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

[Barnaby]

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.

I keep reading about all of these LD that we have, but whose established themselves so far? Brady Skjei is a bit of a mixed bag. Hajek is a good prospect but has played 5 NHL games and had a forgettable AHL season, Miller is a great prospect but he’s got at least another year in college and probably more, Robertson is 3-4 years away if everything pans out.
I keep hearing this argument that we need to start trading prospects for other positions and that’s insane unless your getting back a guy you def like a lot better and we very seldom/never see deals like that. Let these guys play and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it bc I guarantee you all of these kids aren’t working out. You want to find out five years from now that you traded the next McAvoy or Parayko bc “we have too many prospects at that position.”

 

[apoptygma]

Can a left handed Klein be a good compareable?

 

[chosen]

This is why Gorton is a genius and AV was a moron. This stupid mentality that defenseman have to get points is idiotic. Teams that win cups keep the puck out of their net. This kid from scouting reports should have gone top 20. Gorton once again is magical. While the team is stacked on the left side. In 4-5 years my guess is Skjei will be moved for picks and he will slide right in.

GMs create teams. Coaches play the players the GM gives him.

GMs control the future. Coaches have some effect on the present. There are a few coaches who make a difference short term, but very little long term.

If there were great coaches who had long term positive effects, they would have lifetime jobs with one team. They don't.

It is far easier to judge a GM than a coach and even with GMs, luck plays a role.

 

[Kovalev27]

I’m certain we use 20th overall on this kid if we had kept the pick. That’s a Clark special that was brewing you could see it a mile away. Thrilled at where they actually took him.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

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.

The knock has always been that he doesn’t give any effort outside of the offensive zone and off the ice (the name Brendl was being mentioned with Kaliyev for a while) and his skating isn’t all that great. As the year went on scouts started to question just how much offense he really created for himself and then he apparently had an awful combine.

I’ve been going on all year about how the Rangers weren’t going to draft him solely for the effort/character concerns. So I know why people like him and wanted the Rangers to draft him, but he’s not the type of person the Rangers would go after and the red flags I think are big enough concerns to wonder if he’ll ever even play in the NHL at all.

 

[Edge]

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

When I think of Hoglander, our second is the pick that pops into mind. There's not backstory to it, just what pops into mind.

 

[offdacrossbar]

i like this pick and player. a lot. this is one of those smart picks showing much diligence and purpose.

this kid had round 1 upside. late 1st would shave been good value here i believe. in round 2 ? solid get.

hes got + wheels and a big loud shot. the thing i like about him is his looking to shoot it first. he can pass but he will shoot. thats what i like from a big strong defender. use that cannon. shoot it.

he can play defense, he can skate and he likes to shoot.

wasn't looking to go D with this pick but really happy this was the kid they got.

this pick is awarded an A from ODC

now the karl henriksson pick..... different story NOT A FAN at all...... of the player or the spot where he was chosen.

 

[Kovalev27]

Wonder if Brady Skjei is a good comparable to Robertson. Seems like it.

 

[Fitzy]

I keep reading about all of these LD that we have, but whose established themselves so far? Brady Skjei is a bit of a mixed bag. Hajek is a good prospect but has played 5 NHL games and had a forgettable AHL season, Miller is a great prospect but he’s got at least another year in college and probably more, Robertson is 3-4 years away if everything pans out.
I keep hearing this argument that we need to start trading prospects for other positions and that’s insane unless your getting back a guy you def like a lot better and we very seldom/never see deals like that. Let these guys play and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it bc I guarantee you all of these kids aren’t working out. You want to find out five years from now that you traded the next McAvoy or Parayko bc “we have too many prospects at that position.”

I think people also are pointing to Lindgren, Rykov, and Reunanen as relevant LD prospects. Between Hajek, Miller, Lindgren, Rykov, Reunanen, Robertson, and Jones, that's a lot kicks at the can. Even more long shots if you count Ragnarsson and Day.

 

[cwede]

I think people also are pointing to Lindgren, Rykov, and Reunanen as relevant LD prospects. Between Hajek, Miller, Lindgren, Rykov, Reunanen, Robertson, and Jones, that's a lot kicks at the can. Even more long shots if you count Ragnarsson and Day.

even Gross and Sjalin are still both only 19 and somewhat promising
Gross has already had a rich young career, likely plays in his 4th WJC this winter, and had a long OHL playoff run this spring

 

[JimmyG89]

Sounds like the kind of player Anton Stralman was. Never going to produce points, but he's going to make his D partner look better and will get the puck out of bad spots and into safe ones. We've gone about getting the type of D that will put up the points, we need guys who will just get the puck out and allow our forwards to create havoc.

We're beginning to have tons of depth on defense. Young, mobile defense is a huge need throughout the league. We will be able to begin dealing from this position of strength over the next few seasons.

 

[Edge]

Part of me wants to joke that we seem to compare every non-point producing defenseman to Stralman, and every center not known for speed to Stepan.

But that aside, I think Robertson not quite making bigger steps offensively is a reason why he dropped. Not that anyone was expecting monster numbers, but I think there was hope for a bit more.

As for Robertson, he was in my first for a good portion of the year:

22nd in Oct.
19th in Nov.
21st from Dec. - March
22nd in April
34th in my final June rankings

So the Rangers came away with the guy I ranked second all year, and a guy I had as high as 19th.

Henriksson did not make by top 62, but arguably would've been somewhere in the next 1o or so slots had I continued.

 

[Barnaby]

I think people also are pointing to Lindgren, Rykov, and Reunanen as relevant LD prospects. Between Hajek, Miller, Lindgren, Rykov, Reunanen, Robertson, and Jones, that's a lot kicks at the can. Even more long shots if you count Ragnarsson and Day.

It’s a deep prospect pool for sure and they obviously all won’t work out, but the last thing you want to do is trade the wrong guy before you see the package.

 

[Edge]

the last thing you want to do is trade the wrong guy before you see the package.

I had a girlfriend say that to me once.

 

[Barnaby]

I had a girlfriend say that to me once.

Touche'

 

[chosen]

I had a girlfriend say that to me once.

Ex?

 

[Mikos87]

Can a left handed Klein be a good compareable?

Similar. LH Robert Bortuzzo as a pro imo. That's the type of role he can play. A little less nasty, but a valuable PKer and bottom pair guy who does't make a lot of mistakes.

 

[Edge]

Ex?

Sitting across from me, reminding mini-people who look like us that taking a shower involves turning on the water and using soap.

 

[NYSPORTS]

I keep reading about all of these LD that we have, but whose established themselves so far? Brady Skjei is a bit of a mixed bag. Hajek is a good prospect but has played 5 NHL games and had a forgettable AHL season, Miller is a great prospect but he’s got at least another year in college and probably more, Robertson is 3-4 years away if everything pans out.
I keep hearing this argument that we need to start trading prospects for other positions and that’s insane unless your getting back a guy you def like a lot better and we very seldom/never see deals like that. Let these guys play and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it bc I guarantee you all of these kids aren’t working out. You want to find out five years from now that you traded the next McAvoy or Parayko bc “we have too many prospects at that position.”

your post preaches the patience I think we need. A rebuild doesn’t take 18 months. If the Rangers sign Panerin, Duchense and buyout a Staal, trade but keep some of Shatty’s contract we’re going to this Rangers cap turn into Vegas overnight and have a majority of these kids still not developed or ready to win.

Trade Kreider, let the bad contracts run for one more year and allow the kids to develop is likely the right thing to do.

 

[eco's bones]

I keep reading about all of these LD that we have, but whose established themselves so far? Brady Skjei is a bit of a mixed bag. Hajek is a good prospect but has played 5 NHL games and had a forgettable AHL season, Miller is a great prospect but he’s got at least another year in college and probably more, Robertson is 3-4 years away if everything pans out.
I keep hearing this argument that we need to start trading prospects for other positions and that’s insane unless your getting back a guy you def like a lot better and we very seldom/never see deals like that. Let these guys play and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it bc I guarantee you all of these kids aren’t working out. You want to find out five years from now that you traded the next McAvoy or Parayko bc “we have too many prospects at that position.”

Skjei is a good 2nd pairing D IMO--he just doesn't look nearly as good when you're playing him as a first pair. He hasn't been properly slotted since McDonagh left town. So I see him as still being part of the solution and because he's signed for 5 more years I don't think the Rangers are in any hurry to get rid of him. Miller I suspect will play one more season at Wisconsin--in 20-21 some if not all of his time will be spent patrolling our blueline in New York. Rangers brass and Wisconsin's Tony Granato at least think so--but really there's Rykov and Hajek who played very well in his 5 games and Lindgren who played pretty well in his five games and Reunanen who had an excellent year in Liiga and now Robertson and not to forget Ragnarsson and Sjalin--the Rangers are going to have a pretty good left side in couple/three years because not all of them are going to f*** up. Thinking that they're all going to become real deal NHL players is kind of pie in the sky--thinking that none of them will is just being negative. The main thing will be to move guys like Staal and Smith out of their way.

 

[Doctyl]

Too many D is not a bad problem to have. There was a over the past decade Anaheim and Carolina were just churning out defensemen and had too many while we couldn’t build a defense to save our lives when were competitive. Defense is one of our biggest problems at the moment. If Trouba, Skjei and 4 of these kids work out then we’re in great shape. None of them are locks for anything.

 

[Barnaby]

Skjei is a good 2nd pairing D IMO--he just doesn't look nearly as good when you're playing him as a first pair. He hasn't been properly slotted since McDonagh left town. So I see him as still being part of the solution and because he's signed for 5 more years I don't think the Rangers are in any hurry to get rid of him. Miller I suspect will play one more season at Wisconsin--in 20-21 some if not all of his time will be spent patrolling our blueline in New York. Rangers brass and Wisconsin's Tony Granato at least think so--but really there's Rykov and Hajek who played very well in his 5 games and Lindgren who played pretty well in his five games and Reunanen who had an excellent year in Liiga and now Robertson and not to forget Ragnarsson and Sjalin--the Rangers are going to have a pretty good left side in couple/three years because not all of them are going to **** up. Thinking that they're all going to become real deal NHL players is kind of pie in the sky--thinking that none of them will is just being negative. The main thing will be to move guys like Staal and Smith out of their way.

I’m not saying that none of them work out at all / just not ready to label sure things yet. Let’s let these guys cook a bit and see how they develop. I’m in no rush to move any of these guys unless someone knocks me over. I think we’ve seen how important that position is especially in recent years. It’s not a coincidence that the Rangers have flooded the system with a bunch of two way D who know how to skate. It’s vital to have on the roster, and these guys carry great value. Top 6 centers and defensemen are at a premium for a reason.

Not implying you, but some seem to just pencil certain guys in and assume they’ll meet expectations, but the truth is some guys greatly exceed expectations and some guys flounder. Let’s see who does what before we start shipping guys out for other guys based solely on positions.

 

[eco's bones]

I’m not saying that none of them work out at all / just not ready to label sure things yet. Let’s let these guys cook a bit and see how they develop. I’m in no rush to move any of these guys unless someone knocks me over. I think we’ve seen how important that position is especially in recent years. It’s not a coincidence that the Rangers have flooded the system with a bunch of two way D who know how to skate. It’s vital to have on the roster, and these guys carry great value. Top 6 centers and defensemen are at a premium for a reason.A

Not implying you, but some seem to just pencil certain guys in and assume they’ll meet expectations, but the truth is some guys greatly exceed expectations and some guys flounder. Let’s see who does what before we start shipping guys out for other guys based solely on positions.

Part of the issue (and the opening for at least one of Rykov, Hajek or Lindgren this year) is the ability of Staal and Smith to cut it. I actually think that Staal is going to last another year but Smith is really on the verge of being replaced. However much faith anyone has in these younger D the sad fact is Smith (while capable of playing well enough for a stretch here and a stretch there) is pretty much at the end of the line when his coach is more inclined to either scratch him or play him as a 4th line wing. So I expect at least one of those younger D to pretty much take over but who knows maybe two or all three of them will get a chance to prove himself. As far as holding on to players or not though they'll have to have enough ice time. All four of Rykov, Hajek, Lindgren and Reunanen need to play and not in the ECHL--that also argues for at least one of them in the NHL at any given time......and on the other end of that are guys like Crawley and Day. If neither really steps up this year we should move on from them.

Of all the LD prospects it's Miller I'm most excited about. The size and the skating and he was close to point a game offense as a freshman. He is a great skater with the ability to recover if he makes a mistake. He's a physical specimen who is aggressive but might need to turn that up a notch. The buzz has been that he's really close so another season at Wisconsin--another trip to the WJC's--maybe or maybe not some seasoning in Hartford. I think he's the real deal.

 

[offdacrossbar]

Part of the issue (and the opening for at least one of Rykov, Hajek or Lindgren this year) is the ability of Staal and Smith to cut it. I actually think that Staal is going to last another year but Smith is really on the verge of being replaced. However much faith anyone has in these younger D the sad fact is Smith (while capable of playing well enough for a stretch here and a stretch there) is pretty much at the end of the line when his coach is more inclined to either scratch him or play him as a 4th line wing. So I expect at least one of those younger D to pretty much take over but who knows maybe two or all three of them will get a chance to prove himself. As far as holding on to players or not though they'll have to have enough ice time. All four of Rykov, Hajek, Lindgren and Reunanen need to play and not in the ECHL--that also argues for at least one of them in the NHL at any given time......and on the other end of that are guys like Crawley and Day. If neither really steps up this year we should move on from them.

Of all the LD prospects it's Miller I'm most excited about. The size and the skating and he was close to point a game offense as a freshman. He is a great skater with the ability to recover if he makes a mistake. He's a physical specimen who is aggressive but might need to turn that up a notch. The buzz has been that he's really close so another season at Wisconsin--another trip to the WJC's--maybe or maybe not some seasoning in Hartford. I think he's the real deal.

during the draft they interviewed granato and he was glowing over k'andre miller he said he's an nhl player. i think millers badger career is done after this season

his attitude is terrific.
hes got great size.
kid can flat out skate

i might be wrong but I've got him penciled in as a top 4 guy on this team for the next 10 years.

 

[eco's bones]

during the draft they interviewed granato and he was glowing over k'andre miller he said he's an nhl player. i think millers badger career is done after this season

his attitude is terrific.
hes got great size.
kid can flat out skate

i might be wrong but I've got him penciled in as a top 4 guy on this team for the next 10 years.

I do look at Skjei as a legit top 4--not a top pairing but Miller IMO has a bit higher upside than Skjei. I can see him as a top pairing D--not necessarily though a #1D--which is about what Trouba is. I think Miller's floor is second pairing D. The skating, size and athleticism are there in both players--they might just be a little better with Miller who OTOH is on the rawer side but K'Andre also has a better offensive game.