RYAN PULOCK - D - BRANDON WHEAT KINGS, WHL (CANADA)
ISS OVERALL RANKING: 14th - CSS RANK (N.A. ONLY): 12th
HT: 6'1" - WT: 211
DOB: 10/6/94 BIRTHPLACE: GRANDVIEW, MAN
SHOOTS: R
STATISTICS:
Things scouts and other professional/amateur observers said about him:
PRO:
"Pulock from Brandon has a sonic boom of a point shot, he can play in all situations and displays poise and solid leadership, two-way force!" - David Burstyn
"Poised well rounded D-man. Good offensive upside w/ big shot. Effective on PP. Good open ice hitter." “Pulock has such great vision and anticipation away from the puck. Great quick thinker, very good mature two-way ability.”
- ISShockey
"....a real command of the game on the ice in all siutuatiuons...his play, in my view, that reminds me, and this is a lofty lofty projection, of Al Macinnis..." - Craig Button
"Pulock’s biggest asset is an absolute rocket of a slapshot and fantastic one timer which make him an extremely feared shooter on the Powerplay. His shot was measured at 101 MPH in a skills competition this season. "
"A natural PP Quarterback, Pulock makes smart crisp passes and sees the ice extremely well. He also understands the importance of getting the puck on net, and is able to utilize a good wrist shot and quick release when teams try to take away his big bomb. On the rush, he has decent stickhandling and can be the lead man with the puck or can join the attack as the trailer, ready to unleash his rocket slapper or that very good wrist shot."
"Pulock is an above average skater with good mobility on the blue line. He has a very good skating stride and good top end speed, both forwards and backwards. His edgework, pivots and agility are excellent, allowing him to easily cover a lot of ice, and quickly change directions to react and keep the play in front of him. He has solid balance and is difficult to knock off the puck."
"Defensively, Pulock uses his good hockey sense and strong positioning and has really improved his defensive game over the last two years. He keeps his opponent to the outside off the rush and is rarely beaten one on one. In the defensive zone he cuts down passing and shooting lanes. Pulock does play physically willing to throw hits in open ice or if an opponent tries to get by him along the boards. He could stand to work on his upper body strength which would help him to win more board battles and be more of a force in front of the net, and clearing the crease. "
"Pulock’s first pass is excellent, and he helps his team start their transition game by moving the puck quickly out of the zone."
"Ryan projects to be a future powerplay quarterback and all-around effective blueliner. He generates offense though good decision making, accurate passing and effectively utilizing his booming shot. He has a low panic threshold, high awareness and makes good on opportunities as the circumstances allow."
Pulock is an unflappable defender. Although he could stand do be more physical, he has grown the defensive side of his game as a positionally sound defenseman who anticipates the play very well and utilizes a good stick to break up plays. His skating allows him top notch recoverability should he get caught pinching in on the play." - Christopher Ralph
"As one of the smartest players in the 2013 NHL draft, Pulock has established himself as a future top-pairing two-way defenseman. He is very capable offensively thanks to his fantastic skating and NHL-caliber shot. On the power play, he has been able to man the point and distribute the puck effectively while consistently remaining a threat to fire a great shot on net. As he gets bigger and stronger his shot should develop into one of the better shots from the point in the National Hockey League. His poise with and without the puck has helped him to stay well positioned and effective in nearly every situation. One of the common knocks on Pulock is his defensive game, but in my opinion those claims are unbacked. Throughout this season he has been well above-average defensively displaying a calming style in his own end which has been aided by his great stick positioning and solid body checks. He knows where to be and when to be there, and has the speed and agility to get there." - Patrick Bedell
"Ryan Pulock is a smart, two-way defenseman with a cannon of a slap shot. Pulock came into this season as one of the top defenseman in the entire WHL and he has continued to produce."
"Pulock’s smart game mixed with his versatility and overall skill set should translate well at the next level. "
"The biggest weapon for Pulock is his slap shot. He recently recorded 102 MPH in a skills competition put on by the team. In game situations, he is able to get them on net whenever he does get his big shot off, but has had less opportunities to do so because opponents have stuck to him like glue whenever he is in the offensive zone. Pulock makes good first passes out of the zone, and is dangerous off the rush whenever he chooses to carry the puck. He is a good skater who quickly picks up speed and has the ability to make subtle direction changes to keep opponents flat footed. Defensively, Pulock has been good on a team that has given up a lot of goals to date." - Michelle Sturino
“Pulock is a cerebral, smooth skating, offensive minded blueliner with outstanding mobility and agility. He has the ability to consistently produce offensive chances from the backend. He makes strong reads and reacts quickly in transition whether defensively or offensively. Pulock likes to rush the puck up the ice, makes strong and accurate passes that are typically well timed. He has nice vision that allows him to read the play and see his options. He can also generate second and third chances for his forwards off rebounds from his strong point shot. He is an excellent power play QB.” - Aaron Vickers
Things scouts and other professional/amateur observers said about him:
CON:
"He could stand to work on his upper body strength which would help him to win more board battles and be more of a force in front of the net, and clearing the crease." - Ben Kerr
"He could definitely improve on the physical aspect of his game and make better use of his good frame." -
COACH/GM COMMENTS:
"We rarely think of him being 16 years old because he's so mature beyond his years, not just as a player but as a young man," McCrimmon said. "He has a lot of poise. Really mature. When he plays great he doesn't lose his composure, doesn't lose his composure when he has tougher nights. He's just really taken advantage of every opportunity put in front of him."
MISC/OTHER:
Background info on the loss of Ryan's younger brother in a car crash:
Ryan converted from forward to D a few years back.
QUOTES FROM THE PLAYER:
"I've stepped up my game in the physical area and I think it has helped me"
"I'm more of a lead by example kind of of guy, on the ice off the ice I carry my self as best as possible for people to see that.. this yr I've also tried to step up an speak in the room when it's needed..."
On his shot after the wrist injury:
"I don't think my strength is completely way back yet... I'm using a whippier stick that has helped me keep my shot pretty close to where it was before..."
Ryan Pulock is the type of player that allows a team to add a dynamic offensive force without sacrificing too much on the back end. His NHL caliber shot, decent skating and offensive instincts make him a potent generator of offense (he put up .74 pts per game this season). While not being overly physical, his good positioning, stickwork and mobility help to make him pretty good (not great) on the defensive end. Pulock displays good leadership qualities, though, he leads more by example on the ice than through being vocal, also something he's working on.
Pulock does come with some lingering injury concern with his wrist, which seemed to limit him...he wore a brace into the end of the season and was using a high flex stick to make up for some lost strength on his shot. I add a risk point to him just for the bit of uncertainty there.
Overall, Ryan Pulock's mix of potent offensive tools and instincts, his emergent defensive and physical game, his strong character, as well as his recognition of his weaknesses and willingness to work on them, make him an appealing prospect to add to any team. The Flyers should give strong consideration to Ryan Pulock.
