50 in 30: #19: Ty Rattie

Ty Rattie, RW Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
5-11, 163
Born: February 5, 1993 in Airdrie, Alberta
Shoots: Right

Scouting report:

Strengths: Highly creative and skilled playmaking winger. Outstanding touch with the puck and an ability to handle it deftly while slipping in and out of traffic. Slippery, agile skater who lacks blazing speed, but is strong on his skates with a low center of gravity and effective edge control. Extremely soft hands- can make any pass and has the preternatural vision to see openings before they actually occur. Hockey sense is above average and he is tenacious on the offensive sequence, exhibiting drive and hustle to keep possession and generate scoring chances. Hard, accurate shot with excellent release Plays with an aggressive edge- has some sandpaper in his game and will give and take hits to make the play. Formed a highly-effective duo with Sven Bartschi early on and the line took it up a notch when Craig Cunningham arrived from Vancouver. Defense isn't exactly a strength, but he's working on it and makes the effort to be responsible in his own end. He's still a work in progress, but Rattie will get there eventually as a capable three-zone player, which is important for him if he doesn't make the cut as a top-six forward.

Weaknesses: Undersized; doesn't have the room on his frame to add much more mass, and will likely struggle to keep weight on during the rigors of an entire hockey season. Skating is OK but scouts want to see more acceleration and a separation gear from someone of Rattie's size, and he doesn't exactly have it. Needs to show more of a willingness to fight through checks when the hitting picks up. Was a dangerous goal-scorer as a bantam- could stand to shoot more instead of passing, but that will likely come with continued development.

Multimedia:

Rattie hatty vs. Blazers (NHL Draft Video)


Rattie overtime goal vs. Spokane in 2010 WHL playoffs (courtesy Portland Winterhawks)


Coming soon:
2011 NHL Draft Combine video

Style compares to: Jason Spezza

Draft prediction: With his skill set and upside, B2011DW has liked Rattie for quite some time now. He was a standout bantam player in Alberta before joining the Winterhawks and can play at a high tempo (even without the elite speed) or slow things down like most exceptional playmakers can. Is he a top-20, though? Probably not in NHL teams' eyes because of the concern about the size and wheels...we aren't comparing him to Zach Hamill per se, but he carries the same kind of risk tag, so if you don't want to gamble, then you simply cannot take Rattie there.

Projection: Top-six winger with 20 goal, 80+ point upside. Rattie has matured a great deal since last season, when he was a flashy rookie who was doing more hot-dogging than he should have. He appears to have responded to the coaching he got in Portland and impressed some scouts this year with his more well-rounded game. Creativity and puck skills continue to be the most intriguing aspects of his big league potential.

Background: The No. 2 pick in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft behind none other than Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Born and raised near Calgary in Airdrie, Alberta. Has a younger brother, Taden. Led Team Pacific and all of Canada in scoring at the 2010 World Under-17 Challenge (2-7-9 in 5 games). Favorite NHL team: Calgary Flames. Childhood hockey idol: Doug Weight

If Rattie had his own soundtrack it would be: "Electric Avenue"- Skindred


Quotable:

“He’s going to make people around him better. He’s a goal-scorer, but he’s smart enough to know he draws players away from his teammates, leaving them open.”- Portland scout Matt Bardsley to the Hockey News; November 2008. Full story here.

"Last year he spent a lot of time doing those flashy little bantam moves that just don't work at this level. I'm seeing him be a lot more creative and smart with the puck this year. Now, he's keeping things relatively simple, but playing a responsible game that isn't going to open himself up for bad turnovers or cost his team."- NHL scout to B2011DW; November 2010 Full story here.

"I think he's one of the riskiest players in this draft, but who cares if you get him with a late first. He could be the best player to go after pick 20 in this draft, or he could be a complete bust. Has some of the best hockey sense and creativity in this draft, but he's going to have to learn how to take a hit and keep going."- NHL scout to B2011DW; May, 2011

“"I take two sticks and some tape and go up into the empty arena and sit by myself for 15 or 20 minutes," he said. "I take the time to think about the game and visualize myself on the ice, and I take a lucky puck with me that I rub on every stick."- Ty Rattie to the Oregonian,; February, 2011. Full story here.


The scoop:

Neate Sager brings you the goods with his always excellent Draft Tracker series on Rattie from December 2010