievable pass to set up a scoring chance, he'll protect his linemates and he will not ignore his defensive duties, often covering the mistakes of his linemates. He's a smart player, and if he can stay healthy he will be a fan favorite in Pittsburgh for years to come.
 

Allin44

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Mar 13, 2005
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bigdeaner put it well. toss stone on a line with a goal scorer(fehr or whoever) and he'll set them up til the cows come home. put him on the fourth line.. he'll grind it out and wear the other team down.. playing a helluva defensive game..
 

Big Deaner

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Allin44 said:
bigdeaner put it well. toss stone on a line with a goal scorer(fehr or whoever) and he'll set them up til the cows come home. put him on the fourth line.. he'll grind it out and wear the other team down.. playing a helluva defensive game..

Exactly, I believe becasue of his versatility he will have a solid, impact career in the NHL.
 

craig1

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I saw some game film of him....for some reason, he reminded me of a slightly more defensively aware version of Robert Lang......


......but it wasn't a lot of film....
 

Letang fan 58

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DuklaNation said:
A playmaking Travis Green.

I have seen stone play aprox 35 times the last 3 years....The player that I would most compare him to is going to be Michael Peca....Stone may have more flare for setting up nice plays but is very gritty like Peca and can change the game on a huge hit.
 
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