raty hasn't shown anything at any level to warrant this kind of optimism. his last promising season was probably his age 16 season. he looks like someone who will be back in europe in two years
that's not to say he couldn't still improve but if you're being objective right now you shouldn't be expecting him to play significant nhl minutes anytime soon (caveat: sheldon dries, jack studnicka and lane pederson played significant nhl minutes for vancouver last season so...)
Yeah. I don't necessarily agree on his last "promising" season...but i do agree on the premise, and i think that's all framed by "expectations".
If you're more realistic and you adjust your frame of expectations to, "this guy could be a real solid #4C", i think it changes the discussion in a way where optimism makes more sense.
I just don't think a player who skates like that is going to find a lot of NHL success anywhere outside of a 4th line filler role where he might not be a bad player to have. He's got that profile of a guy with offensive ability who is held back by other shortcomings. But he's got size and he's not oblivious to defensive positioning...he could be a very okay 4th like Center for us. On a cheap deal. That's not nothing.
I just don't really see him having the traits or promise to be much more than a 4th line filler role guy. He's still got a
long ways to go with his skating to even be at the level of a guy like Lowry, and he just isn't exactly built for the rest of what Lowry brings to the table there as a #3C.
If you get an Adam Lowry, minus some of the size, minus most of the physicality and grit, minus a bunch of the skating, minus all the leadership traits, and minus that superlative level of defensive awareness...Well, that'd be a fine outcome for Raty. That's probably still an NHL caliber 4th liner.
I just question the value of that, when you can get great veteran 4th liners every year for absolute peanuts on the UFA market. PDG is a prime example of that.