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ThatIrishFellow · 07-12-2018, 02:57 PM

The Athletic: Post-Draft Analysis of St. Louis' Rookies

With only one pick in the first three rounds, St. Louis had to make the most of their later round picks. In order to see how well they drafted, we’ve put together a report card for each draftee to make it easier for our readers. We’ve removed non-relevant stats for each position, with rationale provide before each positional group. The penalty shot and durability stats were not considered. The scale is as follows:

A+ = 80+
A = 75 – 79
A- = 70 – 74
B+ = 67-69
B = 63 - 66
B- = 60 - 62
C+ = 57 - 59
C = 53 - 56
C- = 50 - 52
D+ = 47 - 49
D = 43 - 46
D- = 40 – 42
F = <40

We’ll mark the current attributes of each prospect as we head into the pre-season and provide an overall grade to give our readers an idea of what’s to come. Without further ado:

GOALIES
All stat categories were considered, with the exception of durability, since injuries are turned off.

Aleister Cain - G:
Drafted 87th overall, Cain looks to be a great late round steal for St. Louis. With high agility, style control, hand speed, and reaction time, he looks to be well on his way. The fact that he fell so far and was drafted last in this class is a mystery. He's a great locker room presence and is looking to slot into a backup role immediately. Other GMs really missed out on this gem.

SK = C
EN = B-
SZ = C-
AG = A-
RB = B-
SC = A
HS = A
RT = A
PH = B-
PS = B-

Overall: B

DEFENSEMEN
Fighting, face offs, and penalty shot stats were not considered, as a defenseman can still be effective without any of these skills.

Ricky Weaver - D:
Drafted 71st overall, Weaver looks to be a defensively responsible offensive defenseman, with a knack for scoring from the point. With high strength, scoring, and defensive stats, he is looking to make his presence on the blueline known. Expect Weaver to be hard on the puck, in order to generate scoring chances.

CK = D-
DI = B-
SK = C-
ST = B
EN = B-
PH = C
PA = C-
SC = B+
DF = B+

Overall: C+

Helmuts Akmenlauks – D:
Drafted 63rd overall, Akmenlauks has shown promise as a responsible 200-foot player and is able to join the rush when needed, without getting caught deep. With a high defense stat, and relatively balanced skating, strength, endurance, and puck handling, it will be hard to find a hole in his game.

CK = D-
DI = B-
SK = B-
ST = B-
EN = B-
PH = B-
PA = D+
SC = A-
DF = B+

Overall: B-

Milo Momoka – D:
Drafted 55th overall, Momoka looks to be another brilliant pick by the St. Louis administration. As an offensive defenseman, he has high defense and skating stats, which allows him to move through the neutral zone on the rush. Look for him to create space and craft opportunities for his forwards.

CK = D
DI = B-
SK = B+
ST = B-
EN = C+
PH = B-
PA = B-
SC = B
DF = A-

Overall: C+

Kiko Rytmeyr – D:
Drafted 45th overall (and one of three sixth round picks by St. Louis), Rytmeyr looks to be another mid-late round steal by St. Louis. He has high puck handling and scoring stats, which is complemented by a decent defense stat. Look for Rytmeyr to be working the puck through the neutral zone and carrying it into the opposing end.

CK = D-
DI = B-
SK = B-
ST = C-
EN = B-
PH = A-
PA = B-
SC = A-
DF = B

Overall: B-

WINGERS
For wingers, the same scale as defenders was used. Although wingers can take face-offs, it doesn't directly impact their effectiveness, so that stat was left out. It's important to note that some wingers may have allocated TPE into faceoffs, which will slightly lower their overall grade.

Adam Taylor – RW:
Drafted 47th overall, and another sixth-round pick, Taylor looks to be a dependable winger. With high endurance, skating, and defense stats, look for him to be the go-to guy in high-pressure situations. He'll be able to play long minutes without losing his composure.

CK = D-
DI = B
SK = B+
ST = C-
EN = A-
PH = B-
PA = B-
SC = B-
DF = B+

Overall:  B-

Lil’ Manius - RW:
Drafted 25th overall, Lil' Manius looks to follow in the footsteps of SHL legend, Big Manius. Lil' is a 200-foot winger, with balanced stats across the board. It will be tough to find a weakness in his game, and he should be able to slot into a top six role immediately. Another great pick, given his family history, and active locker room personality.

CK = C
DI = B-
SK = B-
ST = B-
EN = B
PH = B
PA = C-
SC = B-
DF = B-

Overall:  B-

Nicholas Williams – LW:
Drafted 41st, overall, Williams seems to be another brilliant sixth-round pick. As a winger, Williams has high skating, scoring, and defense stats, making him a valuable asset on this mostly-rookie squad. In addition, Williams has proven to be an active member of the locker room, which can only be a positive for his development.

CK = D-
DI = B-
SK = A-
ST = D
EN = C-
PH = B-
PA = B
SC = A-
DF = A-

Overall:  B-

Derek Moore - LW:
Drafted 79th overall, Moore was a risky, late-round pick. However, his high defense stat may allow him to quickly become a key member of the bottom six this season.

CK = D-
DI = B-
SK = B
ST = D-
EN = C-
PH = C
PA = B
SC = C-
DF = A

Overall: C+

Nicky Pedersen Jr. – LW:
Drafted 31st overall, NPJr is an absolute robbery of a pick by St. Louis. No one can explain why he fell so far. Taking after his father, NPJr is looking to be an impact player right away. Hockey is in this man's blood, and the passion runs deep. High skating, scoring, and defense stats make NPJr a threat anywhere on the ice. How could anyone pass on talent like this?

CK = B-
DI = B-
SK = B+
ST = D-
EN = B-
PH = C+
PA = B-
SC = A-
DF = A-

Overall:  B-

CENTERS
Centers will use the same scale as defensemen and wingers, with the addition of the face-off stat. Arguably, this is one of the critical stats for centers, so it needs to be included.

Nikolaj Boyle – C:
Drafted 39th overall, Boyle will look to make an impact in the dot immediately. High defense and face-off stats should carry him up through the ranks of rookie centers. He can play both ends of the ice and is able to steal the puck away from opponents with ease.

CK = D-
DI = B-
SK = B-
ST = C
EN = C
PH = B -
FO = A-
PA = B-
SC = C-
DF = A-

Overall: C+

Dale Shootman – C:
Drafted 37th overall, Shootman looks to bring his finesse to the SMJHL. A gifted scorer, as evidenced by his high scoring stat, he looks ready to join the league and find twine. Shootman's skating and puck handling abilities are also above average for this draft class.

CK = D-
DI = B-
SK = B
ST = C-
EN = C-
PH = B
FO = C+
PA = D
SC = A-
DF = C-

Overall:  C

Goku Muerto – C
Drafted 5th overall, Muerto was St. Louis' only first-round pick. Some projections had Muerto pegged for third overall, so this is a great pick with no risk. Muerto has all the tools needed to succeed as a top six center in his rookie season, and will continue to impress the league with his crisp passes and smooth skating.

CK = D-
DI = B-
SK = A
ST = C
EN = C-
PH = B
FO = C
PA = A-
SC = C
DF = B-

Overall: C+

CONCLUSION

Overall, St. Louis was able to overcome their lack of early picks and managed to find numerous steals in later rounds. It's easy to see why many of these players fell, given the size of this draft class. There's no doubt that in a smaller draft, many of these players would have been snatched up earlier. However, the fact that most of these players flew under the radar leading up until the draft will pay dividends for the 'Crows in the long run. Many of the players drafted are highly active locker room presences and play 200-foot games. This will be important as more than half the roster will be made up of rookies. Team success will depend on how well they work together and how tight they can play defensively. Things are looking up for St. Louis, but only time can truly tell.

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We also had the chance to catchup with a handful of these players after the draft. We prepared a set list of questions. Nicky Pedersen Jr. (NPJr), Goku Muerto (GM), Adam Taylor (AT), Nicholas Williams (NW), Lil' Manius (LM), and Aleister Cain (AC) had a lot to say:

1 - Tell us a bit about your player? Age, background, position, etc.

NPJr: "My name is Nicky Pedersen Jr., I'm a left winger from Connecticut."
GM: "Hi I am Goku Muerto. I'm 18 years of age. I was born in Iceland but have lived and played hockey in Norway for the last few years. I play center."
AT: "I'm Adam Taylor, 18 years old. I'm just a self-taught player out of West Texas. Odessa to be specific. There is nothing out there except oil wells and dust storms. I play right wing, drafted by the St. Louis Scarecrows."
NW: "I'm Nicholas Williams, aged 17. I'm an American-born left winger - a speedster with good hockey IQ. I was born in the outskirts of Detroit, and I always wanted to join the SHL. All my coaches knew I had the potential and consistently pushed for me to get here. Now that the Crows drafted me, the plan is to work hard every day on and off the ice to accomplish my dream."
LM: "I'm Lil’ Manius, right winger born in upstate NY. The love child of Big Manius."
AC: "My name is Aleister Cain, and I’m from Chicago, Illinois. I was born there and played hockey there since I was 7 years old. I’ve played in many leagues around the city but capped off my amateur career playing for 4 years at Whitney White High School in the CPS Hockey League. I won Chicago High School Rookie of the Year during my freshman year, and the Anderson Award for Highest Save Percentage. Unfortunately, we didn’t win any championships throughout my four years in high school, but I will remember my team fondly. Now I look ahead to my future career and making good first impressions with my teammates, coaches, and team staff."

2 - What do you hope to accomplish this season? Any specific goals, or milestones that you want to reach?

NPJr: "As the son of a SHL HOF, there was one award my father never won, a SMJHL Championship. I’d like to be able to add that award to my family's legacy."
GM: "I want to work on developing my skills to be the best player I can be. I want to help contribute to a great season and go for the 4-Star Cup for the St. Louis Scarecrows. I would also like to establish myself as a top pick for the SHL Draft."
AT: "I hope to hit all of my measured milestones. Just looking to put up quite a few assists, score some beauts, and stay out of the box. Whatever it takes to help St. Louis win that Four-Star Cup."
NW: "My goal is to crack the roster and be a team leader on and off the ice. Hopefully produce a high amount of points and stay in the league for as many years as possible."
LM: "No specific goals, I just hope to put up some respectable rookie numbers."
AC: "For now, I think I want to work hard on training with junior/pro players and overcoming weaknesses in my game, eventually working towards cracking the roster as the backup and (fingers crossed) starter. I know realistically it will take a few seasons to settle into the starting role but that is my goal for now."

3 - Are you happy with your draft position? Do you think you deserved to go sooner? Later?

NPJr: "No. I’m pissed off about it actually. GMs made a mistake. I guarantee SHL GMs will not make the same mistake, and that NPJr will be a first rounder in the SHL draft."
GM: "I was drafted at 5th overall, which I feel was a solid spot for me. I could easily have gone up or down a couple spots but I was happy to go to STL so the spot itself did not really matter."
AT: "I'm humble. I'm not suggesting I was going to go first. There are plenty of guys out there that deserved to go higher than me. But I definitely expected to go in the first three rounds. I was kind of shocked that I didn't to be honest. I think everyone here had a decent grasp on where they were going to fall. But it took me by surprise. I'm glad I fell to the Scarecrows though. Hayes is by far the best mascot
NW: 'I would have loved to gone sooner, but overall I am happy about the outcome. St Louis was a dream come true."
LM: "Later, but I am happy where I am and I certainly would not have picked myself over Muerto. I guess GMs were not looking for a recreate of a proven commodity."
AC: "I am completely ecstatic to be drafted at all, even if it was the last pick. The fact that other teams would rather forfeit their picks than draft me makes me even more grateful to my GM and motivates me to prove everyone wrong for passing on me. I don’t think I had ever seen a scout in the stands at my high school game, so I understand that there was little to no scouting material or media about me. For now, I just hope to be a hidden gem in this draft that shines for years to come."

4 - What are you focusing on at training camp? Why?

NPJr: "I focused on defense and puck handling. I learned from my father that in the SMJHL that being sound defensively is essential for success - defense feeds the beast."
GM: "I spent most of my training camp working on skating. My coaches have always told me that skating is the most important aspect of any player's game, and I have the desire to be the best skater out of the whole draft class so I will keep working on getting there. I also did a bit of work on my defensive game, since it is important to be responsible in your own end."
AT: "Defense. Can't be a good forward if you can't defend. You can only score so many goals. Hockey is as much about preventing goals as it is about scoring them."
NW: "I'm focusing on getting faster and playing a 200-foot game."
LM: "I am focusing on a combination scoring and defense, I am looking to be a force on both ends of the ice."

5 - Anything you'd like to say to your teammates, players, rest of the league, fans, etc?

NPJr: "I’ll let my play on the ice do my talking for me."
GM: "I am really excited about this season, the management of STL is great and I really want to see all of us rookies on the team work hard and show the team and fans that we are going to do our best and bring home the Cup!"
AT: "To my teammates: Let's get ready boys. This season is coming up quick. No one out there has the talent we do. No one out there has a team like we do. Let's get that cup. To our opponents: A storm is coming. Fans: I'm incredibly excited to be playing for the great city of St. Louis, the gateway to the West. I'm supremely thankful for the people of the state of Missouri, and all they have given me so far. The people I meet on the street are wonderfully friendly and hardly a bother. It's great to see you all out there in your 'Crows hats, shirts, and sweaters. Come championship time let's paint this city Red, Black, and Gold."
NW: "I have to say I have some of the best teammates I have ever had. The coaches and the front office really are putting their faith in me to succeed and I will not let them down."
LM: "Crows! Let’s go win some games"
AC: "I’d like to thank my teammates and everyone I’ve met since being drafted for being so helpful and encouraging. To the league and the fans, I’d say to keep an eye on me and my development, you won’t be disappointed!"

Well there you have it folks! This is The Athletic St. Louis, until next time.


(I don't know how to word count this, but Word says 2962) x2 draft media

Nictox · 07-12-2018, 03:50 PM

Love how you put this together. Good job!

RIP Dangel #AD26 | RIP TDZ

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