Chapin Landvogt
Registered User
Is he at least an above average skater?
After Strome, Reinhart, MDC, Bellows, and Wahlstrom, we should be avoid anyone who isn't at least an above average skater in the first round. Avoiding like the plague.
My take is that Hensler is just fine as a skater. He will likely be chalked up as a Brock Faber type player.
Some have mentioned Arem Minnetian as a prospect player you might want to target at the deadline and I'd say Hensler is very much a comparable with a currently higher pedigree.
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In general, if the NYI are currently looking at this draft and saying to themselves that they'd want one of Hensler, Mrtka, or Fiddler - all very fine RHD with multiple tools - with their mid-round 1st rounder, then there's really no reason not to just re-sign DeAngelo (and Boqvist, for my taste) and move Dobson for either a solid package of up-n-comers or a similarly-aged impact forward (or both, if possible).
Personally, I'd be VERY excited about adding Mrtka to the fold, but the two Americans look like solid NHL options down the line.
Strategically speaking, it'd be an understandable path to take as this team redirects to stronger short and long-term competitiveness.
I cannot comment on whether those RHDs will be the BPP wherever the Isles will be selecting.
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No matter what thoughts you have about the draft now, please do not forget that the U18 Worlds has a huge impact on where the cookies crumble in the rankings come June.