LGR4GM

Kinda like Kevyn Adams He's also only 5'10.75" and 180lbs.

No it isn't. He's perfectly fine as a pick at #9 though.

Schaefer, Aitcheson, and Eklund is pretty solid work.

Hagens went to Boston

Should add Mrtka is a June bday so his younger for this class. You kinda hope he has the Dickinson glow up next year and then you're feeling good about the pick. It's not a bad pick, he's probably the 3rd best defenseman in this draft.

If I were the Sabres I certainly wouldn't be drafting anymore rhd this draft Mrtka, Strbak, Komarov, McCarthy, Kleber and they added Kesselring. Not all of them will be nhl guys but man is there a bit of a jam.

Ok Mrtka had a consolidated ranking of 12, so getting him at 9 isn't a reach... looking at you Nesbitt. Mrtka does a few things very well. He's an active scanner and you'll see that in highlights. He's looking to find what's coming. He's also very active with his stick where he'll strip pucks and fire them up ice. Of course his passing ranges from really nice to wtf and it gives me Ristolainen vibes. His skating has the typical 18yr old and tall issues with pivots but he's getting better. His recover ability and balance are pretty solid and his agility is there just needs work. In his own zone he's good at ending plays and shutting off walls but sometimes he loses coverage or gets walked. His offensive game is fine, he can hit open lanes but he won't manipulate them open. Overall, right now he's a 2nd pair who probably splits possession about 50/50. The size is nice and he's got flashes of awesome but he also has flashes of Risto with bad passes and occasionally stone hands. I'd leave him in the WHL for another year and see if you can get him on a college team for a couple years after that. In 4 years if he works hard and irons out his game, he'll be a strong #3 or maybe a #2.

What Philly just did is stupid. Really stupid. Zachary Senyshyn stupid. Carter Bear goes to Detroit... sigh Mrtka won't sniff the nhl for 3 years, it hurts nothing. Ekblad? I mean we can still draft more massive rhds in round 2 this year.

We didn't draft the 2nd best defensive prospect though.

"While Mrtka isn’t a particularly punishing player, he’s an active and aware defender. He scans for threats, ties them up, and rotates well. Though he lands the occasional big hit, his physical impact comes through his ability to absorb contact, win retrievals, and deny space. With possession, Mrtka’s no slouch, either. He makes tricky passes off the wall on retrievals, joins the rush, and manages space well at the top of the zone. Though his points mostly come from straightforward plays and zone-extending pinches, he flashes some high-end ability. “One shift, Mrtka pulled the puck off the wall, evaded two defenders, then hit a hesitation move before firing,” wrote Dir. of North American scouting Mitchell Brown in February. “Off the next faceoff, he shielded the puck, accelerated down the wall, and manipulated the defender to secure the passing lane to the slot, setting up a goal. Though inconsistent, he manipulates opponents and creates lanes with handling skill, look-offs, and push-in and push-out routes, especially on the breakout.”" - Elite Prospects

Here yea go

No he doesn't.

6 years behind

Well then espn is full of ***** because their big board was 1. McQueen 2. Mrtka

Needs to get way more physical

As I said, no defenders taken between Schaefer and 9th

Absolutely a steal for Boston.

Hagens next I assume

Holy poop Bye bye Martin

Nashville will take Hagens, imo

This format blowwwwwwwwwws

Desnoyers 4th overall to Utah

Desnoyers