McIlrath signs with Rangers

[hotdog-pocket]

Your bid Dman signed with the Blueshirts today. 3 year entry level deal.

[mjw22]

Your bid Dman signed with the Blueshirts today. 3 year entry level deal.

That was good to see. He was also in The Hockey News top 50 prospects as was Howden. This should end any comparisons to Teubert who was in the LA list but not in their top 5 but their next 5 after that.He may be in the Oiler top 5 as they are weak as far as defense goes. He didn't make the top 50 either end of debate:)

[TheMysteryMan]

How can anyone not say Mcilrath is overrated? I go to a lot of hockey games and lots of times this kid sticks out like a sore thumb for the wrong reasons! He is a big tough D man with little skill

[mjw22]

How can anyone not say Mcilrath is overrated? I go to a lot of hockey games and lots of times this kid sticks out like a sore thumb for the wrong reasons! He is a big tough D man with little skill

I see from your posts you appear to be a MJ fan. Don't know what games or how many you attend but we're not watching the same player.His +- is only 2 less than Bowmans and his pt total is about half and he brings more to the table than Bowman who's been in the league 4 years to McILraths two. I guess the Ranger scouts & others who had him picked as a 1st rounder and all the NHL people who contributed to the top 50 prospects article are wrong.He hits fights and is improving his play at both ends of the rink. Pay attention next year because he won't be in the dub as a 20 year old.You also like Stone but he won't be around next year he's not good enough or he would have been played more.

[TheMysteryMan]

The rangers were obviously going to sign the 10th overall pick in the draft but I just don't see what everybody else does. I guess what I'm trying to say is what makes him better than any other big intimidating Dman in this league? And that top 50 prospects thing means nothing.... go back and look at previous years and you'll see that.

[mjw22]

The rangers were obviously going to sign the 10th overall pick in the draft but I just don't see what everybody else does. I guess what I'm trying to say is what makes him better than any other big intimidating Dman in this league? And that top 50 prospects thing means nothing.... go back and look at previous years and you'll see that.

What makes him better is how he plays now and how the experts project his development in the future. The difference between when he came in the league and now is huge. Plus he has size and a mean streak you can't teach. I've seen him nail guys coming down the wing into the boards and not too many do it twice.Look at Elliot from sask scouting report for NHL on him is maybe his foot speed is too slow and his play may be too soft. He's one of the high scoring defensemen in the dub but he's not even ranked in the prospects poll. Now for you comments on the top 50 they take a list from the player development guy on each team then they pass the list to 18 scouts GMs and player development people and they rate the players on various criteria. Of the 3 lists I was able to obtain the rate for players to go on to play a min 100 NHL games was about 70 % so they may know something you don't. Maybe it's the physical part of the game you don't like I don't know.

[TheMysteryMan]

Ill bet mcilrath won't play 10 NHL games far less 100. He is big and uses his body but he's got cement hands and makes some poor decisions out there. Just my opinion tho.

[mjw22]

Ill bet mcilrath won't play 10 NHL games far less 100. He is big and uses his body but he's got cement hands and makes some poor decisions out there. Just my opinion tho.

Everybody's got one you may change it after next year.

[patsdude114]

That was good to see. He was also in The Hockey News top 50 prospects as was Howden. This should end any comparisons to Teubert who was in the LA list but not in their top 5 but their next 5 after that.He may be in the Oiler top 5 as they are weak as far as defense goes. He didn't make the top 50 either end of debate:)

Last season Teubert was in the top 50 as well by THN & was LA #3 prospect, both players are very comparable, neither 1 has much skill there just big bodies who play on the meaner side of the game. McIlrath is much tougher without a doubt but they are both the same style of Dman.

Both will take the same course to get to the NHL, play a few yrs in the AHL before they get a sniff of the NHL. Personally they both are going to be 1st round flops, with how todays NHL is played. Before the lockout they both could of been considered as top defensive prospects with long careers infront of them but not anymore.

[mjw22]

Last season Teubert was in the top 50 as well by THN & was LA #3 prospect, both players are very comparable, neither 1 has much skill there just big bodies who play on the meaner side of the game. McIlrath is much tougher without a doubt but they are both the same style of Dman.

Both will take the same course to get to the NHL, play a few yrs in the AHL before they get a sniff of the NHL. Personally they both are going to be 1st round flops, with how todays NHL is played. Before the lockout they both could of been considered as top defensive prospects with long careers infront of them but not anymore.

I disagree pat fan I think by by time McILrath is 20 he may be a lot better than people think . Big body dmen are still valuable in the NHL ie; Aulie Cowan etc and if you have a mean streak even better.

[TheMysteryMan]

Cowen is a little overrated too although I think he is better than teubert and mcilrath I think he is kind of in the same boat as them

[patsdude114]

I disagree pat fan I think by by time McILrath is 20 he may be a lot better than people think . Big body dmen are still valuable in the NHL ie; Aulie Cowan etc and if you have a mean streak even better.

i never once said big Dmen arnt valuable as everyone in there right mind know they are.... just saying neither 1 has a good skill level. Everyone hockey mind out there was shocked as crap (the better word is a swear lol) when the NYR took McIlrath that early in the draft. Not 1 person in the hockey world thought McIlrath would be a top 20 let alone a top 10 pick in the draft.

The NYR went off the board in taking McIlrath, he was projected to go in late in the 1st round, which really that is where he should of went. Sather loves to go off the board & this pick will not turn out to be better then some of the guys who went 10 spots after him. Guys like Jack Campbell, Cam Fowler, Brandon Gromley, Jaden Schwartz, Quinton Howden, Mark Pysyk to name a few all should of went higher then McIlrath. The Rangers fans werent even happy with the draft choice, Sather will wish he had taken 1 of those players named in 5 yrs time, then again Sather wont be in the NHL in 5yrs time as a GM & whoever takes over the GM job in NY will wish they had a better 1st round selection then McIlrath.

[mjw22]

i never once said big Dmen arnt valuable as everyone in there right mind know they are.... just saying neither 1 has a good skill level. Everyone hockey mind out there was shocked as crap (the better word is a swear lol) when the NYR took McIlrath that early in the draft. Not 1 person in the hockey world thought McIlrath would be a top 20 let alone a top 10 pick in the draft.

The NYR went off the board in taking McIlrath, he was projected to go in late in the 1st round, which really that is where he should of went. Sather loves to go off the board & this pick will not turn out to be better then some of the guys who went 10 spots after him. Guys like Jack Campbell, Cam Fowler, Brandon Gromley, Jaden Schwartz, Quinton Howden, Mark Pysyk to name a few all should of went higher then McIlrath. The Rangers fans werent even happy with the draft choice, Sather will wish he had taken 1 of those players named in 5 yrs time, then again Sather wont be in the NHL in 5yrs time as a GM & whoever takes over the GM job in NY will wish they had a better 1st round selection then McIlrath.

I think you will be proven wrong. In 5 years he'll be playing in NHL maybe as a solid 5-6 dman but he'll be there.Teams draft for specific needs not always next best player.Howden went late because in his draft year he played way too soft something he has improved on.

[patsdude114]

I never said he wont be in the NHL in 5 yrs time just saying those guys i had mentioned above will end up having a bigger impact in the NHL then McIlrath will.

Maybe i should of actually stated that when listing off those players who should of been selected higher then McIlrath just assumed thats what people would of thought when i did.

McIlrath will end up being another Hal Gill but tougher, not really worth a top 10 selection though.

[scruffy1]

McIlrath has some similarities to Dave Manson. The first year Manson was in PA I wondered why they put him on the ice. Had a bad habit of trying to pass up the middle in the dz. By the third year he looked pretty smooth but still coughed that pass up the middle.
Drafted 11 OA and played 1000+ games.
Way more intimidating than McIlrath.
Didn't like him at first but by the end he was one of my favourites all time.
Still remember him skating past the Blades bench and they all looked at the floor.

[mjw22]

I never said he wont be in the NHL in 5 yrs time just saying those guys i had mentioned above will end up having a bigger impact in the NHL then McIlrath will.

Maybe i should of actually stated that when listing off those players who should of been selected higher then McIlrath just assumed thats what people would of thought when i did.

McIlrath will end up being another Hal Gill but tougher, not really worth a top 10 selection though.

I think he'll end up being closer to a Pronger type dman than a Gill his offense is getting better all the time. He has a super heavy wrist shot that he needs to use more. Hamonic at the same age was just as bad offensively and when he came back as a 19 year old his skill set improved most notably his shot.

[mjw22]

McIlrath has some similarities to Dave Manson. The first year Manson was in PA I wondered why they put him on the ice. Had a bad habit of trying to pass up the middle in the dz. By the third year he looked pretty smooth but still coughed that pass up the middle.
Drafted 11 OA and played 1000+ games.
Way more intimidating than McIlrath.
Didn't like him at first but by the end he was one of my favourites all time.
Still remember him skating past the Blades bench and they all looked at the floor.

Good comparison blades don't want much too do with him now and it'll be even less next year lol.