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

[Buresflyingelbow]

15th overall Vancouver drafts Ryan Chesley

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Finished second all time in goals for an NTDP defenseman by one goal (24 to 25).

 

[vildurson]

I am a fan of his game. His point production is probably mostly restricted because he is baby sitting Lane Hutson in same pairing(at least in games that I watched.). Despite that, his point production started to come at the late part of the season more.

Complete big mobile two-way defender who is solid everywhere in the ice. Should project as second pairing d-man for NHL.

 

[Eggtimer]

This kid will be a keeper . Hope like hell ( pun intended ) that my Devils get him somehow but that won’t happen with their 2nd rounder. Perhaps we trade down to the middle of the first if Jiricek and Nemec are gone . We need a RHD in a big way .
All this won’t matter in the 10th here as Devils are winning the draft lotto . Trading down from 1st to give Arizona Wright and us taking Slavkovsky

 

[Eggtimer]

This kid will be a keeper . Hope like hell ( pun intended ) that my Devils get him somehow but that won’t happen with their 2nd rounder. Too much of a reach at 5 and long long gone before our 2nd . If Jiricek and Nemec are gone , there might be a slight possibility Devils trade down , gain some assets and try for him in the mid first round ? Too risky though as it would really suck if he gets snatched up a puck or two ahead of us . RHD is a massive need

 

[ValeriKamensky]

Is Adam Pelech a fair comparison?

 

[Brodeur]

15th overall Vancouver drafts Ryan Chesley

I know he's not the Canucks GM, but Jim Rutherford had a general distaste for drafting defensemen in the first round (seemingly a policy that Carolina's owner still insists upon).

 

[DatDude44]

I am a fan of his game. His point production is probably mostly restricted because he is baby sitting Lane Hutson in same pairing(at least in games that I watched.). Despite that, his point production started to come at the late part of the season more.

Complete big mobile two-way defender who is solid everywhere in the ice. Should project as second pairing d-man for NHL.

Baby sitting Lane Hutson? Lol ok bud…..

 

[RutherPlan]

Baby sitting Lane Hutson? Lol ok bud…..

Hi Lane

 

[DatDude44]

Hi Lane

Wish I was him lol kids disgusting

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Baby sitting Lane Hutson? Lol ok bud…..

It shouldn’t be looked at as an insult. Hutson’s style of play requires playing with a defensive partner who is going to be a lot less aggressive offensively. They have to stay back and can’t activate as much. There are plenty of very good offensive defenseman that need that, and it doesn’t mean they are bad defensively. If you pair Makar with Girard, what do you expect you’ll get? Both won’t be at their best.

Is Adam Pelech a fair comparison?

No, he’s a lot more aggressive offensively. He’s good defensively, but he’s not a stay at home guy.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Is Adam Pelech a fair comparison?

No. Pelech is purely a shutdown defenseman. Chesley has better offensive instincts and a complete cannon of a shot. He's a textbook two way dman.

 

[vildurson]

It shouldn’t be looked at as an insult. Hutson’s style of play requires playing with a defensive partner who is going to be a lot less aggressive offensively. They have to stay back and can’t activate as much. There are plenty of very good offensive defenseman that need that, and it doesn’t mean they are bad defensively. If you pair Makar with Girard, what do you expect you’ll get? Both won’t be at their best.

This was my partially my point too. Biggest name that comes to my mind is Karlsson who needed good defensive d to cover his shortcomings or risks when they realized. Maybe someone like Burns as well when both guys were in their prime.

For Hutson to be at his best, he needs that defensive guy on his pairing and Hutson usually needs to be the one with puck.

It just so happens that this defensive role was the thing that Chesley has been doing and it naturally limits your points you are going to get.

 

[starsfan86]

Wouldn’t mind if Dallas took him. We need a rhd that can play offense and defense.

 

[majormajor]

What is Chesley's reasonable upside?

I really like Chesley when I watch him and would like the Jackets to get that style of player at #12, I'm just not sure if he has enough upside to merit going that high.

 

[UrbanImpact]

is Kevin Bieksa a good comparison.

I think people forget how good offensively Bieksa was as well.

 

[Eggtimer]

Few months ago I was hoping he could slip to a very early 2nd rounder … That’s not going to happen anymore unless he is on TMZ for doing something stupid plus breaks his leg in half in said act of stupidity.
I’m not saying he has character issues at all , I’m trying to be funny by saying it would take an unfortunate disaster for him to not go 1st round .
When my Devils take Slafkovsky , I want to somehow package up picks and prospects to trade up to get him . Very unlikely but he is a perfect RHD for us

 

[Captain97]

I feel like he'll be a 20-35 pick that ends up being a steal

 

[57special]

3rd ranked RHD in the draft at this point. Might not have the 3rd highest ceiling, but has a pretty high floor, with no discernible weakness. There are a lot of interesting LHD out there with great size, also, so a team picking in the 20's who just wants D, rather than a RHD, might pick one of them over him.

I hope the Wild get a chance at him in the mid 20's.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

His ceiling would be looked at a lot differently if he played the PP regularly this season and had some better puck luck.

 

[vildurson]

His ceiling would be looked at a lot differently if he played the PP regularly this season and had some better puck luck.

Yeah, now his offensive production upside is pretty much a question mark. There is upside on that area definetly, but how much?

My gut feeling is that he is gonna make something around 25-35 points regularly per season and being big minute all situtations minute muncher.

 

[57special]

Yeah, now his offensive production upside is pretty much a question mark. There is upside on that area definetly, but how much?

My gut feeling is that he is gonna make something around 25-35 points regularly per season and being big minute all situtations minute muncher.

If true, you are describing a top 15 pick. Because of some of the other very interesting D with great size, or offensive talent, and/or skating he might get lost in the shuffle in the first round, but I keep seeing the next McAvoy. You run to take that all day long. I really feel that this draft has a lot of question marks at the top, but a lot of potential in the later first, and second rounds.

 

[ponder]

If true, you are describing a top 15 pick. Because of some of the other very interesting D with great size, or offensive talent, and/or skating he might get lost in the shuffle in the first round, but I keep seeing the next McAvoy. You run to take that all day long. I really feel that this draft has a lot of question marks at the top, but a lot of potential in the later first, and second rounds.

I like Chesley in the mid-to-late 1st, but don’t see McAvoy at all, personally. McAvoy was on another level in terms of skating and ability to make things happen with the puck.

I do see the physical similarities, both average sized but strong, and they’re both 2 way dmen, but for me McAvoy is/was a lot more talented.

 

[bsu]

Ducks with Boston pick.. speaking into existence.

 

[vildurson]

If true, you are describing a top 15 pick. Because of some of the other very interesting D with great size, or offensive talent, and/or skating he might get lost in the shuffle in the first round, but I keep seeing the next McAvoy. You run to take that all day long. I really feel that this draft has a lot of question marks at the top, but a lot of potential in the later first, and second rounds.

McAvoy is his own different animal. Not really a comparable. He was always more like 30+ minimum points guy.

Even in this current draft, I think Chesley is somewhere after Mintuykov and Korchinski when I am thinking offensive upside in this draft for d-mans. Those two have better offensive upside but I am not sure if their defensive game is as complete or even as good as Chesley has.

I feel that 15-30 is most likely area where he will be picked. Probably closer to 15 due to his physical attributes.