Brad Lambert VS. Aatu Raty

[Ichiban604]

There are alot of similarities between the two  polarized players/prospects. Much of the same  Lambert is going through like Aatu last year during his draft year. Both were highly touted with chance of being top 3 picks (if not 1st overall) starting the year and eventually slipping in draft ranking towards their draft due to poor performances and simply not putting up the stats. Scouts lost confident in both players and red flags were placed on them. Similar situations happened to Podkolzin ( but not to the same extend) where he was ranked top 3 starting the season in his 2019 draft year and fall out of top 10 ranking. Looking at Podkolzon development,  especially his last 20 games of the season, I'm glad we got him where we did at 10th overall and whom still got alot of development and potential ahead of him.

 

Aatu Ht/Wt: 6' 2"/185 lbs
Position: C

"When at his best, Räty has the chance to be the best center from this draft class with his dual threat ability as a shooter and passer along with a two-way game that should translate to the NHL level. The issue is that he has often not been at his best over the last year which leaves him as a projectable transitional third line center."

"His wrist shot remains a real weapon and his ability to find soft spots has been quite good since the turn of the calendar to 2021. His two-way play is solid and he very well could wind up being the best center in the class."

 

Season

Team

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

 

2020-2021 Kärpät U20 U20 SM-sarja 8 3 4 7 2   Kärpät Liiga 35 3 3 6 18  2021-2022 Kärpät Liiga 6 0 1 1 2

 

With his past year of development,  Aatu have became Islander top prospect and the organization sure looks like genius by picking him in the 2nd round 52 overall pick. Here is a quick article on his rise:

https://theathletic.com/3259361/2022/04/20/new-york-islanders-prospect-aatu-raty/

 

Scouting Report :

 

Lambert Ht/Wt: 6' 0"/179 lbs
Position: C/RW

"A big-time faller. Once considered a potential first overall, and is now barely a first round pick in my rankings. He has elite-level skating and skill, but I have serious concerns about his hockey sense and compete"

"Long thought to be one of the most talented players in the draft and a potential No. 1 overall choice at one point, Lambert couldn't get much going this past year and now is seen as a boom-or-bust player; his elite skating and offensive abilities could make him a star, but others just aren't sold on him."

 

Season

Team

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

 

2021-2022	JYP U20	U20 SM-sarja	1	0	1	1	0
	JYP	Liiga	24	2	4	6	31
	Pelicans	Liiga	25	2	2	4	12
	Finland U20	WJC-20 Cancelled	2	1	4	5	0
	Finland U20 (all)	International-Jr	9	2	2	4

 

Scouting Report: 

 

Now let's get to the obvious question. Should the Canucks take a swing for a homerun with Lambert even tho there are red flags or go for a safer pick at 15th overall? He is projected to go all over the draft board. Top 10, late 1st round and even early 2nd round.Whoever we draft 15th overall, will take 2 to 3 years of development anyways. After the success of Aatu the past year of development, you can bet many GMs are looking at Lambert closely at the up coming draft and my guess is he wont fall out of top 20th. What separate Lambert and makes him special from the rest of the class in 2022 Draft is : Speed and Skill, Speed and Skill. What the Canucks need and the new NHL is : Speed and Skill.

 

" The Need for Speed "

 

Who do you guys feel is the better prospect at their draft year?

 

Brad Lambert or Autu Raty?

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by Ichiban604

[JM_]

If we're going to go high risk with this pick, shouldn't we go for Miroshnichenko?

[NUCKER67]

After the Canucks flubbed on Virtanen and Juolevi, and missed the last two 1st Round picks in Drafts, they need to make sure whoever they select has a bright future with the team. There can't be any question marks with the #15.  

 

 

[Alflives]

5 minutes ago, JM_ said:

If we're going to go high risk with this pick, shouldn't we go for Miroshnichenko?

Lambert is (or can be) a highly skilled right shot centre.  If he reaches his ceiling (IMHAO) he will be a core piece for us.  He’s one of those guys who can drive play at hyper speed from anywhere on the ice.  If he falls to 15 we need to take him.  He can play in Abbotsford next season too.  

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

After the Canucks flubbed on Virtanen and Juolevi, and missed the last two 1st Round picks in Drafts, they need to make sure whoever they select has a bright future with the team. There can't be any question marks with the #15.  

 

 

Anyone drafted at 15OA will have question marks.  I want us to take the guy with the highest ceiling.  We need another key core piece, and Lambert can grow into that type of player.  

[NUCKER67]

1 minute ago, Alflives said:

Anyone drafted at 15OA will have question marks.  I want us to take the guy with the highest ceiling.  We need another key core piece, and Lambert can grow into that type of player.  

JR/PA might be thinking the same way, maybe they feel they can develop the kid, harness those skills and turn him into a very good player. I don't know, when I hear great skater and skilled but needs to work on his hockey sense and compete level etc. - I think of Jake Virtanen

[JM_]

7 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Lambert is (or can be) a highly skilled right shot centre.  If he reaches his ceiling (IMHAO) he will be a core piece for us.  He’s one of those guys who can drive play at hyper speed from anywhere on the ice.  If he falls to 15 we need to take him.  He can play in Abbotsford next season too.  

that might play into it. It would be nice to have that kind of control over his development. 

[Vinny in Vancouver]

I would love to see the Canucks pick one of the following strong skating centers at 15: Savoie, Lambert, Kasper. Not sure if any of them will be available there though.

[hammertime]

Lambert it's not even close. 

 

Ratty went ridiculously way too low and he is proving GMs around the league to be morons. 

 

Lambert is still better the only thing comparable about the 2 of them is they had a down year in their draft year. 

 

Scouts have been following these kids since they were 14 

[Crabcakes]

1 hour ago, NUCKER67 said:

JR/PA might be thinking the same way, maybe they feel they can develop the kid, harness those skills and turn him into a very good player. I don't know, when I hear great skater and skilled but needs to work on his hockey sense and compete level etc. - I think of Jake Virtanen

Exactly.  If you take a young player, skills like skating and puck handling can be improved.  Hockey sense (IQ) isn't one of the things that you can work on.

[Down by the River]

1 hour ago, NUCKER67 said:

After the Canucks flubbed on Virtanen and Juolevi, and missed the last two 1st Round picks in Drafts, they need to make sure whoever they select has a bright future with the team. There can't be any question marks with the #15.  

 

 

There are going to be question marks for every single player drafted at #15OA. It's about whether you think those question marks are fixable.

 

For Lambert, given his Dad/uncle's reputations, I just have a hard time believing he has as poor hockey sense as others suggest. He's been playing against men for the last 3 years and I wonder if the game just moved too fast for too young a player, so he had to rely on his feet more than his head. What would have happened if he was brought up more slowly? What happens if he goes to play with the Seattle Thunderbirds this upcoming season and gets to play against substantially weaker talent where he can fine-tune his decision-making? This is where neither the eye-test nor analytics give you the answer. Hopefully scouts/management did their diligence and asked useful interview questions (as opposed to asking players what animal they'd describe themselves as). 

[NUCKER67]

6 minutes ago, Down by the River said:

He's been playing against men for the last 3 years

This is a good point I hadn't really considered too much. He may actually be further along than some in that ranking range?

 

I'm going to need to try and find more Lambert video to watch

 

I just want the BPA for the team, they need a good one

[Eddie]

Yeah i agree with some of the others here. If were going to take a risk go with Miro. I think there are better safer options this year tho and its probably not a year to reach based on the factors others have mentioned. 

I thought Ratu was going way to low that year too - i still had him top 15.  That being said there are still a lot of personality question marks around the player.  Could be he turns into a Laine, Poolparty, Dubois type yet so not sure its a complete slam dunk.

[DrJockitch]

33 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Yeah i agree with some of the others here. If were going to take a risk go with Miro. I think there are better safer options this year tho and its probably not a year to reach based on the factors others have mentioned. 

I thought Ratu was going way to low that year too - i still had him top 15.  That being said there are still a lot of personality question marks around the player.  Could be he turns into a Laine, Poolparty, Dubois type yet so not sure its a complete slam dunk.

Are you saying if a second round pick turns into Laine, Dubois or Puljujarvi it would be disappointing?

Bit of a hot take there. Would be thrilled if a 15OA turned into players of that quality much less a second rounder. 
I do agree with going with Miro if he falls to us. A risk worth taking IMO. 

[Fanuck]

We're about to trade the best power forward this franchise has ever had other than maybe Bert - because we have ZERO defensive depth in the system and nobody to play with who's already on the roster - maybe we should consider a d-man this draft?  

[DeNiro]

Just now, Fanuck said:

We're about to trade the best power forward this franchise has ever had other than maybe Bert - because we have ZERO defensive depth in the system and nobody to play with who's already on the roster - maybe we should consider a d-man this draft?  

Focus on developing the guys we have in the system before looking elsewhere.

Rathbone, Juulsen, Woo, Jurmo, Truscott, Myrenberg, Persson

 

The goal needs to be to turn at least a couple of those guys in legit NHLers. The talent and potential is there, they need the proper direction from the organization though.

[Alflives]

4 minutes ago, Fanuck said:

We're about to trade the best power forward this franchise has ever had other than maybe Bert - because we have ZERO defensive depth in the system and nobody to play with who's already on the roster - maybe we should consider a d-man this draft?  

We traded Bert too.  

[DrJockitch]

1 minute ago, Alflives said:

We traded Bert too.  

And we also traded the other two best PFs we have had in Neely and Linden. 

[Fanuck]

5 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Focus on developing the guys we have in the system before looking elsewhere.

Rathbone, Juulsen, Woo, Jurmo, Truscott, Myrenberg, Persson

I have my doubts about how Rathbone will adapt to the next level but I'm perfectly fine giving him the opportunity to learn and develop and find out.   The other guys are, at best in my view,  lower depth/call-up players if they even make it that far.  

 

This organization needs 'quality' defensive prospects that are legitimate NHL players in the making,  not guys that we 'hope' can turn into regulars if everything goes right.   

 

I look at an organization like LA, no surprise led by a former defenceman,  and it's absurd the quality of young defensive depth they have and they're beginning to utilize those assets accordingly.  

 

Build from the net out - and we already have a franchise goalie,  so....

[Alflives]

20 minutes ago, DrJockitch said:

And we also traded the other two best PFs we have had in Neely and Linden. 

Neely clearly we traded too young.  But those Bert and Linden trades were perfect timing.  Sure seems like trading Miller now is perfect timing too.