Rangers Excited To Add Grayson Ladd
Grayson Ladd on draft day in Kitchener – Photo by the Kitchener Rangers
The Rangers made Kent Bridge’s Grayson Ladd their first round pick, 13th overall in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection Draft, making Ladd the first defenseman chosen in the draft.
“Grayson was a guy that we coveted very highly, thought very highly of,” said Rangers general manager Mike McKenzie following the selection. “He was a guy that missed a lot of time this year due to injury so I think maybe teams didn’t get to see him as much.”
Ladd broke his collarbone early in the season while playing Junior B for the GOJHL’s Chatham Maroons.
The 6’2″ right shot defender, who captained the Minor Midget ‘AAA’ Chatham-Kent Cyclones impressed the Rangers all season, enough to make him their first pick.
“He was a guy we really zoned in on, he’s got some size, he can still fill out weight wise like most kids can at this age, but a really smart player, poised with the puck, and obviously his skating is the biggest attribute for him he’s an extremely smooth skater and he’ll be a welcome addition to our back end,” added McKenzie.
The Rangers now feel, between Ladd and Giovanni Vallati, who they selected 16th overall last season, that they’ve got the building blocks for a formidable blueline corps.
“For a guy that big, the way he skates is really impressive, continued McKenzie of Ladd. “Our back end is going to be real good for the next few years.”
The Rangers had two 1996 born defenseman who will graduate this season including captain Frank Hora, and assistant captain Dylan Di Perna.