Prospect Info: Matthew Robertson, LD, 2nd round, 49th overall, 2019

[Off Sides]

I like this pick, from the little bits and pieces I saw prior to the draft he seemed like a pretty solid defender.

 

[Ghost of jas]

Here’s my question, who’s upside is higher, Roberston or Hajek?

 

[Lion Hound]

Here’s my question, who’s upside is higher, Roberston or Hajek?

Good question...So much going on I completely forgot about Hajek.

 

[Ori]

Hajek has a huge upside - we barely saw a little of it last season in the few games he played @Lion Hound

 

[Luger]

I think there will be a gap there.

These kids will turn pro 2-3 years down the line.

That puts our current 21/22 year old kids at 23-24 years of age and beyond their ELCs.

Assuming some of them are still with the organization, which they all won’t be, I think the Rangers will have a pretty good idea of what they have.

If they don’t, there a bigger problem and it won’t matter who we have coming up through the system.

You don't draft for positional need because you do not know what the need will be. A year and 2 days ago, ADA was an afterthought, Lundkvist and Keane were not yet drafted, and Fox and Trouba were impossible pipe dreams. RHD was a major problem. Now the biggest RHD problem is a logjam. The team's real need is talent. It's a lot easier to get Zibanejad for prime Brassard than anything from or for McIlrath.

 

[Edge]

You don't draft for positional need because you do not know what the need will be. A year and 2 days ago, ADA was an afterthought, Lundkvist and Keane were not yet drafted, and Fox and Trouba were impossible pipe dreams. RHD was a major problem. Now the biggest RHD problem is a logjam. The team's real need is talent. It's a lot easier to get Zibanejad for prime Brassard than anything from or for McIlrath.

I 100 percent agree.

 

[tradenashnow]

McQuaid has no offensively ability. He was one of two defenseman that was a plus on the bumbling D corps. He was also instrumental in getting Skjei's head out of his azzzzzzzzzz. If DeAngelo can be a 50 point guy who is good defensively, he will be considered a star in the league. Most offensive defenseman are not great defensively. The few that are get paid 8 to 10 million a season. If Robertson is a 15 point D man who can clear the crease, physically punish forwards and keep the puck out of our net for a decade, I will be ecstatic.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

McQuaid has no offensively ability. He was one of two defenseman that was a plus on the bumbling D corps. He was also instrumental in getting Skjei's head out of his azzzzzzzzzz. If DeAngelo can be a 50 point guy who is good defensively, he will be considered a star in the league. Most offensive defenseman are not great defensively. The few that are get paid 8 to 10 million a season. If Robertson is a 15 point D man who can clear the crease, physically punish forwards and keep the puck out of our net for a decade, I will be ecstatic.

And then you looked at the calendar and it wasn't 1995 anymore.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

You don't draft for positional need because you do not know what the need will be. A year and 2 days ago, ADA was an afterthought, Lundkvist and Keane were not yet drafted, and Fox and Trouba were impossible pipe dreams. RHD was a major problem. Now the biggest RHD problem is a logjam. The team's real need is talent. It's a lot easier to get Zibanejad for prime Brassard than anything from or for McIlrath.

I 100 percent agree.

For the record, I 100% agree with this philosophy.

I’m just saying I think the 2019-2020 season is the time to start looking at cashing in some of those chips we’ve acquired on LD for positions elsewhere and/or as components of larger deals.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I 100 percent agree.

Do you think Gorton is going BPA or he values defensemen so much and is, therefore, attaching more value to them?

 

[tradenashnow]

And then you looked at the calendar and it wasn't 1995 anymore.

Dude, you just don't get it. Like I tried to tell you before. Do some research and try not being lazy. Look at the defenseman corps of the last 4 cup winners. Pitt twice, Washington and St. Louis. You will be amazed at how many of the defenseman don't generate offense. The top point producer on defense for the Blues had 41 points in the regular season. The bottom 3 had had 38 points combined all season.

Orpik who played a huge role in the Caps cup win had 0 goals, 10 assists. They also had another defenseman Kempny who played 24 playoff games and has ZERO puck moving skills. Their second highest defenseman point total was 31 by Orlov who isn't even a good offensive defenseman.

On the Penguins 3rd cup team, their offensive production from any defenseman not named Schultz was beyond pathetic. Non existent. The year before that on their second cup team with Crosby, their second highest point total from a defenseman was 19

Like I said, do some research before making idiotic comments.

 

[Edge]

Do you think Gorton is going BPA or he values defensemen so much and is, therefore, attaching more value to them?

From what I’ve been told, there’s specific skill sets they value and they wanted guys who are a blend of offensive talent and guys that can support the play. Looking at this draft class would see to support that.

Looking at the top half of the draft - Kakko, Henriksson and Jones are the offensive talent. Robertson and Hunter are the support.

I think it’s a promising mix.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Dude, you just don't get it. Like I tried to tell you before. Do some research and try not being lazy. Look at the defenseman corps of the last 4 cup winners. Pitt twice, Washington and St. Louis. You will be amazed at how many of the defenseman don't generate offense. The top point producer on defense for the Blues had 41 points in the regular season. The bottom 3 had had 38 points combined all season.

Orpik who played a huge role in the Caps cup win had 0 goals, 10 assists. They also had another defenseman Kempny who played 24 playoff games and has ZERO puck moving skills. Their second highest defenseman point total was 31 by Orlov who isn't even a good offensive defenseman.

On the Penguins 3rd cup team, their offensive production from any defenseman not named Schultz was beyond pathetic. Non existent. The year before that on their second cup team with Crosby, their second highest point total from a defenseman was 19

Like I said, do some research before making idiotic comments.

Because it's hard to find good offensive defensemen. Also, you need a mix of both, but you're on an anti-offensive defensemen crusade. Who were all of these offensive defensemen that AV was playing more than he should?

 

[Edge]

One of the more overlooked aspects of a good defenseman is the ability to get the puck, and either get it out of the defensive end, or to a guy who can create some magic with it.

We heard that as something the Rangers were really zeroing in on this draft. That was reflected in some of the names they spent time with during the combine - Johnson, McCarthy, Donovan, etc. I also think you see that with names like Robertson and Hunter. It’s not so much about whether they get a point or not on the play, so much as whether they make good plays that allow you to get a point.

 

[tradenashnow]

From what I’ve been told, there’s specific skill sets they value and they wanted guys who are a blend of offensive talent and guys that can support the play. Looking at this draft class would see to support that.

Looking at the top half of the draft - Kakko, Henriksson and Jones are the offensive talent. Robertson and Hunter are the support.

I think it’s a promising mix.

Exactly Edge. You need guys on your defenseman core to clear the crease and keep the puck out the net. Snowblind is truly blind. He thinks like AV who put no value into stay at home defenseman. Thus why our team defense got worse and worse as it moved away from Torts system. While Torts was not offensively creative, he understood how to have his team keep the puck out of his net.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I never said don't need defensive defensemen, you're the one that said we don't need offensive defensemen. But oh I forgot the boogeyman put me on block.

 

[kovazub94]

Totally. Also, makes it MUCH easier to include a Hajek/Rykov/Reunanen/Själin in a big deal when you’ve got another wave coming behind them.

Only concern is if you acquire SO many of them you start having teams trying to get ‘em for $0.80 on the dollar because they know you’ve got RFAs getting ready to flee back to Europe because there’s no room. Not there yet, but IMO it would behoove the team to now start thinking about deals where one of the older prospects are part of the value going the other way and/or are moving for forward prospects of a like status.

I think your 80% value comment is more about of a perception than than reality. What I mean is first, it’s easier to do a trade if you have positional depth. Second, our evaluations as fans often are not as on point compared to team’s internal evaluations.

Here’s a kind of a hot take (probably, not really): if right now quite a few of us would be ok if Skjei is traded, I’m going to go on a limb and say that in a year from now even more in this group will be begging Gorton to make a deal ASAP or in near future, if it haven’t happened by then already.

 

[kovazub94]

You don't draft for positional need because you do not know what the need will be. A year and 2 days ago, ADA was an afterthought, Lundkvist and Keane were not yet drafted, and Fox and Trouba were impossible pipe dreams. RHD was a major problem. Now the biggest RHD problem is a logjam. The team's real need is talent. It's a lot easier to get Zibanejad for prime Brassard than anything from or for McIlrath.

Completely agree with the general observation and example, but just wanted to mention that the Rangers are far from dealing with a “logjam” at RD. But it’s for sure not an organizational weakness either.

 

[AKA Chief]

I would love to know how much the Rangers draft would’ve changed if we still had the late 1st. Would we be looking at Robertson anyway or Kaliyev or someone else?

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I would love to know how much the Rangers draft would’ve changed if we still had the late 1st. Would we be looking at Robertson anyway or Kaliyev or someone else?

Definitely not Kaliyev

 

[kovazub94]

I would love to know how much the Rangers draft would’ve changed if we still had the late 1st. Would we be looking at Robertson anyway or Kaliyev or someone else?

I’d put my money on that the Rangers would make him their picked there any way

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I would love to know how much the Rangers draft would’ve changed if we still had the late 1st. Would we be looking at Robertson anyway or Kaliyev or someone else?

Hoglander.

 

[Matt Rentfree]

I would love to know how much the Rangers draft would’ve changed if we still had the late 1st. Would we be looking at Robertson anyway or Kaliyev or someone else?

Depends - maybe that pick gets moved with 20 to pick Newhook/Krebs, maybe they draft a forward or offensive D at 20 in which case they probably make the same pick at 49, or maybe they draft someone like Bjornfot and pick differently at 49 - impossible to tell unless you can actually get your hands on their draft list.

 

[Pizza]

Definitely not Kaliyev

Ok, I've seen enough of this that I have to ask....

What is the story here?

What is the problem with this kid?

I've heard that there is talent but there seems to be some inside baseball as well.

Just curious if someone would care to enlighten me.

 

[Calad]

Hoglander.

Hearing about his combine and all that stuff I think Hoglander was definitely a player of interest to them