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Ryan Merkley

Snapshots: Rangers, Dahlin, Johnson

January 26, 2018 at 3:08 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 9 Comments

The New York Rangers are currently just a single point out of a playoff spot, and two points out of second place in the Metropolitan Division, but according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post that won’t make them buyers at the deadline. In fact, Brooks writes that the Rangers are preparing to “blow it up” and are willing to deal Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello along with their rental options.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard McDonagh’s name mentioned, as he currently sits tenth on the TSN Trade Bait board, but is still might come as a surprise. The Rangers captain has logged 24 minutes a night again this season, and currently has 24 points through 45 games. While he may not match his career-high of 14 goals, he’s certainly a bargain at his $4.7MM cap hit this year and next.

  • Welcome to “the Rasmus Dahlin draft” writes TSN insider Bob McKenzie, who released his early rankings for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft today. Dahlin tops the board like everywhere else, but McKenzie’s rankings do differ from some of the other leading sources. Perhaps most notably is Ryan Merkley at #11, as the dynamic Guelph defenseman has slipped to the back half of the first round in most other rankings. McKenzie explains why, noting Merkley’s perceived attitude problem and temperament as potential reasons for his fall.
  • Darren Dreger was on TSN 1050 radio today, and said that he’d be “shocked” if the Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM Lou Lamoriello hadn’t called on Jack Johnson from the Columbus Blue Jackets. As noted in our most recent live chat, Johnson does seem like a pretty good fit for the Maple Leafs down the stretch as he tries to secure a long-term contract this summer. Johnson is looking for an opportunity to play a big role somewhere, and the Maple Leafs have had a revolving door in the back half of their defense corps. Still, with Morgan Rielly and Nikita Zaitsev returning from injury soon and Travis Dermott showing he’s ready for the NHL, the Maple Leafs aren’t guaranteed to be on the market any longer.

Columbus Blue Jackets| Injury| Lou Lamoriello| New York Rangers| Snapshots| Toronto Maple Leafs Bob McKenzie| Jack Johnson| Mats Zuccarello| NHL Entry Draft| Rasmus Dahlin| Ryan McDonagh| Ryan Merkley

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Snapshots: Coaches, Franson, Prospects

November 1, 2017 at 12:08 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The morning after Halloween and the mask is coming off for some teams around the league. While Alain Vigneault and the New York Rangers stayed alive by fighting off the Vegas Golden Knights last night, seats are getting hotter for some coaches around the league. Frank Seravalli of TSN lists 13 potential hires should a team want to go in a different direction, including several very interesting names.

Along with the usual NCAA suspects like Jim Montgomery and David Quinn, Seravalli lists several options that are currently associate coaches in the league. It would be surprising to see any of them stolen away to coach a different team in the league mid-season, but don’t forget their names come springtime.

  • Cody Franson has gone all the way from a professional tryout to the top pairing of the Chicago Blackhawks, as Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune reports that he practiced alongside Duncan Keith yesterday for the team. Franson’s summer was one of the most surprising in free agency, as the 30-year old defenseman was unable to find an NHL contract for some time. Even with a rumored handshake deal with the Blackhawks, who waited until Marian Hossa could be put on long-term injured reserve before signing Franson, he will still earn just $1MM this season. The right-handed defenseman has always been a fairly productive offensive player, and has two points through three games for the Blackhawks this season.
  • Jeff Marek of Sportsnet released his November prospect rankings, and there is no surprise at the top. Rasmus Dahlin continues to lead the pack in the race to be the number one pick, and his recent naming to Sweden’s Karjala Cup roster certainly won’t hurt. Marek is lower than many on Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm, who figures to have a broad range of rankings due to his size and defensive play. The OHL defenseman is only 5’11” 164-lbs, but has incredible offensive upside and can carry and distribute the puck as well as any prospect in the draft. With 15 points in 15 games, he has a real chance to lead all OHL defensemen in points this season (though he’ll have to quickly make up some ground on the current leader, Sean Durzi, who has been lined up at wing in the past).

AHL| Alain Vigneault| Chicago Blackhawks| Coaches| OHL| Prospects| Vegas Golden Knights Cody Franson| Duncan Keith| Rasmus Dahlin| Ryan Merkley

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Ryan Merkley Pushing For Top Draft Spot

October 12, 2017 at 12:11 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

We’ve discussed the draft profiles of Andrei Svechnikov and Rasmus Dahlin in the past, the two favorites to be the first-overall pick next summer in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Both have a real shot at going at the top, thanks to dynamic offensive abilities from their respective positions.

Svechnikov is lighting up the OHL with his power-speed combination, scoring eight goals through his first eight games. Dahlin on the other hand is starring in the Swedish professional ranks, and even scored his first Champions League goal yesterday. Improbably, his defensive game looks nearly as developed as his offense, and at this point looks like a lock to play in the NHL for a long time.

Ryan MerkleyWhile those two dominate many of the headlines early on, there are several other candidates to push for the top spot. One of them, Ryan Merkley, was profiled by Aaron Vickers of NHL.com who spoke to several scouts and teammates. The undersized defenseman has wowed spectators and coaches for years in southern Ontario, and is already showing he might be among the best players in the OHL—at 17. It won’t be surprising if Merkley leads all OHL defensemen in points this year, and he could be in for a race to the top defensive spot with Dahlin by the end of the year. Sometimes, even in the world of instant worldwide communication, the player closer to home is given a bit of a boost on draft boards. While every team will certainly have scouts attending Dahlin’s games, many front offices can attend Merkley’s games in person on a regular basis if they choose.

None of this is to say that Merkley is a lock for the top spot, or even the first few. While his ability to skate the puck out of trouble and distribute scoring chances for his teammates is incredible, he’s still listed at just 5’11” 170-lbs (which seems generous) and will always have his size working against him. While the league is slowly moving away from lumbering giants and embracing smaller skilled players, there are still some teams who would rather take the risk on a 6’1″ Jared McIsaac or 6’2″ Bode Wilde to plug into their blueline. Both are wonderful prospects in their own right, and have distinct size advantages over Merkley.

The biggest thing to take from Vickers’ profile, is how strong the 2018 draft is shaping up to be. There is a real chance a prospect like Merkley could fall to the middle of the first round, given the immense group of high-impact names that will be available. While last year had a deeper talent pool than some realize, 2018 is shaping up to be one of the best draft classes in several years, with at least a handful of players that have franchise-altering potential. Obviously many of them won’t reach that potential, but their ceilings will make for an interesting draft floor—expect teams to be very active trying to get their favorite new toy.

Prospects Andrei Svechnikov| Bode Wilde| NHL Entry Draft| Rasmus Dahlin| Ryan Merkley

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