Prospect Info: F Isak Rosen (14th Overall, 2021), Assigned to Rochester 12/10

[jmelm]

I pretty positive with all the sports scientists, doctors, nutritionists and others these teams employ now, they are certainly very aware of these issues and very specifically look at a given prospect's ability to put on weight.

It doesn't mean they're going to be right 100% of the time, but they're not drafting a skinny kid 13th overall and just *hoping* he'll fill out. They'll probably have 10 or 15 people having meetings specifically going over his physique, genetics and everything they can about him to try to make an intelligent determination as to whether he can put on weight over time.

If a kid has the body type that the scouts & medical/science staff thinks will likely not be able to put on weight, those are the kids that get drafted MUCH later in the draft (if drafted at all in some cases).

So I think given all of that, we can pretty confidently infer that at least the Sabres' staff believes putting on weight will not be an issue for him in the long term, even if he takes a few years to get there.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Just give him beer!

 

[Chainshot]

Just give him beer!

Arnold Schwarzenegger has entered the chat.

 

[Grinder44]

While there are no guarantees, I'm not too worried about this kid. He has strong puck skills, skating, and a scoring touch. EP has him listed at 5'11" and 163lbs, so he may take a little more time than other first-rounders. But anyone saying a teenager was a bad pick after one post-draft season might be jumping the gun a bit. Didn't we just go through this last season with Quinn? I'd be patient with this particular pick.

 

[Sabre Dance]

While there are no guarantees, I'm not too worried about this kid. He has strong puck skills, skating, and a scoring touch. EP has him listed at 5'11" and 163lbs, so he may take a little more time than other first-rounders. But anyone saying a teenager was a bad pick after one post-draft season might be jumping the gun a bit. Didn't we just go through this last season with Quinn? I'd be patient with this particular pick.

I’ve learned to never criticize a draft pick until age 23. Draft grades shouldn’t be done for 5 years IMO. Sure, evaluate and discuss the prospect as he develops but I wouldn’t call him a bust until 5 years post draft.

There is a lot of developing left for Rosak.

 

[old kummelweck]

While there are no guarantees, I'm not too worried about this kid. He has strong puck skills, skating, and a scoring touch. EP has him listed at 5'11" and 163lbs, so he may take a little more time than other first-rounders. But anyone saying a teenager was a bad pick after one post-draft season might be jumping the gun a bit. Didn't we just go through this last season with Quinn? I'd be patient with this particular pick.

Also sounds like he was in a tough situation.

That said, there is a development window the player needs to hit with the right tools, mindset, and environment. A year where things didn't go as planned is a metric. It's just not the final word on development.

 

[Team Cozens]

Definitely way too early to write him off, but you can still be upset when you look at their players taken after him and the progress they've made. Guys like Othmann, Bolduc and Johnson are having exceptional years in the CHL.

Passing on a goalie like Wallstedt or Cossa is looking to be a bad decision with each passing day.

 

[nickdawg95]

he was seen as a project player. give him a fews years to grow into his body and adapt and i think we'll have a great player.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Hated the pick then, hate the pick now. Hoping to be wrong.

 

[The Blunder Years]

I just would love to know what the strategy was taking him. I don’t have a great feel on Adams draft preferences because Quinn and Peterka
have an edge to their game while Rosen doesn’t have any. He looks to have the tools to be a lethal 1st liner though, if things come together right.

 

[joshjull]

I just would love to know what the strategy was taking him. I don’t have a great feel on Adams draft preferences because Quinn and Peterka
have an edge to their game while Rosen doesn’t have any. He looks to have the tools to be a lethal 1st liner though, if things come together right.

I think you answered your question with the last line of your post. Its a high risk/high reward skill pick.

 

[Chainshot]

While there are no guarantees, I'm not too worried about this kid. He has strong puck skills, skating, and a scoring touch. EP has him listed at 5'11" and 163lbs, so he may take a little more time than other first-rounders. But anyone saying a teenager was a bad pick after one post-draft season might be jumping the gun a bit. Didn't we just go through this last season with Quinn? I'd be patient with this particular pick.

Him getting in a full season of off-ice weight training is the way to get the meat packed on the chassis. I hope he's been able to do something during his downtime since he had his surgery but working around a flipper that can't be used is probably a different sort of puzzle to figure out. Leksands shows him at 67 kg on their website which is 148 lbs. I hope he's closer to the 163 on EP, but like a lot of players, we'll have to wait to find out. Hell, Kotalik was listed at like 150-something and came over near 215 but people were still freaking out over his pre-combine measurements.

I think you answered your question with the last line of your post. Hits risk/high reward skill pick.

He took two very big swings in his first four picks with Rosen and Kisakov, perhaps a lesser high risk pick in Poltapov who has some lower line abilities if he can't hit his offensive ceiling and then of course the easier pick of Power. So far, it seems skating is a big thing as none of their top 2 round picks under Adams are really players who struggle to get around the ice. They're all some slice of good to downright great at skating.

 

[HaNotsri]

Sabres need to take charge of his development. Sign him and loan him to a team in HA. Mora is close to Leksand so he would still be living with his family. Help him out this summer and then give him PEDs during 23/24 if he doesn't bulk up. Make him Isak Roidking

 

[Gras]

Arnold Schwarzenegger has entered the chat.

 

[elchud]

It was a bad year for the Rosen

 

[MOGlLNY]

I think Adams figured with the extra pick in maybe the weirdest draft year/class of all time due to covid, that he wanted to take a massive swing at a project player with an extra 1st that he had. We'll see if it works, we were told this pick would take some time to see how it went so willing to let it stew.

 

[sabremike]

I think Adams figured with the extra pick in maybe the weirdest draft year/class of all time due to covid, that he wanted to take a massive swing at a project player with an extra 1st that he had. We'll see if it works, we were told this pick would take some time to see how it went so willing to let it stew.

The problem is that this organization in no way has the luxury of pissing away a first round pick on a insanely high risk/high reward guy who has a very strong chance of being a complete bust.

 

[Chainshot]

The problem is that this organization in no way has the luxury of pissing away a first round pick on a insanely high risk/high reward guy who has a very strong chance of being a complete bust.

How so? They have a considerable amount of prospect talent and 9 picks in the first three rounds over this draft and next. They very much can and should take some serious cuts at high-risk/high-reward players.

Also, pump the brakes a bit on the bust talk. He's a year removed from shredding the U18's. His head didn't fall off and he didn't lose a limb. Breathe.

 

[truthbluth]

I’m not ready to call Rosen a bust, but passing on the two goalies to draft a project will look mighty suspect if they can’t land either of Portillo or Levi.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

The problem is that this organization in no way has the luxury of pissing away a first round pick on a insanely high risk/high reward guy who has a very strong chance of being a complete bust.

On the contrary, they are in a position where they need to take these shots. Looking at our forwards one of the clear deficiencies organizationally is the question of who is going to be that game breaking, top line talent. We don't need more middle 6 guys, we need top end guys, and that means taking chances on guys with high ceilings. Now defense sure, taking the safer pick is OK because we have young gamebreakers already in the system, but I think they should keep taking high ceiling forwards.

 

[The Blunder Years]

Really hoping that he figures It out so I can laugh at that one stat guy on Twitter whose “model” had Rosen as the 200th best player in the draft.

 

[Gabrielor]

Any reports on this guys season?

 

[Chainshot]

Any reports on this guys season?

Missed the end of the Allsvenskan season after breaking his hand with Mora in his third game there. He didn't get a lot of playing time with Leksands and he's still signed with them through next season. It was interesting that Mora was using him as a center.

A classic example of a skilled player who hasn't yet earned his place on an SHL roster. I think Fortin said they would've liked him to be in the Allsvenskan sooner when he did his Instigators interview too.

 

[jc17]

He's a year removed from shredding the U18's. His head didn't fall off and he didn't lose a limb. Breathe.

He produced a lot but it seemed like his production was largely from PP one timers from the VO spot if I remember correctly. I don't think he really took over games but don't remember too well

 

[HaNotsri]

Missed the end of the Allsvenskan season after breaking his hand with Mora in his third game there. He didn't get a lot of playing time with Leksands and he's still signed with them through next season. It was interesting that Mora was using him as a center.

A classic example of a skilled player who hasn't yet earned his place on an SHL roster. I think Fortin said they would've liked him to be in the Allsvenskan sooner when he did his Instigators interview too.

I think he needs to start next season in Allsvenskan. It's still a tough league, more violent than SHL