Actually Rodrigo's not ''as Latvian as it gets'', it's only popular because some Latvians with this name have become popular and consequently parents named their kids after the likes of Rodrigo Fomins (rock musician) or Rodrigo LaviņÅ¡ (Dinamo Rīga defenseman and NT player). It's a foreign name, definitely not Latvian and I suppose Rodrigo Ābols got his name also because his father, the head coach of Dinamo Rīga at the moment Artis Ābols played together with Rodrigo LaviņÅ¡ and thought it's a cool name... I guess
Latvians tend to like this name very much but it's not Latvian and there are actually few Rodrigo's around. I don't personally know anyone called like that but in their youth both Rodrigo Fomins (and even now) and Rodrigo LaviņÅ¡ were idols for young women (due to good looks
) so no wonder there are kids named Rodrigo now...
As for Latvians, I believe at the moment only Egle can be considered as a draft candidate. Others simply do not play in the leagues they draft you out of, of course there are still next season but if BuÅ¡s and Zembergs are ''nothing special'' in EmJHL and Vasiļonoks in Austria (even if his club plays in Czech U20 tournament) then I don't see anything there. Ābols? If he goes to CHL or MHL next year. But maybe that can be said about others too. In order to be drafted, you need to play in leagues from which they actually draft players. Czech U20 with zero stats, EmJHL, Latvian league are not those...
Then again 2014 would also have Rihards Bukarts, so maybe 2 players could be drafted.