Major red flags as elite NHL prospect is set to be traded yet again.

Not a good sign.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Major red flags as elite NHL prospect is set to be traded yet again.
Sportsnet

We very rarely will cover a trade at the Ontario Hockey League level, but this deal has so many implications for at least one National Hockey League franchise that it seemed silly to ignore it. 

According to a report from OHL Insiders it now appears as though former first round pick Ryan Merkley is once again on the trading block. The news comes as a huge surprise given Merkley's obvious talent, but it now seems quite clear that there are some major red flags behind the scenes with this kid. Merkley was previously traded by the Guelph Storm to the Peterborough Petes, presumably the Petes believed they could tame him, but now it looks like the Petes have realized the problem themselves and are looking to ship Merkley out of their locker room. It is also being reported that the Petes are seeking a similar return to what they paid for Merkley, so it may be awhile before they find anyone willing to touch this kid at that price.

Merkley was selected in the first round (21st overall) in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, but his talent alone should have placed him much higher on the draft board. There were however reportedly some major red flags regarding the kid and when he was selected Sportsnet analyst and former NHL general manager Brian Burke dropped a bombshell regarding the kid. Burke revealed that his problems between the ears were so bad that several NHL teams viewed him as an undraftable player. 

"My view of this is that this is a high risk pick, I know at least two teams have told me they had Ryan Merkley as a player they would not consider in any round," said Burke when Merkley was selected by the Sharks. In other words a DND, a do not draft list player."

Now to be clear this was not Burke downplaying his talents, in fact Burke heaped praise on the kid for his ability on the ice. He did however point out that there are some real problems when it comes to Merkley.

"He is elite in every area,skating, passing, shooting, but his lack of commitment to defense and his perceived uncoachability makes him a real liability."

It now seems that 2 OHL teams feel they would be better off without him in spite of his tremendous talent, and that has to be a major concern for the San Jose Sharks.


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