Prospect Info: With the #169 pick, the Wild select Reid Duke

[tyratoku]

An interesting turn in this story:

So he thought about leaving Lethbridge for the USHL for a little bit?

Interesting idea I guess. Hopefully he has a good season. Starting it out with a distraction like this is a bit worrisome though.

 

[Circulartheory]

So he thought about leaving Lethbridge for the USHL for a little bit?

Interesting idea I guess. Hopefully he has a good season. Starting it out with a distraction like this is a bit worrisome though.

Well, the idea is, the Lethbridge team itself was a distraction.

 

[tyratoku]

Bumping this thread a bit for three reasons. I also updated the stats in the OP, just because.

• #1: Neener neener neener I am psychic
  
  

  I think this may be the best pick of ours of the last three rounds.
  
  On a very weak team he put up 40 points and was apparently adequate in all three zones. Hopefully he can get close to or crack PPG this season with a more experienced team. They have the third pick in the CHL import draft so they are going to get some help there.

  
  51 points in 53 games aint bad. At all.
  
  And even with how good Jenys and Lang are looking, I still am standing by my guess at the beginning of that post.
  
  
• #2: Development camp
  Pretty much everyone was saying how impressive he was. Between the two scrimmages he had a handful of goals (most out of all prospects, IIRC) while looking passable in the defensive zone. From what I saw (admittedly very little) he seems to have some very good stickhandling skills and a pretty darn good shot. Great news. I found more than a few sites/blogs that stated that he was the best player between the two scrimmages (or at least right behind the big three of JEE, Tuch, and Reilly).
  
  
• #3: Expectations for next year.
  He scored darn near PPG up in the WHL last year and I fully expect him to at the very least meet that and further expand that into hopefully a 90+ point season. The team went far last year and while they are going to lose a small group of players, the majority of their core looks to be returning.
  
  Duke has a prime opportunity to force more playing time and become a top line player for the Wheat Kings - I'm pretty sure he played a middle-six role last season most of the time).

 

[Al Lagoon]

Bumping this thread a bit for three reasons. I also updated the stats in the OP, just because.

• #1: Neener neener neener I am psychic
  
  
  
  51 points in 53 games aint bad. At all.
  
  And even with how good Jenys and Lang are looking, I still am standing by my guess at the beginning of that post.
  
  
• #2: Development camp
  Pretty much everyone was saying how impressive he was. Between the two scrimmages he had a handful of goals (most out of all prospects, IIRC) while looking passable in the defensive zone. From what I saw (admittedly very little) he seems to have some very good stickhandling skills and a pretty darn good shot. Great news. I found more than a few sites/blogs that stated that he was the best player between the two scrimmages (or at least right behind the big three of JEE, Tuch, and Reilly).
  
  
• #3: Expectations for next year.
  He scored darn near PPG up in the WHL last year and I fully expect him to at the very least meet that and further expand that into hopefully a 90+ point season. The team went far last year and while they are going to lose a small group of players, the majority of their core looks to be returning.
  
  Duke has a prime opportunity to force more playing time and become a top line player for the Wheat Kings - I'm pretty sure he played a middle-six role last season most of the time).

I'd buy a Wild Jersey with "Duke" on the back. Not a John Wayne reference, had a legendary great uncle....

 

[Engebretson]

Bumping this because I just caught up on Russo's latest podcast and he has some serious doubt as to whether the Wild is interested in signing Reid Duke or just letting him go back into the draft this year. He also floated the possibility of trading his rights prior to the draft to allow a team to try to sign him, but it just seemed a bit odd to me.

Duke is a 6'0 195 lb center currently playing for Brandon in the WHL Playoffs where he's currently racked up 23 points (8g 15a) in 20 playoff games so far this season. He finished the regular season nearly ppg with 62 points (33g 29a) in 68 games. Last season, he ended up with 51 points (20g 31a) in 53 games after being traded very early in the season from Lethbridge.

From what I'm seeing, production is clearly not an issue with this kid, so maybe there's a character issue or maybe the Wild is expecting him to ask for the moon in bonuses for his ELC (Russo aludes that there may be a difference in perceived value from both sides and that Duke may be asking for "1st Round money"). Russo also brought up the contract limit, but you'd think they could clear at least one of the dead weight contracts (not qualifying Bussieres immediately comes to mind) to make room for him.

Just wondering if this is a bit odd to anyone else.

 

[BigT2002]

That seems super odd if the kid is producing that well and they wouldn't tender the offer. I mean think about it, the Baby Wild are hurting for talent right now. There are guys on that team who will never see the NHL and many who shouldn't even be in the AHL. And then you have this kid who is playing great (points wise) and has decent size for his age.

If money is the issue, then I don't know what to tell him. They don't get the same thing that the NCAA ones do right? Where they can just not sign and go UFA? He doesn't really have a leg to stand on unless he plans on going overseas to play then.

 

[gphr513]

Yeah if he wants first round money I can see why they would be wary.

 

[Engebretson]

They don't get the same thing that the NCAA ones do right? Where they can just not sign and go UFA? He doesn't really have a leg to stand on unless he plans on going overseas to play then.

According to Russo, if he's not signed by June 1st he goes back into the draft.

 

[BigT2002]

According to Russo, if he's not signed by June 1st he goes back into the draft.

Then let him even if this isn't a deep draft, I would be heavily shocked if an initial player picked in what, the 5th round?, would be picked up in the 1st round to garnish that type of money.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Less than a ppg in your draft year +2 isn't much to write home about. Not saying Iowa couldn't use the help, but whatever.

What does 1st round money matter when you're making an AHL salary?

 

[Wild11MN]

Less than a ppg in your draft year +2 isn't much to write home about. Not saying Iowa couldn't use the help, but whatever.

What does 1st round money matter when you're making an AHL salary?

That's what I was wondering. What's the actual difference in salary here?

 

[DANOZ28]

i sure hope he comes to his senses and signs. thats assuming the wild are offering him a iowa roster spot.

 

[Engebretson]

Russo implied that it wasn't so much that Duke might think he's worth more than he is (although he did make the "1st round money" comment), but the situation was more of the Wild not having enough interest in him to sign him to an ELC and the fact that he's having a good playoff run in Brandon might mean they can flip his rights before June 1st to add a mid-round pick.

 

[TwiztedHeat]

Flip his rights for a 3rd and get Gambrell

 

[BigT2002]

Russo implied that it wasn't so much that Duke might think he's worth more than he is (although he did make the "1st round money" comment), but the situation was more of the Wild not having enough interest in him to sign him to an ELC and the fact that he's having a good playoff run in Brandon might mean they can flip his rights before June 1st to add a mid-round pick.

If its to get another pick deep in the draft, I just don't get it I guess. Now if its for another asset they are leaning towards (goalie or something) then I would be cautiously optimistic.

 

[Engebretson]

Sounds like we have until 4pm today or Duke goes back into the draft.

 

[Minnesota]

Draft him in the 6th again.

 

[grN1g]

Really do not understand why we are just letting him walk and pointing to the 50 contract limit when we got guys like Buss, Stachan, Palmquist, Sabourin, Allen, Fedotenko, Bulmer, and Knight all needing new contracts and would easily let go before duke. Id say our Iowa squad looks alot better with Duke on the team rather than not or anyone else for that matter.

This is the type of stuff that we look back on in however many years and say wth.

 

[Engebretson]

Really do not understand why we are just letting him walk and pointing to the 50 contract limit when we got guys like Buss, Stachan, Palmquist, Sabourin, Allen, Fedotenko, Bulmer, and Knight all needing new contracts and would easily let go before duke. Id say our Iowa squad looks alot better with Duke on the team rather than not or anyone else for that matter.

This is the type of stuff that we look back on in however many years and say wth.

There's gotta be some character issues that has management concerned, although even if that were the case, I'd still take my chances on Duke over all the guys you mentioned.

I wonder if we're going to hear the full story in the next couple days, if ever.

 

[gphr513]

Really do not understand why we are just letting him walk and pointing to the 50 contract limit when we got guys like Buss, Stachan, Palmquist, Sabourin, Allen, Fedotenko, Bulmer, and Knight all needing new contracts and would easily let go before duke. Id say our Iowa squad looks alot better with Duke on the team rather than not or anyone else for that matter.

This is the type of stuff that we look back on in however many years and say wth.

Or this is something that nobody looks back in in however many years because everyone has forgotten that Reid Duke is a real person.

If they're letting him go, they obviously don't think he has potential to be a difference maker. This doesn't bother me at all. I'll defer to their judgement.

 

[Hall of Faber]

I'll defer to their judgement.

Talent evaluation hasn't done much to gain my trust in this organization.

Duke seemed to have an extra edge I saw in development camp that I really liked. Seemed like a role player you want our team and not be playing against.

 

[BigT2002]

There's gotta be some character issues that has management concerned, although even if that were the case, I'd still take my chances on Duke over all the guys you mentioned.

Well considering he is getting pretty demanding and hasn't even played a game in Iowa, I would say he may be a little diva for his own good. But I don't know the kid nor his agent.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Really do not understand why we are just letting him walk and pointing to the 50 contract limit when we got guys like Buss, Stachan, Palmquist, Sabourin, Allen, Fedotenko, Bulmer, and Knight all needing new contracts and would easily let go before duke. Id say our Iowa squad looks alot better with Duke on the team rather than not or anyone else for that matter.

This is the type of stuff that we look back on in however many years and say wth.

Most of those guys will be let go, but we'll still be close to the contract limit.

We've got 37 players under contract, and 6 RFAs that are either no brainers to resign or in Kuemper's case we'd need to replace with a contract if we traded(Dumba, Kuemper, Zucker, Graovac, Schroeder, Dalpe).

So that's 44. Than we will need to bring in/resign probably 3 cheap bottom 6 types to replace Fontaine, Stoll, Carter, Porter.

Which brings us up to 47. JEE doesn't count in Sweden, but it's not out of the question they' may want to bring back Bulmer, Hoffman or Palmquest for another shot. And you always want to leave one or two spots open for flexibility.

So even if we let most RFAs go, we're still going to be around that 47/48 Contracts.

 

[gphr513]

Talent evaluation hasn't done much to gain my trust in this organization.

Duke seemed to have an extra edge I saw in development camp that I really liked. Seemed like a role player you want our team and not be playing against.

On the other side of the coin, if he's making demands and ultimatums without ever setting foot on NHL ice, I see that as a red flag. If he's just a "high compete level" guy with not a lot of high end potential, I don't blame them for not tripping over themselves to sign him.

 

[Randy BoBandy]

Odd indeed. I have serious doubts about the Wilds amateur scouting group. They clearing can't identify skilled forwards outside top ten picks. I hope he goes on to have a great career. The stats look good. I would have liked to give him a shot.