Prospect Info: With the 157th Overall Pick the Rangers Select Dominik Lakatos

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Avery was gross but didn't play dirty. What did he do that was dirty?

Tik, like Mess and other players of his era, did stuff that would probably get you labeled as dirty nowadays.

Well, yes, he was gross and maybe that's coloring my perception to some extent.

But in terms of being dirty, Mess - and in particular, Tikk - would do the little things that didn't exactly cross the line. Yapping, butt end jabs, subtle elbows, love taps with the stick, etc. Irritating, sometimes painful, but not downright dangerous. (Though I do have to admit I can remember one or two times when Mess went farther than that and I wasn't cool with it.)

Avery was a cheap shot artist. I remember multiple dangerous hits, and very specific incidents of at least two two-handed slashes to the backs of the ankles of players not looking at him as well as another where he sucker punched a player. If he had kept it to yapping at Lemieux, waving his stick in front of Mary, and bopping Tim Thomas in the back of the head, I wouldn't have minded him as much. (Although I still wouldn't have liked him for being a ******, I admit.)

 

[Raspewtin]

Messier was one of the dirtiest players of the 90's though, no?

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Messier was one of the dirtiest players of the 90's though, no?

Yeah, you could probably tell I was hedging a bit in my previous post. I think I'm applying some 1994-era rose colored glasses to my memories of Mess. I can definitely recall one or two spearing incidents, and that's definitely not cool in my book.

 

[Raspewtin]

Honestly I don't care if we have a very effective dirty player

The league doesn't care about player safety so why should we?

 

[eco's bones]

Messier could be very dirty. Players could get away with a lot more stuff in the 90's than they can today. The stuff that Scott Stevens pulled for instance---players use to target heads and knees all the time.

In one game against the Stars at MSG Messier concussed Mike Modano pretty much with the same hit that Matt Cooke used to end Marc Savard's career. Blindside hit to the head from a lateral and behind direction that Modano never saw and he was out cold--like he was sleeping. I never have seen Avery do anything like that and Messier did that with malice aforethought. The Stars goons were targeting Leetch that night and that was the message they got back. Modano got another message when the EMT's dropped him off the stretcher as they were shoving him in the back of ambulance. All of that was caught on live TV.

There was a Felsner (Brian? Danny?--whichever one was playing for the Canucks) who ended up needing to have his spleen removed after he was speared by Mark. Mark was liberal with his stick work.

These are just a couple incidents off the top of my head and the NHL then as now plays favorites with its elite players. The NHL has always been very reluctant to hammer them with suspensions.

 

[Charlie Conway]

It's nice that he hits the front of the net so hard. We don't have a whole lot of guys doing that.

The temper seems to be something to work on, but if he can rein that in to more of an agitator role, this is a pretty good 6th round pick.

 

[Jablkon]

I loved both Tikkanen and Avery. Not sure though that Lakatos is quite the skater that those two were--maybe a cross between Tikkanen and a smaller Holmstrom. Going to the net hard is a very good thing. Stirring the pot can be a very good thing too. If you know that you can't beat goalies with your shot from 30' and on out then there's really only one thing to do if you want to score goals and that's go to the net and do it a lot. Lakatos has quick hands in close. Some nice finishing there.

What I am worried here is his body constitution. It seems to me more like Sobotka's, definetely not a Hertl type. I couldnt imagine him playing in NHL 16 years ago, he would be smashed imo.

Will he be first gypsy in NHL if he makes team? Thats not meant to offend anybody

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

What I am worried here is his body constitution. It seems to me more like Sobotka's, definetely not a Hertl type. I couldnt imagine him playing in NHL 16 years ago, he would be smashed imo.

Will he be first gypsy in NHL if he makes team? Thats not meant to offend anybody

I think Semenko was a gypsy

 

[Miamipuck]

I think Semenko was a gypsy

Which makes him harder than a coffin nail.

 

[Bluenote13]

Again, took an overager instead of quality young guys that could have higher ceilings.

 

[cwede]

Again, took an overager instead of quality young guys that could have higher ceilings.

can't buy this thinking
after each year a guy's ceiling becomes clearer
at 18, you can project all-star potential or 600 game careers for almost all of them

this kind of pick is disliked because it undermines the too-many-hours dedicated each year to sorting out the first-year-eligibles

sometimes the analysis and observation determines that a non standard pick is indeed BPA for your team

NYR picked a college kid and a 17 year old,
but sometimes the best choice is not a player you have to wait a few years for

 

[Bluenote13]

can't buy this thinking
after each year a guy's ceiling becomes clearer
at 18, you can project all-star potential or 600 game careers for almost all of them

this kind of pick is disliked because it undermines the too-many-hours dedicated each year to sorting out the first-year-eligibles

sometimes the analysis and observation determines that a non standard pick is indeed BPA for your team

NYR picked a college kid and a 17 year old,
but sometimes the best choice is not a player you have to wait a few years for

I question whether 'he can be nhl ready really soon' type of picks over a 'wait and see' 17 or 18yr old. Is it about talent, or is it about NHL readiness?

 

[cwede]

I question whether 'he can be nhl ready really soon' type of picks over a 'wait and see' 17 or 18yr old. Is it about talent, or is it about NHL readiness?

we've learned the hard way that its risky if its ONLY about talent: Brendl? Grachev? Sanguinetti?

 

[egelband]

Messier could be very dirty. Players could get away with a lot more stuff in the 90's than they can today. The stuff that Scott Stevens pulled for instance---players use to target heads and knees all the time.

In one game against the Stars at MSG Messier concussed Mike Modano pretty much with the same hit that Matt Cooke used to end Marc Savard's career. Blindside hit to the head from a lateral and behind direction that Modano never saw and he was out cold--like he was sleeping. I never have seen Avery do anything like that and Messier did that with malice aforethought. The Stars goons were targeting Leetch that night and that was the message they got back. Modano got another message when the EMT's dropped him off the stretcher as they were shoving him in the back of ambulance. All of that was caught on live TV.

There was a Felsner (Brian? Danny?--whichever one was playing for the Canucks) who ended up needing to have his spleen removed after he was speared by Mark. Mark was liberal with his stick work.

These are just a couple incidents off the top of my head and the NHL then as now plays favorites with its elite players. The NHL has always been very reluctant to hammer them with suspensions.

I'm definitely guilty of having loved the violence back then. I'm glad standards are changing. It will be a better league in five years once the intentional dangerous (chippy is fine) play is gone. Still a few creeps remaining who need to go.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Lakatos was a 6th round pick.

How many 6th round picks are better than Lakatos at age 20?

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Again, took an overager instead of quality young guys that could have higher ceilings.

Exactly, and I like Lakatos.

 

[Irishguy42]

In the sixth round, there is a great possibility that there is no difference between picking an overager or a younger guy.

Literally 0 problems with this pick.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I'm happy with the Lakatos-pick because you get a closer-to-finished product rather than an 18-year old who needs more time and still plays junior hockey.

Lakatos already plays against grownups. He isn't setting the world on fire with his play, but a 20-year old who has a .62 PPG average in the post-season of a professional league is definitely worth a 6th round pick. There is so much more than just the numbers, but eve if you go by that, you have a pretty good idea what he will become.

I think some people are severely overestimating the value of the CHL

 

[Bluenote13]

Exactly, and I like Lakatos.

I hear ya, i like him too.

 

[McD37]

Lakatos is staying another year in Liberec, it is his wish, wants to work on his game, wants to get to the national team. Six teams were interested in him before the draft. Prominently Rangers and Predators. Rangers scouts know him very well, they really like him.

http://www.hokej.cz/odmena-pro-lakatose-po-draftu-poznal-new-york-rok-bude-doma/5023986

 

[shotvalley]

Is he pure winger or does he play also as a center? Eliteprospects list him as a C and LW.

 

[Revel]

Lakatos is staying another year in Liberec, it is his wish, wants to work on his game, wants to get to the national team. Six teams were interested in him before the draft. Prominently Rangers and Predators. Rangers scouts know him very well, they really like him.

http://www.hokej.cz/odmena-pro-lakatose-po-draftu-poznal-new-york-rok-bude-doma/5023986

Great foreign language find as always, 37. Much appreciated! You must consider this a big off-season for yourself as a Rangers fan. We went from ZERO Czechs in the organization...to THREE. Pretty cool.

 

[McD37]

Great foreign language find as always, 37. Much appreciated! You must consider this a big off-season for yourself as a Rangers fan. We went from ZERO Czechs in the organization...to THREE. Pretty cool.

Yeah, I am very happy with this off-season. Great roster moves and this is really nice bonus.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Never signed. Nine goals in 15 games to start the Czech Extraliga season.

 

[nyr2k2]

Never signed. Nine goals in 15 games to start the Czech Extraliga season.

Yeah, he was a marginal, older prospect when drafted. He made no progress in the two subsequent seasons and had disciplinary/attitude issues that saw him demoted to the second division on two occasions. Even his performance last season of 27 points in 52 games was only on par with with his draft year (16-17) when he had 22 in 41.

I'm glad he's doing well in the Czech League. Top to bottom, that league is sub-AHL quality, though, so no reason to rue the decision to move on.