*Post updated 11/15/11
Which other prospects could one day join Derek Stepan, Ryan
McDonagh and the rest of the young Rangers on Broadway?
Blueshirt Bulletin will be tracking the progress of the next
wave of youngsters as they compete and develop this season in the Canadian junior
leagues, college and abroad.
Below is a compilation of scouting reports, buzz and
analysis by scouts and hockey experts on Scott Stajcer.
We’ll update this as the season unfolds with the latest news
at the very bottom of this post.
Scott Stajcer
Drafted: 2009 – 5th round (140th overall)
HT: 6-3
WT: 195
Pos: G
Shoots: L
Birthday: 6/14/91
Team: Owen Sound Attack, OHL
2009-2010 stats: 21-23-6, .897 SV%, 3.67 GAA, 1 SO
2010-2011 stats: 10-3-0, .901 SV%, 2.91 GAA, 1 SO
2010-2011 playoffs: 8-4, .909 SV%, 2.79 GAA, 0 SO
2011-2012 stats: 2-3-2, .922 SV%, 2.54 GAA, 0 SO
Rangers.com
profile >
Scouting report entering the season from Blueshirt Bulletin
staff writer and author of The
Prospect Park, Jess Rubenstein:
“By taking Stajcer with them to Europe then the Rangers are
helping to boost Stajcer's OHL trade value as Owen Sound who holds Stajcer's
rights already has a starting goalie. The ideal situation is where a team with
ideas of a playoff run would prefer a goalie who has spent his time in a NHL
camp over a 16-17 year old rookie. Right now there are maybe 4 OHL teams
who are still trying to decide if they are happy with what they have in goal. A
strong showing in Europe could be the selling point that gets Stajcer on a good
team with plenty of work.” (9/27/11)
What They’re Saying:
TSN.ca – “He shows the vision to track pucks and handles rebounds quite well for a
young goaltender. A hard working netminder that does not give up on a play and
his combative attitude makes players want to play hard for him.” (1/16/09)
The
Goalie Guild – “Another massive goaltender with great movement, Stajcer is
one of the top-ranked goalies in the NHL Entry Draft and for good reason.
Stajcer had an incredible playoff run with Owen Sound and the reason he was so
successful was not just solid positioning and technique, but a extremely strong
mental game. He’s confident, calm and composed in dire moments and is very good
at making the first save. He needs to work on the things that most big-bodied
goalies need to improve upon, which is rebound control and recovery from the
butterfly, along with stickhandling.” (6/22/09)
The
Goalie Guild – “Stajcer has a solid frame with a good set of fundamentals but
needs at least a few more years in the CHL to round out his game and get used
to moving laterally with that big frame.” (6/25/09)
The
Prospect Park – “Something we have noticed about Stajcer that keeps us on
high on him is an interesting trend we noticed that with Stajcer is that he
plays better when he faces more shots.
When Stajcer has faced over 40 shots in a game, his record is 5-1-1-1 on
the season. Yet when Stajcer faces less than 40 shots then his record drops to
3-10 which we have no explanation for as the average number of shots an OHL
goalie tends to face in a game is 34-35.” (11/1/09)
Rangers.com – “It would be an understatement to say Stajcer faced "a lot of
shots" in 2009-10. Stajcer had to make at least 35 saves in one out of
every three of his 54 starts. He had to make 40-plus saves in one of every five
starts, but won seven of those 11 games, losing once in regulation, once in a
shootout, and twice in overtime. On almost any other OHL team, a 40-save night
would have guaranteed a win. ‘Near the
end of the season, I caught one of his games, and by then he looked tired,’
said Gordie Clark, the Rangers' Director, Player Personnel. ‘That's what
happens when you average so many shots.’” (6/16/10)
THN.com – “Returning from a hip injury, the big netminder has been lights-out for the
Attack, losing just once in nine post-season decisions and posting a sizzling
2.08 GAA.” (5/3/11)
The
Goalie Guild – “Currently, I’m not too excited about Stajcer’s
potential and upside in a Rangers jersey. It is always a devastating blow to
have a serious injury last as long as it did, and there’s no
guarantee that Stajcer will be put in a position to play a lot of games
next season. Injury concerns will linger until he has a chance to prove he is
completely over the problems that plagued him this season. Maybe the Rangers took that into account when
re-signing him. And surely they trust that his injury is not going to cause
long-term issues, otherwise they may not have signed him. Let’s hope this is
the case, for it will take a lot of trust and patience by the Rangers for
Stajcer to have any kind of legitimate NHL upside.” (5/20/11)
Rangers.com – “The Rangers' second of two fifth-round draft picks in 2009, Stajcer signed
his first NHL contract this spring after a year that started brilliantly before
he was forced to battle through injury and then battle for ice time once he got
back. Mental toughness is one of the
most important characteristics in an NHL goaltender, and Stajcer has no
shortage of it. In fact, it was his own resilience that helped the Owen Sound
Attack win the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions on May 15, as Owen Sound
survived a nail-biting seven-game series against Mississauga to win its first
league title since franchise arrived in Owen Sound 22 years ago.” (6/17/11)
The
Goalie Guild – “My first time seeing him play since the Memorial Cup
tournament … In the first 10 minutes of the game, I thought he moved with
more ease and efficiency than at any point last season (prior and post-injury)
… Made most of his saves in the blocking mode, giving up some weak rebounds,
but he placed most of them directly in front of his body, so as to limit
his post-save movement … Although his movements were much better than last
season, he is still not what I would call a mobile goaltender …
On the first goal, a tough rebound given up on an initial shot off
his left shoulder leads to the loose puck being batted to his left,
so he couldn’t dive back in time to get a piece of it … 14 saves on 15 shots in
the first … Beat on a backhand cross-crease feed with just under 18 seconds
left in the second period, puck beats him just past an outstretched left skate
… 23 saves on 25 shots after two periods … Didn’t face a shot in the first
11 minutes of the third period … Lacked smooth mobility in many situations,
especially when the puck was behind his net … Finished with 26 saves on 28
shots in a pretty important win for him … Displayed good positioning and was
rarely tested in the final 30 minutes of the game.
Considering how awkward and cumbersome he looked every time
I watched him last season, I was fairly impressed with Stajcer’s performance in
this game. Most of the rubber he faced came in the first two periods, and most
of his saves were made using the blocking selection. He gave up some juicy
rebounds and didn’t have the best movement, but overall he was very solid and
square to the puck.” (9/11/11)
Hockey’s Future – “Stajcer has the size to be an NHL netminder, however, he needs to develop
consistency and control rebounds better to make that dream a reality.”
(9/27/11)
Buzzing
the Net – “One suspects Stajcer, once the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is
over, might not be long for the Attack. It is not in either his nor
Binnington's interest to split the starts 50/50. The two of them handled it
with aplomb during the Memorial Cup last spring, often joking about it with
reporters while standing side-by-side conducting interviews and staying
poker-faced as they maintained they didn't know which goalie was in the barrel,
to use the original Dick Irvin's expression.
The simplest explanation is the Rangers organization are likely
returning Stajcer to junior with the full confidence he'll end up on a team
where he'll be a clear No. 1 goalie. The OHL's roster rules allow a team to
keep four overages (only three can play in a game) until January, so DeGray and
another Trader Vic GM will have some time to adjust. No doubt every armchair GM
already has a list of destinations of where Stajcer could end up. Then again,
the Attack have gone against the grain before.” (10/9/11)
Hockey’s Future – “Stajcer has the size to be an NHL netminder, however, he needs to develop
consistency and control rebounds better to make that dream a reality.”
(10/28/11)
The
Hockey Writers – “Stajcer is a big goalie, checking in at 6’2, 195 lbs.
With a solid start to the season for Owen Sound, he still has plenty of work to
do in terms of making Team Canada. Rebound control has been an issue for
the New York Rangers draft pick. He also has a tendency to let
in soft goals and unravel in games. Neither of these traits bode well for
him, however with a month left before Selection Camp in Calgary, he still has
time to make a solid impression.” (11/2/11)
Click
here for our full 2011-2012 Season Archive >
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