RD Ryan Chesley - USNTDP, USHL (2022, 37th, WSH)

[NotProkofievian]

This is insane for a 17 year old. This guy is an absolute truck.

That's an insane amount of weight, how modified are we talking?

 

[AMScouting]

Shifts of Ryan Chesley:

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Went through a few of his games.

His play has been a little sloppy. I can see some criticisms. He can make some errors with the puck, whether it's a lazy icing or taking his eyes off the puck and letting it slip past him. These are concentration issues/lazy fundamentals. I'm not sure either that he's become any more consistent. Probably the same level of consistency that he showed last year, which isn't bad, but you'd like to see a young defender get better from year to year. He's a good defender, but he's a gambler. He still needs to learn to pick his spots when to join the rush, when to step up in the NZ to deny entries, and when hits make sense and when they don't.

May also need to work on his shot accuracy. Some of his lack of goals is bad puck luck, but with some better placement he'd have more goals, as well. Saying that, I think the overall offensive numbers are a complete anomaly. They will normalize at some point.

Despite the criticisms, I back his set of skills more than any player on his team other than potentially Stramel, who hasn't even played yet this season. I don't see how Chesley doesn't play top 4 in the NHL. He physically belongs in the league right now, I can't see him being much worse than like an average player against the puck, he's a brilliant skater, he can make plays with the puck, and has a big shot that he uses.

 

[Nabrules]

Been scoring a lot more recently

 

[NHL Dude 120]

I'm hoping Ottawa can snag him or luca del bel belluz. Or even better find a way to get all three.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

1G+1A today. Scorers also stole an assist from him on the Spicer goal, but thats been all season and people instead claim not enough offense.

 

[Hughes Hefner]

Lots of tools question thre toolbox

 

[Scintillating10]

I'm hoping Ottawa can snag him or luca del bel belluz. Or even better find a way to get all three.

Who's the third one?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

 

[AmericanDream]

He has been my #1 dman for this group all year. Never understood why some were down on him based off of production. Just watching the kid you can see a potential two way horse out there. Skating, positioning, passing, vision, shot are all at a high level... I am not going to pretend I followed all the defensive prospects out of Europe, etc - but Jiricek and Nemec are ranked ahead of this kid, and if that is true, holy shit are those two going to be amazing.

 

[57special]

He has been my #1 dman for this group all year. Never understood why some were down on him based off of production. Just watching the kid you can see a potential two way horse out there. Skating, positioning, passing, vision, shot are all at a high level... I am not going to pretend I followed all the defensive prospects out of Europe, etc - but Jiricek and Nemec are ranked ahead of this kid, and if that is true, holy shit are those two going to be amazing.

I like(don't love) Chesley, but the other two are really, really good. There are also quite a few Canadian D that look good, and Rinzel is a risky, but intriguing guy at 6'4" and vg+ wheels.

 

[AmericanDream]

I like(don't love) Chesley, but the other two are really, really good. There are also quite a few Canadian D that look good, and Rinzel is a risky, but intriguing guy at 6'4" and vg+ wheels.

Chesley reminds me some of a player from your neck of the woods.

A right handed Ryan McDonagh...

 

[Gstank]

Chesley is my #3 Dman behind Jiricek and Nemec. I hope Vancouver drafts him, at the very least he is going to be a servicable Dman who has top 4 upside

 

[57special]

Chesley reminds me some of a player from your neck of the woods.

A right handed Ryan McDonagh...

There have been some comparisons to MacAvoy.

 

[zcaptain]

I get McAvoy vibes from him????

 

[AmericanDream]

There have been some comparisons to MacAvoy.

I can see that too...and you only "like" him?? lol...I kid...

 

[57special]

I can see that too...and you only "like" him?? lol...I kid...

I just know i have been wrong so many times on prospects, and MacAvoy is a guy who way outdid his projections. I also love Nemec and Jiricek as RHD who definitely should be taken before him. Rinzel is more of a project, but is another RHD that is very interesting. He lives about 5 mi. from me, and his trainer(former NHL'er) was telling me he was going to be a 1st rounder back then before anyone knew who he was.

 

[AmericanDream]

I just know i have been wrong so many times on prospects, and MacAvoy is a guy who way outdid his projections. I also love Nemec and Jiricek as RHD who definitely should be taken before him. Rinzel is more of a project, but is another RHD that is very interesting. He lives about 5 mi. from me, and his trainer(former NHL'er) was telling me he was going to be a 1st rounder back then before anyone knew who he was.

I want to like Rinzel, but like you said been burnt by so many Minny HS kids over the years...I just hope for the best with them. He is intriguing for sure..

 

[Juxtaposer]

I definitely see the pre-draft McAvoy comparison. But McAvoy took two more giant steps after he was drafted that led to him being a top-5 D in the league. No guarantee that Chesley takes those steps.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I think his floor is like a Trouba. Ceiling is like a McAvoy.

That may sound high, but I probably rate Chesley higher than almost everyone. I think he’s the second safest player in this draft after Wright.

 

[Kcoyote3]

I like him for sure. He's physical, closes gaps really well, good stickwork. Fast, good shot. First pass is fine. I think he doesn't have the best hands, and also someone like Jiricek just has such good vision and polish defensively that I would be hard to say that Chesley is on his level. I think Chesley makes the NHL way more often than he busts, but he lacks dynamism to make him a top pairing defenseman. Jiricek has that. Nemec just is doing it regardless of where you think his actual skill level is.

Don't get me wrong, I like Chesley a lot. I think he'll make a fantastic second half of the first round draft choice, but taking him top 10 worries me that a team will be looking for something that isn't there.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I like him for sure. He's physical, closes gaps really well, good stickwork. Fast, good shot. First pass is fine. I think he doesn't have the best hands, and also someone like Jiricek just has such good vision and polish defensively that I would be hard to say that Chesley is on his level. I think Chesley makes the NHL way more often than he busts, but he lacks dynamism to make him a top pairing defenseman. Jiricek has that. Nemec just is doing it regardless of where you think his actual skill level is.

Don't get me wrong, I like Chesley a lot. I think he'll make a fantastic second half of the first round draft choice, but taking him top 10 worries me that a team will be looking for something that isn't there.

I see what you are trying to get at, but I disagree. There are plenty of top pair defensemen that don’t have better than NHL average hands. I watched Ryan McDonagh for so long on the PP for the Rangers, and he’d fumble so many pucks at the blue line. Now with Trouba on my team I see the same things, although he doesn’t get the same amount of PP time. He fumbles plenty of pucks though that the top-end puck handling defensemen don’t do with any regularity. The difference between throwing a difficult pass along the boards to Fox and Trouba has a vastly different rate of keeping the puck in the zone.

Maybe I’m wrong because I don’t see them every game and know their games to a completely precise degree, but when I watch players like McAvoy, Seider, Pietrangelo, I see these same types of things.

I think on the offensive side of the game Chesley has some strengths that will translate to the NHL. He has a big shot, he shoots a lot for a defenseman, and he puts himself in good scoring positions for a defenseman. His offensive aggressiveness puts him in positions to pick up goals or assists that pure stay at home defensemen don’t show with any regularity. He needs to work on his shot accuracy for sure. His passing ability is good enough though for 25 assists per season in the NHL. He also shows good hockey sense and offensive instincts while his team is in possession with the puck. On a team with an elite PP QB he’s not going to be the guy QB’ing the PP, but he has at least PP2 upside and potentially could also play the half-wall for the one-timer.

 

[Oak]

I definitely see the pre-draft McAvoy comparison. But McAvoy took two more giant steps after he was drafted that led to him being a top-5 D in the league. No guarantee that Chesley takes those steps.

McAvoy top 5 D in the nhl?
Listen I like McAvoy he's a hometown kid but that is a bit ridiculous. He might make top 10 discussions but even that would require arguing.

 

[Oak]

Reliable defensive defenseman who also has some offensive potential. He has very good size already at 6'1, he skates well, can move the puck, and has some offense in his game. His offense isn't high-end, but its not a liability.

Ryan Chesley at eliteprospects.com

Nice watching this thread play out. Few years ago he was considered a defensive dman. I'll be honest I haven't paid much attention to him until recently but it's nice to see him breaking out the offense. Solid player.

I wonder if he was held back by coaches as a youth player and thats why he used to be considered that way.

 

[arider1990]

McAvoy top 5 D in the nhl?
Listen I like McAvoy he's a hometown kid but that is a bit ridiculous. He might make top 10 discussions but even that would require arguing.

Maybe you should watch him and you would know that he is a top 5 D in the NHL.