Rangers Draft [LW] Brett Berard in 5th Rd. (134th) Pick

[Cash or Czech]

4 minutes ago, Pete said:

I feel like we used to wait until at least the D+1 before declaring someone wasn't worth the pick.

Only McIlrath in recent memory bucked that trend. And all the people who crapped on the pick were right.

Considering the % of prospects that actually pan out anyway, you've got better odds saying the kid won't amount to anything.

[TwoMinutesForNothing]

17 hours ago, Pete said:

Please unpack this more for us, as the 2021 class has barely played after being drafted. 

The 2020 draft class is looking pretty spectacular at the moment.  You obviously have Laf, Schneider and Cuylle.  Laf was slam dunk, but hitting on the other two is still an accomplishment assuming they don't come crashing down or somehow fall apart.   

Then you have our 3rd round pick Tarnstrom who is not even among the guys I'm most impressed with and he has 13 points and 6 goals in 9 games so far this season. 

Our 5th round pick Brett Berard has been on a huge upward trajectory since being drafted and seems close to a home run and is one of the most exciting picks of this class. 

Other 5th rounder chosen just before Berard still hasn't played hockey yet due to Covid delays so I can't comment, but our 6th rounder Rempe is a 6'8 center who just impressed in NHL camp and then scored 2 goals on 7 shots in his first game back in juniors.  I'd say that's not bad for 6th rounder thus far.  

Then we have 2 goalies, so who knows on them.  All in all an extremely impressive class which seems to contain at least 4 productive NHLers with potential for even more with the talent that is there.  

 

Even when you look at 2019 it was pretty impressive.  Some will disagree but I think Henriksson pretty much sucks however Robertson in round 2 and Zac Jones in round 3 is nailing it.  Skinner and Edstrom seem like okay picks too but the 2020 draft still blows that one away.  It's just that we were doing very well and then we bring in a whole new regime and see an obvious change in draft philosophy.  This past draft really lacks skill and talent from what I can tell.

 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but Otthman reminds me of when they tried to sell Ryan Gropp as a 1st round talent.  Maybe he develops into something but I think his ceiling is a bottom 6 guy which I'm not a fan of for a 1st round pick.  Grubb and Lamb are grinders who don't score much.  Lamb is 170 lbs and still in the USHL and Grubb is scoreless in his first 2 junior games and has scored 7 goals in his junior career.  We drafted for character, not talent. 

 

Goalie in the 4th round, again who knows.  Vaisanen in the 4th round is okay and could turn into something maybe but not much offensive upside, maybe a bottom 6 defensive forward.

I like the Czech in the 5th round just because he's Czech and he has size, but he's been pretty bad to start this year with just 4 points in 9 games playing U20 in f'ing Finland.

Then you have a 7th round Dman with no discernible talents.

I've left for last the one pick I really like, 3rd rounder Ryder Korczak.  3 points in first 2 games in Moose Jaw.  Skilled center, only player in this draft class that seems to have real offensive talent unless Otthman really trends up. 

Again the change in philosophy was clear.  They drafted for character and toughness and I just don't see much talent, skill or potential and it seems most of these guys will be capped as role players and most may not even get beyond the AHL for that role.  The whole draft seemed like a waste.  Much rather have talent than character because the ceiling is much higher with something you can't teach.   

 

[TwoMinutesForNothing]

Oh and I should add that maybe some of these guys have untapped potential and I hope they do prove me wrong, however the main point is that anybody who was responsible for assembling a draft class like the 2020 one should not be out of a job the following year in any sport for any team.  No matter how you spin it this class will pale in comparison to that one and likely the others directly before it. 

Edited October 6, 2021 by TwoMinutesForNothing

[Drew a Penalty]

23 minutes ago, TwoMinutesForNothing said:

The 2020 draft class is looking pretty spectacular at the moment.  You obviously have Laf, Schneider and Cuylle.  Laf was slam dunk, but hitting on the other two is still an accomplishment assuming they don't come crashing down or somehow fall apart.   

Then you have our 3rd round pick Tarnstrom who is not even among the guys I'm most impressed with and he has 13 points and 6 goals in 9 games so far this season. 

Our 5th round pick Brett Berard has been on a huge upward trajectory since being drafted and seems close to a home run and is one of the most exciting picks of this class. 

Other 5th rounder chosen just before Berard still hasn't played hockey yet due to Covid delays so I can't comment, but our 6th rounder Rempe is a 6'8 center who just impressed in NHL camp and then scored 2 goals on 7 shots in his first game back in juniors.  I'd say that's not bad for 6th rounder thus far.  

Then we have 2 goalies, so who knows on them.  All in all an extremely impressive class which seems to contain at least 4 productive NHLers with potential for even more with the talent that is there.  

 

Even when you look at 2019 it was pretty impressive.  Some will disagree but I think Henriksson pretty much sucks however Robertson in round 2 and Zac Jones in round 3 is nailing it.  Skinner and Edstrom seem like okay picks too but the 2020 draft still blows that one away.  It's just that we were doing very well and then we bring in a whole new regime and see an obvious change in draft philosophy.  This past draft really lacks skill and talent from what I can tell.

 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but Otthman reminds me of when they tried to sell Ryan Gropp as a 1st round talent.  Maybe he develops into something but I think his ceiling is a bottom 6 guy which I'm not a fan of for a 1st round pick.  Grubb and Lamb are grinders who don't score much.  Lamb is 170 lbs and still in the USHL and Grubb is scoreless in his first 2 junior games and has scored 7 goals in his junior career.  We drafted for character, not talent. 

 

Goalie in the 4th round, again who knows.  Vaisanen in the 4th round is okay and could turn into something maybe but not much offensive upside, maybe a bottom 6 defensive forward.

I like the Czech in the 5th round just because he's Czech and he has size, but he's been pretty bad to start this year with just 4 points in 9 games playing U20 in f'ing Finland.

Then you have a 7th round Dman with no discernible talents.

I've left for last the one pick I really like, 3rd rounder Ryder Korczak.  3 points in first 2 games in Moose Jaw.  Skilled center, only player in this draft class that seems to have real offensive talent unless Otthman really trends up. 

Again the change in philosophy was clear.  They drafted for character and toughness and I just don't see much talent, skill or potential and it seems most of these guys will be capped as role players and most may not even get beyond the AHL for that role.  The whole draft seemed like a waste.  Much rather have talent than character because the ceiling is much higher with something you can't teach.   

 

First off, this feels like a lot of stat watching. You're making snap judgments about this recent draft class based off a few games.

How does Othmann compare to Ryan Gropp? Gropp was riding the coattails of a significantly more talented Matt Barzal. It was Gordie Clark that decided to say that he thought Gropp was among the top offensive talents in that draft. Gordie Clark has been a pro scout for the team of late. Othmann was picked because he plays a game that already allowed him to compete with adults despite being a junior player. You've just hated the pick since it was made and you even admitted at the time to not knowing much about him. He's done nothing since to prove he wasn't worth the selection.

You're being awfully selective about what information you're including about Grubbe because he didn't play for most of 2021. He's scored 7 goals in his career because he only scored 6 in his first season and then 1 in in the 5 games he played before an injury. Awfully convenient to leave out that injury. He's coming off an ACL injury and isn't a known offensive player. We're gonna call bust because he didn't score in two games?

Brody Lamb is a grinder? Where are you getting this? He's a small scorer. Read any scouting report about him. He doesn't score much? He completely lit up Minnesota high school league with 87 points in 24 games. He just wasn't productive in the USHL immediately with 2 points in 10 games. He has 3 in 3 this year. How is it a negative for him to be in the USHL in his post draft season? He's just doing that to improve before college. You're hyping up Tarnstrom who's playing Swedish junior and he's in his D+2. It's not impressive that he has 13 points in 9 games, that's what he should be doing. If he were any good he'd be in Allsvenskan or the SHL but he isn't yet. So I'm not concerned about a kid most recently out of high school getting more time in a good junior league like the USHL to prep for college. Tarnstrom is putting up a season he should've had a year ago.

So you don't have an accurate take on the first three players and most of the others have a positive to neutral outtake. I guess it really wasn't that bad of a draft. You've also made it very clear that you have a strong distaste for Drury and I'm sure that plays a part in some of the hatred for this. With the exception of Bobrov, all of the scouting staff was the same. Chris Morehouse was running the ship. The braintrust that you're hyping for 2020 was largely the same for 2021. 

[TwoMinutesForNothing]

1 hour ago, Drew a Penalty said:

First off, this feels like a lot of stat watching. You're making snap judgments about this recent draft class based off a few games.

How does Othmann compare to Ryan Gropp? Gropp was riding the coattails of a significantly more talented Matt Barzal. It was Gordie Clark that decided to say that he thought Gropp was among the top offensive talents in that draft. Gordie Clark has been a pro scout for the team of late. Othmann was picked because he plays a game that already allowed him to compete with adults despite being a junior player. You've just hated the pick since it was made and you even admitted at the time to not knowing much about him. He's done nothing since to prove he wasn't worth the selection.

You're being awfully selective about what information you're including about Grubbe because he didn't play for most of 2021. He's scored 7 goals in his career because he only scored 6 in his first season and then 1 in in the 5 games he played before an injury. Awfully convenient to leave out that injury. He's coming off an ACL injury and isn't a known offensive player. We're gonna call bust because he didn't score in two games?

Brody Lamb is a grinder? Where are you getting this? He's a small scorer. Read any scouting report about him. He doesn't score much? He completely lit up Minnesota high school league with 87 points in 24 games. He just wasn't productive in the USHL immediately with 2 points in 10 games. He has 3 in 3 this year. How is it a negative for him to be in the USHL in his post draft season? He's just doing that to improve before college. You're hyping up Tarnstrom who's playing Swedish junior and he's in his D+2. It's not impressive that he has 13 points in 9 games, that's what he should be doing. If he were any good he'd be in Allsvenskan or the SHL but he isn't yet. So I'm not concerned about a kid most recently out of high school getting more time in a good junior league like the USHL to prep for college. Tarnstrom is putting up a season he should've had a year ago.

So you don't have an accurate take on the first three players and most of the others have a positive to neutral outtake. I guess it really wasn't that bad of a draft. You've also made it very clear that you have a strong distaste for Drury and I'm sure that plays a part in some of the hatred for this. With the exception of Bobrov, all of the scouting staff was the same. Chris Morehouse was running the ship. The braintrust that you're hyping for 2020 was largely the same for 2021. 

I said pretty clearly I was least impressed with Tarnstrom, but he was doing well this year.  So nice to pick that one out lol.  I listed him first because he was picked sooner than other more impressive guys.  And yeah we drafted an undersized high school kid in the 4th round who is still playing in the USHL after he's already been drafted.  Great!  He was ranked 178th among just North American skaters and we picked him at 104 overall.  

Othmann has yet show much of anything offensively anywhere so he's definitely not been riding anybody's coattails.  He compares to Gropp because he's our first pick of a draft who has actually shown very little and was likely a reach of a pick that was forced based on a perceived need.  He hits and the league is starving for that so he was deemed worthy.  In reality Cuylle, who was picked in round 2, 60th overall, so almost round 3, the year prior is a superior prospect because he plays the same style but with actual size and more offense, oh and he played with actual men last year.  Othmann sure racked up PIM in the Swiss league though, nice.

Grubbe has played 64 games of Junior and his is 6'3 200 lbs at 18 years old playing against players mostly the size of children so he had better dominate this season if he's going to become somebody with a shot of making it.  So far that hasn't happened and his strongest assets were toughness and leadership.  More PIM though. Here is his scouting reports...

Quote

https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/2021/7/24/22591890/nhl-draft-new-york-rangers-draft-jayden-grubbe-65th-overall

A reliable defensive player who excels in boxing out attackers and inhibiting cycle plays.

 

Quote

Has a heavy on puck game and average skill, but I don't feel as if he's got the tools or deception to carry offense forward.

 

 

Thrilling stuff!  Our 65th overall pick.

 

The scouts don't make the picks, they explain the players to the guys who do and try to make a case for guys they like.  All they can do is assess them and it's up to those picking to decide what type for players or intangibles they are targeting.  It couldn't have been more clear that we had different people making those choices this year.  Skill was not a top factor in making these picks.  

Edited October 6, 2021 by TwoMinutesForNothing

[Pete]

5 hours ago, TwoMinutesForNothing said:

I said pretty clearly I was least impressed with Tarnstrom, but he was doing well this year.  So nice to pick that one out lol.  I listed him first because he was picked sooner than other more impressive guys.  And yeah we drafted an undersized high school kid in the 4th round who is still playing in the USHL after he's already been drafted.  Great!  He was ranked 178th among just North American skaters and we picked him at 104 overall.  

Othmann has yet show much of anything offensively anywhere so he's definitely not been riding anybody's coattails.  He compares to Gropp because he's our first pick of a draft who has actually shown very little and was likely a reach of a pick that was forced based on a perceived need.  He hits and the league is starving for that so he was deemed worthy.  In reality Cuylle, who was picked in round 2, 60th overall, so almost round 3, the year prior is a superior prospect because he plays the same style but with actual size and more offense, oh and he played with actual men last year.  Othmann sure racked up PIM in the Swiss league though, nice.

Grubbe has played 64 games of Junior and his is 6'3 200 lbs at 18 years old playing against players mostly the size of children so he had better dominate this season if he's going to become somebody with a shot of making it.  So far that hasn't happened and his strongest assets were toughness and leadership.  More PIM though. Here is his scouting reports...

 

Thrilling stuff!  Our 65th overall pick.

 

The scouts don't make the picks, they explain the players to the guys who do and try to make a case for guys they like.  All they can do is assess them and it's up to those picking to decide what type for players or intangibles they are targeting.  It couldn't have been more clear that we had different people making those choices this year.  Skill was not a top factor in making these picks.  

What are you expecting from the 65th pick?

And did you ever think that maybe this type of player would be a nice compliment to the skill players drafted the year before? The idea is that they would all be on the team at the same time, you can't draft based on skill especially in the later rounds.

[LindG1000]

7 hours ago, TwoMinutesForNothing said:

I said pretty clearly I was least impressed with Tarnstrom, but he was doing well this year.  So nice to pick that one out lol.  I listed him first because he was picked sooner than other more impressive guys.  And yeah we drafted an undersized high school kid in the 4th round who is still playing in the USHL after he's already been drafted.  Great!  He was ranked 178th among just North American skaters and we picked him at 104 overall.  

Othmann has yet show much of anything offensively anywhere so he's definitely not been riding anybody's coattails.  He compares to Gropp because he's our first pick of a draft who has actually shown very little and was likely a reach of a pick that was forced based on a perceived need.  He hits and the league is starving for that so he was deemed worthy.  In reality Cuylle, who was picked in round 2, 60th overall, so almost round 3, the year prior is a superior prospect because he plays the same style but with actual size and more offense, oh and he played with actual men last year.  Othmann sure racked up PIM in the Swiss league though, nice.

Grubbe has played 64 games of Junior and his is 6'3 200 lbs at 18 years old playing against players mostly the size of children so he had better dominate this season if he's going to become somebody with a shot of making it.  So far that hasn't happened and his strongest assets were toughness and leadership.  More PIM though. Here is his scouting reports...

 

Thrilling stuff!  Our 65th overall pick.

 

The scouts don't make the picks, they explain the players to the guys who do and try to make a case for guys they like.  All they can do is assess them and it's up to those picking to decide what type for players or intangibles they are targeting.  It couldn't have been more clear that we had different people making those choices this year.  Skill was not a top factor in making these picks.  

Not to bust balls too hard, but a pick based on a perceived need would 100% not have been Othmann - it would have been a Center, because we have no centers worth a damn in our system. It would have been Svechkov.

Folks love to act like the draft is some sort of talent democracy simulation where players get picked on something like "most talented" or "highest scoring". Outside of the top 5-10 picks, that's complete horseshit. Putting chips on Othmann to be a top 6 wing that complements a core we have five pieces of right now is a perfectly fine mid-1st pick, and taking flyers on small but talented centers is a smart decision in the mid rounds. I think that's the beauty of picks like Lamb and Korczak. They're not really high risk at the points they were taken, but they're high reward if they pan out. 

[Drew a Penalty]

8 hours ago, TwoMinutesForNothing said:

I said pretty clearly I was least impressed with Tarnstrom, but he was doing well this year.  So nice to pick that one out lol.  I listed him first because he was picked sooner than other more impressive guys.  And yeah we drafted an undersized high school kid in the 4th round who is still playing in the USHL after he's already been drafted.  Great!  He was ranked 178th among just North American skaters and we picked him at 104 overall.  

Othmann has yet show much of anything offensively anywhere so he's definitely not been riding anybody's coattails.  He compares to Gropp because he's our first pick of a draft who has actually shown very little and was likely a reach of a pick that was forced based on a perceived need.  He hits and the league is starving for that so he was deemed worthy.  In reality Cuylle, who was picked in round 2, 60th overall, so almost round 3, the year prior is a superior prospect because he plays the same style but with actual size and more offense, oh and he played with actual men last year.  Othmann sure racked up PIM in the Swiss league though, nice.

Grubbe has played 64 games of Junior and his is 6'3 200 lbs at 18 years old playing against players mostly the size of children so he had better dominate this season if he's going to become somebody with a shot of making it.  So far that hasn't happened and his strongest assets were toughness and leadership.  More PIM though. Here is his scouting reports...

 

Thrilling stuff!  Our 65th overall pick.

 

The scouts don't make the picks, they explain the players to the guys who do and try to make a case for guys they like.  All they can do is assess them and it's up to those picking to decide what type for players or intangibles they are targeting.  It couldn't have been more clear that we had different people making those choices this year.  Skill was not a top factor in making these picks.  

You're not making a convincing argument for any of Othmann, Lamb or Grubbe. Sorry. You're just convincing me that you still don't know much about them.

You act as though Othmann is trying to be sold as something other than a middle-six support type. There's nothing wrong with drafting that type of player in the first round especially midway through and during what was considered one of the worst drafts in years. The talent level in 2021 was always expected to be below that of 2020 and a number of the drafts that preceded it except 2017. Were they supposed to pick a player they've convinced themselves is high-end in a weak year? That's more like Ryan Gropp. No one has even come out and said they think Othmann is some hidden offensive talent. J.T. Miller was the exact type of pick as Othmann. He turned out just fine despite people calling him a less talented grinder.

You didn't even know how Lamb played his game. I'm discounting anything you say about him. I'm unconvinced you've done anything besides look at his numbers.

"Scouting reports." for Grubbe. Those aren't the best things on him, that's just all you were able to find on him. Cool. All that shows to me is that your sources for information are flawed if that's the best information you have on him.

The scouts do make the picks. Do you think GMs are fully versed in players beyond the first round? No. They defer to their scouts to make the best arguments for players to be selected. It's almost entirely decided by committee with some deference to seniority. Chris Drury wasn't the one making the Jayden Grubbe pick. I doubt he's really even seen him play. But one of the members of the scouting staff, someone who literally served the year before in 2020, did. There were no significant changes to the scouting staff. The only differences between the staff available for 2020 and 2021 is that Gorton, Davidson, and Bobrov weren't around anymore. Of those three, only Bobrov was actually involved in scouting. That's it. So how were there different people making choices this year? There was no turnover. 

Hell, can you even convince me that their draft rationale changed? You're slobbering all over the class of 2020 but they're all mostly grinders anyway! What do you think Cuylle is? What do you think Rempe is? Do you think Berard is just some skilled player? No! He's known as annoying little grinder. A rat. It's not as though the Rangers suddenly changed their direction. They were drafting less-skilled support players in 2020 just as they did in 2021. The William Cuylle pick was lambasted by the same people and charts across the web that you normally parrot. He was thought to be way more like Ryan Gropp than Othmann. Rempe was just some big character pick at the time, but you're hyping the fact that he had an okay camp and 2 goals just a game into the season.

Your argument doesn't read as convincing, it just reads as the same angry ramblings you've been harping on since Drury was hired. It doesn't come off as sincere because we very much know your take on Drury. Then it's compounded by the fact that you ignore the changes and difficulties with scouting, that 2021 was widely known as a weak draft year, etc. I mean, it's even a "no duh" argument to suggest that 2020 will be a better draft for the Rangers than 2021. They had two first round picks and a second in 2020 and just a first rounder in 2021 until picking again in the third round. So they had three picks in the first two rounds in a deeper draft and one in the first two rounds in 2021. No shit 2020 is likely to turn out better just going off odds. But then there's this idea that the drafting philosophy changed which is absolutely false. They drafted for character, just the same as 2020, but did it in more of a crapshoot draft that you just happened to not know much about. Simple as that. You can sing from the rooftops how much better you think the 2020 draft class is, but are you even really convinced yourself of that fact? You're disparaging the 2021 class before most of them have even 10 games played. Tell me there's no other bias at play here.

[shestYORKin]

3 hours ago, Drew a Penalty said:

..during what was considered one of the worst drafts in years. The talent level in 2021 was always expected to be below that of 2020 and a number of the drafts that preceded it except 2017.

I think this is bs from the scouting world. covid fucked everything up and they’re all at a loss or out of their comfort zone to some degree. there will be superstars out of ‘21 and plenty of backbone talent to go around. scouts just don’t want to stick their necks out when everything got so skewed amongst leagues, competition levels, footage, etc. better off acting pleasantly surprised about someone later than going all in on a flop when you didn’t get the best resume. 

[Drew a Penalty]

7 minutes ago, shestYORKin said:

I think this is bs from the scouting world. covid fucked everything up and they’re all at a loss or out of their comfort zone to some degree. there will be superstars out of ‘21 and plenty of backbone talent to go around. scouts just don’t want to stick their necks out when everything got so skewed amongst leagues, competition levels, footage, etc. better off acting pleasantly surprised about someone later than going all in on a flop when you didn’t get the best resume. 

2021 was considered a weak draft long before Covid was even a factor. Covid only exacerbated difficulties in evaluating a draft class that was long without clear front runners.

[shestYORKin]

42 minutes ago, Drew a Penalty said:

2021 was considered a weak draft long before Covid was even a factor. Covid only exacerbated difficulties in evaluating a draft class that was long without clear front runners.

well yeah and no on this. there definitely wasn’t a “generational” player going first overall or a pack of locks for the top 5. but the year before a draft is always what matters most and that year was basically stolen. so while it certainly wasn’t on track to be a hyped class, a lot could’ve bloomed under normal circumstances that might have curbed the negative narrative. 

[TwoMinutesForNothing]

On 10/6/2021 at 10:19 AM, Drew a Penalty said:

You're not making a convincing argument for any of Othmann, Lamb or Grubbe. Sorry. You're just convincing me that you still don't know much about them.

You act as though Othmann is trying to be sold as something other than a middle-six support type. There's nothing wrong with drafting that type of player in the first round especially midway through and during what was considered one of the worst drafts in years. The talent level in 2021 was always expected to be below that of 2020 and a number of the drafts that preceded it except 2017. Were they supposed to pick a player they've convinced themselves is high-end in a weak year? That's more like Ryan Gropp. No one has even come out and said they think Othmann is some hidden offensive talent. J.T. Miller was the exact type of pick as Othmann. He turned out just fine despite people calling him a less talented grinder.

You didn't even know how Lamb played his game. I'm discounting anything you say about him. I'm unconvinced you've done anything besides look at his numbers.

"Scouting reports." for Grubbe. Those aren't the best things on him, that's just all you were able to find on him. Cool. All that shows to me is that your sources for information are flawed if that's the best information you have on him.

The scouts do make the picks. Do you think GMs are fully versed in players beyond the first round? No. They defer to their scouts to make the best arguments for players to be selected. It's almost entirely decided by committee with some deference to seniority. Chris Drury wasn't the one making the Jayden Grubbe pick. I doubt he's really even seen him play. But one of the members of the scouting staff, someone who literally served the year before in 2020, did. There were no significant changes to the scouting staff. The only differences between the staff available for 2020 and 2021 is that Gorton, Davidson, and Bobrov weren't around anymore. Of those three, only Bobrov was actually involved in scouting. That's it. So how were there different people making choices this year? There was no turnover. 

Hell, can you even convince me that their draft rationale changed? You're slobbering all over the class of 2020 but they're all mostly grinders anyway! What do you think Cuylle is? What do you think Rempe is? Do you think Berard is just some skilled player? No! He's known as annoying little grinder. A rat. It's not as though the Rangers suddenly changed their direction. They were drafting less-skilled support players in 2020 just as they did in 2021. The William Cuylle pick was lambasted by the same people and charts across the web that you normally parrot. He was thought to be way more like Ryan Gropp than Othmann. Rempe was just some big character pick at the time, but you're hyping the fact that he had an okay camp and 2 goals just a game into the season.

Your argument doesn't read as convincing, it just reads as the same angry ramblings you've been harping on since Drury was hired. It doesn't come off as sincere because we very much know your take on Drury. Then it's compounded by the fact that you ignore the changes and difficulties with scouting, that 2021 was widely known as a weak draft year, etc. I mean, it's even a "no duh" argument to suggest that 2020 will be a better draft for the Rangers than 2021. They had two first round picks and a second in 2020 and just a first rounder in 2021 until picking again in the third round. So they had three picks in the first two rounds in a deeper draft and one in the first two rounds in 2021. No shit 2020 is likely to turn out better just going off odds. But then there's this idea that the drafting philosophy changed which is absolutely false. They drafted for character, just the same as 2020, but did it in more of a crapshoot draft that you just happened to not know much about. Simple as that. You can sing from the rooftops how much better you think the 2020 draft class is, but are you even really convinced yourself of that fact? You're disparaging the 2021 class before most of them have even 10 games played. Tell me there's no other bias at play here.

Not getting dragged back into this argument, but saying scouts make the picks is ridiculous.  They present the players to the front office and the front office then chooses the players based on the advice of scouts regarding the types of players they are looking for.  The scouts don't make the choices, they describe players and make cases for ones they like.  Draft philosophy is up to those running things.  If you can't see the shift in player types being targeted from previous draft to the most recent then there's nothing more I can say.  This past class has continued to be underwhelming because their most lauded assets are intangibles. 

We have a top farm system because of the work done by the previous regime and thankfully they were able to get us Berard before they were dismissed.  

So back on topic, he's pretty clearly far above any player chosen in the 2021 draft and is looking more like a star with every game.  5 goals in 5 games played with 7 points and he's just a sophomore who only played 19 NCAA games last season.  Also seems to have a bit more of an edge to him with 17 PIM, already topping last years total.  Very exciting guy to watch rise up our system.  Excited to see him at WJC this year. 

[Albatrosss]

On 10/6/2021 at 10:31 AM, G1000 said:

Not to bust balls too hard, but a pick based on a perceived need would 100% not have been Othmann - it would have been a Center, because we have no centers worth a damn in our system. It would have been Svechkov.

Folks love to act like the draft is some sort of talent democracy simulation where players get picked on something like "most talented" or "highest scoring". Outside of the top 5-10 picks, that's complete horseshit. Putting chips on Othmann to be a top 6 wing that complements a core we have five pieces of right now is a perfectly fine mid-1st pick, and taking flyers on small but talented centers is a smart decision in the mid rounds. I think that's the beauty of picks like Lamb and Korczak. They're not really high risk at the points they were taken, but they're high reward if they pan out. 

Disagree. Looking at who the rangers were signing and trading for, their perceived need was ruggedness, not necessarily skill—hence Othmann

[TwoMinutesForNothing]

An assist and the GWG with just 1:01 to play in a 6-5 victory over Denver.  6 goals now.  Only seems to have 9 points, opposing this tweet, but here is the goal.

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by TwoMinutesForNothing

[Kevin]

He looks so small.  He feels like Ryan Bourque all over again to me.

[Cash or Czech]

Rangers have done pretty poorly with small prospects overall, though I guess that isn't too surprising. Ryan Bourque and Ty Ronning are the swings we've missed in my recent memory, plus fliers on guys like Patrik Virta who never came over. We don't really draft small as a trend until recently, and only really found success with Zuccarello as a free agent.

I'm hoping Berard could break that trend since we could use some additional skilled wingers in the system, looks like a promising start to the year. Already matched last year's point total.

Edited October 25, 2021 by Xander

[Long live the King]

Just think of DeBrincat instead.

[TwoMinutesForNothing]

Year old article, but just found it and still a good read.  He's 19, if he can add 8 lbs he'll be the exact same size as Marchand.

 

https://www.si.com/hockey/news/meet-brett-berard-american-aggressor

Quote

 

Interestingly enough, Berard didn't always make his name with grit and tenacity - when he was a kid, he had enough skill to excel on his offensive talents. But when the youngster arrived at the NTDP in the fall of 2018, he was just 5-foot-7 and 130 pounds. Plus, he was surrounded by other top-end kids from across the country like Beniers, Jake Sanderson and Thomas Bordeleau. If Berard was going to thrive, he would have to add different elements to his game. Luckily, he also had a great new coach in Seth Appert.

"What I unbelievably appreciate that Seth did, is Seth helped define his identity and what he needed to be in order to become a good player at that level and in college," David said. "He worked really hard with Brett in adding those elements to his game. His tenacity and grit were always a part of him, but they didn't always have to come out. Seth brought that out of him and got him to buy in to playing a bit differently."

Now, NHLers such as Brad Marchand, Brendan Gallagher and Brayden Point were focal points and Berard began to embrace his inner thorn.

"It's not always butterflies and rainbows when you're trying to get a kid to do things differently," David said. "Seth is a great coach because he identified those things and got Brett to buy in. What makes me proud as a dad is that Brett was coachable and he understood he had to make changes - and now he's benefitting from the changes he made."

 

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by TwoMinutesForNothing

[TwoMinutesForNothing]

Another game, another goal. 

[Cash or Czech]

19 games last year, 5 goals 5 assists

19 games this year, 10 goals 12 assists

Love to see the step up in production, he currently leads Providence in scoring.

[Cash or Czech]

 

[BrooksBurner]

8 pts in 9 games for the Pack. Might be worth a cup of coffee soon.