In the fourth installment of the MLHS 2011 Draft Profile series, we’re going to take a quick look at Portland Winterhawk winger Ty Rattie. Our very own Brian Huddle informs us that the Maple Leafs have been showing Rattie around the city, much like they did with Leaf draftee Greg McKegg last year, which may perhaps tip their hand. Rattie is a crafty and skilled winger with tremendous offensive upside but his small stature and average skating may push him back toward the latter third of the first round.
The Basics: Creative and crafty playmaking winger for the Portland Winterhawks; 28 goals and 51 assists for 79 points in 67 games played
Strengths: Rattie has been a popular name with scouts for a long time as a tremendous minor hockey player and the 2nd overall pick in the WHL Bantam Draft. He is a very intelligent offensive player who offers great passing ability and excellent offensive instincts. He reads the opposing defense very well both on the rush and in the stagnant offensive zone setup. Despite his lack of top end speed, he can be a tough cover as he displays sublimely soft hands, puckhandling and agility and possesses the ability to find the open seams. While his speed is mediocre, he is actually very comfortable on his skates, displaying the ability to change direction at the drop of a hat and evade defenders with ease. He plays with a lot of energy and intensity, especially when battling for pucks in the offensive zone.
Weaknesses: At just 5’11 and 163 lbs, Rattie needs to get a lot bigger and stronger to survive the grind of an entire NHL season. He is very much a perimeter player at this point in his development and will need to improve upon his effectiveness in high traffic areas. When pressured, he has a tendency to sometimes run himself into poor positions along the boards and be muscled off the puck for a turnover, but overall he has played a safer game in recent months. Defensively, he’s still a little bit of a floater at times, especially on the backcheck, but he has made improvements over the course of the season. His skating is passable but may limit his ability to truly become a top notch offensive weapon. He could also stand to shoot a little more often to make him less predictable coming down on the rush.
Draft Day Outlook: Rattie was Central Scouting’s 11th best North American skater at the midterm rankings but has dropped down 17th in their final rankings. He probably won’t be selected in the first 20 picks and will reasonably slot in somewhere between picks 20-30. The Central Scouting Bureau tends to be a little more generous to smaller players with experience and production than NHL teams do, so it’s not inconceivable that Rattie could even slide just outside of the first round. He’s a bit of a gamble, but with skills and a style of game comparable to Buffalo’s Tyler Ennis, Rattie has a chance to become a valuable offensive contributor.
Previous Draft Profiles:
Mark Scheifele – April 26th, 2011
Matt Puempel – April 22nd, 2011
