Confirmed with Link: Rangers Agree to terms with Jason Wilson

[Bluenote13]

Originally Posted by eco's bones

With Wilson I don't think the Rangers were looking necessarily for a big scorer and junior numbers aside neither he nor the 4 others you mention are a lock to be NHL'ers. 5th round or whatever you're throwing some **** against the wall just to see if it will stick. He conforms to a type of unspectacular grinding player that most winning teams need a few of to wear other teams down and he seemed to make progress as a player this year.

You need grinders but you also need skill. We're cornering the market on hard working grinders, sooner or later more skilled players have to be drafted. I'd like to think no matter what round it is our brass would chose the best overall talent. I wonder how many people working in hockey would rank Wilson #1 if grouped with those I listed?

[Imaginary Threats]

Originally Posted by Bluenote13

You need grinders but you also need skill. We're cornering the market on hard working grinders, sooner or later more skilled players have to be drafted. I'd like to think no matter what round it is our brass would chose the best overall talent. I wonder how many people working in hockey would rank Wilson #1 if grouped with those I listed?

Completely agree, I love guys like Prust but you can only have so many on the team, you need a mix of both to win a cup, I like the Detroit system which is to draft the skill by taking the best player available, then filling the roster with grinders and role players through free agency and trades

[eco's bones]

Originally Posted by Bluenote13

You need grinders but you also need skill. We're cornering the market on hard working grinders, sooner or later more skilled players have to be drafted. I'd like to think no matter what round it is our brass would chose the best overall talent. I wonder how many people working in hockey would rank Wilson #1 if grouped with those I listed?

Yeah but the first couple rounds is where the talent usually comes from--the last rounds the grinders. Not that it's always that way--Callahan for one--but in a way he's a superstar of a grinder.

I really don't know how Wilson is going to work out but it's not like he didn't put up any numbers or didn't continue to improve. If you compare him to someone like Werek--it's not that Werek didn't look like he had more ability but he didn't exactly scream top 6 player either. Anyway Wilson is either in Hartford or ECHL next year--only two players in Hartford with any potential to be top 6--MZA and Grachev--I don't know maybe Hagelin in a Kelly Miller sort of way. Two others in the system--Kreider and Thomas. Got to think at least one of these guys will pan out to that.

At least reading your draft posts and others as well there is some consensus that there are some wild cards in this year's draft--kind of gambling to take one but...anyway it's not likely we're ever going to draft a Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Kane etc. etc.--we just don't ever finish that low to get that kind of a player.