Ruzicka would be easily in my top 5 if he didn't (at least SEEMINGLY) have a huge wart - lack of drive.
I will always prefer size if all other attributes are equal. Ruzicka has the talent-level in my mind to be in and around the top 5 prospects on this team. I just see a lot of prospects with a tonne of potential just fizzle-out because they didn't work as hard as the next guy who was less talented.
Is Ruzicka the next Mangiapane, or is he the next Baertschi? That's what has me down on him. The one area of concern for him since before he was drafted was his lack of motivation. I really do think that this is a career-killer of a wart. I love some of the smaller skilled (equally skilled) players as they have been known to be extremely hard workers. Pelletier, Zavgorodniy, Sveningsson, Peterssen - yes, I do think that Ruzicka fits in skill-wise with them, stands-out from them since he is a head taller and has a much easier time adapting to the physicality of the NHL, but is nowhere near a consistent workhorse as the above mentioned players, especially in all 3 zones. That's why I haven't voted him ahead of these players, rather than me having some perceived notion of favouring smaller skilled players. That's actually the opposite - I favour the big guys with skill (almost to a fault, actually).
Stillman's interview does give me pause, but is it who Ruzicka really is, or was it just the energy from being traded back onto a powerhouse team (or even worse, just mere platitudes?). I need to see his effort level stay at a consistently high level for me to scratch off what I consider a rather big wart, and push him up my list.
Maybe I don't appreciate Ruzicka's skill-level? If Ruzicka is motivated, I expect him on the roster this upcoming season. That's how highly I think of him as a prospect given his attributes and abilities. Maybe not to start, but at some point with his size and skill level, it would only be a matter of time before he made the jump at some point in the season. I just can't ignore this perceived lack of drive in his game.
I voted Yelesin this round. Hard-nosed D-man that does everything well, and does it playing against men. You can make the case that he should have been picked earlier, and I wouldn't argue with it. I wonder what his upside is really going to be like, but at least he moves the puck well, and that's crucial for a defencemen hoping to be a top 4 in today's NHL.
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