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Originally Posted by bax
No love for Ruzicka yet hey? 51 points in 38 games last year after getting dealt at the deadline. 6'4 200 pound center that can skate and has skill in spades. Cory Stillman his junior coach raves about him and thinks he has what it takes to be a 1st line center in the NHL.
Will be fun watching him round out his game in the AHL this year. Definitely flying a bit under the radar here. Honestly I think Ruzicka, Koumontzsiz, and Yeselin are all better prospects than little Z. I think CP has gotten too enamored with small skilled guys this year ie) Z, Phillips, Petterson.
Not that they are bad prospects, but some bigger guys are getting overlooked a tad by comparison.
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Stillman even goes so far to say that Ruzicka has the potential to stick with the big club as soon as this year. That would be a stretch, I think, but pretty high praise.
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"Whether he jumps right into the NHL or he needs a year in the American league to understand the grind against bigger, stronger guys and that everyone's fighting for their lives every day, I guess we'll see," says Stillman.
"But if he goes to camp and shows he understands the requirements right away, his skill level's going to keep him at the National Hockey League level.
"If he puts his mind to it, if he's committed to excelling every day - and I certainly saw that while he was with us - you have yourselves a great fourth-round pick there."
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https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/the-...ge/c-308253516