Let’s have a look at some of the Rangers draft picks and future hopes and how they’ve been doing recently. It’s been a while since we checked in around the junior circuits.
Saintly Returns
Michael St Croix is a plus 30 for the season. Yes, you read that right. It’s because he’s flat out scoring for fun. A mid round pick of the Rangers in 2011, its unlikely many people saw this level of scoring from St Croix. The skilled center has grabbed 77 points in just 48 games in the WHL this season, which given the stingier nature of the WHL (as opposed to other junior leagues) is an exceptional return.
You want progress? St Croix’s offensive return is the two points better than his total points from last season in 20 games less. Clearly, the Rangers have another talented center on their hands. Oh and he’s now been crowned player of the week twice. One to keep your eyes on folks.
Back in Scoring Mode
The Rangers seem to have offensive potential springing up everywhere right now. Joining St Croix in quality offensive production is JT Miller who has recently got back to his scoring ways and now boasts 43 points in 39 games for the Whalers of the OHL.
Miller has learnt a lot this season. From his time with the Rangers to the world Juniors, Miller has been exposed to a variety of levels of hockey this season as well as the exposure to more hockey than he’s been used to. Miller’s another player that looks a great draft pick so far.
Best of the Rest
Honourable mentions in the offensive stakes have to go to Shane McColgan, Andrew Yogan, Christian Thomas and Steven Fogarty who are all close to or above the point per game threshold in their respective leagues. Naturally, each player has a different level of expectancy placed on their shoulders and is in different stages of their development but so long as each one can continue to produce as their respective leagues head to the critical time in their seasons, it bodes well for their immediate futures. With Christian Thomas turning 20 in May, he’s almost certainly one that’s headed for pro hockey next season.
Final Mention
In need of a change of scenery all season has been Scott Stajcer. The Owen Sound goalie has put up solid numbers when called upon but has split the crease with Jordan Binnington. Wins aside, Stajcer has put up the far superior numbers (924% to .890, 2.53 GAA to JB’s 3.38) but it has to be a concern that as an over-ager Stajcer hasn’t had anywhere near the playing time his development needs.
Given the still murky goalie situation behind Lundqvist and Biron, Stajcer still has a shot with the organisation as no goalie with the Whale has shown to have full time NHL potential this season. Stajcer’s destination next season will be an interesting development over the coming months.
This week saw the return to game action of Christian Thomas, who has been sitting out thanks to the ten game suspension the OHL threw his way. His return was in the Subway Super Series against the Russian national team, as Thomas represented the OHL (Team Russia plays against each CHL league).
Thomas did not disappoint, grabbing an assist on the game winner and adding a goal near the end as the OHL team beat the Russians 6-3 in Sault Ste. Marie after racing to a 6-0 lead. While it was a good return to action for Thomas it’s hard to gauge the level of opponents as the Russian team is never the strongest available. In this instance it didn’t feature some of the quality prospects expected to be lottery picks, or first rounder’s in 2012. Regardless, Thomas will be happy with his return to the ice and will look to kick off from here and be a difference maker once more for Oshawa.
Dylan McIlrath may have missed a few games earlier this season but is putting together a pretty solid season for Moose Jaw in the WHL. Despite being pointless and on the losing side on Saturday (MJ lost 3-2 to Swift Current), McIlrath got in to a fight and played his typical brand of physical hockey. With 5 points (2 goals) in 11 games so far this year McIlrath is already only 3 goals off his total from last year.
Quick Hits:
- Chris Kreider and Boston College got whipped, losing 5-0 to Boston University on Sunday. It’s never good to lose to your neighbours. BC was inept on the powerplay, going 0-8 while Kreider finished the game -1 with just one shot to his name. BC will look to move on immediately next week when they travel for a non conference tilt with Notre Dame.
- JT Miller continues to be both productive and consistent. The first round pick grabbed 6 points and went +5 in 3 games last week for his surging Plymouth side. Miller now has 25 points in 21 games for the season – an impressive introduction to major junior.
- Scott Stajcer may not be winning games but his play is getting better. The goalie is 2-3-2 in 7 games but sits at .922 % and a 2.54GAA. Considering how inflated those numbers were just a few short weeks ago Stajcer is doing all he can to stay relevant in a tricky situation in Owen Sound.
- Shane McColgan may have 20 points in 19 games for Kelowna in the WHL but -9 is never a good thing to have on your record.
- Jesper Fasth has slowed down from his great start to the year as he has 14 points in 18 games with HV71 of the SEL. Fasth is scoreless in multiples games however it has still been a very encouraging season for the young winger already.
- Andrew Yogan and the Peterborough Petes sit second in the East Division of the OHL and Yogan – and Peter Čerešňák – have played their part. Čerešňák has a solid 7 points in 19 games from the blueline while Yogan has 14 in 18 up front. Perhaps more should be expected from Yogan, an over-ager but there is still a long way to go in the season for Yogan to make his case for the pro-ranks next season.
The Rangers can watch their prospects in Canadian juniors with great satisfaction right now. Around a month in to the season and several prospects are scoring at an excellent rate headlined by Shane McColgan who has an impressive 17 points in 14 games for the struggling Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. With his side sitting second from bottom in their division with a 5-9-1 record, McColgan’s -6 rating is the only blot on his personal stat line this season.
A couple of other players are having great starts in junior. JT Miller continues to impress for Plymouth in the OHL and with 17 points in 15 games he’s showing an impressive offensive side. Leading his team offensively Miller has been at the forefront of Plymouth’s improved form as they have gone 5-3-2 in their past 10.
The third prospect scoring at a fast rate in juniors is Mike St Croix. St Croix has 15 points in 16 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings and is doing it on the power play as well as at even strength. Of his 5 goals so far this season, 3 have been with the man advantage. The Kings, like the Whalers in the O, have been a team on the rise and have 6 wins in their past 10 to move 4 points behind Kootenay and Medicine Hat in their division.
All three prospects discussed above have something in common; they seem to be offensive go-to guys for their clubs. Scoring at impressive rates, all three seem to be impact players and that is something that bodes well for their professional futures. A few years ago it would have been difficult to find this many Rangers prospects making positive impressions at the same time. The prospect pipeline is certainly in a healthy state right now.
Quick hit time:
- Chris Kreider continued his impressive season this past weekend. BC moved to a 6-1 record last weekend as first beat UMass 4-2 on Friday (Kreider was scoreless) and then thumped the same club 6-3 whereby Kreider was all over the scoreboard. Grabbing 2 goals and an assist, Kreider had 6 shots and went +2 as he had the game winner as well as a PP goal too. Kreider has 11 points in 8 games this season.
- Scott Stajcer continues to improve as the season goes on. The rust seems to be gone as the goalie has improved to a 2-2-2 record but has a strong .920 save percentage and a much healthier 2.62 GAA. Stajcer stopped 39 of 40 shots on Sunday as Owen Sound beat Windsor 4-1.
- Christian Thomas is sporting an ugly -8 rating in just 13 games as his Oshawa Generals continue to play mediocre hockey with a 7-8-0-2 record this season.
- Sam Noreau is off to a nice start for Baie-Comeau in the QMJHL, going 1+7 in 11 games as well as sporting a strong +8 rating.
- Despite being pointless in his last 2 games Jesper Fasth still has 14 points in 16 games for HV71 in the SEL.
- Blueliner Mikhail Pashnin has 2 goals for CSKA in the KHL (in 19 games).
Christian Thomas is currently sitting through a ten game suspension in the OHL for high sticking. The ban began on 24th October. With high draft picks Boone Jenner and Niklas Jensen in the line-up, Oshawa should have – at least offensively – been able to cope without Thomas but they’ve been whipped 5-2 and 6-2 in their past two games. Neither player has managed to score in the defeats so Oshawa will want to get Thomas back as quickly as possible.
Rangers’ prospects are showing more offensive consistency this season than the players already donning red white and blue.
Mid round prospect Jesper Fasth continued his strong play over the past week and is averaging a point per game as we approach November. The Swedish youngster is now up to 14 points in 14 games for his HV71 side in the SEL and is second in the league in scoring. The SEL is a relatively low scoring league and is often veteran heavy in regard to the offensive leaders so it’s a great achievement for Fasth to be among the league’s best scorers.
Considering Fasth scored 16 points all of last season for HV71 it gives you a little more appreciation to quite how good his start has been. Indeed 16 points in 36 games was considered a solid year for a 19 year old in 09/10 so Fasth is really blossoming this season.
Another player impacting the box score on a consistent basis is Michael St Croix in the WHL. The Edmonton Oil King has 12 points in 13 games to go with a +1 rating and has notched a couple of PP goals as well. St Croix however will expect to kick on somewhat as the young center scored over a point/game last season with 75 in 68. With the Oil Kings sitting on an 8-3-1-1 record St Croix will hope to become the focal point of the in-form side.
Another player in the WHL is Shane McColgan and he’s another player that keeps troubling the scorers as he leads his Kelowna side with 14 points in 11 games. Unfortunately the -6 rating isn’t as impressive. McColgan looks like a good pick by the Rangers however, as he continues to produce despite his Rockets team struggling in 4th place in their division with a 4-7-1 record. McColgan will be looking to lead his side to a better record.
Quick Hit Time:
- Dylan McIlrath has 3 points (1 goal) in 8 games for Moose Jaw the WHL to go with 18 PIMS and a -1 rating. Moose Jaw are hovering around the .500 mark so far this season. Rangers’ try-out Colin Bowman has 4 goals and an assist from the blueline for Mcilrath’s club.
- Chris Kreider has 8 points (4+4) in 6 games as he continues his solid season for BC. Notoriously a slow starter it all bodes well for a very strong year from arguably the Rangers most important prospect. Hell, when available he may even slot straight into the top line LW spot in New York, such is the flux at the position.
- He’s only played 3 games but uMass senior Danny Hobbs has 5 points in 3 games so far this season. Hobbs has made great strides offensively each season going from 2, to 9, to 28 total points. Given his start he could very well beat the 28 mark this year.
- Despite an ugly -8 rating, Christian Thomas continues to pick up offensively and now has 10 points in 13 games. By all accounts Thomas is trying to do it all for his side and could benefit from stepping back slightly and concentrating on his own game. With a rookie goalie in net Oshawa appear to be building towards next season so don’t rule out Thomas becoming an appealing target for contenders in the OHL.
- Scott Stajcer appears to be beginning to shake of the rust of the preseason as he has improved his personal stats for Owen Sound to a 1-2-0-1 record, with a 2.91GAA and a .901 save %. Given his first couple of starts those numbers aren’t bad. The problem for Stajcer is the three-headed monster that is the goaltending situation in Owen Sound whose 6-8-0-1 record is none too impressive.
He had a good camp and now he’s truly settling in to his OHL rookie campaign. JT Miller scored 2 goals against Sarnia on Saturday night as he played his most impressive game of the young season, offensively speaking. Miller has 9 points in 9 games to begin the year which is no mean feat for the youngster as his Plymouth team has begun the season winning just four of their first 10 games. You may have heard of the name sitting right behind Miller on team scoring: Andy Bathgate. If Miller can show offensive consistency all season Miller will keep his name in the immediate discussion for the professional ranks next season. It will be interesting to see whether Miller has any kind of college wall in junior as the OHL season is similar in length to the pros.
Miller may have left college for the junior circuit but two Ranger prospects are still making waves in college. While Chris Kreider is garnering a lot of attention for his solid start (rightly so) Danny Hobbs has kept pace with the BC winger as both players have 5 points in their first four games. Both players are among offensive leaders nationally. Hobbs’ numbers however may be more impressive on one hand as he has his 5 points in just 2 games however Kreider’s level of competition has been tougher. Kreider however seems to have a case of Rangeritis as he already has 10 penalty minutes on the season, a number he’d do well to keep as low as possible.
Prospect Quick Hits:
- As we mentioned last week (before the bandwagon got rolling….) Jesper Fasth has been enjoying an exceptional start to his campaign in the SEL. How good? With his 11 points in 11 games to start the year Fasth (a 20 year old in the senior league) is 7th overall in league scoring. With a game winner and a power play goal to his credit, Fasth is getting goals in a variety of situations. America bound next year? At this rate, very likely.
- Peter Čerešňák has had a solid start to the year for his OHL Petes side. With 5 points (1+4) and a +4 in his first 9 games the big defenseman seems to be settling in well to Canadian Junior. He’ll be an interesting one to follow throughout the year as he and Yogan look to lead the Petes.
- Camp try outs doing well? He may not have been with the Rangers long but TJ Foster has been in great form for the WHL Oil Kings of Edmonton. He has 11 points in 11 games as he looks to earn another look from a big club. Maybe the Rangers will look at Foster again?
- Scott Stajcer has had a rough start (rust?) back in the OHL. In his first two games Stajcer has two losses, an inflated GAA of 4.50 and a save percentage of just .859; Stajcer will be hoping to get back on track as he looks to stay relevant in the organisation. It’s hard not to think that Stajcer’s and Chad Johnson’s futures are closely entwined this season.
- Boone Jenner is leading his club but Christian Thomas is slowly heating up. The Oshawa General has started scoring with more regularity and has now hit 7 points (4 goals) in 10 games. It’ll be hard to replicate last year given his start but as many people have said it’s not just about numbers for Thomas this season.
We’ll look in more detail throughout the next week or so at one or two of the prospects making some noise this season. The pipeline is still full folks.
It’s the start of hockey season so it’s time to keep our regular check on the next wave of Rangers.
Chris Kreider has been guilty of slow starts in seasons past. Not this year. In the first two games of Boston College’s season, Kreider came up with big goals (and an assist) to help his side open the season in impressive fashion. Throw in a healthy +3 to boot and you have yourself, statistically a nice start to an important year.
Many expected/wanted Kreider to go pro and when he didn’t it raised eyebrows but Kreider needs to dominate and he appears to be heading towards that level of hockey. With his now well known speed still causing havoc, by all accounts Kreider appears a more rounded hockey player so far which only bodes well. Showing that he will be a core piece for BC this season, Kreider captured the MVP title in the ‘Ice Breaker’ tournament thanks to his offensive showing. If Kreider can have a dominating year, he’ll be a huge candidate to go straight to New York next season. Patience for now though.
A player that in part due to injury may have become slightly forgotten is Swedish draftee Jesper Fasth. After an impressive WJC last year, Fasth has made huge offensive strides in the SEL this season. With 10 points, 4 goals and a mighty +8 to begin the year with HV71 Fasth is showing he could become a great pick-up and add to the Rangers growing Swedish core. With a big season under his belt Fasth could pressure the likes of Thomas, Kreider and co. as the next wave of Rangers offense matures towards NYC.
Two players most Rangers fans are counting on are indeed Thomas, back in the OHL and joining him in Ontario, JT Miller. With an NHL contract under his belt and a new league to conquer, at least offensively Miller has started well with 5 points in 6 games. It will be interesting to see how Miller handles a much longer season – it will certainly stand him in good stead for professional play when the time comes. Thomas on the other hand has had a relatively muted start to his year when compared to his brilliant season, last time around. With 3 goals in 7 games Thomas is off to a decent but not hot start. Numbers aren’t the most critical part for Thomas this year – he needs to develop physically and get ready for his likely introduction to the pro ranks next season.
- With a group of offensive kids like Kreider, Miller, Thomas and Fasth there is still a ton of skill on its way to New York. There may be plenty of players in New York looking over their shoulders if they have sub-par seasons this year thanks to the stream of prospects making their way through the system.
Selected Prospect Quick Hits:
- Oscar Lindberg has started his SEL campaign going 1+2 in 9 games for AIK
- Shane McColgan was goalless in 4 games but did have 5 helpers to open his season in the WHL
- In the BCHL Steve Fogarty had 2+4 in 7 games for Penticton.
- Scott Stajcer is still with Owen Sound after being returned to the OHL by the Rangers
- Mikhail Pashnin was pointless in his first 10 for CSKA in the KHL
Each week we’ll focus on a few of the core prospects and provide some updates on other Rangers prospects doing good or bad as their year’s progress. Keep checking in.
While Evgeny Grachev wasn’t the top rated Rangers prospect last season he was perhaps, given all the circumstances surrounding him (and his career progression – or lack of it) the one player with the most eyes on him among media and fans alike. Grachev was (and still is, until the new season draws closer) our recent most ‘Prospect Watch’ player on the website – see the Grachev Watch box.
From being drafted to dominating in the OHL to making a quick ascent to the pro ranks many, many fans expected Grachev to quickly establish himself in the system and indeed, as a Ranger. Prospect websites were touting him a blue chip prospect and he was routinely expected to firm up a place in the NHL, but that never happened. Today, Grachev is no longer a Ranger and perhaps a victim of the burden of expectancy.
Next season the Rangers have numerous prospects potentially taking the next step. Where those next steps take them however – at this stage – is anyone’s guess. Among the prospects with a ton of expectancy surrounding them are Swedish pair Carl Hagelin and Tim Erixon (straight to NYC?), as well as prospects JT Miller (given the controversy surrounding his league move), Oscar Lindberg, AHL mainstay Dale Weise (last chance saloon?) and WJC stars Jesper Fasth and Chris Kreider.
Which player will be most closely watched? Which prospect do you want Blue Seat Blogs to follow the most? –using the prospect watch section. You may be most intrigued by recent draftees like Shane McColgan (can he get back to the level which had him tabbed as a first rounder) or Mike St Croix and/or Steve Fogarty.
The Rangers are in a great situation these days. The above named group of prospects are just a small handful of Rangers prospects worth monitoring over the coming season. The Rangers are blessed with depth in almost every position both at the NHL level and below. We’ll be keeping tabs on all the Rangers prospects including Dylan McIlrath and Ryan Bourque as well. Just let us know who you’re most interested in the comments section. Have at it, we’ll check in a few times ahead of training camp.
Christian Thomas is having one hell of a season. After having an unbelievable regular season in which the young sniper finished with 99 points and 54 goals, he carried his season long form into the post season in spectacular style. In the first 3 games against Ethan Werek’s Kingston team in the OHL playoffs, Thomas grabbed 3 goals and 9 points to lead his team to a commanding 3-0 lead in the series and perhaps push Werek closer to a spell with Connecticut to end his own season. In the 3 games of the opening round thus far, Werek has played in just one of them going scoreless with a minus 1 rating. Werek had just returned following a 5 game suspension and took 4 minor penalties in the one game he did get in to. His junior season is on the verge of being over. Werek ended the regular season with 52 points and 24 goals in 47 games.
Forgotten about, and in the shadow of Christian Thomas is another Rangers prospect in Oshawa and that’s Dan Maggio. Having an inconsistent junior career to date, Maggio has never the less had a good start to this year’s playoffs. With a goal and an assist as well as a +3 rating Maggio has been a solid contributor for the Generals so far. Elsewhere in the OHL playoffs, Jason Wilson’s Niagara Ice Dogs have a 2 game lead over Evgeny Grachev’s former team, The Brampton Battalion. In the two games thus far Wilson has 1 assist and a +1 rating.
In just over a week’s time the Frozen Four will take place in St Paul, Minnesota and Carl Hagelin will be there looking to end his college career on a high. With Chris Kreider and Max Campbell eliminated, Hagelin will be the Rangers sole representative. On 7th April Hagelin’s Michigan team will take on North Dakota for a place in the final against either Minnesota Duluth or Notre Dame. While advancing to the frozen four limits the amount of pro exposure Hagelin may get this year, nothing can be better than experiencing success and winning titles and Hagelin has a chance to enter the pro game as a title winner, further enhancing his burgeoning reputation.
A good year (aside from health issues) for Rangers prospects has been validated this week with a few nominations and acknowledgments coming the way of the Blueshirt kids. 2010 draftee Christian Thomas was acknowledged several times this week in the annual OHL coaches’ poll. Thomas was deemed to have the best shot in the OHL, the second hardest shot in the OHL and deemed to be the ‘most dangerous in the goal area’ in the OHL. All three poll results are huge stick taps in the direction of Thomas given some of the elite prospects in the OHL.
Thomas is 7th overall in points (with 88) and only Ottawa’s Tyler Toffoli has scored more goals than Thomas’ 49. With a few games left in his regular season Thomas should reach the magical 50 mark. Thomas has come on leaps and bounds this year. Last year (also a good one) Thomas was -10 with 41 goals and 66 points in 64 games. This year Thomas has taken it to another level with 88 points, 49 goals and a +18 in 3 games less than last year. A great year for the young sniper who may get a look in next year’s training camp. With youngsters getting a legitimate look, regardless of age, at NY training camps in recent years don’t discount Thomas’s pro chances as soon as next season.
We seem to write a lot about Carl Hagelin and for good reason. Like Thomas, Hagelin has been honoured in his league. Highlighting his two way ability, Hagelin has been nominated for defensive player of the year in the CCHA as well as being nominated as CCHA player of the year. With 45 points in 36 games Hagelin has had a great year and the buzz around the young Swede has got louder as the season has gone on. Meanwhile, Hagelin’s Michigan side now know their playoff opponent as they are due to face 8th seed Bowling Green starting Friday. Hagelin has 3 points in two Michigan wins over BG this season.
While all the talk seems to be about the two above prospects plenty more Rangers kids are having good seasons. Ryan Bourque is back on the ice and continuing his good year. He now has 57 points in 44 games with Quebec of the QMJHL and boasts an excellent +16. Over on the West Coast and Roman Horak has moved onto 70 points for the year despite his team’s struggles this year. Chilliwack are currently 6th in their conference with a 31-30-2-3 record. Also in the West is 2010 1st pick Dylan Mcilrath. The big defenseman has 23 points, +4 and 129 penalty minutes in 56 games while his Moose Jaw side sit 5th in the Eastern Conference of the WHA.
Back in the OHL and Ethan Werek and Jason Wilson are having solid seasons. Having worked past injury this year Werek has 48 points in 44 games while Wilson is having a good year for Niagara, posting 40 points and an exceptional +21, in 58 games. It seems that recently the only disappointing news for Rangers prospects has been the injuries. Chris Kreider is out with the broken jaw recently suffered and Jesper Fasth remains sidelined in Sweden. Keeping checking back at Blueseatblogs for our weekly prospect updates (and regular prospect posts – in addition to the weekly one) and don’t forget to take a look at Jess Rubenstein’s Prospect Park for regular updates on every facet of Rangers prospects if you don’t already.
Another week has passed and amidst all the trades and the deadline day ‘frenzy’, there were Ranger prospects playing hockey. We’ll focus on two blue chip college prospects this week. Before we get to the college kids Christian Thomas continues to score goals. After last weekend’s action Thomas grabbed himself another 2 goals to inch closer to the magical 50 mark, including his 47th goal against Owen Sound last Sunday. Thomas now has 83 points on the season, one in which he has firmly established himself as a prime prospect for the Rangers.
On to the college scene then and another person that has positioned himself as a prime prospect this season is Carl Hagelin – if he hadn’t already. Over the weekend Hagelin’s Michigan team took on Northern Michigan in back to back games. On Friday, Michigan won 3-2 without Hagelin getting on the score sheet but the Swede was +1 as his line scored 2 of the 3 Michigan goals. Saturday was an even better performance for Michigan as they beat the same Northern Michigan side 5-0 and Hagelin – playing at center by the way – had himself quite a game. Hagelin scored 2 goals and assisted on another while his first goal (on the powerplay) stood as the game winner. In his last regular season NCAA game Hagelin bowed out in style and finished with 45 points in just 36 games. Will he play pro this season? It will be interesting to see if the Rangers try and sign him ASAP. It would be interesting to see how ready Hagelin is this season, ahead of next year where he may be a serious candidate for the Rangers if/when he signs.
Rangers top prospect Chris Kreider also had a pair of games last weekend. On Friday, Kreider played the top line at left wing but was held scoreless as Boston College beat Massachusetts 4-3. Kreider was +1 on the night as his line mate Jimmy Hayes scored while Kreider took 3 shots. Saturday, BC took on the same opponents and edged another close one, winning 2-1 as they played the part of host. Kreider managed to get himself an assist in this game and now sits on 23 points in 30 games for the season. While Kreider has only scored 11 times he has actually taken the third most shots for BC this season (113) so he is getting chances it seems. Kreider just needs to convert more (sound familiar Rangers fans?). With the Rangers publicly expressing their desire to get him to turn pro ASAP, Kreider may have to learn to convert outside of the NCAA arena.
One final prospect to note this week; Ethan Werek is starting to find his game in a big way as the center has points in 6 of his last 7 games including his 22nd goal of the season. Werek has played 41 games this season and has grabbed himself 46 points. Werek sits 4th in scoring on his Kingston side despite missing a chunk of playing time this season. Also, while -5 isn’t a great rating for a player of Werek’s potential, Kingston’s top scorer Nathan Moon sits on -14 while two of their other better scorers sit on -16 and -20 each. With barely a winning record on the season Kingston seem to have problems defensively as they have given up the most goals of all the teams certain of a playoff place thus far.
