Prospect Info: Rangers Prospects Poll: #27

[Beacon]

Daniel Walcott won the #26 spot and D Tyler Nanne is added to the poll.

Please write who you want added to the poll, and give a reason for it. This makes the discussion here more lively.


THE RULES

WHO IS A PROSPECT: http://www.hockeysfuture.com/whatmakesaprospect

HOW TO RANK PROSPECTS: Based on their value in a hypothetical trade or waiver draft. This takes into consideration a prospect's ceiling, how close he's to making it, his health, work ethic, the whole deal. Imagine there was a prospect waiver draft and you could keep only one prospect. That guy is our #1 prospect. Then imagine we had one more waiver protection. That guy is our #2 prospect.


TOP PROSPECTS

1. C J.T. Miller
2. D Brady Skjei
3. LW Anthony Duclair
4. D Dylan McIlrath
5. RW Jesper Fast
6. LW Pavel Buchnevich
7. C Oscar Lindberg
8. D Conor Allen
9. RW Danny Kristo
10. RW Ryan Haggerty


SECOND TIER

11. G Brandon Halverson
12. C Adam Tambellini
13. LW Marek Hrivik
14. C Boo Nieves
15. D Ryan Graves
16. LW Ryan Bourque
17. D Petr Zamorsky
18. C Keegan Iverson
19. D Mat Bodie
20. G Igor Shestyorkin


PROJECTS & SUSPECTS

21. C Michael St. Croix
22. RW Richard Nejezchleb
23. G Mackenzie Skapski
24. D Calle Andersson
25. LW Chris McCarthy
26. D Daniel Walcott


Daniel Walcott

Defense -- shoots L
Born Feb 19 1994 --*Ile Perrot, PQ
Height 5.11 -- Weight 168

2013-14 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada QMJHL 67GP 10-29-39 71PIM

PROSPECTS ELIGIBLE TO BE ADDED

Donnay, Troy
Kantor, Michael
Missiaen, Jason
Nicholls, Josh

Click to read more...

 

[Beacon]

Hughes again. Holy crap, the kid is a proven AHLer with Sauer potential, and gets zero love.

Add Kantor. He has a real chance to be an NHL spark plug, while the rest of the list will likely spend their careers in the ECHL.

 

[Beacon]

Why do we hate defensive defensemen? Hughes isn't on the list; Mantha was drafted in the fourth round and is ranked below both 5th rounders; Noreau made huge progress since being drafted in the 5th round, yet goes below two 5th rounders this year.

No stars, no ranks?

Somehow big forwards are valued more than big defensemen, even though the latter are far more likely to make it.

 

[dumpin]

Noreau add Donnay both progressing.. gotta love size on the blue line

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Mantha, add Donnay.

To date I haven't seen the Sauer-like upside you describe in Hughes, Beacon, otherwise I'd've voted for him long since. He certainly held his own last year, but I didn't see anything particularly special like I did from Allen. Hopefully it was just due to him getting acclimated and we'll (I'll) see more difference-making play this year.

 

[Beacon]

Ok, maybe not exactly Sauer, but Sauer-lite. He has the potential to do on the third pair what Sauer did on the second.

 

[Zil]

Are we going past 30 this year? Why are people still getting added to the poll?

Edit: Mantha, add Donnay.

 

[Net Front Presence]

Mantha. Add Nicholls.

 

[Beacon]

Are we going past 30 this year? Why are people still getting added to the poll?

We always add people to the very end. After the top 30, the rest will be Honorable Mentions, listed in the same order in which they were added.

 

[nyr2k2]

Hughes, Donnay.

 

[eco's bones]

Hughes. Kantor.

 

[NYR Viper]

Mantha

Add Donnay

What's crazy is Kantor still hasn't been added and he played a solid physical game in the AHL before he was hurt. Not going to be a scorer but he could make it as a grinder who will drop the gloves. He skates well.

 

[mti79]

Mantha. Add Nicholls. I think he will play a bigger part in Hartford this year than anyone is expecting.

 

[vipernsx]

Hughes add Missiaen

 

[bernmeister]

Noreau add Donnay both progressing.. gotta love size on the blue line

Ditto^.

 

[darko]

Mantha. Add Nicholls.

 

[nyr2k2]

Hughes had a good, if unremarkable, season in the AHL. He's on par with Noreau (he actually skates better). What's the appeal in Mantha? How many big, slow, offense-first defenseman do you see in the pros?

 

[Joey Bones]

Hughes add Donnay

 

[Raspewtin]

Hughes had a good, if unremarkable, season in the AHL. He's on par with Noreau (he actually skates better). What's the appeal in Mantha? How many big, slow, offense-first defenseman do you see in the pros?

Cody Franson?

 

[n8]

add Josh Nicholls for the love of God

 

[Nyrvana]

Hughes had a good, if unremarkable, season in the AHL. He's on par with Noreau (he actually skates better). What's the appeal in Mantha? How many big, slow, offense-first defenseman do you see in the pros?

I don't know what reports you have been reading? I think you'll want that statement back in a couple of years.

Mantha is a good skater for his size, has excellent defensive instincts and is a defensive first forward, was a former forward but had to convert because he grew so much.

A couple of things that make him intriguing. He's got good bloodlines, he is defensively smart (which can make up for other problems,) he doesn't know how to use his size yet but hopefully will learn.

The weird: he signed with UND, which would have been great for him, but there were 8 D returning and he didn't want to sit. I recently read that he was not considered a recruit anymore because he was an "academic casualty." That's not a good sign, but I guess he was going to the OHL anyway.

 

[nyr2k2]

I don't know what reports you have been reading? I think you'll want that statement back in a couple of years.

Mantha is a good skater for his size, has excellent defensive instincts and is a defensive first forward, was a former forward but had to convert because he grew so much.

A couple of things that make him intriguing. He's got good bloodlines, he is defensively smart (which can make up for other problems,) he doesn't know how to use his size yet but hopefully will learn.

The weird: he signed with UND, which would have been great for him, but there were 8 D returning and he didn't want to sit. I recently read that he was not considered a recruit anymore because he was an "academic casualty." That's not a good sign, but I guess he was going to the OHL anyway.

I read this report from Leslie:

Mantha is big and can move the puck, which are his greatest on ice virtues. The problem for him has been defensive play, as he is frequently beaten due to lack of foot speed and poor positioning. Mantha is raw and will need quite a few years to develop, however, because he was drafted out of the USHL, the Rangers could wait up to four years before making up their mind to sign Mantha to a contract. Uncommitted to any college, it appears that Mantha will choose major junior hockey instead. Last month, his rights were traded by the OHL Soo Greyhounds to the Niagara IceDogs.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/111019/2014-nhl-draft-new-york-rangers-draft-review/

And this one:

Mantha has good bloodlines and impressive size. Handles the puck well and makes a strong breakout pass. Uses his reach and strength to defend. He needs to work on his transition and overall mobility as well as improve his physical play as he comes off as somewhat soft.

http://www.chatsports.com/new-york-...n-Mantha-With-The-104thOverallPick-2-10028398

So I don't know, those reports are pretty contradictory to what you're describing him as. I haven't seen him, so I have no idea what to make of him other than what I've read. He sounds like a big guy who doesn't play the body and is not exactly fleet of foot.

That's all fine, he's a project, I get that, but why is he a better prospect than a guy like Hughes? Hughes is also a defense-first defenseman, has good size (and actually uses it), is pretty smart defensively and is coming off a good debut campaign in the AHL. He sounds a lot like what we'd hope Mantha will become, except he's considerably further along.

 

[Nyrvana]

I read this report from Leslie:



http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/111019/2014-nhl-draft-new-york-rangers-draft-review/

And this one:



http://www.chatsports.com/new-york-...n-Mantha-With-The-104thOverallPick-2-10028398

So I don't know, those reports are pretty contradictory to what you're describing him as. I haven't seen him, so I have no idea what to make of him other than what I've read. He sounds like a big guy who doesn't play the body and is not exactly fleet of foot.

That's all fine, he's a project, I get that, but why is he a better prospect than a guy like Hughes? Hughes is also a defense-first defenseman, has good size (and actually uses it), is pretty smart defensively and is coming off a good debut campaign in the AHL. He sounds a lot like what we'd hope Mantha will become, except he's considerably further along.

His skating isn't really his issue. It's learning how to use his body and filling out. Which makes sense since he hasn't been playing defense for that long.

In the NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings of 2014 draft-eligible prospects, Mantha checked in as a ‘B’ skater – the CSS uses A, B and C grades for the players they deem as potential picks next summer.

http://mihockeynow.com/2013/09/mantha-turning-heads-for-more-than-just-his-6-foot-5-frame/

Mantha is ranked 206th by Future Considerations and they say:

“a big, mobile defenseman that has impressive size but has an issue using it.”
“doesn’t show enough willingness game in and game out and doesn’t play the toughest brand of defense and it costs him when he doesn’t put a body on a player.”
“Relies on his reach and stick to make plays, effective PKer and doesn’t leave his position but would be better with a more consistent physical game.”
Makes a great first pass and has a strong, quick, accurate shot.
His NHL potential could be a top-four, two-way defenseman.

Describe your game, “I am a steady-eddie D-Man, I don’t try to be flashy, I like to make the first pass and be physical when I can. I am a big body and have a good shot and like to pass the puck to the forwards and let them do all the scoring.”

http://snyrangersblog.com/prospects/ryan-mantha/news-rangers-select-ryan-mantha/

As far as Mantha vs Hughes. My opinion is that Mantha has a much higher ceiling, although a harder path obviously. Hughes isn't what we hope Mantha will become. Hughes is 6'2 215. Mantha is 6'4 225 right now. Hopefully he can get to 240 over the years. He's an intriguing prospect whereas Hughes we kind of know what we are getting from him at this point.

 

[nyr2k2]

His skating isn't really his issue. It's learning how to use his body and filling out. Which makes sense since he hasn't been playing defense for that long.



http://mihockeynow.com/2013/09/mantha-turning-heads-for-more-than-just-his-6-foot-5-frame/



http://snyrangersblog.com/prospects/ryan-mantha/news-rangers-select-ryan-mantha/

As far as Mantha vs Hughes. My opinion is that Mantha has a much higher ceiling, although a harder path obviously. Hughes isn't what we hope Mantha will become. Hughes is 6'2 215. Mantha is 6'4 225 right now. Hopefully he can get to 240 over the years. He's an intriguing prospect whereas Hughes we kind of know what we are getting from him at this point.

Well, IDK. I've now seen a number of scouting reports that contradict each other regarding his skating ability and defensive awareness. I don't know which is accurate. Time will tell I guess.