Leslie Treff at HockeysFuture has re-ordered the Rangers top prospects due to “graduation” to the NHL. There will be some more re-ordering soon, as Michael Del Zotto (currently #2) and Matt Gilroy (#7) will be graduating within a few weeks. The top five are the usual suspects: Evgeny Grachev, Del Zotto, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, and Bobby Sanguinetti. For the rest of the list, head over to HockeysFuture and check it out.
Minors | Dave, 8 Mar 10 | 
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The way the Rangers are situated now, and project out to end the season, they are looking at at 15-20 pick. This seems to be the consistent spot for the Rangers, they’ve picked here for a few years now. Last year, I was extremely focused on Scott Glennie, who was initially ranked #19 in the ISS Top 30, but wound up going #8 overall. This year, there is another player like Glennie, who from what I’ve read, encompasses something the Rangers sorely need: a speedy, goal scoring winger. That player in the 2010 draft is Jaden Schwartz.
Schwartz isn’t tall, but he is built, at 5′10 193 lbs. Currently playing for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, Schwartz is playing at almost a point and a half per game pace, putting up a line of 25-47-72 in 47 games. His offensive talent has turned heads at the NHL scouting level, and his ability to create offense from nothing is one of his greatest strengths. His skating ability makes up for his size, as opponents find him to be elusive with the puck. He may be 5′10, but he plays like he is 6′1. His hockey intelligence is second to none at his level, which leads to a great defensive game and penalty kill time in the USHL. His teammates praise his skating, hands, intelligence, and most importantly, his character. They describe him as a class act who is fun to be around.
If there is one worry about Schwartz, it’s that he is small. He will not wind up as a third-fourth line guy. If he doesn’t crack the top-six on an NHL club, he will be a bust. The good thing for him is that a lot of current NHL stars are under 6′0, including Sidney Crosby. His size will see him drop in the draft, not to the third round like Ryan Bourque, but the Rangers may luck out and see him fall to the mid-late first round.
Schwartz is committed to Colorado College for 2010, but his stock is on the rise. In the February 2010 ISS Top 30, he is ranked #19. The January 2010 ISS Top 30: #26. Take a look at him walking through the opposition when he gets the puck at center ice for this goal:
I think he’s worth the “risk”.
Image Credit: The Scouting Report
Tags: Jaden Schwartz
Draft | Dave, 26 Feb 10 | Comments (4)
It’s amazing what a strong World Juniors tournament can do for a young player. Kreider, who was struggling to find his game at BC in his freshman year, led the tournament in goals, and that confidence is transferring to his college game, where he is beginning to find his stride. In his 11 games since the tournament, Kreider has put up 8 goals and a +5 rating. In his previous 15 games, Kreider had just 2 goals and a +6 rating (with 3 assists).
Rangers prospect Carl Hagelin (5th round, 2008), a relatively unknown prospect in the Rangers world, is lighting it up for the Michigan Wolverines. In 35 games so far this year, Hagelin is scoring at over a point per game, while playing in one of the toughest conferences in college hockey. Hagelin has turned into a very pleasant surprise, hopefully he can continue it at the professional level.
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Tags: Carl Hagelin, Chris Kreider
Prospect Watch | Dave, 24 Feb 10 | Comments (4)
Mitch Beck, who does a great job covering the Wolfpack at Howlings, has the scoop on the Charlotte Checkers, currently the Rangers ECHL affiliate, will end that affiliation at season’s end. The Checkers are moving up to the big time, and becoming the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, replacing their current AHL affiliate, the Albany River Rats.
There are many rumors going around, that this could spur on several AHL/ECHL affiliate switches. But why not go with the simple solution? The main factor that drives an affiliation is proximity to the AHL and NHL clubs. Albany is very close to the city, and very close to Hartford. Why not just make Albany the ECHL affiliate?
Clearly, there are pieces to the puzzle that I don’t have, but this makes the most sense to me.
Minors | Dave, 9 Feb 10 | Comments (1)
The Quebec Ramparts of the QMJHL suffered a big loss to their team when forward Ryan Bourque (3rd round, 2009) suffered his second concussion of the season. Bourque was averaging just under a point per game in the QMJHL, and will be out indefinitely. Concussions are a tricky thing, and you have to be cautious when dealing with them. The fact that this is his second concussion is a little troubling. Let’s hope he gets better soon.
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Tags: Ryan Bourque
Prospect Watch | Dave, 4 Feb 10 | Comments (0)
It’s that time of year again, prospects lining up for the 2010 Entry Draft have been ranked, and scouts will continue to adjust these rankings right up through June. Corey Pronman of Puck Prospectus takes his first look at this year’s first round class, using the current NHL standings as draft position. With the 14th pick, Corey has the Rangers selecting US U-17 defenseman Jon Merrill.
Merrill, soon to be 18, is listed at 6′4 190 lbs. He is a very solid positional defenseman, and makes a solid first pass up the ice, sometimes joining in on the rush. He is very smart, and has committed to Michigan for his college career.
Pronman notes that the Rangers can take their time with Merrill, and let him develop on the World Junior stage and in college. Merrill would be a 4-5 year project for whichever team takes him.
The Rangers have the luxury of being stocked with defensive prospects, so they can take a project like Merrill and take their time with him. With the plethora of good offensive talent selected in 2008 and 2009, the Rangers don’t necessarily have a “need” to take a forward in this draft. Depending on where the Rangers sit, I would assume they take the best player available, and not hone in on a specific position. Merrill sounds like a legitimate prospect, and is already being called the real deal. I would be wary of his size/age though, as players his size do tend to excel in the younger levels because their size is their advantage. It will be very interesting to see how he adjusts in college, especially with Michigan.
Just thinking out loud, the Rangers taking Merrill sounds a lot like the Rangers taking Chris Kreider last year. The talent is there, and is a long term project. I haven’t done enough research on the prospects yet, I’m waiting for the TSN and HF rankings to come out before I go deep into the research. But from what I’ve read, I like the sound of Merrill.
Tags: Jon Merrill
Draft | Dave, 19 Jan 10 | Comments (3)
Chris Doyle, a relatively unknown Rangers draft pick (2008-5th round), is continuing his strong season in the QMJHL. Through 39 games, he is scoring at a point-per-game pace with both PEI and Victoriaville, where he was traded last month. Doyle is known for his offensive touch, but his skating ability is the reason why he dropped to the fifth round. His offensive prowess alone makes him a potential second liner. If he reaches that potential, then it will be a pleasant surprise. For now, he continues to light up the QMJHL.
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Prospect Watch | Dave, 18 Jan 10 | Comments (0)
Yeah, yeah, I know. The decade ended already. We’re in a new one. But, better late than never, right? I’ve seen a lot of these, and wanted to throw in my two cents. Here are the Rangers top 10 draft picks of the decade (Note: I considered time played with the Rangers. Marek Zidlicky was a great pick, but he never suited up. So he’s not on the list.)
10. Lauri Korpikoski
The “Korpedo” was the 19th overall pick in the 2004 draft. In his one full season on Broadway, Korpikoski established himself as a nice defensive forward with some offensive skills. He was later traded for Enver Lisin. He was 6-8-14 last year. I’m kind of disappointed the Rangers gave up on him so early. While Lisin clearly has some great offensive skills, the “Korpedo”could’ve been another Ryan Callahan type.
9. Bobby Sanguinetti
He hasn’t played much in the NHL, but he clearly has a lot of talent. He has offensive skills, and is improving defensively. He’s playing well in Hartford, but still needs time in the AHL. You’ll see a lot of him next year.
8. Fedor Tyutin
Fedor Tyutin was a stalwart on the blueline for the first couple years of the Rangers resurgence. Big, strong, composed, he had a bright future ahead of him. Still does. Only it will be in Columbus. Tyutin was part of the Nik Zherdev deal. Again, I’m disappointed that they gave up on him. We could’ve used him now.
7. Artem Anisimov
Still only a rookie, Anisimov is showing flashes of offensive brilliance, with an improving defensive sense. So far, he is 7-8-15, and he seems to improve every game. We know he can score; he scored 37 goals in Hartford last year. I think he has star potential. He’s 6-4 and has room to put some weight on his frame.
6. Brandon Dubinsky
Dubinsky is starting to live up his potential, as he’s getting first line duty with Marian Gaborik. Selected in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft, Dubinsky is a talented forward. Score, hit. He can do it all. He has the potential to be a big time player.
5. Petr Prucha
One of the surprises coming out of the lockout, Prucha posted 30 goals in his rookie year. Of course, he fell into the doghouse after that, and saw his goal totals dip, before being shipped off to Phoenix. A fan favorite, Prucha really got the short end of the stick. Once Jagr left, he wasn’t getting the same chances. Making this pick even better was that it was in the 8th round of the 2002 draft. A steal, to say the least.
4. Michael Del Zotto
Taken in the first round of the 2008 draft, MDZ surprised some by making the team this year. He quickly took the lead on the power play, and has been one of the best rookies in the NHL. He has Leetch-like skill. Great vision, unbelievable passing, and a good shot. He’s a keeper, that’s for sure.
3. Ryan Callahan
Taken in the 4th round of the 2004 draft, Callahan’s rise has been breathtaking. He’s an energy winger, who works hard, but it pays off as he scored 22 goals last year. A great penalty killer, and he loves to hit. He is the alternate captain of the Rangers, and was named to the US Olympic team. He’s a future captain.
2. Marc Staal
Another first round pick, Marc Staal is quickly becoming a shut down defenseman. His offensive skills are still a work of progress, but he is always paired against opposing teams best players. He is one of the best young players in the league, and will anchor the Rangers blueline for a long time.
1. Henrik Lundqvist
Some may say this was the best pick of the decade for the entire NHL. He was taken in the 7th round of the 2000 draft. He wasn’t even the first goalie the Rangers took. They took Brandon Snee in the 5th round. Who is Brandon Snee? Exactly. Lundqvist is one of the best goalies in the league. He led Sweden to a gold medal. He has been nominated for the Vezina trophy multiple times. He is the key to the Rangers success. What a draft pick.
There are others who didn’t make this list. I didn’t include promising youngsters such as Chris Krieder, Derek Stepan, Ryan Borque, or Evegeny Grachev. They haven’t played a game yet in the NHL. Alexei Cherepanov would be on this list somewhere, if not for his tragic death. But, in the last part of the decade ,the Rangers have done a great job of drafting. Some really promising players in the system. I can’t wait.
With the World Junior Championships taking place in Canada this week, and with the holiday break for the NCAA prospects, there weren’t many updates for Rangers prospects this week. Sam Klassen of Saskatoon in the WHL, an undrafted free agent signing of the Rangers, is show casing strong defensive play, putting up a whopping +24 in 32 games.
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*-The Czech Republic has been eliminated from the World Junior Championships.
Prospect Watch | Dave, 2 Jan 10 | Comments (0)
The Rangers will be heavily represented on Team USA for the IIHF World Junior Championships in December / January. Three prospects will be joining Team USA: Chris Kreider (1st, 2009), Ryan Bourque (3rd, 2009) and Derek Stepan (2nd, 2008).
Although Kreider is struggling a little bit in college, it is a great sign that he was selected to be on this team. The pick of Kreider last June wasn’t meant to pay dividends until at least 3-4 years down the road, and this is one of those steps in a positive direction.
As for Bourque and Stepan, well they are both putting up great numbers in their respective leagues (Bourque – QMJHL, Stepan – NCAA). Personally, I’m very high on Stepan, and can’t wait until he (and teammate Ryan McDonagh) comes to play for the Rangers.
Tags: Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan, Ryan Bourque
International Hockey, Minors | Dave, 24 Dec 09 | Comments (0)
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