So far so good, Ryan Martindale is now 6'3" and 207lbs., looks to take the body, plays a two way game, all the while keeping his silky smooth hands that are those of a mid first round pick.
With all of the hype around RNH, Anton Lander, Tyler Pitlick, Curtis Hamilton, etc. it has been Martindale that has really put his name out there in a positive light. As far as I'm concerned he's proving to be every bit the prospect as any of the above players not named Nugent-Hopkins at this point.
Martindale's hands are only second to RNH in the rookie class, however his size, reach, and stickhandling reminds me of Dustin Penner. The even better part? He's been looking like Dustin Penner's pissed off twin out there. Martindale was #4 on my ten second tier prospects that hopefully exceeds expectations list and at this point he is well on his way to cementing himself as one of our top prospects.
Martindale could still use some work on his skating, however he does look quicker this camp than last while also adding muscle mass and a willingness to crash and bang. The Oilers might be damn near the fifty contract limit, but this is a guy that they cannot afford to lose to next years draft, you don't stumble across big two way centers that crash and bang and have good hands very often.
Ryan Martindale could very well prove to be the second best Oilers prospect taken in 2010, a draft that included four players drafted before him.
2 comments:
Not bad for a third rounder.
If he can continue to progress like Hartikainen has we will have a couple of absolute gems outside of the 2nd round. Stu seems to have stocked the cupboard in a hurry.
Post a Comment