Draft Day Two Coverage (Rangers Trade Bobby Sanguinetti)

Well, yesterday was interesting. The Rangers surprised everyone by picking Dylan McIlrath, but that was a solid pick, and many will realize this soon. As we enter Day Two of the draft, the Rangers hold picks in the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th rounds. The draft will be covered on the NHL network. For you Twitter bugs, @NHL will be tweeting the picks as well. I will be posting any big NHL moves, and all Rangers moves and picks.

Rangers 2nd Round Pick: The Rangers have taken RW Christian Thomas of the Oshawa Generals with the 40th overall selection. Thomas is the son of former NHL player Steve Thomas. Christian put up 41 goals and 25 assists in 64 games in the OHL this year. He seems to have his dads scoring touch.

Update 1:55pm: The Kings used the 70th overall pick, acquired from the Rangers for Brian Boyle, to select Jordan Weal. Good pick for the Kings, bad deal for the Rangers.

Update 2:30pm: As per Larry Brooks, the Rangers have traded Bobby Sanguinetti to the Carolina Hurricanes. Picks are coming back. No word on what picks yet. Update: Rangers get 6th round pick this year and 2nd round pick next year. The 6th round pick this year is #157 overall.

Rangers 4th Round Pick: The Rangers have taken C Andrew Yogan of the Erie Otters of the OHL with their 4th round pick, #100 overall. Yogan put up a line of 25-30-55 with 97 PIMs in 63 GP. Yogan is 6’3, 202 lbs.

Rangers 5th Round Pick: The Rangers have taken Jason Wilson of the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL with their 5th round, #130 overall. Wilson put up a line of 17-18-35 with 101 PIMs in 46 GP. Wilson is 6’2, 205 lbs.

Rangers 6th Round Pick: As mentioned above, the Rangers have acquired a 6th round pick, #157 overall, as part of the deal for Bobby Sanguinetti. The Rangers used this pick to select RW Jesper Fasth of the Swedish Juniors. He put up a line of 23-26-49 in 37 GP. The 6’0 176 lb winger could be a real sleeper.

Rangers 7th Round Pick: The Rangers have taken RW Randy McNaught of the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL with their 7th round pick, #190 overall. McNaught is huge, at 6’4, 222 lbs, and put up a line of 6-6-12, with 131 PIMs in 59 GP.

That’s it for the Rangers. I will post a draft wrap up of my feelings on the draft later this week, as will the rest of the guys, as we prep for July 1 and free agency.

McIlrath Is A Solid Pick

Well that was a bit of a surprising pick for the Rangers, no? With players like Brandon Gormley, Cam Fowler, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Emerson Etem available, the Rangers shocked their fans, and many at the draft, by selecting tough guy Dylan McIlrath. I was at a wedding yesterday, but I got the news from a few texts (thanks guys), and many were pissed at this move.

I have the luxury of not reacting until this morning, as I could not react last night (it’s impossible to get worked up over a draft at a wedding). The two gaping holes on the Rangers right now is scoring and physical defensemen. With players like Artem Anisimov, Evgeny Grachev, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, and Ethan Werek already emerging as the top prospects in the system, the Rangers seem to be covered for the future with scoring.

Then you have to look at the defense. The Rangers have one of the best defenders in the league in Marc Staal. They have an up and coming star as an offensive defenseman in Michael Del Zotto. They have depth at both of those positions in Bobby Sanguinetti and Dan Girardi. What the Rangers truly lacked was a physical, mean, tough defenseman. In the system they have Ryan McDonagh, but that is really putting all your eggs into one basket.

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Draft Day 2010

Well, the day has arrived. The Rangers hold the #10 pick in the first round, and I personally will be happy if the Rangers select any of Brett Connolly, Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Johansen, Derek Forbort, Emerson Etem, Jeff Skinner, Alex Burmistrov, or Vladimir Tarasenko. With a bunch of first round picks available (Islanders – 5th, Panthers – 3rd or 15th, Atlanta – 7th, among others), the Rangers may trade up to get their man, which is believed to be either Niedrreiter or Tarasenko. If both are gone, then expect the Rangers to stand pat and select the best available player. The Rangers also have picks in the 2nd round (40th overall), 4th round (100th overall), 5th round (130th overall), and 7th round (190th overall). The Rangers traded their 3rd round pick (70th overall) to the Los Angeles Kings for Brian Boyle, and their 6th round (160th overall) pick to the Islanders for Jyri Niemi.

Use this as your post to discuss the draft. I have a wedding tonight, and will be unable to update the post. Jurgenno is in Ireland, and I haven’t had the chance to speak to Jeremy yet about updating this post. Hopefully, it will be updated with anything major. If not, then use the comments to post big updates and discuss.

7:51 EST: Jeremy here, holding down the draft fort. 4 picks in. Hall first, Seguin second, Florida takes Gudbrandon, and Columbus takes Johansen. Canucks made the first trade, acquiring D Keith Ballard from the Panthers for Steve Bernier, Michael Grabner, and this year’s 25th overall pick.

7:57 EST: Isles take Nino Neidereitter. Besides having an awesome name, that’s a hell of a pick.

8:15 EST: Tampa takes Connolly, Canes take Skinner. Rangers are two away.

8:20 EST: Atlanta takes Alex Burmistrov

8:25 EST: Minnesota takes Mikael Granlund. The Rangers are on the clock!

8:33 EST: Rangers take defenseman Dylan McIlrath, from Moose Jaw of the WHL. Here’s what TSN had to say about him:

Moose Jaw Warrior defenceman Dylan McIlrath is a big, physical, mean and tough defensive defenceman who is the unanimous choice of scouts surveyed by TSN as the “toughest player” in the entire draft. He had 19 fighting majors this season and didn’t lose too many, by all accounts. Say no more

Surprised they passed on Cam Fowler, but McIlrath is the crease clearing, 6-4 defenseman they don’t have. Not a bad pick.

11:38 EST: Flyers trade rights to Dan Hamhuis to Pittsburgh for a 3rd round pick. The rich get richer.

Ethan Werek – The Prospect Dark Horse?

Everyone talks about Grachev, Kreider, Stepan, McDonagh and Sanguinetti and rightly so –they’re all important prospects but given the Rangers (lengthy) list of needs one of the prospects that may help the Rangers the most is Canadian Junior, Ethan Werek. Considered first round worthy in his draft year the Rangers were fortunate to have him slip to 47^th overall in the ‘09 draft where they gratefully accepted this talented pivot. At 6’2 and 200lbs Werek is a physically sound center that can play both center and wing. Not afraid to use his body Werek could help the Rangers down the middle with his size, style of play and scoring ability.

With a knack for scoring (30 and 32 goals in two years in the OHL, on a young side too) Werek has proven he can fill the net. Better still, Werek has shown development; the left shooting Kingston Frontenac’s player has gone from -5 as a rookie to +14.Werek only didn’t top his career best 64 points because of injury however he reached the same total in 9 fewer games this year. His first playoff exposure on an inexperienced Frontenac’s team this spring saw Werek score 5 points in 6 games playing good 2 way hockey along the way. All good signs.

What may be best for Werek’s development right now is his head coach. Ex Leafs legend Dougie Gilmour left the AHL Marlies to take over in Kingston and since then the team has shown improvement and Werek himself has certainly improved. Not afraid to go to the net or try a fancy move Werek appears to be equally comfortable looking for a rebound or with the puck on his blade. He accepts responsibility on the ice and that trait will serve him well if when he gets to NY.

Some people have been touting Werek to have an inside chance at cracking the roster this summer. With Derek Stepan signed and experience sought, that may be unlikely but not beyond possibility. Werek’s intention is to come to camp and have a good crack. With his size and ability making the team isn’t out of the question and the Rangers should take a long look at him and give him every chance to succeed. Depending on how the 2010 draft goes Werek could find a spot in the line up. With Tortorella’s preference for Dubinsky on the wing, Prospal being equally adept wide and with Drury also being given time on the flank should Werek leave a positive impression one has to feel a roster spot is there for the taking. A lot of variables to contend with but it’s not beyond him.

At this stage of his career Werek is already looking like a good pick, at worst, helping the Rangers depth for the future. Less touted than those mentioned above, he may well leave his mark quicker than expected. Prospect dark horse? Why not?

Valentenko to Attend Prospect Camp

As per Laurie Carr, Rangers prospect Pavel Valentenko will return from Russia for next season. Valentenko also plans on participating in the Rangers Prospect Development Camp in June. Valentenko, who was acquired along with Ryan McDonagh and Christopher Higgins for Scott Gomez in June of 2009, has one year remaining on his entry level deal signed with Montreal. As per Capgeek, the two-way deal is an $850,000 cap hit in the NHL, which includes $585,000 in base salary and an additional $350,000 in bonuses (signing and performance). His AHL salary is $62,500.

Valentenko is not listed highly on HockeysFuture, but he would provide what a healthy Michael Sauer would provide, a tough, physical defenseman who will clear the crease and provide some much needed physicality on the blue line. Valentenko would likely spend one more year in the AHL before coming a restricted free agent.

Bourque, Kreider, Werek Invited to Juniors Camp

Rangers prospects Ryan Bourque (USA), Chris Kreider (USA), and Ethan Werek (CAN) were invited to their respective World Junior Championships camps for 2011. Bourque and Kreider both played on Team USA, which won Gold, in 2010. Kreider, the Rangers first round pick in 2009, finished with the tournament lead in goals, putting up a line of 6-1-7 in seven games. Bourque, the Rangers third round pick in 2009, provided solid third line minutes while netting three assists in the seven games. Werek, the Rangers 2009 second rounder, did not play for Team Canada last season, and this would be his first World Junior Championships.

The fact that the Rangers have their top three picks from the 2009 draft invited to their respective World Juniors camps highlights the strength of the Rangers drafting in 2009. Drafting has become a strength that we as Rangers fans are not accustomed to, and it is starting to give us hope that this team is on the right path.

Ryan McDonagh (Rumors: Close to Signing, but not yet)

Ryan McDonagh: NHL ready? Soon to be signed? Unwilling to sign with New York?

UPDATE: Rumours circulating online that the Rangers have signed the promising Defenseman today. More to follow I’m sure….

UPDATE #2.: Now being reported McDonagh has NOT signed today. Let the initial excitment subside.

There are many questions that need answering regarding Ryan McDonagh. Here are the facts. The three years he’s played in Wisconsin McDonagh had totals of 12, 16 and 18 points alongside totals of 5, 5 and 4 goals. Steady yet unspectacular numbers but it’s his style that has fans hoping he dons New York blue this coming season. McDonagh plays a physical style and has good size at 6’1 and 210. Blessed with excellent skating ability McDonagh is considered to be a good two way player. Hockey’s future wrote this on him:

Has the size to be a physical force. He combines that with an ability to contribute on the offensive end of the rink, making the smart pass and keying the rush.

The former Montreal first round pick and Minnesota’s ‘Mr Hockey’ in 2007 has won numerous awards throughout his upstart career. In 2008 he was in the WCHA all rookie team, in 2009 he was named to the academic all – big ten and WCHA all academic teams while the same year he was voted by his team-mates as the most competitive player on the Badgers – speaking volumes about his character and approach. McDonagh has won medals internationally for the USA in 2007 and 2008, has been an alternate captain for the Badgers and recently was named the captain for the forthcoming season – if he returns

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Draft Watch: Mikael Granlund

The Rangers have the tenth overall pick in the draft, and while some writers think the Rangers will draft a goalie (for some unknown reason), the Rangers most pressing need at the NHL level is a scorer. In the tenth installment of this series, we look at winger Mikael Granlund of the HIFK Helsinki of the Finnish Elite League.

The 5’10, 180 lb Finnish center has put together a very strong season in the Finnish Elite League, putting together a line of 13-27-40 in 43 games, with an astounding 2 PIMs, which means he took just one minor penalty all year while playing as a 17-18 year old in a very difficult league. Where Granlund really cemented his spot as a first round draft pick was during this year’s World Championships, where he played for the Finland U-18 Team and the Finland National Team as a 17 year old. For the U-18 Team, Granlund was clearly above and beyond the competition, putting up a line of 4-9-13 in just six games en route to a bronze medal. Playing on the National Team in the World Championships, the one that Derek Stepan captained Team USA to Gold, Granlund had a goal and six assists in six games.

Granlund has exceptional skating and puck handling skills, which make him one of the premier playmakers available in the draft. His vision on the ice is tremendous, and some of the passes he dishes out makes some older, and larger, players wonder how he does it. While not a pure goal scorer, Granlund does possess a good wrist shot, and is fully capable of putting the puck in the back of the net when he needs to. He also possesses some great agility, which helps him deke around opposing defenders. His moves rival that of fellow Finn Teemu Pulkkinen, who ranks higher than Granlund for the time being.

The one knock on Granlund is his size, but don’t tell the small-ish forward that. Despite his small stature, Granlund plays larger than his size. He is fearless when battling for the puck and competes with great intensity every game. Granlund is a long term pick, much like the Chris Kreider pick in 2009, and will not be an impact NHL player for maybe as many as three seasons. Whichever team drafts Granlund is going to get a fantastic player, but they will have to wait for him to come over from Finland. There are few players in the draft that match Granlund’s combination of skill and speed, but his size is what may keep him out of the top-10. Granlund should still be available at #10, but the way the previous nine picks fall is what will determine where Granlund lands.

Draft Watch: Austin Watson

The Rangers have the tenth overall pick in the draft, and while some writers think the Rangers will draft a goalie (for some unknown reason), the Rangers most pressing need at the NHL level is a scorer. In the tenth installment of this series, we look at winger Austin Watson of the Peterborough Petes (creative team name) of the OHL.

Watson is generally overlooked when talking about the prospects coming into this draft, but has been consistently ranked in the top-15 of the ISS Top 30 all year. The 6’3, 185 lb winger has put together a fine sophomore season in the OHL, putting together a line of 20-34-54 with 22 PIMs in 52 games split with Peterborough and the Windsor Spitfires. He also added two goals in four playoff games this year. Watson also played on the US U-18 Team in April, playing the role of grinding third liner en route to a gold medal.

Watson’s biggest strength is his skating ability. He is very quick on his feet, and has the agility to change directions quickly, despite his tall stature. He is very tough to knock off the puck, and he will only get increasingly more difficult to knock off the puck as his body weight catches up to his height. His quickness, stride, and overall speed (quickness and speed are different) will also improve as he ages and develops more lower body strength.

Watson isn’t the flashiest of players, but he uses his size to go to the high traffic areas and bang home dirty goals. This type of player serves several purposes: he wreaks havoc in front of the net, he draws attention to himself, and opens up space for more skilled players to work in the open ice. He won’t wow you with his moves, he won’t amaze you by dangling through two defensemen and then roofing a shot. He will wow you with his blue collar effort and his propensity for getting dirty goals. New Yorkers love blue collar players, and Watson fits that bill to a T. As mentioned before, Watson is often overlooked because he doesn’t have the offensive flair that players of the Ryan Johansen, Jeff Skinner, or Nino Niederreiter ilk have.

While there are no glaring weaknesses in his game, Watson will be a bit of a project, as he needs to grow more into his body before he can really be an effective two-way player. With the Rangers drafting in the top-ten, Watson will definitely be available, but some may question whether or not Watson is what the Rangers need. He peaks as a 60 point NHL player who could lead the penalty kill, but that is only if he meets his peak. There are several more offensively tilted players that may suit the Rangers needs a little more than Watson, but what Watson does have going for him is that he could potentially be a more offensively gifted version of Ryan Callahan.

Image Credit: Aaron Bell/OHL Images.

Wolfpack Sign RIT Defenseman Dan Ringwald

This is rather old news, but it flew under the radar and I missed it. The Hartford Wolfpack have signed RIT defenseman Dan Ringwald to a professional contract for the 2010-2011 season. This is not to be confused with a New York Rangers contract, as this contract is strictly a minor league contract with the AHL or ECHL. Details of the contract are not known, but it is assumed to be a two-way minor league deal, which works the same way as an NHL two-way contract, except the movement is between the AHL and ECHL, as oppposed to the AHL and the NHL.

Ringwald was third in NCAA Division I defensemen in scoring in his senior year, putting up a line of 11-26-37 and +22 as he led the RIT team to its first ever Frozen Four appearance.