Rangers select Matthew Robertson with 49th overall pick
The New York Rangers chose Matthew Robertson with the No. 49 selection in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Matthew Robertson
Position: Defense
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 201 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Nationality: Canadian
| GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 7 | 26 | 33 |
(Stats courtesy: EliteProspects.com)
Robertson was projected by many to be a late first-round or early second-round choice in this draft.
He fell eight spots in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings of North American skaters after placing 18th in the midterm edition.
The Alberta native ranked second in assists among blue-liners on the Oil Kings this past season, improving his point production by nearly 40 percent in 15 fewer regular-season games than he played in the previous campaign.
Robertson represented Canada multiple times over the last two years. He led all defensemen in points at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, helped Canada win gold at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and also played for his country at this year's Under-18 World Championship.
What they're saying
"This year so far, you could just see his maturity for a younger player in the league," Oil Kings general manager Kirt Hill told WHL.com's Robert Murray in October. "He was playing close to 30 minutes a game (in 2017-18) as a 16-year-old and handled it with ease. He has such good poise with the puck out there."
“With size and a great skating foundation, (Robertson would) be tough to pass on late in the first round," Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino said, according to a story on the CHL's official website this week.
Cosentino previously relayed scouts' concerns about Robertson, saying in April that evaluators "want(ed) to see more urgency and jam in his game" and were "having a hard time projecting what he will be at the next level."