SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, Fred65 said: I read this article today and thought it has to be encouraging to Rafferty who as well know is basically blind in one eye It’s kinda crazy when you think about all the stuff Rafferty has had to overcome to get to where he is as a pro. Amblyopia (legally blind in one eye), scoliosis (curved spine), same name as the Craigslist murderer, only 5’8”, 130 lbs at age 16/17, didn’t switch to defence until age 17/18, didn’t start college hockey until his 20’s, and now, at age 25, potentially ready to start his NHL rookie season. That’s an insane journey, with several stops along the way that would’ve ended most kids’ NHL dreams. EDIT: Oh yeah, he also didn’t make the USHL until his last year of eligibility, at age 20/21. Edited May 12, 2020 by SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred65 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 1 hour ago, komodo0921 said: When I first saw Rafferty's stats, I was hyped to see him in the NHL but, my excitement has been, somewhat, tempered since then. Most articles on him do not speak glowingly of his skills or abilities. Most speak of him as a really good AHLer but may never have the same success at the NHL level. Sound familiar? Reid Boucher has always been great at lower levels but could never transfer the same success to the NHL. While Rafferty's stats look encouraging, his hockey IQ isn't considered to be high. He doesn't read the play at a particulary high rate. He often defers the play to his defensive partner or a near forward. Most of his longer outlet passes, more often then not, fail and frequently turn into opposition rushes, many offering scoring chances. He's seen more as a support defender than a rushing catalyst. His shot is not particularly strong and shouldn't be considered an effective weapon from the point. I now see a player that should, maybe, spend another season in " The A" to hone his skills and improve his mobility. I am encouraged by his progress but' to say he's NHL ready may be a bit premature.. I'm not sure what more he can do in the AHL. He was the top point producer for a D in Utica. He was tied for 3rd O/A in the AHL for +/- and from the video I've watched seems pretty confident with his abilities and why not. But the best part is I watched him live at Rogers and believe me he has hockey IQ. Cool under stress. He's now 25 years of age, not a youngster really. At some point Vcr has to transition from mediocre and older players to a younger more skilled group on the blue line. They're never going to be dropped into the line up with immediate success, they need to refine their game and get experience before Vcr is poised for a run at the Cup and that's likely 2-3 years away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred65 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 1 hour ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said: It’s kinda crazy when you think about all the stuff Rafferty has had to overcome to get to where he is as a pro. Amblyopia (legally blind in one eye), scoliosis (curved spine), same name as the Craigslist murderer, only 5’8”, 130 lbs at age 16/17, didn’t switch to defence until age 17/18, didn’t start college hockey until his 20’s, and now, at age 25, potentially ready to start his NHL rookie season. That’s an insane journey, with several stops along the way that would’ve ended most kids’ NHL dreams. EDIT: Oh yeah, he also didn’t make the USHL until his last year of eligibility, at age 20/21. Man that's determination/character. I went through the Q & A on Canucks army and I have to say the guys seems smart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 1 hour ago, Fred65 said: Man that's determination/character. I went through the Q & A on Canucks army and I have to say the guys seems smart Definitely not your typical 25 year old trying to crack the NHL for the first time. He’s only been a defenceman for seven years, and only really been a “prospect” for 4-5 years. His trajectory, given his rather unique history, is actually very impressive. Most players are starting to plateau by 25, but with Rafferty, we haven’t really approached the peak of his development curve. And, like you say, he’s very intelligent and brings high levels of character and maturity, especially having had to overcome so much already. He’s the type of guy that you believe when he says he’s ready for that next step. I would not be surprised if he grabs an NHL lineup spot next season and never lets go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkyard Dog Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 3 hours ago, komodo0921 said: When I first saw Rafferty's stats, I was hyped to see him in the NHL but, my excitement has been, somewhat, tempered since then. Most articles on him do not speak glowingly of his skills or abilities. Most speak of him as a really good AHLer but may never have the same success at the NHL level. Sound familiar? Reid Boucher has always been great at lower levels but could never transfer the same success to the NHL. While Rafferty's stats look encouraging, his hockey IQ isn't considered to be high. He doesn't read the play at a particulary high rate. He often defers the play to his defensive partner or a near forward. Most of his longer outlet passes, more often then not, fail and frequently turn into opposition rushes, many offering scoring chances. He's seen more as a support defender than a rushing catalyst. His shot is not particularly strong and shouldn't be considered an effective weapon from the point. I now see a player that should, maybe, spend another season in " The A" to hone his skills and improve his mobility. I am encouraged by his progress but' to say he's NHL ready may be a bit premature.. He'll be 25 this month, year from now he'll be 26. If he was younger I would agree he could use another year but he's more make or break than anyone else in Utica or even in our prospect pool. If he doesn't make the team next year he never will. He'll get pushed down as more defenseman are drafted, signed from College/CHL and/or make the jump. He's not gonna get priority as a 26 year old over a lot more of the valued defenseman in our prospect pool. 7th defenseman would be a good place to start next year. He wouldn't be a regular but we gotta see where he is at. He'd get a similar treatment as Mac which worked out well, but I figure Rafferty would get more games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlastPast Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Does he kill penalties ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_Cathode Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 7 hours ago, BlastPast said: Does he kill penalties ? Not too much in Utica, though he did make this play when Utica was short handed, but according to the Komodo Rafferty has no offensive talent, so this must be somebody else named Brogan Rafferty: (by the way, this was short-handed) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Kneel Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 (edited) Be worth a cup of coffee to see what he can do. Actually we've got a few young guys in the same position. They need to fight it out to see who wants it more. Competition is a good thing. Edited May 13, 2020 by Hairy Kneel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlastPast Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 If he doesn't kill penalties I'm not sure where he fits on this roster. If he can be trusted to do it even for 1 min./game maybe he can find a place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentSam Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 21 hours ago, komodo0921 said: When I first saw Rafferty's stats, I was hyped to see him in the NHL but, my excitement has been, somewhat, tempered since then. Most articles on him do not speak glowingly of his skills or abilities. Most speak of him as a really good AHLer but may never have the same success at the NHL level. Sound familiar? Reid Boucher has always been great at lower levels but could never transfer the same success to the NHL. While Rafferty's stats look encouraging, his hockey IQ isn't considered to be high. He doesn't read the play at a particulary high rate. He often defers the play to his defensive partner or a near forward. Most of his longer outlet passes, more often then not, fail and frequently turn into opposition rushes, many offering scoring chances. He's seen more as a support defender than a rushing catalyst. His shot is not particularly strong and shouldn't be considered an effective weapon from the point. I now see a player that should, maybe, spend another season in " The A" to hone his skills and improve his mobility. I am encouraged by his progress but' to say he's NHL ready may be a bit premature.. Let’s not over rate or compare an “offensive” Defenceman, to a “Defenceman” . A solid shutdown D man who quickly guickly breaks down an offensive rush, or Cycle, and move the puck, or leave it for a “friendly” stick to the quickest safe option is of equal value. As brilliant as a D man looks engaging in an offensive rush, silently the stalwart hero who engages in the more physical play and comprehensive task of reading an offensive tactic of his opposition with the puck or without it. ... and fans only cheer the breakout they create after the fact. Counter attack only begins after the 1st encounter has been stopped.. Rafferty is gifted with these smarts, as is Teves, whom I also hope make a push at main camp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo0921 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 21 hours ago, Fred65 said: I'm not sure what more he can do in the AHL. He was the top point producer for a D in Utica. He was tied for 3rd O/A in the AHL for +/- and from the video I've watched seems pretty confident with his abilities and why not. But the best part is I watched him live at Rogers and believe me he has hockey IQ. Cool under stress. He's now 25 years of age, not a youngster really. At some point Vcr has to transition from mediocre and older players to a younger more skilled group on the blue line. They're never going to be dropped into the line up with immediate success, they need to refine their game and get experience before Vcr is poised for a run at the Cup and that's likely 2-3 years away In "The A" he looks great but scouts, including our own, say that the hype surrounding him should calmed. As was stated, he makes a lot of mistakes with the puck and his skating still needs improvement. He gets beat on the outside way too much. His edge work still needs improvement and he doesn't pivot well. Don't get me wrong, If he earns a spot, I'd be as excited as the next guy but, I'm simply being cautious with my eagerness. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 (edited) Can’t wait till we get some of these great name players up with the big team. Before we know it we’ll be challenging for the All Name team with the Hog, the Pod, the Bro, and the Bone. Edited May 13, 2020 by DeNiro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred65 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 22 minutes ago, komodo0921 said: In "The A" he looks great but scouts, including our own, say that the hype surrounding him should calmed. As was stated, he makes a lot of mistakes with the puck and his skating still needs improvement. He gets beat on the outside way too much. His edge work still needs improvement and he doesn't pivot well. Don't get me wrong, If he earns a spot, I'd be as excited as the next guy but, I'm simply being cautious with my eagerness. I've never hears any "scouts" suggest deficiencies in the areas you list? I know it's not a lot but watched with interest when he was given a couple of games at the end of the season before last and what I saw was pretty good. Now I'd agree you can't make a judgement on a couple of games but from the videos ( which usually highlight only the best plays ) how eve for all this defensive blunders you mention in terms of AHL rookie defensemen he has 3rd best +/- in the league 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo0921 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 12 minutes ago, Fred65 said: I've never hears any "scouts" suggest deficiencies in the areas you list? I know it's not a lot but watched with interest when he was given a couple of games at the end of the season before last and what I saw was pretty good. Now I'd agree you can't make a judgement on a couple of games but from the videos ( which usually highlight only the best plays ) how eve for all this defensive blunders you mention in terms of AHL rookie defensemen he has 3rd best +/- in the league I don't know how to transfer articles but, one is called "Eight Minute Insights." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_Cathode Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 12 hours ago, BlastPast said: If he doesn't kill penalties I'm not sure where he fits on this roster. If he can be trusted to do it even for 1 min./game maybe he can find a place. Hughes doesn’t kill penalties, so I guess he has no spot on the roster... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_Cathode Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 9 hours ago, Fred65 said: I've never hears any "scouts" suggest deficiencies in the areas you list? I know it's not a lot but watched with interest when he was given a couple of games at the end of the season before last and what I saw was pretty good. Now I'd agree you can't make a judgement on a couple of games but from the videos ( which usually highlight only the best plays ) how eve for all this defensive blunders you mention in terms of AHL rookie defensemen he has 3rd best +/- in the league Neither have I. I want to see such comments before I give the poster any credence whatsoever. And having watched him play, I would have to question the credibility of ant commentators that supposedly made such claims. There are grounds to critique Rafferty, but Komodo has touched on none of the ones I have ever heard of. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Googlie Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 TSN interview, Jan 21, 2020 Utica Comets head coach Trent Cull says Brogan Rafferty has been impressive offensively but what he needs to work on is his lateral skating and his play without the puck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkyard Dog Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 3 hours ago, Ray_Cathode said: Hughes doesn’t kill penalties, so I guess he has no spot on the roster... Eh I get where you're coming from but we definitely need all our Dmen to play special team roles. Otherwise more responsibility is put on fewer D. That's why Stecher's ice time is so low, he is hardly use on special teams. Hughes logs a ton of PP and O-zone time. And in Rafferty's defense he'd probably get 2nd PP time, which would free up Myers, but he probably should start as a 7th D anyway. Learn the ropes with the coaches, practice with NHLers and get some games. Same sort of concept they did with Mac who was pretty much groomed for a roster spot next year and was with the team most of this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_Cathode Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 Another unimpressive play by the unimpressive Brogan Rafferty: https://twitter.com/ChrisFaber39/status/1204952414471610368?s=20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred65 Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 To me this primarily about timing and development. Rafferty was #3 in AHL rookies for +/- and his offence was equally good. If his defence was so bad how come the figures don't show this.I don't believe he can get much more development in Utica. As for timing, this is not Vcr time for the SC. it's still about 2-3 years away so the youngster have to polished in Vcr. It's unrealistic to believe they can just step in and excel immediately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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