The Detroit Red Wings selected forward Michael Rasmussen with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Michael Rasmussen
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 215 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Nationality: Canadian
GP | G | A | P | ES GPG | ES PPG | ES GF% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 | 32 | 23 | 55 | 0.24 | 0.38 | 41.89 |
(Even-strength stats courtesy: prospect-stats.com)
Teams won't find a bigger center than the 6-foot-6 Rassmussen. The Tri-City Americans forward enters as the No. 5 ranked North American skater after moving up one spot from the NHL Central Scouting's mid-term rankings.
"(Rasmussen) has either the best natural instinct or willingness to get to the net and go around the net," Tri-City coach Mike Williamson said, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "And it sounds simple, but a lot of guys play on the perimeter, are not willing to go there, or just are off to the side enough to make it easy for a goalie. But his natural first instinct when he gets over the blue line is to get around the net."
Rasmussen is a beastly player who can serve in all situations and is a defender's nightmare to handle in front of the net. He can score the highlight-reel goal or clean up the garbage, and should be a fantastic asset to any team.