Marcantuoni was looked at as a 1st rounder before injuries derailed him last season, so to me, he has the highest upside of anyone left. As someone mentioned about Kuhnhackl, Marcantuoni's game is such that, even if he doesn't hit his ceiling, should still be able to contribute at the NHL is a lesser role. I picked him.
This is why I voted for him. If he stays healthy he can contribute down the line most likely.
I'm excited about Macaroni's, but I've noticed a lot of question marks too. I haven't seen a whole lot of him, but he seems to do everything off the rush and doesn't tend to crash the net a whole lot or get open in the slot to get a shot off much. But I'm sure missing large chunks of the last few season can put a hamper on all of that.
But he seems to have a great work ethic and the tools to succeed, so hopefully he can put them together. I'll be interested in seeing how Etem does in the higher leagues, because he sounds like a pretty similar player with the same kind of issues.
But he seems to have a great work ethic and the tools to succeed, so hopefully he can put them together. I'll be interested in seeing how Etem does in the higher leagues, because he sounds like a pretty similar player with the same kind of issues.
My viewings of Macaroni are limited to Youtube, but from what I can see, he and Etem aren't really that similar. Both are really dynamic skaters, but that's it. The "Etem lacks hockey sense" meme pops up here periodically (often in Beau Bennett discussions) but it's greatly exaggerated. Guy needs to work on his defense, not his creativity, playmaking etc.
Matia Marcantuoni - Kitchener Rangers
Definitely worth the gamble in the 4th round IMO. A lot of talent, but also a ton of questions. Firstly, can he stay healthy? He's missed a lot of time during his short OHL career with a bevy of injuries (shoulder, concussion, ankle). More importantly, can he stay healthy while playing the type of game he needs to play to be successful? When he's at his best, Matia is a physical and high energy winger, but this past season he kind of shied away from that with all the injury problems he was having. Secondly, what type of offensive player can he truly become? He's got a ton of speed, and the puck skill to dangle, but the jury is out as to whether he has the natural instincts to be a terrific goal scorer. Basically, he needs to find a niche as an offensive player. The Rangers are going to be counting on him to provide consistent secondary scoring this year. He'll likely see time in all situations, so he's going to be put in a good position. If he stays healthy, I'd definitely expect a rebound year of 50-60 points.
I'm a bin fan of players with good hockey sense (offensive hockey sense) and normally, those are the players that play on the pp normally.
Speed is very valuable in today's NHL, so there's that. But hockey sense can't be taught, so I hope he can round out the rest of his game. The skills are there, but players without great hockey sense usually leave me wanting more. We'll see, he's in no hurry, he's a project and I hope he can stay healthy.
