NHL Central Scouting released it's mid-term report today and there are (obviously) current and future Badgers on the list. There were obviously some surprises and some that were exactly where I thought they would be. There are also some that weren't included who I thought should be but that's the way it goes sometimes.The only current Badger on the list is freshman forward Jordy Murray. You all should be fairly aware of Jordy and his history so I won't waste your time. It was fairly surprising that he wasn't drafted last season. He's put up a respectable line of 5 goals, and 5 assists for 10 points in 24 games. Jordy checks in at #191 on the list.
Wisconsin's highest rated recruit is John Ramage at #87. Ramage is defenseman who plays for the USA NTDP and will come in next season. Wisconsin picked up Ramage not long after it became apparent that Nick Pryor wasn't going to be able to get into school at UW. Not a bad replacement eh?
After Ramage, New Prague forward Tyler Lapic makes his way onto the list at #111. Wisconsin caught a lot of flack from un-informed internet posters/bloggers from un-named rodent loving schools when it picked up a committment from Lapic. Most thought it was simply a ploy to gain the respect of Seth Ambroz, another star forward at New Prague. Ploy or not, Wisconsin has themselves a player in Lapic. I got to see him in Eau Claire 2 weekends ago and he was impressive. While I felt he could be more explosive, he just had the "it" factor that makes some players tansition to the next level that much easier.
Like Jordy Murray, future recruit Tyler Barnes was eligible for last seasons NHL draft. Barnes, who hails from Burnsville, MN and is a forward for the Waterloo Black Hawks, checks in at #137. I'm a tad surprised at his inclusion on the list but it's not that he isn't deserving. That opinion is based solely on him not being taken last season. While it's not impossible for a player to be passed over one year and selected the next, (see Patrick Johnson last summer) it's certainly not the norm.
So to recap, Jordy Murray is the only current Badger on the mid-term list at #191. 2009 defense recruit John Ramage from the NTDP is at #87. New Prague forward Tyler Lapic checks in at #111. And 2009 forward recruit Tyler Barnes rounds it out for the Badgers at #137.
You also have to keep in mind that some recruits and (again obviously) there are a ton of players on the roster already drafted. Justin Schultz is the only current incoming recruit that is already drafted. He went in the second round last summer. It's tough to keep drafted players back another year, just ask Patrick Wiercoich.
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