Ryan Hartman – The Next Ones: NHL 2013 Draft Prospect Profile

Ryan Hartman has been a workhorse all season.  His determination and work ethic on the ice has thoroughly impressed scouts during the past Plymouth Whalers season.  When he isn’t scoring goals, or racking up assists, he’s getting in a tussle with the team’s opposing players.

Ryan Hartman THW Close-Up:

Date of birth: 9/20/1995

Place of birth:  West Dundee, Illinois

Ht: 5’11  Wt: 185 lbs

Shoots: Right

Position: Right Wing

NHL Draft Eligibility: 2013

Twitter:  @RHartzy18

THW The Next Ones Ranking (January 2013): 35

Other Rankings

THW War Room Rankings (April): 27

ISS: 28

Future Considerations: 23

Craig Button: 24

Consensus aggregate of several services (NHL Numbers): 30

CS Final Rankings for North American skaters: 16

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[NHL 2013 Draft Guide – The Next Ones Draft Headquarters: Your quintessential draft resource]

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Ryan Hartman has been a workhorse all season.  His determination and work ethic on the ice has thoroughly impressed scouts during the past Plymouth Whalers season.  When he isn’t scoring goals, or racking up assists, he’s getting in a tussle with the team’s opposing players.

Game in and game out, he plays much bigger than his size indicates.  Standing at 5’11”, Hartman plays like a power forward.  His all-around game stands out from the competition and he plays a full 200 ft.  His skating is adept, as is his hockey smarts and vision.  The Illinois native doesn’t possess the hardest shot, but he uses his accuracy and hard work in front of the net score goals and create chances.

As mentioned previously, Hartman loves to throw his body around, mix it up a bit, and partake in some fisticuffs.  He accumulated 120 penalty minutes this season for Plymouth and had 136 PIM’s last year with the U.S National Team Development Program.

Hartman is a player every GM should have an eye on.  He’s got the right mix of tools needed to be a threat at the professional level and it shouldn’t take very long before he suits up in an NHL sweater.  It seems as though the USNTDP is keeping up the tradition of developing talented hockey players.

Where Will He End Up In June:

Hartman could be picked between 10th and 20th given his skillset, but he will likely be selected in the 20-30 range.

Scout’s Honor:

“A budding power-forward type, Hartman doesn’t shy away from any physical aspects despite his size. With his physicality also comes the willingness to drive to the net, go hard into the corners and push the forecheck. Complimenting that is his scoring touch, leaving his game with few weaknesses.”

Aaron Vickers – Future Considerations

“Nasty, chippy and aggressive – a constant agitator who is a real prick to play against. Always involved in the after-the-whistle stuff, usually because he started it. Ultra competitive guy who hits anything that moves, and causes lots of panic and turnovers among defencemen. Also has pretty fair puck skills and a heavy shot off the wing. Sees the ice well and is actually a creative passer. Low centre of gravity and very hard on the puck. Plays hard at both ends and will do anything to win.“

Red Line Report

“Ryan Hartman is an in your face forward who never takes a shift off. He’s not the biggest of players in terms of size, but he has the heart of a lion and won’t back down from anyone. He’s versatile as he can play the wing and is also a good centerman. Hartman can play in all situations and will not only shut down the opposition’s top players, but he can also produce offense against them, too. He is a solid skater, is very smart and his hockey IQ is through the roof. He plays as hard in the defensive zone as he does in the offensive zone, always finishes his checks, isn’t afraid to drop the mitts and will do whatever it takes to win. Hartman has a solid shot, sees the ice pretty well and overall is one of the more complete players in this year’s draft class.  As much as I love Hartman’s game, he’s not a dynamic offensive player. He has ability to produce, but in a secondary role. His skating ability could use a little bit of work and at times he loses composure and takes bad penalties, as well.”

Todd Cordell – The Hockey Guys

“What Hartman lacks in size, he makes up for in effort. The 5-foot-11 forward isn’t the biggest guy on the ice but his quickness and explosiveness make up for that in a lot of ways. Hartman is a physical forward who is not afraid to finish checks and competes hard every shift. In addition to playing with an edge, Hartman is a capable offensive player and while not flashy, he is effective. A lack of real high-end talent and size are the obvious knocks, but Hartman projects as a pesty forward that seem to be fan favourites in the NHL.”

The Scouting Report

Statistics:

Bio/Interview(s)/Links:

Interview with Sportsology

Interview with NHL Live

International Tournaments:

Hartman is the winner of two gold medals.  He won one during the WJC-18 tournament with the U.S. National Team Development Program and also won gold at the World Junior Championships this past January.  In 13 international games he has 4 goals and 5 assists.

ETA:

2-3 years

Risk/Reward Analysis:

Risk: 1/5  Reward: 4/5

NHL Potential:

2nd line center or winger

Strengths:

Hockey sense

Hockey IQ

Tenacity

Checking

Play along the boards

Crashing the net

Speed

Defensive play/awareness

Accuracy with his shots

Flaws/Aspects He Needs to Work On:

Filling out his frame

Fantasy Hockey Potential:

Offensive: 6/10   Defensive: 6/10

NHL Player Comparison:

-Hartman has compared himself to Mike Richards of the Los Angeles Kings.  His two-way play, checking, and ability to score are reminiscent of Richards’ style of play.  Another player I liken him to is New York Rangers forward, Ryan Callahan.

–Hall of Fame comparison: Dino Ciccarelli

Video(s):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-zk4ZTe38k

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THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph

Follow Shawn Reznik on Twitter: @ShawnTHW