Article: Riley Heidt Is All Gas and No Brakes

[Justin Hein]

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[vonlonster67]

Appreciate the insight Justin! I look forward to watching Heidt at Prince George this year.

It's interesting some of the labels Heidt obtained versus what you showed us. I see a player with a deep Canadian team with an A on his chest. Hard to believe that would be given if he had no compete.

What I see watching Heidt is he's involved away from the puck busy and making his team mates better. It's a bonus with his skating, vision and hockey sense. 

[MrCheatachu]

It'll be interesting to watch this guy develop, as he's just 18.  Seems a meteoric fall to being projected to go in the 20's overall to falling to the 20th center picked.

Heidt was the last player picked in the 2nd round. 

As much as Guerin & Co seem to be about character and building a good room, I'd doubt that it's an attitude/personality issue.  Further, if the labels of 'wildly inconsistent play, and virtually no concern with playing [defense]'  also seem hard to believe that Brackett/Guerin agree with.

Then again, available at pick 64 seems worth a flyer as after the first round there's only like a 30% chance that player is going to be an NHL player anyhow.

 

 

[Luke Sims]

He's so sick

[Imyourhuckleberry]

Hiedt is a talented player, but I still had more interest in his linemate, Ziemmer.

When Ziemmer gets into NHL conditioning and skating programs, he has the potential to become great on both ends of the ice. He plays with grit and among 1st year draft eligibles, was 2nd in goals only to Bedard in the WHL.

He did have a linemate who is 3 years older outscore him on his line, but for a draft eligible player, his production was up among the best, just 8 points shy of Hiedt, but he scored 16 more goals, and posted 16 power play goals among his 41 goals on the year.

Hiedt is more of a passer like Rossi. Hopefully he and Ziemmer are both back with the Prince George Cougars and put up more great numbers together.

I hope Hiedt develops well. He definitely has excellent skating and skill.

[Justin Hein]

5 hours ago, vonlonster67 said:

Appreciate the insight Justin! I look forward to watching Heidt at Prince George this year.

It's interesting some of the labels Heidt obtained versus what you showed us. I see a player with a deep Canadian team with an A on his chest. Hard to believe that would be given if he had no compete.

What I see watching Heidt is he's involved away from the puck busy and making his team mates better. It's a bonus with his skating, vision and hockey sense. 

Spot on. I wonder how much this deep draft class mis-cast him as a power play specialist when there were just a lot of U-18 Canadians who were better at 5v5 on the international stage. His draft stock fell mostly during spring/summer international tourneys. 

[Justin Hein]

4 hours ago, MrCheatachu said:

It'll be interesting to watch this guy develop, as he's just 18.  Seems a meteoric fall to being projected to go in the 20's overall to falling to the 20th center picked.

Heidt was the last player picked in the 2nd round. 

As much as Guerin & Co seem to be about character and building a good room, I'd doubt that it's an attitude/personality issue.  Further, if the labels of 'wildly inconsistent play, and virtually no concern with playing [defense]'  also seem hard to believe that Brackett/Guerin agree with.

Then again, available at pick 64 seems worth a flyer as after the first round there's only like a 30% chance that player is going to be an NHL player anyhow.

 

 

With the team he was on, I think inconsistency was a given. Remember Fiala trying to force plays before Boldy joined his line? I could see Heidt having had the same struggles due to depth in Prince George. 

[Justin Hein]

4 hours ago, Luke Sims said:

He's so sick

Comment of the year

[Justin Hein]

3 hours ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Hiedt is a talented player, but I still had more interest in his linemate, Ziemmer.

When Ziemmer gets into NHL conditioning and skating programs, he has the potential to become great on both ends of the ice. He plays with grit and among 1st year draft eligibles, was 2nd in goals only to Bedard in the WHL.

He did have a linemate who is 3 years older outscore him on his line, but for a draft eligible player, his production was up among the best, just 8 points shy of Hiedt, but he scored 16 more goals, and posted 16 power play goals among his 41 goals on the year.

Hiedt is more of a passer like Rossi. Hopefully he and Ziemmer are both back with the Prince George Cougars and put up more great numbers together.

I hope Hiedt develops well. He definitely has excellent skating and skill.

Heidt actually made a concerted effort to shoot more this year, which some scouts noted and popped on the tape. I think as the game gets tighter, he'll be forced to shoot more -- but his shot is good! He mentioned it in the THN interview -- https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/minnesota-wild/news/wild-prospect-riley-heidt-building-toward-a-complete-game-i-know-what-im-capable-of . 

Like you, I also disagree with the skating concerns some scouts raised. Hopefully Minnesota has a real diamond in the rough here, but picking him at 64 is such a risk-free play. I love it. 

[Protec]

I commented on this previously how teams took centers early and in the 2nd round teams were picking more variety so Heidt wasn't necessarily dropping because of specific apprehension but more because of circumstance. I think the Wild were probably considering him at 53rd but went with RasmuKampu for size and depth but when Heidt was still there at 64th, it was a lucky pickup. Even if it takes a few years, a player like Brayden Point would be sweet.

[Mateo3xm]

Did anyone notice after he scored that he almost never joined his teammates to celebrate?

he was always celebrating by himself…

just thought that was an interesting and puzzling observation.

[vonlonster67]

47 minutes ago, Mateo3xm said:

Did anyone notice after he scored that he almost never joined his teammates to celebrate?

he was always celebrating by himself…

just thought that was an interesting and puzzling observation.

Yeah like when he scored behind the net and then went to huddle with his team mates before high fiving the bench.....

[Protec]

If there's character issues or defensive disinterest he's got time to figure it out. He can go back to juniors and he'll know what the Wild are looking for. The Wild won't need him right away. Good prospect to watch.

[bisopher]

Let's see:

- Listens to advice and works to get better (emphasis on defense after 1st year at PG)

- 51.5% on faceoffs for the year, improved to 60.6% in the playoffs (!)

- May not be big enough to paste a puck carrier to the boards, but has the knowledge / talent to either direct them into a teammate or pick their pocket himself.

 

Sounds like a fine candidate for 2C / 3C in a few years.  Thanks, rest of the NHL!

[Mateo3xm]

10 hours ago, vonlonster67 said:

Yeah like when he scored behind the net and then went to huddle with his team mates before high fiving the bench.....

Someone’s butt hurt from other comments lol.

that’s why I said almost.

if you watch the other highlight video he rarely goes over to his teammates after setting someone up or scoring which is strange.

it’s probably nothing but is could be a sign of something.

we will see.

 

 

[vonlonster67]

8 minutes ago, Mateo3xm said:

Someone’s butt hurt from other comments lol.

that’s why I said almost.

if you watch the other highlight video he rarely goes over to his teammates after setting someone up or scoring which is strange.

it’s probably nothing but is could be a sign of something.

we will see.

 

 

I watched the others...he does his one knee celebration then goes to his team. Not unlike others? Other comments have nothing to do with taking a shot at our rookie that's not valid.

[vonlonster67]

10 hours ago, bisopher said:

Let's see:

- Listens to advice and works to get better (emphasis on defense after 1st year at PG)

- 51.5% on faceoffs for the year, improved to 60.6% in the playoffs (!)

- May not be big enough to paste a puck carrier to the boards, but has the knowledge / talent to either direct them into a teammate or pick their pocket himself.

 

Sounds like a fine candidate for 2C / 3C in a few years.  Thanks, rest of the NHL!

Exactly biospher, slice n dice them. Love his team game.

He's always looking to open up the ice or play a 200ft game in directing the puck even if D isn't his primary focus at this point in his career and maturity. 

[Protec]

18yo players outside of the first tier of picks are tricky to project out to age 22-24. The comps for Heidt from the WHL, it's a no-brainer with the 64th pick. Having Beckman and Heidt in our system at different stages is pretty cool. Scoring big numbers in that league usually works out for NHL teams who pick these players. Barzal, Point, Jarvis are all good examples of players similar to Heidt offensively. MN got each guy from the same range of the draft. Food for thought.

[vonlonster67]

1 hour ago, Protec said:

18yo players outside of the first tier of picks are tricky to project out to age 22-24. The comps for Heidt from the WHL, it's a no-brainer with the 64th pick. Having Beckman and Heidt in our system at different stages is pretty cool. Scoring big numbers in that league usually works out for NHL teams who pick these players. Barzal, Point, Jarvis are all good examples of players similar to Heidt offensively. MN got each guy from the same range of the draft. Food for thought.

Heidt and Beckman are from the same town.

Heidt mentioned in his first interviews he spoke to a player from the team from his hometown who raved about the organization and culture. 

So, I'm thinking he's happy to be here and have the opportunity.  Good for us for basically an almost 3rd round pick.

[mnfaninnc]

On 8/11/2023 at 2:01 PM, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Hiedt is a talented player, but I still had more interest in his linemate, Ziemmer.

When Ziemmer gets into NHL conditioning and skating programs, he has the potential to become great on both ends of the ice. He plays with grit and among 1st year draft eligibles, was 2nd in goals only to Bedard in the WHL.

He did have a linemate who is 3 years older outscore him on his line, but for a draft eligible player, his production was up among the best, just 8 points shy of Hiedt, but he scored 16 more goals, and posted 16 power play goals among his 41 goals on the year.

Could this be a chicken or the egg argument? Did Ziemmer score those goals because of brilliant set ups from Heidt, or did Heidt pad his assists because Ziemmer was so good at burying the puck?

I would think that because the other wing also produced well, it might very well be the playmaking of Heidt in this one. 

[mnfaninnc]

On 8/11/2023 at 5:04 PM, Justin Hein said:

Spot on. I wonder how much this deep draft class mis-cast him as a power play specialist when there were just a lot of U-18 Canadians who were better at 5v5 on the international stage. His draft stock fell mostly during spring/summer international tourneys. 

Herein lies the dilemma: Do we have better scouting than the other 31 teams? This is really the final year of the Covid problem where players' development was terribly affected. My hope is that the Wild have the better scouting and were able to steal picks in the last 4 drafts while other franchises watch theirs bust out.

We will soon see how that worked out. In all likelihood, it'll be a mixed bag. Up first, though, is our 2020 draft with Rossi, O'Rourke, Khus%^&, and Hunt. This will be their 4th season since being drafted. We should get a solid report on how we did this year.

[mnfaninnc]

On 8/11/2023 at 9:41 PM, Protec said:

If there's character issues or defensive disinterest he's got time to figure it out. He can go back to juniors and he'll know what the Wild are looking for. The Wild won't need him right away. Good prospect to watch.

Let's see how he looks in the upcoming prospects tournament! I'd love to see a nice open ice hit on Bedard just to set the tone!

[mnfaninnc]

23 hours ago, vonlonster67 said:

Heidt and Beckman are from the same town.

Heidt mentioned in his first interviews he spoke to a player from the team from his hometown who raved about the organization and culture. 

So, I'm thinking he's happy to be here and have the opportunity.  Good for us for basically an almost 3rd round pick.

He'll be in a good spot, by the time he's ready for the big club, we will be in the hunt for Cups. I'm also thinking it's better than basically a 3rd round pick, it's a free swing that came from the Greenway trade.  And, for dropping like a rock, that probably puts a little bitter taste in his mouth which most athletes use as motivation for the next few years. I anticipate there will be a chip on his shoulder.

On 8/12/2023 at 7:43 AM, Mateo3xm said:

Someone’s butt hurt from other comments lol.

that’s why I said almost.

if you watch the other highlight video he rarely goes over to his teammates after setting someone up or scoring which is strange.

it’s probably nothing but is could be a sign of something.

we will see.

 

I'd also say this is odd (without actually seeing it), but it's even more odd that it would be a problem if he has an A on his chest. I'm pretty sure there is nothing here, and it may just be a little creative individualism coming through. 

I don't know much about Prince George, but if they aren't that good, I wonder if he is traded to a better team? And if he is traded, I wonder how much more production he could get?

[Up North Guy]

24 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

Let's see how he looks in the upcoming prospects tournament! I'd love to see a nice open ice hit on Bedard just to set the tone!

That would be so much fun. Let's get the old rivalry back in vogue. Screw the Hawks and their always getting the top prospect when they need it.

[vonlonster67]

1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

Could this be a chicken or the egg argument? Did Ziemmer score those goals because of brilliant set ups from Heidt, or did Heidt pad his assists because Ziemmer was so good at burying the puck?

I would think that because the other wing also produced well, it might very well be the playmaking of Heidt in this one. 

Heidt does this (apples) everywhere he goes, thus the "A" on his chest for team Canada!