RW Rocco Grimaldi (2011, 33rd overall, Florida)

[Hasbro]

Why would that turn teams off? Isn't it one of the top 3 or 5 NCAA programs for developing hockey players?

Some guys just arbitrarily hate the college route.

 

[R S]

no he is talking about a volkswagon

Clearly that has now been established...

 

[Tigers1992]

I believed when he played minor midget Michigan wasnt his permanent address so he wasn't eligible for the OHL Draft.

Exactly. He was actually eligible for the first two months, but then taken off the list after it was discovered that he was not legally a resident of the OHL territory.

 

[FytinSioux]

dangit, and here i was hoping for the winnebago. poor choice rocco, poor choice. nothin says "i'm a badass motha, that don't take no crap off of nobody" more than a winnebago.

 

[Jabba11]

Go see it for yourselves...it's a pictur of him and his new VW. Calm down guys.

 

[headsigh]

Should have gone with an Audi.

 

[Hardyvan123]

Portland looks really good. I think Johansen will be in the NHL next season, though.

Portland does look really good and with either or both these guys even better. As for Johansen, Columbus all of a sudden has a logjam at center and getting less than 8 minutes a night won't help his progress long term.

He might be better served played 20 quality minutes a night in a winning environment but it is the jackets they might find a way to screw him up.

 

[member 30781]

According to his Twitter account it looks as if he is signing a contract in the next few hours.

 

[BRayne]

According to his Twitter account it looks as if he is signing a contract in the next few hours.

Probably related to the car.

 

[Skyline49]

If he's getting a VW, it'd better be a Scirocco

 

[hdtrax]

According to his Twitter account it looks as if he is signing a contract in the next few hours.

Wouldn't a contract mean no NCAA? Hmm..

 

[Aaron Vickers]

Probably a new cell phone.

Grimaldi is just stirring the pot again. Got to give it to the little guy, he sure is entertaining sometimes.

 

[SPORTSMANIAC]

Clarification: my contract is something my buddies and I wrote together about a certain issue. Sorry about the mixup. Its a big deal for us

Twitter

 

[Fast Tony DeNiro]

Saw this yesterday and pooped my pants a little thinking I'd be able to watch Grimaldi play 10 times or so this season in Portland. Oh well

 

[flapanthersfan]

Rocco Grimaldi - thoughts?

there's been alot of hype about Grimaldi's play early on this year on the Panthers board. looking for some unbiased opinions of some people here who have seen him play....what do you think of him? is he really that impressive of an offensive talent?

 

[mkoivu9*]

I've seen him in person quite a bit. He is a long shot to have any sort of career in the NHL.

 

[Horvat2Deadweight]

I read this guy's twitter all the time, definitely one of the funniest guys I follow.

Besides that, I do have high hopes for this kid, he's extremely talented and I hate seeing players like him not turn out because of their size.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Great upside but there's a very small chance he makes it, pun intended.

 

[JackHughes86]

it sucks he got hurt last year

 

[bruinsfan46]

The general consensus was a little too high on him his draft year around here thought (just too many people who were totally convinced he'd make it despite his tiny size) then there was the TSN draft interview which rubbed a lot of people the wrong way (myself included) and some were probably too harsh on him with all the bad teammate talk. Since then he's barely played as he unfortunately basically lost a whole year. He's kind of taken a back seat to Johnny Gaudreau in the pint sized college player talks. Everything I've ever heard suggests tremendous offensive talent, skates great with strong puck skills. The size is a huge question mark and will be a question mark until he succeeds or fails at the NHL level.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

it sucks he got hurt last year

Sort of, but you have to keep in mind his clock starts whenever they take him out of school. He redshirted because of that, he is still a freshman this year in terms of how the NCAA lists him. So he would still have four whole years if they wanted him to take them all.

 

[Xokkeu]

He's top 5 easily in skill for his draft year. I'd personally rate only Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as clearly better than him. He does well with what he has, extremely quick and smart so he avoids contact. Super skill, tremendous release and quick on his feet.

Unfortunately he really is 5'6''.

 

[Vaclav Varada]

What's his build? Like a Gerbe? Or scrawnier?

 

[Xokkeu]

What's his build? Like a Gerbe? Or scrawnier?

He is just small.

I'm not sure you can say he's skinny or not because he's just tiny. He looks like a little kid got put out on the ice to, like a 14 year old somehow stole a Sioux uniform and jumped into the game.

I suppose he is similar to Gerbe who is actually smaller.


Unlike most people I think he will be an NHL player.

 

[Lundell4Prez]

I've said this on the Panthers board.. He skates like Jeff Skinner, balance-wise, last game he got bumped to his knees and popped back up still retained momentum and got right to the net for a chance.. In OT, IDK if there is a highlight of it, but he grabbed the puck in front of his own net and took the puck wide and got around the whole team, ended up with a half breakaway when he got behind the d about 3 feet over the defensive blue line.

His speed is really amazing, it seems like every time he touched the puck there was a rush coming into the zone or some kind of play was being made.. I had him around 6-8 on our prospect chart in the preseason, but after watching him play I'd put him in our top 3... Probably after Huberdeau and Bjugstad, before Howden, Petrovic, Shore, Matheson, Robak but who knows.. This kid may be the best of all our prospects. I cannot wait to see him at the WJC's..