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Rangers take a gamble on ‘a new Sean Day’

CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 28: Sean Day #4 of Team Cherry skates up ice during the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game January 28, 2016 at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

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There was a time not long ago when Sean Day was destined to be a star defenseman in the NHL. In 2013, at the age of 15, he was granted exceptional status to play in the OHL, just like John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid had been granted before him.

But Day’s OHL career hasn’t come close to matching the hype. In fact, it’s been dogged by questions about his commitment to staying in shape

From Sportsnet’s report from the Draft Combine earlier this month:

Body fat: Sean Day went off at 1-5 odds to have the worst result here and he did at 14.9 per cent.

More:

Okay, he’s down 20 pounds at least from last summer. At 230 he still looks like a beer leaguer but it’s a start. It didn’t look like he bought into the idea that the combine was a chance to make a big impression.

He went from ordinary to very ordinary to below average at the stations, and seemed sort of nonchalant.

And so Day’s draft stock fell. Saturday morning, the New York Rangers used their third-round pick, 81st overall, to gamble his talent wouldn’t go to waste.

He said he’s already started to get leaner:

So we’ll see how it goes.

“I think it’s a long-term commitment,” an NHL executive told Yahoo Sports. “This is just the start of it for him. I don’t think you can make that judgment until a couple years down the road. He’s obviously put in some work. He’s a really talented kid. Maybe it works out for him. You can’t overlook the talent.”