Just hearing about it now, but apparently Randy McNaught elected not to return to University of Calgary for the second semester, and is done with the program. I have no idea what his plans are at this point.
There were 2-3 times he had to cut a shift short (that I remember) so that could definitely be it.
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"Here we can see the agression of american people. They love fighting and guns. when they wont win they try to kill us all." -HalfOfFame
i dont see how. mean & nasty are not mutually exclusive from positionally sound and disciplined.
In the preseason I'd say McIlrath played equal to or even outplayed most of the defenseman currently on the squad in terms of positional play. granted, it was the preseason, but still, i was VERY happy with his play during the games he got...with that said, he looked awful in traverse city, so there are some warts in his game for sure.
im not a fan of the pick, but ill tell ya, the way this team is currently built, if Mcilrath becomes a mainstay on this club, you'd have the best defense the Rangers have ever had in their history. You could also then move Sauer + for some forward help too.
Girardi - McDonagh
MDZ - Staal (move MDZ over to his offside, he can do it)
Erixon - McIlrath
That's elite right there (if the bottom two pan out.)
If the bottom two pan out and become a solid pairing, the Rangers would be much better served moving Staal but that's a decision that won't have to be made for a few years.
Can't put my finger on why I feel this way, but this Miller kid reminds me alot of Mike Richards.
Solid play maker. Very good in his own zone. Plays an honest and physical game. Can and will drop the gloves
I'd like to see the goal totals rise a bit.
My gut tells me that he is going to be a better overall player than Kreider. That's just my gut speaking.
He was compared to Mike Richards prior to the draft. I would say he is a mix between Kesler and Richards with the way he plays the game. Hard-nosed, gritty, aggressive, 2-way center with size and strength.
Who knows if he will have the offensive output of those 2 but I would take a 45-55 point center with their aggressiveness any day of the week.
Last edited by NYR Boyler87: 01-20-2012 at 09:49 AM.
It seems MSC is starting to look like a better prospect than Miller.
And statistically, Nigel Dawes looked like a better prospect than Brandon Dubinsky. That's why we don't base values strictly on stats.
Let's go back a few years. Who lead the WHL in scoring in 2007? Mark Santorelli, Colin Long and Colton Yellow Horn. Who? A pure examination of statistics shows you nothing about a player. I'll take JT Miller over Michael St. Croix every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
And statistically, Nigel Dawes looked like a better prospect than Brandon Dubinsky. That's why we don't base values strictly on stats.
Let's go back a few years. Who lead the WHL in scoring in 2007? Mark Santorelli, Colin Long and Colton Yellow Horn. Who? A pure examination of statistics shows you nothing about a player. I'll take JT Miller over Michael St. Croix every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
He was compared to Mike Richards prior to the draft. I would say he is a mix between Kesler and Richards with the way he plays the game. Hard-nosed, gritty, aggressive, 2-way center with size and strength.
Who knows if he will have the offensive output of those 2 but I would take a 45-55 point center with their aggressiveness any day of the week.
St. Croix has some obstacles to overcome, but the kid is sublimely skilled. I'll go ahead and say it; He could very well be the most skilled prospect in our system right now. He has the total package offensively. Shooting, passing, hockey IQ, creativity. All of it. He needs to work on certain areas of his game, and while I understand the "stats don't mean everything" mentality, that doesn't mean I'd lump him in with guys like Nigel Dawes either.
Dawes was a very skilled player, but he relied solely upon his skill to get by, and not his hockey sense. He never changed the way he played in order for him to become a viable NHLer. MSC, on the other hand, is already implementing those changes in his game. He's stronger on the puck, going to the dirty areas to score, and, IMO, there is a night and day difference between his ability to play in traffic currently, and where he was this time last year. He's also improving his game considerably away from the puck. The difference with him and Nigel Dawes is that he has the mental strength and character that will allow him to adapt to new levels of play. Dawes never had that.
St. Croix has some obstacles to overcome, but the kid is sublimely skilled. I'll go ahead and say it; He could very well be the most skilled prospect in our system right now. He has the total package offensively. Shooting, passing, hockey IQ, creativity. All of it. He needs to work on certain areas of his game, and while I understand the "stats don't mean everything" mentality, that doesn't mean I'd lump him in with guys like Nigel Dawes either.
Dawes was a very skilled player, but he relied solely upon his skill to get by, and not his hockey sense. He never changed the way he played in order for him to become a viable NHLer. MSC, on the other hand, is already implementing those changes in his game. He's stronger on the puck, going to the dirty areas to score, and, IMO, there is a night and day difference between his ability to play in traffic currently, and where he was this time last year. He's also improving his game considerably away from the puck. The difference with him and Nigel Dawes is that he has the mental strength and character that will allow him to adapt to new levels of play. Dawes never had that.
That's a pretty strong endorsement, Trjxw - and speaks to a more detailed familiarity with the player. Have you been watching his games? Talking to scouts? Not challenging you, but rather genuinely looking forward to hearing more.
(By the way, as one of the posters who is limited to small glimpses from YouTube highlights, I will say that I noticed that all 3 of his goals the other night were scored from right at the doorstep, rather than deking around hopelessly overmatched 16 year olds. And while the latter are prettier, the former are more indicative of the maturing, high IQ game you referenced.)
That's a pretty strong endorsement, Trjxw - and speaks to a more detailed familiarity with the player. Have you been watching his games? Talking to scouts? Not challenging you, but rather genuinely looking forward to hearing more.
(By the way, as one of the posters who is limited to small glimpses from YouTube highlights, I will say that I noticed that all 3 of his goals the other night were scored from right at the doorstep, rather than deking around hopelessly overmatched 16 year olds. And while the latter are prettier, the former are more indicative of the maturing, high IQ game you referenced.)
I've seen about a dozen of his games this year, and I have a family friend who follow spent some time as an amateur scout but gave up on it to move to Minnesota to be closer to his wife's family. He now follows the CHL in his spare time and really loves Minn-HS prospecting as well. Back in '08 on the 2nd day of the draft he texted me after we called Stepan's name: "That's a future 75pt captain in the making." He's been incredibly good at picking out gems, so I trust him quite a bit.
He's also very high on Fogarty's ceiling. Said he was more impressive at times than Bjugstad was during his draft year, but needs a lot of development time.
One thing that pains me about our current Rangers team is the lack of offensive creativity. They skate the puck into the zone and if they don't immediately rim it around the boards, they pull up and have one of those "Crap, what do I do now?" moments. Kids like MSC see the game differently than the Dubi's and Callahan's of the world. Not only do they see the passing lanes that are there, but they also see the ones that will be there as the play develops. He's like a chess player where he can see what the play will look like two or three moves down the line. I recall watching a game where he made some seemingly innocuous flip pass into open ice, but before I could even say "Who are you passing to?" he had sprung his teammate on a semi-breakaway. It's those kind of moments where you really start to be impressed with the kid.
I don't want to say he's the next Marc Savard, because he certainly has a long way to go, but at the same time the numbers he is putting up aren't simply because he's weaving in and out of 16 year olds either. He's shown very well against some very good WHL d-men. He he can get a bit stronger, and work on his explosiveness and his stride, he could be the real deal.
I've seen about a dozen of his games this year, and I have a family friend who follow spent some time as an amateur scout but gave up on it to move to Minnesota to be closer to his wife's family. He now follows the CHL in his spare time and really loves Minn-HS prospecting as well. Back in '08 on the 2nd day of the draft he texted me after we called Stepan's name: "That's a future 75pt captain in the making." He's been incredibly good at picking out gems, so I trust him quite a bit.
He's also very high on Fogarty's ceiling. Said he was more impressive at times than Bjugstad was during his draft year, but needs a lot of development time.
One thing that pains me about our current Rangers team is the lack of offensive creativity. They skate the puck into the zone and if they don't immediately rim it around the boards, they pull up and have one of those "Crap, what do I do now?" moments. Kids like MSC see the game differently than the Dubi's and Callahan's of the world. Not only do they see the passing lanes that are there, but they also see the ones that will be there as the play develops. He's like a chess player where he can see what the play will look like two or three moves down the line. I recall watching a game where he made some seemingly innocuous flip pass into open ice, but before I could even say "Who are you passing to?" he had sprung his teammate on a semi-breakaway. It's those kind of moments where you really start to be impressed with the kid.
I don't want to say he's the next Marc Savard, because he certainly has a long way to go, but at the same time the numbers he is putting up aren't simply because he's weaving in and out of 16 year olds either. He's shown very well against some very good WHL d-men. He he can get a bit stronger, and work on his explosiveness and his stride, he could be the real deal.
Thanks, that's great to hear.
I freely admit that I don't have any inside information and make all my judgments based on player profile, scouting reports from those who've seen them first hand, which I then supplement with highlights and, yes, stat surfing.* (Speaking of the latter, while I understand not getting too hung up on them due to the impact external factors can have, but by the same token, it's better to be scoring a massive number of points than not, all other things being equal - after all, the ability to find the back of the net is a skill/instinct in and of itself that not all players have.) So, I greatly appreciate hearing from those who have more detailed info (and more educated opinions) to share.
What you're saying about him now jibes with what we read at the draft - and the drum that NOBC has been beating for months now. Completely agreed about his skill set and how badly the team needs it. Loving this pick (and the 2011 draft in general) more and more.
*The one exception being Grachev, whom I watched a fair amount on video. I still don't know what the hell happened to him - he is NOT the same player I saw 3 years ago.
Just hearing about it now, but apparently Randy McNaught elected not to return to University of Calgary for the second semester, and is done with the program. I have no idea what his plans are at this point.
Which reminds me, how is prized prospect Jason Wilson doing in the ECHL?
