The Detroit Red Wings would be just fine if they either traded the 13th pick, drafted a capable forward like Carter Bear, or even reached for a dark horse top-15 pick like Ben Kindel. I would be happy with any one of those two players, and even happier if general manager Steve Yzerman found a way to trade the pick elsewhere so long as he garnered a decent return.
But what if Yzerman concocted a draft day trade that brought in a younger, more capable netminder than Cameron Talbot and Petr Mrazek? And suppose this trade involved prospect Sebastian Cossa OR Trey Augustine, along with Mrazek, since I’ll assume Talbot’s going nowhere with Todd McLellan as the bench boss.
This opens up the possibility that the Wings would keep the 13th pick and end up with someone like Joshua Ravensbergen, should he still be there when they pick. Hey, I’m just going over any and all scenarios, leaving no stone unturned, regardless of how large or small. That said, we need to talk about Ravensbergen.
Ravensbergen’s path to the Red Wings if drafted
As of June 10th, Tankathon has Ravensbergen slated to go at No. 20 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and he’s ranked 24th overall, so lower than where the Wings are picking. But if you think you can snag a franchise goaltender and you need more organizational depth at the position, you take it.
That’s not necessarily the case now, but it could be should the situation I mentioned earlier play out. And the Wings would end up with an outstanding prospect, who clocks in at 6’5, 192 lbs, and has a relatively early birthday, as he turned 18 in November 2006.
Ravensbergen’s also played well for the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, posting a 0.907 and 0.901 save percentage over the last two seasons, respectively, alongside a respective 2.46 and 3.00 GAA.
He can play another two seasons in the WHL before moving up to the AHL and/or ECHL, where he can spend an additional season or two, and by Year 5 in the organization, play full-time (or at least in a No. 2 role) for the Wings should he end up in a winged wheel.
Joshua Ravensbergen has a lot of upside as a projected first-round pick
From what I’ve seen on Tankathon’s highlight reel (linked in the above section) Ravensbergen’s exceptional at staying calm when there’s a rebound and is good at keeping his eye on the puck regardless of how much traffic’s in front of him or is closing in. He’s also methodic in his movements and doesn’t go into panic mode if there’s a breakaway or a 2-on-1.
You see plenty of netminders, especially young ones, look lost when they see a pair of forwards coming at them if they get behind the defense or on odd-man rushes. They often flinch, and are left to guess where the puck’s heading and that can often end in a bad way. That’s not the case with Ravensbergen, even if he allows one too many rebounds and relies on pad saves.
So, from that highlight reel, Ravensbergen’s good at getting back into position and locating the puck before an opponent gets another chance to drive it home. Overall, my initial impression of Ravensbergen is very, very positive.
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