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Flame4Ever · 10-12-2010, 08:32 AM

Wanted to get a thread going for those that are keeping an eye on junior prospects that are draft eligible this year.

Finally caught my first live Kitchener Rangers game of the year. They were battling the Erie Otters and won the game 4-3 in OT.

There are 3 draft eligible players of note playing for Kitchener:

Ryan Murphy:
Let me make a bold prediction: Ryan Murphy will be a star at the NHL level. Yes he's small, but he's by far one of the smartest hockey players I have ever seen. His ability to see the ice is at least as goos as Ryan Ellis but is also a tremendous skater, probably on the same level as Drew Doughty.
While last year he quite a flaws defensively, he seems to have added some strength and the rookie mistakes are gone. The added sandpaper and ability to win his fair share of battles down low have really pushed him up in my eyes.
The fact that he is tied for the scoring lead in the OHL with a +10 rating is not coincidence. During the game, he scored a beautiful goal on a 5 on 3 where he walked the blue line and opened up a great lane.

Gabriel Landeskog
Landeskog is an extrememly interesting player. While his stats might indicate an offensive player, he is as far from the flashy prototypical Swede and closer to the lunchpail Canadian. Landeskog loves the physical aspect of the game and plays with reckless abandon. He loves to initiate contact on the forecheck, does not hesitate to take a hit to make a play and drives to the tough areas where oal scorers need to go.
While he does display a good offensive skill set (vision, passing, hands, hockey IQ, shot), I don't think he is a natural finisher. With his size, strength and work ethic, he does generate a tonof chances. However he doesn't finish as many plays as you would like to see. I could see him being a 30 goal scorer in the NHL, but I doubt he will ever be the PPG offensive superstar. Forsberg-lite is a pretty good analogy in my mind.
Landesko is also a fantastic penalty killer. He got a standing ovation from the Kitchener faithful where he went in on the forcheck, stole the puck, and proceeded to single handedly eat up 15-20 seconds of PP time from the Otters by keepin the puck away from 3 opposing players along the boards.
I can see him being a great player for a team, probably a guy who wears a letter and is a fan favorite, I think he can easily get to 60 points and 30 goals. The instincts are there; he got the game winning goal because of great instincts, but a little more finish on the chances he does create consistantly would push him over the top.

Tobias Reider
A 17 year old rookie with the Rangers this year, Reider tends to get lost in the shuffle a bit as he was an in North America. However, he is an exremely offensively talented player. With speed to burn, great offensive instincts and very good hands, he has adjusted well to the pace of the OHL tied with his team mate Landeskog with 12 points in 7 games.
He is definitely undersized at 5'10" and weighing in at 175 pounds, but does not shy away from contact and will take a hit to make a play.
From the games I have watched on TV, I would have to say he hasn't looked out of place since day 1, but I wonder if he will continue to improve as the season wears on and he starts getting more used to the rythym of the OHL or if he will fatigue as the grind of the OHL starts to wear on him.
Definitely a player to keep an eye on as the season wears on.

10-12-2010, 08:32 AM	#1
Flame4Ever RIP Mickey Join Date: Feb 2006 Exp:	2011 prospect watch Wanted to get a thread going for those that are keeping an eye on junior prospects that are draft eligible this year. Finally caught my first live Kitchener Rangers game of the year. They were battling the Erie Otters and won the game 4-3 in OT. There are 3 draft eligible players of note playing for Kitchener: Ryan Murphy: Let me make a bold prediction: Ryan Murphy will be a star at the NHL level. Yes he's small, but he's by far one of the smartest hockey players I have ever seen. His ability to see the ice is at least as goos as Ryan Ellis but is also a tremendous skater, probably on the same level as Drew Doughty. While last year he quite a flaws defensively, he seems to have added some strength and the rookie mistakes are gone. The added sandpaper and ability to win his fair share of battles down low have really pushed him up in my eyes. The fact that he is tied for the scoring lead in the OHL with a +10 rating is not coincidence. During the game, he scored a beautiful goal on a 5 on 3 where he walked the blue line and opened up a great lane. Gabriel Landeskog Landeskog is an extrememly interesting player. While his stats might indicate an offensive player, he is as far from the flashy prototypical Swede and closer to the lunchpail Canadian. Landeskog loves the physical aspect of the game and plays with reckless abandon. He loves to initiate contact on the forecheck, does not hesitate to take a hit to make a play and drives to the tough areas where oal scorers need to go. While he does display a good offensive skill set (vision, passing, hands, hockey IQ, shot), I don't think he is a natural finisher. With his size, strength and work ethic, he does generate a tonof chances. However he doesn't finish as many plays as you would like to see. I could see him being a 30 goal scorer in the NHL, but I doubt he will ever be the PPG offensive superstar. Forsberg-lite is a pretty good analogy in my mind. Landesko is also a fantastic penalty killer. He got a standing ovation from the Kitchener faithful where he went in on the forcheck, stole the puck, and proceeded to single handedly eat up 15-20 seconds of PP time from the Otters by keepin the puck away from 3 opposing players along the boards. I can see him being a great player for a team, probably a guy who wears a letter and is a fan favorite, I think he can easily get to 60 points and 30 goals. The instincts are there; he got the game winning goal because of great instincts, but a little more finish on the chances he does create consistantly would push him over the top. Tobias Reider A 17 year old rookie with the Rangers this year, Reider tends to get lost in the shuffle a bit as he was an in North America. However, he is an exremely offensively talented player. With speed to burn, great offensive instincts and very good hands, he has adjusted well to the pace of the OHL tied with his team mate Landeskog with 12 points in 7 games. He is definitely undersized at 5'10" and weighing in at 175 pounds, but does not shy away from contact and will take a hit to make a play. From the games I have watched on TV, I would have to say he hasn't looked out of place since day 1, but I wonder if he will continue to improve as the season wears on and he starts getting more used to the rythym of the OHL or if he will fatigue as the grind of the OHL starts to wear on him. Definitely a player to keep an eye on as the season wears on.