Keenan 5 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 A new defenseman has been taking Ottawa fans by storm. He may not be the most naturally talented guy, but many see him becoming a stable blueliner once he irons out some of the kinks in his game. But why start with negatives? Let's first look at what the fans are so excited about from Jack Ryan. Defense: First off is Ryan's defensive play. He considers himself a defensive-defenseman and that shows in his play. Blocked shots, poke checks, and great positioning are the name of his gam and many scouts feel like his defensive skills will translate very well as a bottom pairing defender in the VHL. Checking: Although he is more likely to try to block hots than take the body, Ryan can still dish out hits when it is opportune for his team. "Sometimes you go for a check, but forget to take other variables into account and it leads to a good chance for the opposing team. I like checking but I always try to make sure doing so won't shoot us in the foot. When I have my mind made up that I'm coming for you, you'd better watch out though" Ryan has been quoted as saying. Passing: Ryan's offensive input comes in the form of passing. He won't be leading blue liners in assists by any margin, but he should still be able to recognize where his snipers are on the ice and get the puck to them with little trouble. Scoring: On the other side of the offensive spectrum is scoring, where Ryan is essentially non-existant. Ran has gone on record stating that scoring is his lowest priority, "There are guys out there that score with such ease that someoe has to try their best to help the goalie stop themm. I strive to not only help my goalie against the other team's snipers, but to get the puck to my team's snipers since they have a much better idea of what to do with it than I do." Puck Handling: Scoring is by far Ryan's biggest downfall outside of the skills that most blue liners in the league don't possess (faceoffs, penalty shot, durability, fighting, and discipline being the others). His next most noteworthy fault is his puck handling. Ryan is an average puck handler, but in a league where so many players can control it with ease, Ryan's skill leaves him in the lower tiers when it comes to puck handling. Endurance: Ryan knows that during his first few seasons in the VHL he'll struggle to even capture a roster spot, let alone some prime time as a top pairing or even top 4 defender. As such his endurane during those first few seasons will likely not be too high. "Looking at my skill compared to where other players were when they were looking to be drafted I can tell that I'm not a top tier player. However, I feel like should a team need a number 5 or 6 defenseman, I'm their guy. I can probably skate a good 15 minutes or so a night with no ill effects, and once I start to improve elsewhere I should be able to work on increasing my endurance as well." Overall Ryan isn't expecting to be called that early in the draft. "I understand that I'm new here and compared to other guys in the class I'm not extremely skilled, but I know I'll be a good piece for a team's blue line now and in the future. I know that it is likely that I find myself sent to the VHLM after for the draft for more seasoning, but that won't dampen my spirit in the least." In the meantime Ryan will continue to play in Ottawa and await his shot at stardom in the VHL. 644 words Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwfulHomesick 148 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Content: 5/5 - Personifies what a rookie profile is. Keep it up and Ryan will be a top tier defenseman instead of a bottom 6 defenseman in the future. Grammar: .75/1 - Some mishaps here. block hots - block shots gam - game themm - them endurane - endurance Appearance: 1/1 - Yup Over 500 Words?: 1/1 - Yup Overall: 7.75/8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire Tortorella 2,653 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Content: 5/5 - It's been a pleasure having you on the Lynx this season. You've been our #1 as long as you've been in Ottawa and have provided a solid presence on the back end. Ryan may turn out to have a longer developmental curve than normal, but he should still have solid VHL career ahead of him. Grammar: 1/1 - Didn't find anything else! Appearance: 1/1 - Solid. Over 500 Words?: 1/1 - Yup. Overall: 8/8 FINAL: 8/8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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