Looking Ahead: Jesper Fasth

One of the great unknowns of the Rangers 2010 draft was Swedish winger Jesper Fasth. Many wondered what type of player the Rangers got and with limited exposure thus far, most people are still wondering the same thing.

It might be the dog days of the hockey season for the Rangers but Fasth’s season has already begun. Currently playing for Swedish men’s side HV71 in the European Trophy, Fasth has been playing on the 4th line but still managed to be quite productive grabbing 3 assists in 6 games including 2 in a recent 6-0 rout over Finnish side Karpart. Fasth’s season thus far also took in an under 20 tournament for Sweden where he went 1+1 in 4 games for the Swedes so the 18 year old winger has had a pretty solid start to his year.

So what type of player is the 6ft Fasth, who can play both wings? This is the scouting report from eliteprospects.com;

Fasth is a very good skater with nice acceleration and top speed. He works very hard, forechecks with impressive intensity and also create a lot of offense thanks to his agility and speed. Has decent hockey sense, technical skills and scoring ability, but it perhaps still more likely to develop into a role player.

It sounds like Fasth’s game is consistent with the desire for the Rangers to place an emphasis on speed and work ethic but in terms of scoring ability and skill level the young Swede appears to be a project. Its obvious that Fasth was picked with the long term in mind. He’ll be given all the time in the world to  develop in Sweden before the Rangers look at him as a serious, potential NHL candidate.

With many forward prospects close to being ready for the Rangers there is no need to rush the player. His good start this year playing with the HV71 men’s team at just 18 years old, Fasth appears to have a solid future. Drafted 157th overall there was also very little risk in this pick for the Rangers and lets not forget, the Rangers have had some pretty good success with drafting Swedes late……

Who’s the next Callahan?

The Rangers have several highly touted prospects that come with reputation and expectancy. Whether they all make it remains to be seen (we’re looking at you Bobby Sanguinetti…)

What the Rangers can do with – like any other team – are a few unheralded players to make the grade and provide good draft value. Ryan Callahan has quickly emerged as a fan favourite, a two-way threat and a leader all by the age of 25. It’s very easy to forget that Cally was an unheralded 4^th round pick who wasn’t necessarily expected to make the impact he has. Callahan may be the very definition of ‘value draft pick’. So who’s next? Here’s a few options currently in the system.

Dale Weise. Weise may have the inside track to become ‘the next Cally’ as Tortorella has publicly expressed a desire to get him into the NHL line up. Weise had an excellent 2^nd season in Hartford notching 28 goals and 50 points. A big (6’2. 205lbs) physical player who likes to hit Weise may be the ideal cap solution as well as bottom 6 forward. Weise, despite not getting into a game, finished the year with the Rangers and is well placed to start 10/11 in New York.  A 4^th round pick, Weise’s career and style has many similarities (despite differences in size) to Callahan’s thus far.

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Rangers Saviour?

It’s a big statement to make about a kid guy that still hasn’t played a pro game at any level. So what is it about Derek Stepan that offers the Rangers such hope and excitement?

Drafted 51^st overall in 2008, the Hastings born Stepan has played in strong programs throughout his young career and has produced wherever he has been. Playing two years at the hockey factory that is Shattuck-St. Mary’s (think Sid Crosby, Zach Parise, Jon Toews etc) Stepan tallied 192 points in two years before going to the NCAA powerhouse Wisconsin Badgers. In 2 Wisconsin seasons thus far Stepan continued to elevate his game. A solid rookie year – 33 points in 40 games – was followed up with an impressive 54 point season (in just 41 games) which culminated in a Frozen Four Final berth.  Stepan quickly became a go-to player for the Badgers.  What perhaps excites Rangers fans more however, is how Stepan raised his game even further on the international stage. Stepan took over the 2010 World Juniors and led the Americans to gold as captain and led the entire tourney in points with 14 in just 7 games. Voted on to the all star team at the tournament , Stepan keeps elite company when one considers the line up featured Alex Pietrangelo, John Carlson, Jordan Eberle and Nino Niederreiter – all elite prospects. Stepan also has blood lines on his side. Derek’s father Brad was a 5^th round pick of the Rangers which was the same draft year (‘85) as Mike Richter.

Looking back at Stepan’s development so far it’s easy to get excited. Whether it’s at prep level, NCAA level or at international level Derek Stepan has succeeded. Considered mature and a good character and having already displayed excellent leadership at various levels, Stepan seems bound for a good pro career. Opportunity (and success) requires being in the right place at the right time and coupled with his talent is the fact the Rangers are crying out for impact at center. As soon as Stepan decides the time is right to leave college he will likely get a shot at making the Rangers straight away and will be given every chance to succeed.

Rangers fans therefore may be thinking: So where will Stepan fit in? Considered close to pro-ready now, it’s likely that in 12 months time Stepan will be able to make the Rangers and hopefully take on a scoring role immediately. It will benefit the Rangers enormously (cap wise) if Stepan can grab a top 6 role when he leaves Wisconsin. With contracts like Redden’s and Drury’s still weighing heavy, cap bargains and cheap youngsters are essential for the Rangers.

Stepan’s game seems ideally suited to Marian Gaborik in that he is a pass first, defensively responsible center with great vision however the role of Gaborik’s center may be a year or two away as the Rangers would be well advised not to throw too much responsibility on Stepan’s shoulders too soon. Could he handle it? Why not. Jonathan Toews’ career took a similar path before he reached Chicago and he became an impact player from the get-go. The two players are quite comparable (another reason the Rangers faithful are so excited about Stepan) and if the Rangers can get a rookie year off Stepan like Chicago got off Toews then The Rangers will be delighted – and dangerous. While a strong rookie year is possible what would be likely? There’s no reason we won’t, can’t see a 15 goal 40 point rookie campaign when he does make the Rangers. As we have seen, Stepan doesn’t appear to rush a decision so he won’t come to NY until he’s ready to make an immediate impact.

For those watching Stepan’s every move, you may be watching a saviour in the making.

A Position In Transition

Continuing our look at the Rangers prospect system we cast an eye at the future at center. The Rangers are crying out for top line help, they are crying out for a consistent (and effective) center for Marian Gaborik and they are crying out for offensive impact down the middle. However what the Rangers are not crying out for are long term solutions.

At center (despite various positional switches) the Rangers have been using a combination of Brandon Dubinsky, Vinny Prospal, Chris Drury, Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, Olli Jokinen and Erik Christensen. There’s a fair bit of talent there – albeit at varying stages of their careers – but no one will confuse this collection for Crosby, Malkin and Staal and it doesn’t say much when a team has used at least 7 centers in one season. So what gives?

The Rangers find themselves with a real dilemma this summer. Any center of worth available (whether it be via free agency or trade) won’t come with a short contract – don’t think a guy like Tomas Plekanec will join the Rangers for 5m for 1 or 2 years. He, like most, will be looking for long term deals which the Rangers simply cannot afford to give and besides, The Rangers need to address anything BUT the center position.

Looking at the system it’s hard not to like the Rangers future at center. Wisconsin blue chipper Derek Stepan has massive potential and has tasted success at every level he’s played at. Carl Hagelin looks a very solid prospect in a strong NCAA program, Ryan Bourque, Ethan Werek and Roman Horak all look at this stage like very good draft picks. The beauty of this group is that it’s diverse. You have the playmaking potential of Stepan and Horak, the forechecking speedster in Bourque, power forward types like Werek and defensively sound 2 way guys like Hagelin. The main problem however is none of this group realistically are close to being on the NHL roster. Whether it be age, college commitments or level of development this talented group have a way to go before they become Garden favourites.

The key for the Rangers is finding opportunities for them to come up through the system. However with the position at the NHL level in some dire straits the temptation for Glen Sather to address a short term need will be large.

The Rangers, unless a stunning opportunity jumps out at them, simply must avoid clogging up the position. Allow Drury to be a (vastly) overpaid role player for two more years. Allow Erik Christensen to be a reclamation project and allow Artem Anisimov to grow (with appropriate ice time). The Rangers must take the pains that the position may give next season. If there is indeed money to spend, spend it on the back end, in goal and add a scoring winger.   

The Rangers (at center) are stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. They have a great future tempered by an average present. Rangers’ fans have been clamouring for a home grown core for a long time and the potential for it really is there. In 2 years the spine of the team could be something like Anisimov – Stepan – Bourque – Werek. John Tortorella has stated youth needs to be served so let’s hope the Rangers power brokers listen and don’t spoil a potentially promising future trying to squeeze into the playoffs. The Rangers could have an entirely home grown, diverse group of centres. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Next up we’ll look closer at Derek Stepan and what he could provide in NY.

Is The (Pro) Cupboard Bare?

When looking at the Hartford Wolf Pack this season, particularly on the Forward front there must be some concern. Its not that The Rangers have no talent at forward, in the pipeline – far from it, as Kreider, Stepan, Hagelin, Werek etc all attest but it’s the fact that this years AHL line up was a bit of a mess and there is no immediate help on the horizon. Unless you believe Dane Byers can still make an impact and he hasn’t run his course in the organization. The collection of names mentioned mostly have one thing in common: they are college players. They won’t be in the AHL anytime soon.

When you factor into the equation that players like PA Parenteau, Corey Locke, Dane Byers and Andreas Ambuhl have possibly played their last games for Hartford (for varying reasons) then the concern (and question marks) grow. Parenteau will only re-sign with NY if he feels he has a genuine chance to avoid being ‘banished’ back to the AHL, Dane Byers will either make NY or be elsewhere (another season in Hartford seems unlikely) and Ambuhl is back off to Switzerland. So the cupboard seems even barer…..

Looking at the Rangers prospect list, it is unlikely much will be taking the next step to the AHL this summer. Perhaps only youngster Roman Horak (thanks to European draft loop holes) may come through the system and help out in Hartford. However even Horak would be better served staying with Chilliwack for another year. A lot of pressure therefore falls on Evgeni Grachev’s shoulders should he remain in Hartford. Highly touted, the Russian will have to improve on his rookie campaign but has the talent and size to do so. A lot of people were expecting more than a 28 point rookie season following his 80 point junior campaign. Hopefully he takes a similar path as Artem Anisimov and dominates in his 2^nd year in the AHL. With Brodie Dupont, perhaps Dale Weise (who has a legitimate shot at a bottom 6 role in NY – Tortorella was ‘dying to give him a chance’) and Paul Crowder Hartford does have some talent on the forward front likely to return but the focus – and skill – clearly lies on the back end as well as probably Chad Johnson in goal, in Hartford.

The title of the post was a little scaremongering on my part as The Rangers seem well stocked with talented forwards in both the NCAA and major junior but with most of them being a year or two away from the pro ranks we, specifically Hartford, may see a lot of pain before we get (professional) gain. This year saw Hartford miss the AHL playoffs for the first time in their 13 year history. Missing the playoffs may become the norm until several forwards mature to the pro ranks.

In the Shadows

Starting today here at Blueseatblogs, we are going to look -daily- at a different aspect of the New York Rangers. Today we start with looking at some of the less talked about prospects who may well have a chance at moving up the depth chart in the next season or two.

The Rangers biggest organisational strength, in terms of prospects, is defence which is ironic given the struggles on the back end in NY. Everyone knows of and has their own projections for Ryan McDonagh, Bobby Sanguinetti and Mike Sauer etc. It’s beyond these players where The Rangers potential gets interesting. The Rangers need crease clearers, they need size and they need ‘a presence’. They may already have these elements in the organisation.

Players less heralded or without the focus of the aforementioned players are guys like Sam Klassen and Nigel Williams. Less focus is often a result of lesser status. Sanguinetti and McDonagh were 1^st round picks; Sauer came via ‘The Leetch trade’ whereas Klassen was a UFA signing from the WHL and Williams came via a trade after a failed spell in the Colorado Avalanche organisation. However, both have a chance to climb through the Rangers organisation and help address needs.

Let’s start with Nigel Williams. He has a huge frame at 6’4 and 225lbs and the read on him is that he has unusually good hands for a big man, can skate better than anticipated and ‘is physical’. All these things bode well for him in the Rangers system as he addresses multiple needs. He had a tough year in Hartford (especially positionaly) and clearly was amongst those who suffered amid the injuries, constant line changes and ‘form’ of the WolfPack. However his play improved throughout the year and he finished with 20 points and an even +/- rating in 56 games. That rating isn’t bad on a non playoff team.  All the reports say Williams needs another full year in the AHL but given his potential this may become an underrated acquisition down the road. Personally I liked it at the time of the deal (Colorado got Brian Fahey) and I remember noticing him during his draft year with Saginaw in the OHL as one to watch – he was touted as a 1^st round talent at one stage. Guys like Williams are why the Rangers should be weary of handing out more long term big dollar contracts to defensemen – blocking spots for able prospects.

Sam Klassen. The first thing you need to realise about Klassen is this: -21 (WHL rookie year), +5, +27 and +34. Over 4 years Sam Klassen has become a stabilising force on the back end for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. He’s responsible defensively, reports say he hits like a steam train (lord, do the Rangers need a player like that) and he’s not inept offensively as he averaged 25pts/year the past 3 years. The Rangers must have seen something they liked as they signed him to a free agent deal in July 2009. Another player with decent size (6’1, 200lbs) Klassen will get a chance to take his game to Hartford next year. Could he be the next free agent defenseman to force his way onto the Rangers? Im pretty sure no one expected Dan Girardi to make the Rangers when he started in the ECHL. With a need for physicality Klassen can make quick progress if he is able to have a good rookie camp and follow it up with a solid Rangers training camp.

This year was a year of transition at every level in the Rangers franchise, no more so than in Hartford. If Klassen and Williams can help stabilize the back end for the Wolf Pack (whose back line will look completely different next year) they may very well progress up the depth chart and get to New York. Between them they certainly have attributes that The Rangers need.

Rangers With Five in Top 80 Prospects

Yesterday, Puck Prospectus released it’s Top 100 prospects, and it is nice to see four Rangers on this list, all within the Top 80. The five Rangers within the top 80 shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, as these are generally the top five prospects that we all want to see wearing Rangers blue in the very, very near future. What is very nice to see is that three of these prospects sit in the top 35, something that Rangers fans are not used to.

The highest rated prospect starts at #23, where Evgeny Grachev sits comfortably. Despite his off year in Hartford, the 19 year old LW has some of the highest potential in the Rangers farm system. What many Ranger fans forget is that Artem Anisimov had a rough start to his AHL career, but he came back and averaged a point per game the year after. AA is now one of our favorite rookies with some great potential. It isn’t far fetched to see Grachev follow that same route, assuming he figures out how to play without the puck.

Just two spots below Grachev, Wisconsin center Derek Stepan sits at #25. Stepan was one of the highly touted prospects in the system before the World Juniors. After captaining the US team to Gold while leading the tournament in scoring, his value skyrocketed. Stepan has all the tools to be a top six forward. The 20 year old center will be spending at least one more year at Wisconsin, where his Badgers were the Frozen Four runners-up in this year’s tournament. Stepan will also serve as an assistant captain next season for the Badgers.

Read more after the jump

Rangers Rank 12th

Hockeysfuture.com produce organisational rankings for prospects and until recently the Rangers were ranked a very impressive third in the league. In the new rankings released yesterday they had slipped to 12th. This is largely due to two blue chip prospects ‘graduating’ to the bigs; those being Artem Anisimov and Michael Del Zotto. With the graduations considered being just outside the top third in the league is still good and bear in mind the depth will be supplemented by a top ten pick come June draft time.

People will put different stock and value into a website such as hockeysfuture.com but it is widely respected. Which leads me to pose this question; If they rank Ilkka Heikkinen as high as 5th best prospect in the organisation should he be ‘allowed’ to go back to Europe? If external sites such as this see him potentially that good should he be promsied an extended look at camp? We dont know whats going on yet and whether he is indeed going back home but if he does it could be a mistake. I for one think he looked solid in his 7 game call up and he had a very solid year in Hartford on a struggling team: he definitely flashed promise. Personally I was surprised to read recent criticism of his potential at another Rangers related website.

Overall, the site doesnt reveal any major surprises; strengths are considered to be defence and center (aka Stepan) while weaknesses are right wing and goaltending. Fingers crossed a good draft propels us further up the rankings and help brighten the future.

What Can We Expect From Zuccarello-Aasen?

Just  following up from Jeremy’s post about Mats Zuccarello-Aasen.

If or when the signing is confirmed, have the Rangers gotten themselves a much needed ready made NHL scorer? Or is he too small for the NHL and another Andreas Ambuhl? (sorry Andreas).

The negatives; listed at 5.7, ‘MZA’ clearly wont intimidate anyone but it’s not his size that concerns me, it’s his weight. Listed at 154lbs I think my pet dog is heavier. Can he absorb hits from the Chara’s, Myers and Pronger’s of the Eastern Conference and survive the year long grind? We’ll see. Also what concerns me is for us fans, a lack of a full scouting report. We have stats and thats all – other than a small, promising glimpse at the Olympics. Is he a sniper? A Speed demon? A Prucha type who’ll bravely take a pounding in front? I’ll admit to not knowing much. So at this stage we dont know what type he is and thus where he can accurately be placed on the roster (if he makes it).

What does bode well is his pedigree. With a good Olympics for the underdog Norwegians one could have suspected this year (leading the SEL in points) may have been a one year wonder but with 2 years in the league MZA has produced. In his rookie year he also scored at more than a point/game as the following shows:

2008-09	Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik	SEL	35	12	28	40	38				–	-
2009-10	Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik	SEL	55	23	41	64	62

Sweden is a tough league and while it isnt the NHL, scoring 40 points as an (undersized) rookie is impressive. Clearly the Nowergian with the Italian name has skill and its not just a hot streak. What this also tells me is that he has more substance than other ‘late bloomers’ such Fabian Brunnstrom or Ville Leino. Brunnstrom scored just 9 goals and 37pts in 54 games in his one full year in the SEL and MZA has 2 full years with significantly more success. Leino ended his Euro career dominating a significantly less competitive Finnish league (compared to the SEL) but it took him 4 years to score more than 10 goals in a season. So we can safely assume there is indeed something genuine to MZA’s game. So what now?

This is where the guessing games begin; will The Rangers take the Detroit path and slot him in the AHL first or will they take the Dallas route and insert him straight into the roster? Either is a genuine option at this stage but im hoping he makes it. Camp (maybe prospect camp?) will tell us more.

I wrote recently that the best teams in the NHL almost always have cap bargains. While we dont know the details just yet im going to assume he’s not coming over on a big deal when he has no North American experience to demand the big $$$. So Mats Zuccarello-Aasen can be our very own cap bargain (one reason I want him to make it) and hopefully help the Rangers anaemic offense. Fingers crossed. At this stage he’s low risk potentially high reward.

 One thing is for certain, if he makes the roster, referring to both MDZ and MZA could get confusing…

A Glimpse Into The Future

Their names have been talked about alot this year but please remember them: Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh and Chris Kreider. All 3 will, sooner rather than later, be key contributors for the New York Rangers.

Rangers fans rightly will have all eyes fixed to tonights massive game against the Flyers as it’s now down to lose and you’re out thanks to Boston winning Thursday night but those who like a glimpse into the future can sit back and enjoy a treat as the NCAA frozen four final will feature all 3 of the above named players on Saturday on ESPN2.

Thanks to routs of 8-1 and 7-1 respectively Thursday, Stepan and McDonagh’s Wisconsin and Kreider’s Boston College have eased into the final, which should be a grand affair.

Derek Stepan, in my opinion was unfortunate not to get Hobey Baker award consideration. The kid has 52 points in 40 college games and led his conference in assists. He has been simply dominating. In last nights semi he proved he can score by bagging two goals. If you throw in the way he led USA to world junior gold and led the tourney in scoring, personally i think he’s up there as one of the best in NCAA this year – as a 2nd year player. He’s a blue chip talent. He may even be pro ready, though we’ll temper that enthusiasm for now…

Ryan Mcdonagh and Chris Kreider also have both played very well while it seems McDonagh is pro ready. Whether its in Hartford or New York remains to be seen but there’s no reason he cannot make the same jump Marc Staal did. He has a very nice, rounded game and is physically ready for the demands he’ll face. The summer will be exciting to see if he signs and turns pro.

Kreider on the other hand is benefiting from good line mates (the drafted Ben Smith and Jimmy Hayes) and being in a powerhouse program that’s teaching him exactly what he needs at this point; refined hockey sense and two way play. He clearly can already score (14 goals as an NCAA rookie is no mean feat, nor is leading the WJC in goals) and is having an excellent rookie year.

These three are clearly a huge part of the Rangers future so sit back and enjoy the frozen four final after enjoying a Rangers win Friday!

By the way, here’s a Q&A with Chris Kreider provided by hockeys future.