Draft: Countdown #15 - Rocco Grimaldi

As part of our draft preview, we will be counting down the top 15 eligible players as per ISS. However, this may not represent our true rankings. We will have a Draft Preview podcast as well as our composite rankings to go along with the countdown. However, since the Islanders have a top 5 pick, we wanted to focus our attention mostly on the high end prospects that may be joining the organization come June 24. So here we go:

USHL Images

15. Rocco Grimaldi
Position: Center
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 163
Shoots: Right
DOB: February 8, 1993
Nationality: USA
2010/11 Team: US NTDP U-18
League: USHL
Stats: 23 GP - 12 G - 13 A - 25 P - 18 PIM (USHL)
6 GP - 2 G - 6 A - 8 P - 6 PIM (WJC U-18)


CH: Grimaldi has had a very up and down year. The American born player was ranked as high as 25 in CSB's mid-season rankings before falling to 32 in their final rankings. The ISS ranked him very high at #15 in their May rankings, which is what we are using for these previews. This is a perfect example of how wide open the 2011 Draft is going to be.

Getting back to Grimaldi; he is a very small forward at only 5'6". This is a huge reason why he has not solidified himself as a top prospect in the class. To say it would be a reach for the Islanders to take him at 5 would be an understatement. There is plenty of possibility, however, that he will be there for the team's second pick at #34. I don't see him as a prime candidate for the Islanders, however, as Snow has been taking players with size recently. I don't believe the Islanders drafted anyone under 6'0" last year, and that might have been the case in 2009 as well.

Grimaldi is a project with a very long-term outlook. He has committed to North Dakota for the 2011-12 season (and beyond), which shows he is nowhere near NHL ready. He would graduate in 2016, which means that if he even came out a year or two early, he's not looking at seeing the NHL game until at least 2013-14. Chances are it will be even after that.

AT: It's not as if players with a lack of size fail to succeed... one Theoren Fleury would disagree with that. But the Islanders have quick, speedy forwards in Grabner - and Grabner's 6'1". I just don't see the Isles going for Grimaldi as he doesn't seem to fit with the plan that they're going for at the moment. He'd be a great project for a team such as the Flames who aren't that powerful down the center.

Most likely draft position: Between picks 25-35