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Read: A Lot Of Richards In Skinner

by Adam Rotter on May 31st, 2010 at 1:30 pm

When he was drafted 24th overall by the Flyers in 2003, Mike Richards didn’t seem to project out the player that he is today. Richards was ranked 30th going into his draft after a stellar season with the Kitchener Rangers, and Kitchener coach Steve Spott told Adam Kimelman of NHL.com that he sees a lot of Richards in Jeff Skinner, ranked 34th going into the draft.

“Their mental toughness is the same, their ability to make guys better,” Spott said. “They both have some differences, but I think their body type, their skating stride, their ability to make guys better, that’s where I would compare them.”

….He reminds me more of Jeff Carter, but if you are drawing comparisons to Mike Richards you are doing something right. Skinner is ranked low but had 50 goals this past season before adding 20 in the playoffs. A lot of people email and tweet at me saying the Rangers need to draft and develop their own scorers, Skinner would be a good addition to Chris Kreider in that group.
  • ap123456

    I would like to ask you why you seem to mention the Philadelphia Flyers from time to time, but avoid acknowledging the Chicago Blackhawks and the great team that they’ve managed to assemble within 4-5 years. They’ve avoided the mistakes of the Rangers, i.e. signing household names like Lindros and Holik, and have drafted very well. If there is any team the Rangers should be like, its the Chicago Blackhawks. Anyway, Philadelphia should not even be mentioned on a New York Rangers’ blog because they are the Rangers’ rivals and play in the same division. Any Ranger fan would agree with me that Chicago is a more respectable and likable team for Ranger fans than the Flyers. As an American, I am also really interested in the development of Patrick Kane, a young talent that has the potential to be the greatest US player in history. He’s also from New York.
    I really hope there is less Philadelphia and more Chicago mentioned here, since the Stanley Finals are going on, since Chicago is a team the Rangers should admire and copy, and since Patrick Kane-a New York kid- has the potential to be a legend for the USA.
    Overall I do like your blog. You have key news and analysis that I look for and I am enjoying the draft coverage. If you talk less about the Flyers and more about Chicago, then I’ll give you an A+.

    • Adam Rotter

      There are a few reasons I mention the Flyers a lot, one is that they are in the Rangers division and play them six times. I believe in trying to keep the readers informed on the goings on of the teams that are the Rangers rivals and that they play the most.

      As for this article in particular, the main focus is on Mike Richards and Jeff Skinner. I mention Jeff Carter because of the situation that he was in in his draft year.

      I agree completely with you points about the Blackhawks, but I don’t follow them nearly as much since they are in the Western Conference and play the Rangers only one or two times a season. I follow them, like I follow all teams loosely, but since they don’t have much of a Rangers impact they fall below Eastern Conference teams

      Chicago did sign some big names though, Brian Campbell, Huet and also Hossa, but have a central core of Keith, Seabrook, Toews and Kane that can overcome those big contracts when they aren’t playing well. Next season though they will be in terrible, terrible cap shape and need to shed a key player to make it all work. I agree that Chicago is great and certainly more likable than the Flyers and when the time comes I praise them like crazy. Love Kane, Toews may be my favorite non-Ranger, but they have less to do with the Rangers than a team like the Flyers, Devils or Isles.

      Thanks for the comment and for reading though, I am always looking for new ideas for posts and to see what people like and don’t like

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