The Flyers continued their aggressive manouvering at the NHL Draft. McKeen's ranked Isaac Ratcliffe #18 representing a potential steal for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Here is our Draft Guide write up and a detailed scouting report from Scott Crawford.
McKeen's 2017 NHL Draft Guide
Ten years ago, scouts would have watched Ratcliffe for one shift and proclaimed him a top ten talent. He is huge, he can skate, and he can shoot the puck. He has high-end power forward written on the back of his jersey. Nowadays, they will take more time to observe him in action. The end result is, while not top ten, not too far from those lofty heights.
A player with offensive skills at 6-5”, 200 and with room to grow both into his frame and into his game is still a rare and valuable asset. This draft has of few of that type and Ratcliffe has a good chance to be the best of the bunch when all is said and done.
His point totals do not jump out, but you must bear in mind that he has been playing with a pretty poor Guelph squad, which scored the least of any team in the OHL’s Western Conference. His 28 goals led his team, while his 54 points were one off the team lead. Considering that his production was weighted towards even strength accomplishments also speaks to his underlying ability. Ratcliffe’s skating is solid, but more impressive after factoring in his size and the additional time needed to move his long levers. When he carries the puck up the wing, he can be deadly.
The most impressive facet of his game is somewhat surprisingly his puck skills. He is often relied upon to carry the puck into the offensive zone with the Storm, skates very well with the puck and displays very soft hands, making him adept at gathering and controlling tough passes. Although he does not play a naturally imposing game, he is tough enough, and of course big enough to force opponents to handle him with kid gloves.
Ratcliffe is a highly competitive player who has had great growth in his overall game this year, showing greater hockey understanding and a capacity to learn, in addition to dealing with the frustrations that come from being one of the best players on an often overmatched team. He profiles as a productive middle six winger who should provide good value to any team selecting him in the 17-24 range of the draft.
Detailed scouting report from Scott Crawford, April 10th, 2017
Skating: The biggest issue for Ratcliffe going into the draft will be his skating. One of the reasons for that statement is Ratcliffe has a lazy stride with no adjustments when he is moving the puck up ice. It is as if he is floating through the neutral zone with opposing players needing only to wait for him to come to them. Ratcliffe’s edge work is decent enough that he can create space and make a play. Grade: 50
Shot: Ratcliffe relies heavily on his presence in front of the net to be a difference maker on the score sheet. He also likes to aim for the loose rebounds in front of the net. With his height and frame he takes advantage of bad situations for his opponents. He does have a good wrist shot off the rush. When he is given the chance on a two on two or odd man rush, he will have good space and timing to let off a fast release to the net. Grade: 55
Skills: Surprisingly creative with the puck for a player his size. He moves fast with the puck as well that it makes it even more challenging for his opponents to take the puck away from him. He can move the puck anywhere on the ice and he is usually the F1 moving into the offensive zone. He possesses a good crossover move that helps him get a clear break on net once he can move around a player. Another trait I like is his ability to receive passes, even when a teammate may over shoot a pass Ratcliffe is there to make it work and carry the puck. Grade: 60
Smarts: A smart player with the ability to see where the play is going when he does not have the puck. His anticipation for how he reacts is good enough to halt a play by an opponent and leaves enough time for his teammates to come support him for the loose puck battle. He is a confident young player who plays for his teammates and competes every night. Grade: 55
Physicality: Extremely physical player that crushes any opponents that come his way or even try to challenge him with the puck. His physical play helps him play the dump and chase perfectly as opponents at the OHL level are intimidated to challenge him in their own end. Grade: 55
Summary: Isaac Ratcliffe is an intriguing tower of a player who is going to have an interesting development path. On one hand, his skating comes into question because of his size, but on the other hand he possesses great hands with a big body that one must wonder how good he can really be once he starts playing at a faster pace. Using his big body in front of the net to help him get the rebound goals Ratcliffe has proven to understand what his role will be on the team and he accepts it. He is a coach’s player and that will help in his development because he listens. If he can continue to improve his offensive production going into next year, there is a good chance he may make the NHL as a third or fourth line forward after only a couple of years of development in the AHL.