C Michael Rasmussen - Tri-City Americans, WHL (2017, 9th, DET)

[tfong]

It is a good thing you are not in charge of the Wings draft then. Taking Suzuki, Necas or Vilardi would have been fine but taking a winger when Detroit is loaded with young wingers is foolish. It is also part of the reason they are in the mess they are in.

Should draft bpa vs positional need. Position should only come into play on picks that are too similiar to each other.

Also I don't think the whole "hope you're not gm" attack I'd useful. Everyone on these board is entitled to heir opinion and for the most part most of my own drafting picks have turned out well thanks.

 

[Go Wings]

Should draft bpa vs positional need. Position should only come into play on picks that are too similiar to each other.

Also I don't think the whole "hope you're not gm" attack I'd useful. Everyone on these board is entitled to heir opinion and for the most part most of my own drafting picks have turned out well thanks.

First of all Yamamoto was not the best player available. Second like I said when your positions of weakness are everything but wingers you do not draft a winger and third Yamamoto has done nothing to show he/is better than Ras, Suz or Necas. Fifth is we are taking the best winger available I would take Tolvanen, Kostin or Tippett over Yamamoto.

 

[tfong]

First of all Yamamoto was not the best player available. Second like I said when your positions of weakness are everything but wingers you do not draft a winger and third Yamamoto has done nothing to show he/is better than Ras, Suz or Necas. Fifth is we are taking the best winger available I would take Tolvanen, Kostin or Tippett over Yamamoto.

I mean its fine if you don't like Yamamoto. I would still have taken him over Ras and Ras had a decent training camp too but Yamamotos was pretty damn good too.

If it was available i would've taken Necas. I feel his camp was the best of the bunch and he certainly looked great outside of needing strength.

 

[93LEAFS]

First of all Yamamoto was not the best player available. Second like I said when your positions of weakness are everything but wingers you do not draft a winger and third Yamamoto has done nothing to show he/is better than Ras, Suz or Necas. Fifth is we are taking the best winger available I would take Tolvanen, Kostin or Tippett over Yamamoto.

In all situations, you should go BPA, regardless of position. Rasmussen could also easily end up a winger in the long-run given his skill-set.

I wouldn't have taken Yamamoto over Kostin, Suzuki, Necas, or Tolvanen at the draft. I'd also add Vilardi into the winger discussion, and at the time, I would have taken him over all those guys.

 

[King In The North]

If Wings were taking anyone else it would've been Vilardi, Suzuki or Necas.

 

[Frk It]

In all situations, you should go BPA, regardless of position. Rasmussen could also easily end up a winger in the long-run given his skill-set.

I wouldn't have taken Yamamoto over Kostin, Suzuki, Necas, or Tolvanen at the draft. I'd also add Vilardi into the winger discussion, and at the time, I would have taken him over all those guys.

I don't agree with that. Things like that sound good in a vacuum, but in a vacuum only. If you are a team that has shown an ability to find wingers later in the first round, or later rounds, at some point in time you need centers with your high picks. Wingers don't have much trade value, either.

Rasmussen wasn't my preferred guy, but I do think the Wings were prioritizing taking a guy who projected as a center, and I do at least understand the thought process there. I would be surprised if Rasmussen ended up as a winger.

I would have taken Vilardi, Necas, Thomas, Suzuki over him personally. But I think at least half of those guys end up as wingers.

If Wings were taking anyone else it would've been Vilardi, Suzuki or Necas.

Rumor was they really liked Lias Andersson, FWIW. Craig Custance mentioned this.

 

[93LEAFS]

I don't agree with that. Things like that sound good in a vacuum, but in a vacuum only. If you are a team that has shown an ability to find wingers later in the first round, or later rounds, at some point in time you need centers with your high picks. Wingers don't have much trade value, either.

Rasmussen wasn't my preferred guy, but I do think the Wings were prioritizing taking a guy who projected as a center, and I do at least understand the thought process there. I would be surprised if Rasmussen ended up as a winger.

I would have taken Vilardi, Necas, Thomas, Suzuki over him personally. But I think at least half of those guys end up as wingers.



Rumor was they really liked Lias Andersson, FWIW. Craig Custance mentioned this.

I personally think it is reckless to ignore BPA. The odds of landing a good NHLer who is a long-term player for you is hard enough without adding positional restrictions. That probably led to Strome over Marner, and could have led to Zacha over Marner if the Leafs brass thought the same way. The other thing is, a ton of centers ends up moved to the wing at the NHL level. If Rasmussen's game transfers offensively, his skill set makes him a likely net-front presence in a winger role. I'd say the same risk with some of the guys you preferred over Rasmussen, also exists for him. I don't see him developing into a #1 center, and you already have a guy who looks like a solid number 2 with potential in more for Larkin.

If you are in the early stages of a rebuild, the goal should just be too accumulate the best players. Factor in positional value (studies show a center is worth 5% more than a winger with similar production), but don't reach for it.

 

[Frk It]

I personally think it is reckless to ignore BPA. The odds of landing a good NHLer who is a long-term player for you is hard enough without adding positional restrictions. That probably led to Strome over Marner, and could have led to Zacha over Marner if the Leafs brass thought the same way. The other thing is, a ton of centers ends up moved to the wing at the NHL level. If Rasmussen's game transfers offensively, his skill set makes him a likely net-front presence in a winger role. I'd say the same risk with some of the guys you preferred over Rasmussen, also exists for him. I don't see him developing into a #1 center, and you already have a guy who looks like a solid number 2 with potential in more for Larkin.

If you are in the early stages of a rebuild, the goal should just be too accumulate the best players. Factor in positional value (studies show a center is worth 5% more than a winger with similar production), but don't reach for it.

I guess what I was saying is the middle ground is probably the answer. There are no absolutes.

You don't "always go BPA", but you shouldn't just draft based on need either.

I mean a draft is going to yield more wingers overall than centers and defenseman by a decent gap. So a literal interpretation of you saying "always go BPA" would probably mean over a 10 year span you are going to have drafted a ton of wingers, and not much centers or defenseman. Ironically enough, I actually think Detroit fell victim of this to an extent, because of just this.

I also think it's very situational given the draft year and your draft slot. In some cases the gap is big with where you are drafting, with the talent level of the best winger left vs best center left. In some cases it's not a big gap.

 

[drwings40]

Rumor was they really liked Lias Andersson, FWIW. Craig Custance mentioned this.

That's interesting. I don't think a majority of the Wings board would have been happy with that selection at 9 either.

 

[Scott Malkinson]

First of all Yamamoto was not the best player available. Second like I said when your positions of weakness are everything but wingers you do not draft a winger and third Yamamoto has done nothing to show he/is better than Ras, Suz or Necas. Fifth is we are taking the best winger available I would take Tolvanen, Kostin or Tippett over Yamamoto.

If you're drafting based on need, you're in trouble.

You draft BPA and over time, you address your needs.

All of Yam, Tolvanen, Kostin, Tippett, Suzuki and Necas are better than Rasmussen.

Rasmussen is a future 4th line forward. He is David Steckel. His absolute upside is Brian Boyle.

 

[rt]

Rasmussen is a future 4th line forward. He is David Steckel. His absolute upside is Brian Boyle.

This is exactly as nutty as somebody claiming he's a sure fire, perennial 30 goal PF in a he NHL. There are about 10,000 things that have to happen before either prognostication comes true. You're just the flip side of the same coin of overly confident, utterly impossible predictions.

 

[newfy]

If you're drafting based on need, you're in trouble.

You draft BPA and over time, you address your needs.

All of Yam, Tolvanen, Kostin, Tippett, Suzuki and Necas are better than Rasmussen.

Rasmussen is a future 4th line forward. He is David Steckel. His absolute upside is Brian Boyle.

Tippett? The one dimnesional goal scoring winger who only has 7 goals this season is better? 5'6 Yamamoto at 9th overall, really? Tolvanen is having a great start to the year, but he was picked 30th overall. No one saw him doing this last year, so hindsight is 20/20. What has Kostin done to make you say hes better, same with Necas?

You literally posted a bunch of tiny guys producing well in junior but tonnes of small guys do that, or you posted guys who have done nothing to say theyre better. These guys all play across different leagues so I'm sure you havent scouted most/any of them really.

 

[Castle8130]

Tippett? The one dimnesional goal scoring winger who only has 7 goals this season is better? 5'6 Yamamoto at 9th overall, really? Tolvanen is having a great start to the year, but he was picked 30th overall. No one saw him doing this last year, so hindsight is 20/20. What has Kostin done to make you say hes better, same with Necas?

You literally posted a bunch of tiny guys producing well in junior but tonnes of small guys do that, or you posted guys who have done nothing to say theyre better. These guys all play across different leagues so I'm sure you havent scouted most/any of them really.

Rasmussen has looked great for Detroit this season, people just don't like big guys that aren't producing way over a point per game. He was a great pick and will contribute heavily to the organization. I think its really funny that he thinks lil yamamoto will be better for their organization than Rasmussen.

 

[Scott Malkinson]

Rasmussen has looked great for Detroit this season, people just don't like big guys that aren't producing way over a point per game. He was a great pick and will contribute heavily to the organization. I think its really funny that he thinks lil yamamoto will be better for their organization than Rasmussen.

The problem isn't with big guys that don't produce a ton. The problem is that Rasmussen is a big guy with almost no ability to create plays by himself. His handling of the puck is questionable and his shooting from the perimeter is below par.

There are enough flaws in his game to indicate he was a reach in the top 10.

 

[Redder Winger]

If Wings were taking anyone else it would've been Vilardi, Suzuki or Necas.

I wanted Vilardi, Necas, Liljegren and Thomas over Rasmussen.

 

[newfy]

The problem isn't with big guys that don't produce a ton. The problem is that Rasmussen is a big guy with almost no ability to create plays by himself. His handling of the puck is questionable and his shooting from the perimeter is below par.

There are enough flaws in his game to indicate he was a reach in the top 10.

So because he doesnt dangle through a whole team Datsyuk style, that means he doesnt create enough? A lot of his offense is created by his massive size wreaking havoc around the net. His puck handling and protection are fine and he doesnt have a bad shot. He just produces a tonne from down low. I think he would've been a reach in the top 10 in most drafts but with how weak his draft was, he went right where he should've. Could he have went 3-5 spots lower? Sure, but theres also no one behind him that looks like theyre tearing up to the point that they shouldve went where he did instead.

 

[Scott Malkinson]

So because he doesnt dangle through a whole team Datsyuk style, that means he doesnt create enough? A lot of his offense is created by his massive size wreaking havoc around the net. His puck handling and protection are fine and he doesnt have a bad shot. He just produces a tonne from down low. I think he would've been a reach in the top 10 in most drafts but with how weak his draft was, he went right where he should've. Could he have went 3-5 spots lower? Sure, but theres also no one behind him that looks like theyre tearing up to the point that they shouldve went where he did instead.

There are at least a dozen guys drafted between him and 30th that look like they're on a better path than he is.

Robert Thomas and Tolvanen alone are easily better forwards.

 

[newfy]

There are at least a dozen guys drafted between him and 30th that look like they're on a better path than he is.

Robert Thomas and Tolvanen alone are easily better forwards.

Yep and Tolvanen was the 30th pick. He didnt look that good last season, definitely not a top 10ish pick like Rasmussen was. Thomas definitely looks good but hes also on a Knights team that has a lot of guys producing. Theyre both the top guys on their teams producing well and both are well rounded guys. There isnt a lot to me thats screaming Thomas should've been a top 10 pick last year over Rasmussen. Could he end up better? Sure. But Rasmussen is also looking good for coming off a major injury and being hurt this year

 

[Tryamkin]

There are at least a dozen guys drafted between him and 30th that look like they're on a better path than he is.

Robert Thomas and Tolvanen alone are easily better forwards.

You really can’t say that with any certainly whatsoever. Maybe through box score watching. Tolvanen will struggle in translation to ice in the NHL, Thomas tracks as a middle six/ 2nd line center, and Rasmussen can probably translation to the NHL as soon as next year. Sometimes the safe pick is the best pick.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

I didn’t like the pick at the time, but discounting him at this point is moronic.

He’s done nothing but impress and improve since the draft. Were there better players picked after? Certainly, but Rasmussen has done all that any realistic fan could hope for to alleviate concerns about his game.

The hate this guy gets is insane. He’s certainly looked better than Tippett the past two months who no one seems to be worried about...

 

[newfy]

Wondering if any opinions on him have changed with the season hes having. Playing through a wrist injury that needed surgery to start the year hes put himself on a pace for a full season that would put him at..

55 goals and 104 points

Theres still lots of wings fans comlpaining about the pick but his production this year should have silenced that no? Anyone who has watched him play a lo have any comments to add?

 

[lawrence]

There are at least a dozen guys drafted between him and 30th that look like they're on a better path than he is.

Robert Thomas and Tolvanen alone are easily better forwards.

name em please.

 

[Dominance]

He’s really good. I don’t see how anyone could have seen him in Detroit’s camp, rookie stuff, and preseason and not been pleased with the selection. Future 1C? Maybe not - although let’s not go discounting him for no reason. But I think he’s a damn good bet to be a good 2C for a long time.

 

[Pavels Dog]

There are at least a dozen guys drafted between him and 30th that look like they're on a better path than he is.

Robert Thomas and Tolvanen alone are easily better forwards.

Lol yeah sure.

Thomas : 56 points in 35 games
Ras : 51 points in 35 games (pace)

Tolvanen looks nice in the KHL (although has slowed down), but a 5’10’’ winger vs a 6’6’’ two-way center? I’m not betting big on the scoring winger being more valuable just yet.

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

He’s really good. I don’t see how anyone could have seen him in Detroit’s camp, rookie stuff, and preseason and not been pleased with the selection. Future 1C? Maybe not - although let’s not go discounting him for no reason. But I think he’s a damn good bet to be a good 2C for a long time.

He's doing well, but he's an unbelievably boring player. He has zero flash to his game at all. Not really a big shot, not really a flashy stickhandler, not a creative playmaker, not really a physical presence, not an amazing skater. He's just there and offense happens around him, even though it seems like he has little to do with it.