One of the most intriguing prospects heading into the upcoming draft would have to be Ryan Merkley. Many scouts and analysts alike were having a lot of trouble deciding where to put Ryan Merkley on their draft boards. The 17-year old defenseman has had a remarkable offensive season as a defenseman.
what makes it so hard to predict his draft spot is that although he may be gifted offensively, his defensive game is far from perfect and there have been questions as of late regarding the character of the young defensemen.
Offensively, Merkley is a can’t miss prospect with a high ceiling and could be a top scoring defenceman in the NHL. His OHL statistics are amazing offensively. In his rookie campaign in the OHL, Merkley put up 55 points in 67 games.
In just his second season in the OHL, Merkley scored 13 goals and added 54 assists, totalling up to 67 points in 63 games. Merkley possesses an amazing hockey IQ and amazing vision and is always two steps ahead of the game. He reads plays at an elite level and knows exactly when and where to dish the puck.
Although he is a defensemen, he is widely regarded as one of the top pure offensive talents in the draft and rightfully so. Merkley has better offensive capabilities than most forwards in the draft. Merkley was a star in the GTMMHL which led to being drafted first overall by the Guelph Storm in the OHL Priority Selection Draft.
He justified his high selection in his rookie season in the Ontario Hockey League. While having served in Southwestern Ontario, Merkley won the award for the most points by a rookie. He did this as a defenceman making it all the more impressive.
No defensemen in recent years has ever won this award. Ryan Merkley won the OHL Rookie of the Year (Emms Family Award) that season, putting him in some rather elite company. Players such as John Tavares, Connor McDavid and Alex DeBrincat are notable winners of the award in recent years.
The last defenceman to win the award was Aaron Ekblad. This does not mean that Merkley should be drafted first overall or even in the top ten for that matter, but it does show his potential. His game is nowhere near complete but he has the tools to become a top pairing NHL player in the future.
When watching Ryan Merkley, one of the first things you notice is his tremendous puck handling as well as his skating abilities. His abilities with the puck at his stick is undeniably strong, but it is just his defensive game which raises concerns. In terms of style of play, Ryan Merkley is similar to Jake Gardiner.
Merkley possesses a much greater offensive skill set then Gardiner but draws comparisons in terms of style of play. Like Gardiner, Merkely is an offensive defensemen but is not as strong defensively as he is offensively.
Gardiner has been known to not contribute as much defensively but can be a quarterback when put on the powerplay. This does not mean that Merkley is terrible defensively. He can play defence but is not an elite defenseman in terms of his defensive skill.
Many analyst’s believe that he might have a hard time making the NHL if he cannot adjust his defensive game. His character has been the subject of criticism in recent months. His frustration levels on the ice have not gone unnoticed.
When things are not going his way, Merkely has been known to take out his frustration on the ice. He was suspended for three games in the OHL for a terrible slash at an opponent while frustrated about the game. There has also been a lot of talk regarding his character off the ice as well.
Merkely has shown many flashes of good defensive ability in his tenure in the OHL but it is not enough to guarantee success in the professional hockey level. It does, however, show that he does have a lot of potential and could adjust his defensive game and become an NHL defensemen. Overall, Merkely has the potential to become a top-level offensive defenseman in the NHL.
In a draft class with such gifted defensemen like Rasmus Dahlin, Adam Boqvist, Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson, Ty Smith, etc., Merkley might be the most gifted offensive defensemen in the entire draft class. His coach for the Guelf Storm spoke very highly of his elite defensemen, “Ryan has been an elite player for many, many years up through the minor hockey ranks”, Guelph coach George Burnett said. “He has the ability to play the game at a very high pace.”
“His vision and skill are certainly something that sets him apart from many players. I think when you look at him, his numbers and his skill speak for themselves”, Fellow teammate Isaac Ratcliffe, who was drafted in the second round 35th overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, said this about his star teammate. In continuation, the Guelph forward said, “Like you see in Makar and Heiskanen…they both control the play from the back and have quick feet…that’s what you see with [Merkley] as well, and how he sees the ice and controls the play from behind his own net all the way to the far blue line.”
In closing, Ratcliffe said, “Those are kind of the next guys that are coming and stepping in and taking over at a high level. That’s what we’re going to see in the future.”
Merkley has the talent to become one of the best offensive defensemen in the league, he just needs to improve his defensive game. The subject of debate now is where he should be drafted. Ryan Merkley should not be passed up on in the first round.
It would be a steal for any team to select Merkley after the 31st pick. Even selecting Merkley with the 31st pick could be a steal. He is a risky player to draft but the reward could be very significant.
The earliest spot that Merkley should/could get drafted would be 16th overall. The Colorado Avalanche own this position and could benefit from adding another strong defensemen to their prospect pool. They already have a couple strong defensive prospects in their prospect pool with Cal Makar and Connor Timmins.
Adding Merkley would significantly add to their prospect pool. The New Jersey Devils could also be interested in drafting Merkley as well as the New York Rangers. The Rangers have 3 first round picks in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft alone. Drafting Merkley would be a risk, but for a rebuilding team adding a defensemen with such high potential is something that is worth the risk.
It seems reasonable that the New York Rangers could use a prospect like Merkley. He brings a pure offensive style to the game. The Rangers are adding a lot of good prospects to their pool and taking the risk of drafting Ryan Merkley has a lot of potential upsides.
The San Jose Sharks would also be an interesting spot for Merkley. The Sharks do not have many strong defensive prospects in their prospect pool and Merkley would be a good place to start. The Leafs, Wild, Capitals, Red Wings and Blues would all be good options to draft Ryan Merkley.
Any team that drafts Merkley could have an elite offensive defensemen on their hands.
If Merkley works on improving his defensive game, he could easily establish himself as one of the best steals in the draft. He has the potential to be an elite offensive defensemen but his defensive game is what will worry people.