Top 25 Islanders Under 25: #22, Rhett Rakhshani
by Dominik on Sep 26, 2011 12:59 PM EDT
in Islanders in Diapers
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Our last Top 25 Under 25 listing was a guy whose preseason injury sets his career back at the wrong time. While Rhett Rakhshani's concussion is nowhere near as significant as Mark Katic's dislocated shoulder, it still hampers what Rakhshani surely saw as a serious bid to make the NHL roster.
Rakhshani still has time -- he's back skating now and is likely to play vs. the Flames Tuesday -- but our panel's vote, taken before the concussion, puts him at #22 on our list.
| Top 25/25 | mikb | M11 | CIL | Dom | KQ | Web |
| Rakhshani | n/a | 17 | 24 | 17 | 22 | n/a |
Despite his offensive talent displayed in college and last year as Bridgeport's leading scorer as a rookie (62 points in 66 games), there is concern over whether he'll be good enough to get offensive opportunities at the NHL level -- and if not, whether his smaller frame equips him to handle lesser NHL roles.
Whether mistakenly or not, the concussions experienced in a brief NHL callup last season and in the rookie games this fall feed that superficial impression -- that Rakhshani's size will hold him back. It's hardly a knock Rakhshani hasn't faced, and plowed through, before.
Of course, whatever Rakhshani's future prospects, he'll at minimum again be an important piece for Bridgeport this year, as well as a mentor for the younger arrivals. Because he played all four years at University of Denver and thus signed at an older age, his Entry Level Contract is only two seasons: 2011-12 is the second and final year of that contract, so he'll be a restricted free agent the Islanders will have to make a decision on next summer, when he'll be 24.
At age 23 now, can he carve his way above the other prospects in contention and solidify an NHL future? That's debatable. But whatever his prospects, he's quite clearly already a skilled player for the organization right now. He's likely to keep putting up points in Bridgeport and, like most players in his situation, will need health and the right opportunity to show what he can do in the NHL.
The Top 25 under 25 is an idea conceived (I think) by Oilers blog Copper & Blue and copied elsewhere, incorporated here by popular demand. We cut it off at players who were under 25 going into this season, so Andrew MacDonald, having just turned 25 this month, barely misses eligibility.
For this first edition, we polled LHH authors Keith, WebBard, mikb, myself, and two particularly prospect-focused LHH regulars, CanadianIslesLifer and MatthewM11. We wanted enough to get a decent number of voters but not so much that we make the first run unwieldy. It is absolutely unscientific but solid enough with varied enough votes to get us thinking.
Previous Posts in this Series:
- Those who didn't make the Top 25
- #25: Anton Klementyev
- #24: Not to be Pedantic, but is it Andrei or Andrey Pedan
- #23: Mark Katic shoulders the burden
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Everything but speed.
This guy has a great offensive game – hands, poise, hockey sense, a good enough shot – he’s just not very fast. Can he be a force in the NHL? Maybe – I think he can be decent. I’m rooting for him.
Man..
have this organization come far when an AHL all star player is ranked 22nd in a ranking like this.
Really stoked about the talent we posses. So much to feel great about this team at the moment.
by DavidSweden on Sep 26, 2011 3:44 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Bear in mind
we are not scouts and I (at least) am using a pretty unscientific method!
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
Speak for yourself
I made it all the way to Weblos. And I might have even tried to be an Eagle Scout if I hadn’t discovered boobs.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Crap I forgot about that
Okay, I’m in…but I can’t remember what level I’ve achieved…will call Mom.
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
It really is a good place to be...
… but these assets need to be managed better because of the postion the organization is in as a whole.
Bailey is the perfect example. There were plenty of us that argued that Bailey’s 2008-09 roster spot should have been filled by a veteran. They were already giving a 2006 first rounder (KO) a shot, and there really wasn’t a need to dip that deep into the talent pool.
Now the lineup is made up of sub 27 year old talent, especially at forward. Tavares, Okposo, Bailey, Grabner, Comeau, and Martin. Do you really want to put yourself in a position in two years where you can’t put a 22 year old in the minors because he’s played too many games (see Bailey)
The organization also needs to design a path for the NHL that includes time in the AHL. Play against B-level men, and earn a spot from there… we don’t need you to take the test at 19 against A-level players. Learn the system in the A… master it… then hit the ground running in the NHL.
Nino, Strome or Kabanov will all sell tickets… WINNING WILL SELL MORE!
Who cares... John Tavares is here until 2017-18!!!
by JPinVA on Sep 26, 2011 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Long Term Developement
Totally agree with need for Isles to institute an Organizational Game Plan for nurturing and developing their prospects now and in the future. I believe this is vital part of Isles taking next step especially since with development of current team core and prospects we can anticipate drafting much later going forward. If Garth wants a ready made example of a possible path all he needs to do is take a look at Detroit.
In the moment...
Rhett is a top ten prospect. It’s about the organization’s maturity more than Rhett’s.
I’ve watched a number of Rhett’s games at Denver and I streamed a few games from BPT, plus I was at his debut last year. Rhett reminds me of a young Jason Blake. He has a motor, and given offensive opportunities he can finish. Size is not on his side, but he has played effectively against MEN. He needs, and has earned, an opportunity to show what he can do in the NHL. He probably tops out as a middle six guy who has to play solid PK minutes to keep his job.
I think we’ll see that Nino is a player at 19 that needs more support. Strome and Kabanov the same. This is why I place Rhett and Ullstrom higher on my 2011 sub-25 depth charts.
All three of those kids can go back to junior and get top forward roles. Rhett can play top 6 in the AHL (he’s done it). So if he gets an NHL opportunity and it doesn’t work out, back to the AHL. Same for Ullstrom, Dibenedetto and Haley.
Do all three of those kids have higher “upside” than Rhett… most likely.
But if I have to commit a professional contract to any of them it would be:
Ullstrom
Rakhshani
Nino
Strome
Kabanov
Who cares... John Tavares is here until 2017-18!!!
My reasoning on Rhett
is reall, I don’t think he is going to stay healthy at his size. He already has sustained two concussions in under twoc complete games playing against NHL men. I agree that if he is healthy is is easily in the top 3 for forward call-up, but given his upside (where I agree with you) and his size/injury thing, I bump him down.
Also, pretty much agree with your NHL contract list, but flipping Kabanov for Strome just because I think he has looked a little more smooth in prospect games…can’t wait to see him on Tuesday though.
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
Concussions are bad...
but if you use the same injury:accomplishments against men scale for CDH he might not even be on the list.
I’m a Rhett fan… I would really like to see a kid who stuck it out in college get a chance… and he fits the natural professional progression a little better. I’m not saying that it has to be set in stone, but 22-25 is when you’re going to see the most consistent performance out of most players.
Who cares... John Tavares is here until 2017-18!!!
Oh ditto
Make no mistake, I’m not looking to be right on any of this. This is just where I see them, and honestly, year to year, I expect to revisit and revise the rankings. I mean, let’s consider there are chances that Pedan can be an absolute beast that unseats Wishart and or Donovan. Another trick with the rankings (in my mind anyway) is even given the criteria of “NHL ready” and “potential” is how much to weigh either one of those for a given prospect.
For example, in Wishart’s case, I don’t see him as having a high ceiling, but I do see him being close to ready right now, so I ranked him more highly on that. But, there are guys that obviously going to have a higher ceiling than him (in any position really) like Strome, that I have ahead of Wishart even though I know he is probably further away.
As CIL indicated below, when you start thinking about “would I trade this guy for this guy” and then taking the makeup of your team into account (I would trade the potential blue chip who is two years away for a chance at the cup) it really starts to make your head spin…then you end up erasing and re-writing.
I want Rakh to get a good look definitely…remember I did that post about just how good he was at the AHL level last year…I just don’t think he can stand the wear and tear.
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
I'm in the final 5 of my list...
I will publish it as a fan post, and if everybody wants to email me theirs I’ll compile a consensus for all of us out here, and we can match it up with you guys.
I’m guessing it will be rather close until we get to the bottom 5.
Who cares... John Tavares is here until 2017-18!!!
Clarification on the rankings and it just may differ between graders
Is it the top 25 now (most NHL ready)?
Is it the top 25 based on potential (eventaully have the bext career)?
Is it the top 25 that are likely to be an Islander (will make the NHL as an Islander and not be dealt for depth elsewhere)?
I can see that there is a big difference between who is the best player right now, but not necessarily the best prospect. And even though you may be a better overall prospect than someone else it may not be on the Island where you get your shot because there are too many right handed centers born on a Tuesday in the lineup..
I think it was explained in the first post, but as the names are revealed it seems like many of the rationales are for the best 25 players right now, but it looks like some of the top prospects are looking more ready than they normally would under that same criteria. Please feel free to send me back to the original post if I missed it.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
Personally
I tried to blend the top two criteria together…I think if I did it for each individual criteria separately, I’d have 3 different rankings for each player.
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
it's a bit of a mixture
for example, player A may be a little more NHL ready than play B, but player B has the skills to play in NHL, much higher upside, but i think is development is best served by another year in minors, and i would trade player A for player B in a heart beat….in that case, I ranked player B higher….if i think a guy is closer to being NHL available, but is a career number 6 D man, or 4th line forward, i ranked them lower…
by CanadianIsleslifer on Sep 26, 2011 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions
What these guys said
Tried to tilt it more toward “right now” than your usual “potential” prospect list, but with the understanding that some of these guys we have no way of knowing how ready they are right now. Potential clearly won out in some instances (which is fine in my book). I try to think where Hamonic would’ve been on this list last year, before we knew he’d be stepping in so soon and doing just fine.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
the trick is weighing all those factors
but at the end of the day for me its about upside. Matt Martin may have better odds of being an NHL regular than Kabanov but Kabanov has point-per-game potential, if not more while Martin’s never likely the make it above a third line role. i cant rank someone like Martin or Dibennedetto over someone like Kabanov or Strome, even if the first two are more polished and/or NHL ready
I debated whether or not to rank Rahk
Part of me gave him the benefit of the doubt, on the count that I figured everyone else would have ranked him higher…i guess it wasn’t just me….
is he the right side version of jeff tambelli of ziggy palffy? somewhere in between? i am concerned about his size as well…on the flip side, you need AHL scoring, goaltending, etc. The famr system should mirror the NHL system so has callups flow into the lineup seamlessly. That means, even though a number of players in any given draft will never be NHL players, you need some of them to make it as pro-AHLers too, it assists and is necessary for the development of those that do make it…so if Rahk ever does make it in the show, for me, that is a bonus, I am not depending on it…what i am depending in is for Rahk to provide offense for the AHL team for a few more years.
by CanadianIsleslifer on Sep 26, 2011 5:02 PM EDT reply actions
He is too small
Unless he shows exceptional talent in the NHL which he did not in his short cup of coffee last season. He is another career AHL er.
DiBo is better than Rhett IMO.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
for me its kind of apples and oranges, although I did rank Rakh slightly higher than DB in my rankings
DB has a much better shot at becoming an NHL regular, while Rakh has a higher ceiling. My best guess is that Rakh will be something of a Keith Aucoin- AHL all star who can’t translate that success to the NHL. After watching the success of Moulson and Paranteau though, I don’t discount young guys who put up points in the NHL
My reasoning is that I can point to a skill DiBo has that is clearly a skill of his he can refine that can be topnotch in the NHL
And that’s his being a pest – drawing penalties that opponents really shouldn’t take. It’s a limited skill – which puts him as a 4th liner likely, but it’s a useful skill that he can be really good at.
Rakh on the other hand doesn’t have such a skill, and his size will hurt the skills (scoring) that he supposedly is the best at. I just don’t see him making it in the NHL, and he’s not young anymore. His clock is ticking fast.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
I agree
And what DB brings is relatively unique among Islander prospects, while Rakh’s game seems best tailored for a top six role- except that he is smaller and older then the guys he will be competing for roster spots with in upcoming years, guys like Kabanov, Strome, Lee, Nelson and Petrov.
Agree
but more because it seems that DiBo’s game will transfer better to the NHL.
"Failing upwards! How come I can’t ever seem to do that?" - AP77 on Strang's ESPN Job
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
the odds are stacked against Rhett, but....
you can’t discount the success he has had at every level so far. No matter which way you slice it he had a great rookie year in the AHL.
Rakh is small but talented. He's got 3rd line potential, I hope injuries didn't hurt him too bad.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
my worry is that
he isn’t versatile enough for the third line. He’s small and he seemed offense focused, sometimes guys like that can’t adapt to checking roles, and end up dominating the AHL but can never make a full-time jump to the NHL. I did rank Rakhshani relatively highly because I do think he has some upside and so far has produced at every level he has played at but my best guess would be that he is someone who never is an everyday NHLer. Guys like DB may not be as skilled or have the upside as Rakh but have shown they can be grinders and checkers which opens up so many more roster spots for them. Rakh is IMO boom or bust, he can score 25 goals a year or spend most of career in the AHL or Europe. He could also always get a chance with a poor or injury riddled team and pull a Paranteau.
Yeah. There are those things.
But everyone says defense is teachable as long as a player has the work ethic and commitment. But who knows. I like his talent, but his age comes into play, his injury history could affect him, and his size is a hinderance. I’ve said it, and other have too in the past(maybe you too), he’s got the skills to be a productive nhler but his best shot really isn’t with this team right now given the entire situation.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
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The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
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1981-82
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