First Round (20th overall) – Bobby Sanguinetti, D, Owen Sound Attack
NHL Stats: 5 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 4 PIM

The Rangers were looking to address the need for an offensive defenseman, and got their man with Sanguinetti who posted a line of 14-51-65 in his draft year with the Attack. He followed that up with two more strong years in the OHL with Owen Sound and Brampton before joining the Hartford Wolfpack. Sangs put up good offensive numbers, but struggled in his own zone. His work ethic and attitude were also questioned numerous times. The Rangers traded Sanguinetti at the 2010 draft for a sixth round pick (Jesper Fasth) and a second round pick (used to trade for Tim Erixon). Even if Sangs did not pan out, drafting him led to the Rangers acquiring two solid prospects.

Result: Bust, but overall outcome still pending.
Players Passed: Claude Giroux (PHI – 21st overall), Patrik Berglund (STL – 25th overall), Nick Foligno (OTT – 28th overall).

Second Round (54th overall) – Artem Anisimov, C, Yaroslavl Locomotiv
NHL Stats: 181 GP, 31 G, 51 A, 58 PIMs

The gem of the 2006 draft for the Rangers was Anisimov, who is currently playing left wing on the top line with Derek Stepan and Brad Richards. It was tough to see what the Rangers had with Anisimov when drafted and even tougher after his first year with the Wolfpack, where he struggled and did not put up the points some expected. However, Anisimov exploded offensively in his second professional season, scoring at over a point per game (37-44-81), and getting his first taste of NHL action. Anisimov is now in his third season with the Rangers, and each year he has shown strong progression.

Result: Success.
Players Passed: Jamie McBain (CAR – 63rd overall).

Third Round (84th overall) – Ryan Hillier, LW, Halifax Mooseheads
NHL Stats: None

Hillier never made it to the Rangers, but was a part of the deal that saw him and Aaron Voros to Anaheim in exchange for Steve Eminger. Hillier only played five games at the AHL level.

Result: Bust, but it worked out, as Eminger has been relatively useful.
Players Passed: Tom Sestito (CBJ – 85th overall).

Fourth Round (104th overall) – David Kveton, RW, Vsetin HC
NHL Stats: None

Never made it to the NHL. Played one year in the QMJHL, has spent his entire career in the Czech league.

Result: Bust.
Players Passed: No one notable.

Fifth Round (137th overall) – Tomas Zaborsky, LW, Trensin (Slovakia)
NHL Stats: None

Never made it to the NHL. Played ten games with the Hartford Wolfpack before bouncing around the ECHL. Currently plays in the Swiss league.

Result: Bust.
Players Passed: Pavel Valentenko (MTL – 139th overall).

Sixth Round (174th overall) – Eric Hunter, C, Prince George Cougars
NHL Stats: None

Never made it to the NHL, but was selected once before in the 2004 draft (CHI – 229th overall). Holding out to be drafted again in 2006 worked out for his stock, but not for the end results. Currently with the Lake Erie Monsters and former Wolfpack/Rangers David Liffiton, Hugh Jessiman, and Patrick Rissmiller.

Result: Bust.
Players Passed: No one notable.

Seventh Round (204th overall) – Lukas Zeliska, C, Trinek Jr (Czech Rep.)
NHL Stats: None

Never made it to the NHL. Not in hockey anymore.

Result: Bust.
Players Passed: No one notable.

Third round (#72) – Steven Fogarty (C, Edina High School)

This is the pick that is going to get a lot of scrutiny because the Rangers traded Evgeny Grachev to acquire this pick. So in evaluating just Fogarty (go to the Grachev post for commentary on the trade), the Rangers got themselves a skilled center who, according to Kirk Luedeke, is a bit underrated. but has some serious long term potential. Fogarty is definitely a project pick, but the work ethic is second to none. This kid lives to play the game, and will do everything in his power to make it professionally. He competed in the USHL this year after finishing high school, where he was a little over matched against kids much bigger and more mature than him. Standing at 6’1″, 195 lbs, Fogarty is no small kid, but needs time to mature and develop. Although he appears to be a project pick, he has some high potential.

Fourth Round (#106) – Michael St. Croix (C, Edmonton Oil Kings – WHL)

St. Croix is another guy who is a great skater with terrific hands. He has a great release on his shot as well, making him a great offensive threat. The knock on St. Croix is that he sometimes lacks concentration and desire in the defensive end, which caused him to slide in the eyes of scouts. St. Croix is very small (5’11″. 163 lbs), but that didn’t scare people away. There were initially rumblings of him potentially sneaking into the first round, so this may be a potential steal of a pick for the Rangers. That is, if St. Croix continues to show he actually cares about playing in all three zones.

Fifth Round (#134) – Shane McColgan (RW, Kelowna Rockets – WHL)

This is a great pick by the Rangers. McColgan is like lightning on ice, and has hands that can keep up with his speed. The kid was initially thought to be a potential top-ten pick, but a slow start and worries about his size (5’8″, 168 lbs) saw his stock drop drastically. He didn’t really increase his production in the WHL form his rookie season (where he scored 25 goals), which is a trait you like to see from kids playing Canadian Juniors. McColgan is a pick with serious potential and serious offensive flair. He reminds me of a smaller Scott Glennie.

Fifth Round (#136) – Samuel Noreau (D, Baie-Comeau Drakkar – QMJHL)

This kid is big and tough. Standing at 6’5″ and 215 lbs, Noreau is just plain old mean. The kid doesn’t have much, if any, offensive skill, but he is big, tough, nasty, and could be a potential bottom pairing defensive defenseman if he works on his skating. Skating is generally an issue with big defensemen, so that isn’t as much of a surprise or a detriment as some might think.

Sixth Round (#172) – Peter Ceresnak (D, Dukla Trencin – Slovakia)

Another big, stay at home type defenseman, Ceresnak is a bit more tame than Noreau, but equally as physical. Ceresnak plays his game “like a freight train”, lining up players for hits all over the ice. Like most big guys (6’2″, 200 lbs), he needs to work on his skating. Also, like most physical guys, he gets caught out of position looking for the big hit.

#45 – to Calgary for Tim Erixon – Calgary selects Markus Granlund
#57 – Washington’s pick, acquired by the Rangers from Carolina for Bobby Sanguinetti, sent to Calgary for Tim Erixon – Calgary selects Tyler Wotherspoon
#76 – to Florida for Bryan McCabe - Florida selects Logan Shaw.
#166 – to San Jose for Jody Shelley - San Jose selects Daniil Sobchenko.
#196 – to Phoenix for Anders Eriksson -Phoenix selects Zac Larraza.

I’ll be live blogging the rest of the draft, which begins at 11:00am EST this morning. I’ll make sure to cover who was drafted with the picks the Rangers would have had.

Rangers Picks:
#72 – Steven Fogarty, C from Edina High School (in MN)
#106 – Michael St. Croix, C from Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
#134 – Shane McColgan, RW from Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
#136 – Sam Noreau, D from Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
#172 – Peter Ceresnak, D from Slovakia

Trades:
Calgary trades Robyn Regehr, Ales Kotalik, and a 2012 2nd round pick to Buffalo for Chris Butler, Paul Byron.
Florida trades #47 to San Jose for #59 and a 2012 3rd round pick.
Vancouver trades #60 to Minnesota for #71 and #101.
Columbus trades Nikita Filatov to Ottawa for #66.
Rangers trade Evgeny Grachev to St. Louis for #72.
Islanders trade Bruno Gervais to Tampa Bay for future considerations.
Kings trade #170 and 2012 3rd to NSH for #82.
Rangers trade 2012 6th round pick for #172.

I wrote a draft preview on Miller, which you can read here. This actually marks the first time I have actually written a preview for a player that was actually picked. I don’t want to re-hash everything there, but Miller carried the U-18 US Team to gold at the World Championships, netting a whopping 13 points (four goals), and leading the team in scoring. Miller was dishing the puck to Rocco Grimaldi most of the time, but Clark was quoted saying that if Miller wasn’t dishing the puck to Grimaldi, he would be able to finish just as easily.

For the past two drafts, many fans have been relatively shocked with who the Rangers have selected in the first round. This was the third year in a row where most fans had to Google who they drafted just to read up on him. Miller is a beast of a player, who knows how to get in the dirty areas. He is also a solid two way center who is great on face offs. He was clearly someone the Rangers coveted heading into the first round.

If it were my choice, I likely would have gone with McNeill (#18 overall) or Armia (#16 overall). But then again, that’s why I don’t work in the business, and I write a blog. We have trusted Gordie Clark for this long. Have faith. Just because it isn’t what you would have done, doesn’t make it a bad pick. Miller will hopefully continue to develop.

But yet, there are people that seem to want –and say that the Rangers need– to trade up or down in this draft. Let’s take a step back, and remember what happened on June 1 of this year. Not even two weeks ago, the Rangers traded Roman Horak and two second round picks in this year’s draft for Tim Erixon.

Erixon, if you remember, was set to re-enter the draft this year. In this draft class, he would have been a top-ten pick for sure. Essentially, the Rangers traded their two second round picks to move up to the top-ten to select Erixon. And they still have their #15 pick in the first round this year. That is one helluva deal made by Mr. Sather.

The Rangers simply do not have the pieces to move up in the draft. Matt Gilroy’s rights and/or Erik Christensen is not enough to move into the top-eight. Sure, they can trade either for a draft pick, but that’s probably going to be in the later rounds, if at all.

As for trading down, I don’t really see a point unless the Rangers are coveting someone that isn’t projected to go until later in the draft.  Considering the drafting success of Gordie Clark and company lately, that isn’t entirely out of the question. My only concern is that with this draft, there is the potential for someone to slide, as well as the potential for someone to jump up a few slots ahead of projections, making the draft fairly volatile in terms of projections. 

The Rangers will already get the equivalent of two first round picks in this draft with the 15th pick and Erixon.  I understand that people may think they need to make a move because of “only” four draft picks, but is it really necessary?

The first thing you notice about Biggs is his physique. Standing at 6’2″ and 200 lbs, Biggs has an NHL size body, and wasn’t afraid to show it off at the NHL Combine. Throughout the day, Biggs showed that he would definitely be able to handle the physical toll the NHL takes on a player. He was one of the prospects that really stood out physically at the Combine.

When looking at Biggs’ numbers this season with the U-18 team, they are a bit disappointing. Finishing with just 11 points (seven goals) in 20 games, Biggs did not meet expectations from many scouts, even if those expectations were a bit unfair. When he is playing well, Biggs uses his size to his advantage, and showcases his powerful skating ability by just clearing a path wherever he goes. Luckily for his teammates, he tends to go right for the net, making him a prototypical power forward. He is a great “grinder”, and uses his body to shield the puck while cycling before crashing the net. The kid is a great on-ice leader, and leads his teammates by example.

What worries scouts, aside from his production, is his hockey IQ and his creativity. To be a successful top-six forward in the NHL, a player needs to be strong in both areas, even if his job may be to just get in front of the net. He also is not the swiftest of skaters (even if he is a beast), and doesn’t have the best of hands. Despite all this, Biggs was still ranked the #5 prospect by Central Scouting in their mid-term report. That may have helped kill his reputation, as the production didn’t match the ranking.

Biggs is a good hockey player at his current level, but is definitely a project pick. The prototypical power forward, Biggs is definitely a guy that will need to rely on his size and strength in the NHL, as compensation for weaker hands and skating ability. Opinions differ on Biggs, some have him him, some have him off their boards completely. Biggs will still likely be a first round pick, but it’s a matter of if he materializes into a top-six forward.

Previous Entries:
Niklas Jensen
Mike McKee
Boone Jenner
Sven Bartschi
Rocco Grimaldi
Mark McNeill
Joel Armia
J.T. Miller

The 6’1″, 190 lb forward out of Ohio finished up this season with a strong performance. Miller was instrumental in the US winning its third straight gold medal at the U-18 World Championships, leading the team in scoring with a whopping 13 points –including four goals– in just six tournament games, finishing with more than two points per game. His nine assists in the tournament, with the 13 assists in 21 non-tournament games, really illustrates how much of a play maker Miller is.

His passing and vision are phenomenal, and they are great compliments to his superb skating, shooting, and shear hockey knowledge. A strong two-way center, Miller is also very strong in the face-off circle, winning key draws in all situations, specifically on the power play and penalty kill. Miller is a great skater who uses his size to protect the puck, and has the tools to be very successful in the future.

What many scouts point to as his downfall is that he hasn’t produced the way people think he should. Outside of the U-18 tournament, where he was the leading scorer, Miller netted 15 points (3-12-15) in 21 games this year for the U-18 team. While that was still good enough for one of the top producers on the team (fourth), people expect more from someone with his skill set.

Miller appears to be a high risk, high reward type of player. He certainly has the tools, but his production is what is scaring many scouts. Just three goals in 21 games is a bit disappointing for someone like Miller, and it has scouts thinking that he may be no more than a bottom six forward. Tools and skills mean nothing if you can’t produce. That is going to be Miller’s biggest challenge as he develops with the Fighting Sioux. He will likely be a first round pick, but he will definitely be a project pick.

Previous Entries:
Niklas Jensen
Mike McKee
Boone Jenner
Sven Bartschi
Rocco Grimaldi
Mark McNeill
Joel Armia

At first glance, Armia’s numbers don’t really jump out at you. In 48 games this year, the 18 year old forward has 18 goals and 11 assists, with 24 PIMs and a +9 rating. However, SM-liga is notoriously low scoring, so Armia’s numbers had him 52nd in points, but 12th in goals as a rookie in the league. Standing at 6’3″ and 187 lbs, Armia is a big kid and still has a body to fill out. Once he matures, he is going to be over 200 lbs. That’s great size for the forward.

When it comes to skill, Armia has a tremendous shot and can pick corners from almost anywhere. He uses his size to fend off the opposition, and when he is in the offensive zone, he is a threat to generate offense from anywhere. He has a very long stride when he skates, unsurprising considering his height, and uses that stride to generate speed and most importantly, separation from the opposition. He definitely has the skills and the tools to be successful in the NHL.

But, and there is always a but, where Armia lacks is in his consistency and work without the puck. Too many scouts have noted him as a bit “lazy” with back checking and playing defense. In a defense-first league like SM-liga, that’s a bit alarming. Of course, most 18 year olds are only fascinated with the offensive part of the game, and not the delicate intricacies that make up the game of hockey. As Kirk Ludeke put it, if it’s a maturity thing, then he’s a sleeper pick in this draft. If it’s not, then he’s another one zone guy who will never reach his potential.

Armia has the tools, he has the skill, and he has the hockey sense to be a successful NHL player. It’s the inconsistencies that really make his stock drop. The Rangers have a habit lately of drafting kids with tremendous upside, but also great character and work ethic. Character doesn’t appear to be an issue with Armia, but work ethic on the ice might be. If it is, then I expect the Rangers to pass on Armia. However, I’m just a blogger, so don’t take my word for it.

Previous Entries:
Niklas Jensen
Boone Jenner
Sven Bartschi
Rocco Grimaldi
Mark McNeill

The first thing you may notice about the 6’2″, 210lb center from Edmonton is that he is a big kid. So big, in fact, that he was able to compete in the WHL as just a 16 year old. He played four games for the Raiders in the 2008-2009 season (age 16), and played a full season in 2009-2010 (age 16-17). It’s not unheard of to have a 16 year old play in the WHL, but it is relatively rare. In that first season as a 16 year old, McNeill had a line of 9-15-24 with 27 PIMs and a -10 rating in 68 games. Last season –his age 17-18 season– he tore up the league, posting a line of 32-49-81 with 53 PIMs and a -4 rating in 70 games. In the playoffs, he posted a line of 2-3-5 in six games.

McNeill is a beast on the ice. Kirk Luedeke of Bruins Draft watch calls the kid a “Mack truck”. With kids his size, there is always a danger that he may not need to use his size because of the size of the players around him. That is untrue for McNeill, who uses his body for puck control, along the boards, and for intimidation. He doesn’t fight often, but when he does, he throws down with the best of them.

As for his hockey skills, his big frame (with ridiculously strong legs) makes him a fluid skater with good acceleration. He’s not Michael Grabner, but he has enough speed to leave defenders in the dust. His passing and shot are on par for a first round pick (ie: pretty good). What really sets McNeill apart (aside from his frame) is his work ethic. You don’t just become a Mack truck on skates without busting it at the gym and on the ice. His work ethic inspires his teammates, and makes him a natural born leader.

It’s tough to find anything that notes areas of improvement for McNeill. I find that hard to believe, because if there were no negatives, he’d be a lottery pick. The one thing I could find was that although he uses his size well, he is a bit inconsistent with using his size, especially without the puck. He is far from a liability in his own zone, but there is definitely a lot of room for improvement from McNeill without the puck. Consistency seems to be an issue for pretty much every single prospect under the age of 21 though.

McNeill is a big body center that seems to be coming into his own as a player in the WHL. He definitely has the work ethic to succeed, but it’s always a matter of making sure it all comes together. The Rangers seem to be on a trend of not only drafting talent, but drafting kids with good heads on their shoulders. McNeill is another player in that mold. He may not be the most skilled player, but he is definitely someone that I would be happy with the Rangers drafting.

Previous Entries:
Niklas Jensen
Boone Jenner
Sven Bartschi
Rocco Grimaldi

For example, last season ESPN’s top hockey writer, EJ Hradek, professed that the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks were the 2nd-4th best teams in the league when it comes to drafting. His examples to back these claims were Crosby, Malkin, Staal, and Fleury for the Penguins, Ovechkin and Backstrom for the Caps and Toews and Kane for Blackhawks.

For those of you who don’t remember where they were drafted, lets recap:

Sidney Crosby (No. 1 in ’05), Evgeni Malkin (No. 2 in ’04), Jordan Staal (No. 2 in ’06) Marc-Andre Fleury (No. 1 in ’03) Alexander Ovechkin (No. 1 in ’04) Jonathan Toes (No. 3 ’06) and Patrick Kane (No. 1 in ’07).

Do we see a similarity here?  Each and every one of them was a number 1, 2, or 3 pick.

Can you really say that an organization is the best at drafting when the cornerstones of your franchise are built with top picks? There isn’t a GM, Scout, or Blogger (who wishes he was a GM) in the world who wouldn’t take these guys. Additionally, the only reason why these teams had so many top picks to begin with was because they were god awful for so long.

So maybe the best way to evaluate a team’s drafting ability is to look beyond the first round.

Well, of course ESPN had that covered as well. Last year they nobly tried to take a whack at this by looking at which teams were able to draft players after the 1^st round who not only made it to the NHL, but contributed on the stat sheet as well.

So what was the takeaway?

From 2000-2010, only 15% percent of picks taken after the 1^st round have played 82 NHL games. These players on average put up 28 points per 82 games. For forwards this average increased to 33 points per 82 games, which is about equal to a third line player and decreased to 15 points per 82 games for defensemen.

According to ESPN, the five best teams with picks taken after the 1^st round who have put up more than the average 28 points per 82 games were the Buffalo Sabres (36.3 pts per 82 games), the Montreal Canadiens (35.3 pts per 82 games), the St. Lois Blues (32.9 pts per 82 games), the San Jose Sharks (32.1 pts per 82 games), and the Los Angeles Kings (30.9 pts per 82 games).

My problem with this rationale is that they base everything on quantity and not quality. Are you going to tell me that the Rangers don’t draft well because guys like Michael Sauer (2nd round pick) don’t put up more than 28 pts per season? C’mon!

Also, noticeably absent from this list were the Detroit Red Wings, who industry insiders believe are the best drafting team in the NHL due their ability to go off the charts and turn late round picks into stars. Knowing this, how were the Red Wings not on the list?

Well, because only 11.5 percent of players drafted by Detroit (from ’95 to ’06) have stuck around to play in 82 games, which is good for last in the league!

And really, what success has Montreal, St. Louis, and Buffalo had with all of their picks anyway?

All of this leads me to my main point. You can’t measure a team’s draft success by player stats or appearances.  And even if you could, it doesn’t account for the team’s ability to retain that talent or tie it to post-season success. For me, I don’t need the Rangers to be on any one’s top ten list, because at the end of the day the only measurement for success is post-season wins.