The Ruck twins have flown up draft boards in recent months, and while we already wrote about Liam being a potential target, his brother, Markus, is someone else the Washington Capitals should consider targeting as well.
Markus, who stands 6-feet, 167 pounds, scored 21 goals and added 87 assists for 108 points with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He led the WHL in assists and points this season.
Even if he didn't score any goals, Markus would have still been top-10 in the WHL in points.
In a prospect profile from Justin Giampietro of The Hockey Writers, he wrote, "There are reasons to believe some of Ruck’s offensive play is translatable to the next level. His vision is excellent, as he’s constantly getting the puck to teammates in high-danger areas. He’s willing and able to slow the game down to create the looks he wants. Ruck is also comfortable pretty much anywhere inside the offensive zone. This makes him very effective on the cycle, with legitimate playmaking upside despite a second-round grade from many outlets."
In another article from Colton Davies of The Hockey News, he wrote, "What makes Ruck such an enticing prospect is his incredibly high hockey IQ and elite passing vision. He plays a highly tactical, give-and-go fueled game, utilizing exceptional timing to slow down the play and manipulate defensive structures."
Markus' elite production has been called misleading by some, considering the WHL has been viewed as a watered down league, but I don't agree with that whatsoever. His IQ and all-around skill make him one of the most interesting prospects in the later first-round to early second-round of the draft, and I believe his production could, eventually, translate to the NHL level.
The Capitals should take a look at him, whether it be reaching with the 16th overall selection, or trading into the later first round and snagging him, if he is available, he would be a solid selection. Similar to his brother, he needs some fine-tuning and will get that when they return to the WHL next season, but the Capitals can afford to be patient, and they should be willing to take on Markus as a project in their prospect pipeline.
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