Prospect Watch

Not a huge amount of recent prospect action but those that were involved in games helped their teams out, as they have done all season. Christian Thomas is one player that keeps on impressing. As his Oshawa team shut out the Brampton Battalion 1-0, Thomas assisted on the goal to take his personal point streak to 6 games, during which time he has amassed an impressive 12 points. Thomas has now got 81 points this season and has 11 games to get to 50 goals as he currently sits on 45. Jess Rubenstein of Prospect Park recently made a valid point regards Thomas. With all those people in Rangerland hoping for Chris Kreider to turn pro in the summer maybe it is Thomas that people should be hoping for. Thomas has filled the net for two seasons now, and other than maturing physically doesn’t have a huge amount left to prove in the OHL. Thomas is a natural goal scorer and the Rangers don’t have a lot of those on the NHL roster right now. In recent years we’ve seen a lot more juniors make the direct transition from junior to the NHL (once considered practically impossible for anyone but the top picks) and maybe Thomas has a shot to do it as well. The way he has led Oshawa offensively this season, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get a good look during training camp next season.

Elsewhere the Rangers still have injuries to report amongst their prospects. Ryan Bourque remains out with a wrist injury while Swedish prospect Jesper Fasth is out – as previously reported – for at least 6 weeks. Good news on the injury front comes in the form of Scott Stajcer. The Owen Sound netminder has begun skating and could be back in time for the OHL playoffs. Stajcer needs to get some games under his belt and impress the Rangers organisation, in order to convince them to give him a contract for next season. Having missed a large chunk of the year (following a hot start) Stajcer really needs to get in to some games. Getting healthy would be the first step for the young goalie.

Ethan Werek is on a tear of sorts.  Werek had an assist on Tuesday to take his personal scoring streak to 4 games in which he has grabbed 7 points, including 3 goals. The centre now has 43 points in 37 games this season for Kingston. Meanwhile Roman Horak, of the Chilliwack Bruins (WHL) has taken his season tally to 63 in 50 games which is an impressive tally. There’s a chance both players may see each other in Connecticut next season although an over-age year for Werek isn’t ruled out at this stage due to his injury. Either way, it’s very exciting for the Rangers to see so many talented forwards on the horizon. Tallying them up; Carl Hagelin, Werek, Horak, Thomas and Ryan Bourque are all averaging over a point per game this season and this doesn’t factor in prospects like Kreider, Max Campbell and Fasth who have all flashed their talent at various stages this season. There’s a lot on the horizon for the Rangers.

Prospect Watch (Not Just Kreider)

While all the headlines amongst the Rangers prospects are going to Chris Kreider he hasn’t been the only one making news over the past week. Following his excellent Beanpot performance and the subsequent ‘will he-won’t he?’ talk among the fans and media it’s easy to forget that there are other Rangers prospects having quality seasons. That said, Kreider continues to make an impact in big games (like the Beanpot and the WJC playoff) so his profile continues to rise. Whether he should turn pro in the summer however, is another matter.

Kreider aside, front and center of all of the prospects right now is Christian Thomas of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. After every additional game played the pick in the second round of the 2010 draft looks more and more like a stroke of genius. As his Generals side clinched an OHL playoff place Thomas was leading his side with his career high 42^nd goal while he also added his 33^rd assist bringing him to 75 points for the season. In just 6 games in February Thomas has 15 points while he has his total of 75 points in just 51 games. Thomas deserves all the plaudits he’s received and will earn a lot more in the future as, as a 1992 birthday, he’ll likely see a lot more OHL action before he gets to turn pro. Thomas’ main focus now should be to build up his body to be able to cope with the rigours of the pro game – to match his offensive production – as at 5’9 and 165lbs the young sniper is, at present, too slight to cope with the Chara’s and Pronger’s of the NHL.

In the WHL, Roman Horak is another less heralded draft pick that has been impressing this season. In the midst of a 7 game scoring streak, Horak has 62 points in 48 games. Unfortunately Horak’s Chilliwack side have the second worst record in the western conference so the young Czech may get a look in at Connecticut sooner than he’d anticipate. Looking around the remaining Rangers prospects, Ryan Bourque of Quebec has 49 points on the season but has picked up an ankle injury and is expected to miss 2 weeks. It’s not the end of the world for Bourque as the injury doesn’t require too long a rest period but it’s a setback never the less. Another injury has seen Swedish winger Jesper Fasth ruled out for up to 6 weeks, which is much worse news for the Rangers. Fasth had 12 points with the HV71 senior club this season.

In the NCAA (aside from Kreider) Max Campbell’s scoring may have slowed down but Carl Hagelin continues his offensive production as he’s taken his season tally to 38 points in just 32 games. With his excellent +16 rating Hagelin is doing everything for his Michigan side and appears to be perhaps the most pro ready of all the Rangers prospects. Hagelin may not get the same buzz that Kreider gets but looks like an excellent prospect for the Rangers who should be able to impact the pro ranks next season.

Prospect Report; Season So Far

Not much prospect action in the past few days but let’s recap the key Rangers prospects up to the start of February anyway.

Offensively, many Rangers prospects are having excellent seasons. Led by Christian Thomas’ 60 points for Oshawa, five Rangers prospects are averaging over a point per game so far this season. Whether it be Roman Horak in the WHL, Ryan Bourque in the QMJHL, Carl Hagelin of Michigan (NCAA) or Ethan Werek (despite missing time with injuries) in the OHL, along with Thomas, all five prospects have stayed above the point/game mark all season long which is testament to both their talent and their solid seasons thus far. The biggest concern coming out of the five leading scorers may be Horak and Werek being comfortably in the minus – in addition to the numerous injuries that have plagued the prospects all season long. On the injury front Andrew Yogan has yet to play this year, Werek and goalie Scott Stajcer have missed significant time through injury as have 2010 first round pick Dylan Mcilrath and draftee Randy McNaught. In Mcilrath’s case, he has come back strong from the injury and looks to be having a solid year with Moose jaw of the WHL.

Pleasant surprises this year? It has to begin with the arrival onto the world scene of Swedish winger Jesper Fasth who many knew little of, but who now must be considered a legitimate prospect following his excellent World Junior performance. Then there is Max Campbell in the NCAA who no one – prior to this year – gave a chance for a Rangers contract but who, at the very least, has played his way back into relevance with his strong year at Western Michigan. Other players who have given reason for optimism include recent draft pick Jason Wilson who plays a physical game but who is showing he can contribute offensively too. He is a strong likelihood at this stage for Connecticut next year; hopefully adding to the good young depth on offer at the Whale for 2011/12.

Disappointments have to include Chris Kreider even if the word disappointment is harsh. Measured against his own extremely high standards set last year Kreider had a so-so WJC until the final game for USA (although that in itself is maybe clutch). In addition to that his season at Boston College, while improving hasn’t been what many had hoped. Physically ready for the pro’s now, the hope is that Kreider has a very strong end to his year to convince people of his readiness. Given the buzz around him, there’s no telling where Kreider may begin next year even though the sensible answer may be Connecticut or even another year in college.

At this stage of the year, one of the concerns (seemingly a regular thing in recent times) may be the lack of goaltending prospects in the pipeline. While the Rangers are well set (to say the least) for the future with Lundqvist in net it never hurts to have depth and the San Jose Sharks have shown how developing goalies can turn into other assets down the road. With Scott Stajcer missing a large part of the season there is no Rangers owned goalie playing high level junior or college. While Chad Johnson and Cam Talbot are doing well in the AHL it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rangers draft another goalie this summer as more and more the drafting of Antoine Lafleur is looking like a good pick wasted.

We’ll look at the Prospects again next week.

Prospect Round Up: After the WJC

There’s been a fair bit of recent activity amongst the prospects in the past week or so, plenty of it positive. The Oshawa Generals, boasting two Rangers prospects, recently lost to Sudbury of the OHL as the game featured a landmark goal as Christian Thomas scored his 30^th goal of the season while Dan Maggio’s got his 2^nd assist with the Generals. Thomas has a very good chance of getting to 40 goals for consecutive seasons while the assist will hopefully give Maggio some confidence in getting his game on track. Maggio has 7 assists in 18 games for two clubs this year while Thomas is up to an excellent 55 points in just 40 games for Oshawa.

Elsewhere in the Canadian Juniors Roman Horak of Chilliwack and Ryan Bourque of Quebec are maintain their good form as the two WJC representatives are still well over a point per game each, with Horak having 45 points in 35 games while American Bourque has 41 in 29. The two players experienced contrasting World Junior tournaments so to see both getting back to business at their junior clubs bodes well.

On more negative news in junior, Kingston center Ethan Werek is still out due to injury with no specific timeline for a return. Before injury Werek was enjoying a solid season with 30 points in 27 games. If Werek does not play much time for the remainder, an overage junior year would be a strong possibility due to the health setbacks. Other injuries include Scott Stajcer still on the sidelines while Andrew Yogan yet to play this season will be rehabbing for a while with the AHL Connecticut Whale prior to going back to junior. Even without ice time, the pro environment should be a good experience for Yogan.

In the NCAA, it’s a relatively strong year for Rangers prospects. Chris Kreider is getting back on track and is up to 14 points in 19 games, including an assist in a recent loss to Maine. Meanwhile Carl Hagelin is enjoying a very strong year as he helps lead Michigan this season. With 30 points in 25 games he has had a strong offensive year but it’s the excellent +13 rating that stands out. Hagelin could be a candidate for a end of year look in Connecticut after his NCAA season ends. Elsewhere Danny Hobbs and Max Campbell are both close to a point per game for their respective college programs as they fight for Rangers (or AHL) contracts in coming months.

In Europe, following an excellent World Junior that exposed his talents to North America Swede, Jesper Fasth has 11 points in 29 games for the men’s team of HV71 while Russian prospect Mikhail Pashnin is still scoreless in 33 games with CSKA however what ice time he has received (notoriously hard to come by for prospects in Russia) is unclear.

Prospect Watch; WJC and Junior Update

World Juniors Ends Tonight

Wednesday night sees Chris Kreider, Ryan Bourque and Jesper Fasth fight out for WJC bronze while Canada and Russia decide gold and silver later on in the night. With LA Kings prospect Brayden Schenn running away with the scoring lead, Rangers pick Jesper Fasth announced himself on the world stage getting an impressive 5 points in 5 games while Kreider got 4 in 5 and Bourque chipped in 2 assists in his 5 games.

Fasth has been the big surprise given the lack of exposure to North American hockey fans but while Kreider had a solid tourney for the US team it may be seen as an underwhelming tournament for the 2nd year winger. Perhaps being unfairly scrutinised (given his quick rise to top prospect status ) Kreider exploded during last year’s WJC and would have expected to score more this year given the extra experience, maturity and reputation that he had to offer. Regardless of how the bronze medal game goes for Kreider, his second half of the NCAA season will be closely monitored to see what level he is at prior to likely turning pro in the summer.

Meanwhile, in the relegation round, the Czech team beat Slovakia 5-2 on Tuesday. Rangers prospect Roman Horak didn’t dress in the game meaning the young center ended with 1 assist in 5 games, a disappointing return for the talented Chilliwack center. It will be worth monitoring how Horak responds when he gets back to the WHL.

Junior Update

In junior action, 2010 1st round pick Dylan Mcilrath went +2 as his Moose Jaw side beat Kamloops 4-2 on Tuesday. Moose Jaw have been in good form as of late, as has Mcilrath who has 3 goals and 13 points on the season to go with a +4 rating which is a huge improvement given his indifferent start to his season.Meanwhile, as games in the OHL return following a few days break after the new year, Christian Thomas while try to climb the league scoring charts. Thomas has had an excellent season despite his WJC snub and has 46 points and 25 goals in just 34 games to sit 19th in scoring. With the break behind him Thomas should be fresh to finish the year strong, while the break will hopefully have helped Ethan Werek get over his recent injury that caused him to miss several games. A few note worthy stats from the Rangers prospects:

• Carl Hagelin has now got above a point/game for Michigan as he sits with 23 points in 21 games.
• Max Campbell has a solid 18 points in 20 games for Western Michigan.
• Mikhail Pashnin still is yet to get a point as he is scoreless in 28 games for CSKA Moscow.
• Sam Klassen (he of the ridiculous +/- during his WHL career) is a +11 and has 5 assists as he plays for Greenville in the ECHL. (Klassen may have a chance in the AHL next season if the likes of McDonagh and Kundratek get a chance at the NHL level).

Prospect Watch; WJC update and Injuries Abound

WJC Update

As most of the Rangers prospects find themselves in the middle of their long seasons, four Rangers prospects are fighting it out in Buffalo at the World Junior Championship. Chris Kreider (2 assists in 2 games) and Ryan Bourque are key parts of Team USA who have won their first two games. Meanwhile Chilliwack Bruins center Roman Horak hasn’t had as much success as the two young Americans, going scoreless thus far as the Czech entry has struggled in the WJC this year. Then there is Jesper Fasth of Sweden. Largely unknown to Rangers fans it is the first real glimpse into his play for many and he has already shown some promise. Scoring 1 and assisting on another the young winger has 2 points in as many games to go with a solid +2. On the whole, a good start to his first WJC for Team Sweden. It will be interesting to see how the four prospects continue their tourneys, whether it be in the medal round (USA, Sweden) or likely in the relegation round (Czech Republic).

Injuries affecting prospects

Back in junior and it hasn’t been a kind period for other prospects. Ethan Werek recently missed his 5^th straight game and given his poor plus/minus it’s being speculated that a overage season in the OHL may be the best course of action for the talented pivot. Given the fact he was considered a dark horse for the Rangers this past pre season its not a good development for Werek but on the flip side, given the new found (young) depth the Rangers have at center it may be a good career choice for Werek to go back, stay healthy and dominate. He’s clearly still in the minds of the Rangers management given how talented he is and there’s no rush in pushing a prospect when he needs more development.

More bad news comes in the shape of Scott Stajcer. The goalie, who enjoyed an excellent start to the year and who subsequently cooled off prior to injury has now had surgery and isn’t expected to be back for 6-8 weeks. It’s a major set back for the young netminder who was in the midst of a critical season in his development. This injury set back may see the Rangers draft another goalie this summer given their lack of depth at the position, even in spite of another solid year from Chad Johnson in the AHL.

Another prospect badly affected by injury is Randy McNaught. The tough draftee has been ruled out for the rest of the season and given the fact he was in his overage season he will never play in the WHL again. The Rangers now have to decide whether to offer the prospect a contract based on a very small sample size of play, leaving the most likely course of action an AHL contract or maybe a spell in the ECHL next year, should the Rangers want to keep him within their organisation.

Prospect Watch

A pair of Rangers prospects are dealing with injuries at present. Following an exceptional start to his season goalie Scott Stajcer has seen his season somewhat derailed by injury. The Owen Sound goalie has missed 10 games with an undisclosed injury and there doesn’t seem to be much information available as to his return. Stajcer dominated to begin the year but saw his form – and stats – dip before injury struck. Hopefully the young netminder gets back soon enough to have a strong season and keep himself in the thoughts of the Rangers brass. Another prospect struggling with injury is Kingston center Ethan Werek who has missed two games due to an upper body injury. Werek had 30 points in 27 games prior to injury, enjoying an excellent season despite not being invited to Canada’s WJC camp. When Werek returns we’ll keep an eye on his progress.

Happier news comes in the form of the play of several other prospects. Quebec Remparts forward Ryan Bourque is on an absolute tear and is on a four game goal scoring streak and has an impressive 39 points in just 20 games. In his most recent game Bourque scored 2 goals as his side won for the fifth straight game, beating Moncton 4-2. Bourque is often overlooked when discussing Rangers prospects but the way he is playing he is becoming more and more a legitimate future option for the Rangers. Bourque is also set to try and defend gold for Team USA in January’s WJC.

Also set to return for Team USA is Rangers top prospect Chris Kreider. Following his slow start Kreider has begun to pick it up offensively and now has 11 points in 16 games on the season. Kreider also began last year slowly and picked it up, specifically during and after the WJC, to have an outstanding year by season’s end. Staying in the NCAA and another player who has been excellent recently has been Carl Hagelin. The Swede recently played in the world record breaking game between Michigan and Michigan State which saw an attendance of over 113,000(!) attend the outdoor hockey game. Hagelin showed he wasn’t afraid of the big stage by scoring two goals to take his points total to 19 in 19 for the season. Hagelin looks to be a great prospect for the Rangers and could be a training camp dark horse next summer.

Back in major junior, another player deserving of a mention is 2010 pick, Christian Thomas. The winger scored his 23^rd goal of the year despite his Oshawa side losing to Brampton 3-2 in OT. Thomas has enjoyed a great year thus far and looks like he could beat his 40 goals from last year.

Key prospect stats:

Ryan Bourque 27GP 20g 19a 39pts +10

Roman Horak 29GP 15g 22a 37pts -5

Dylan Mcilrath 25GP 2g 7a 9pts +2

Christian Thomas 28GP 23g 16a 39pts +15

Ethan Werek 27GP 15g 15a 30pts -5

Carl Hagelin 19GP 9g 10a 19pts +6

Chris Kreider 16GP 5g 6a 11pts -4

Jesper Fasth 26GP 4g 6a 10pts +4

Scott Stajcer 14GP 10wins 2.91gaa .901s%

Prospects Playing Well

The Rangers prospects, for the most part, are still playing strong hockey as they enter December. Apparently there’s nothing to get excited about (yes, that’s a dig) but the stats and performances from several Rangers prospects suggest otherwise. No one more so than 2010 draftee Christian Thomas.  Despite being snubbed for a Canadian invite for the WJC, Thomas has continued to score goals and rack up points. In 22 games this season Thomas has an outstanding 18 goals and 34 points. The young winger is a big reason why his Oshawa Generals are owners of a strong 14-6-2-2 record at this stage of the year. Thomas has a genuine chance to blast past 40 goals and make a strong point to the WJC team organisers.

Ethan Werek and Dylan Mcilrath were also absent from the list of invitees and while it isn’t a shock to see the injured Mcilrath off the list it is disappointing to see Werek omitted. The strong center is enjoying a good year and his Frontenacs have gone on a recent 6-3 run to surge into 3rd in their division (just behind Oshawa) with a 15-8-1-1 record. Werek has been vital to his team’s season as he has 27 points in 23 games, although perhaps it’s his -6 that has the Canadian organisers worried. Werek appears a determined character so it will be interesting to see how he responds to the WJC snub. Dylan Mcilrath however has reason to be happy as he is close to being ready to return following his knee injury in early November. Since the injury his Moose Jaw side have gone on a 4-2 stretch and are well placed to have a strong second half of the year, especially when they welcome back the big defenceman.

• Two other Rangers prospects are still also regularly racking up the points in their leagues. Ryan Bourque for Quebec and Roman Horak of Chilliwack are both enjoying strong years offensively as Bourque  has 31 points (13+18) in 21 games and Horak has 30 points (14+16) in 23 games. Both players are key components of their teams which stands them in good stead moving forward.
• In the NCAA Carl Hagelin continues his solid year as he’s averaging a point/game with 16 in 16 while Chris Kreider is still trying to find top gear as he has just 7 points (3+4) in 14 games.  Another college kid doing well is Max Campbell as he, like Hagelin, is averaging a point per game with 14 in as many games. Campbell is an outside chance for an NHL contract due to a mixed NCAA career to this point but he appears to be making a real fist of it this season.

Prospect Watch

The Rangers prospects have been busy the past few weeks which has been highlighted by Christian Thomas receiving OHL player of the week for last week. However it’s been a mixed week publicly, mainly due to the negative reaction to the Rangers not following up on promising defenceman Brandon Manning’s availability (and his subsequent signing with the Flyers) but the Rangers prospects that are ‘owned’ by the Blueshirts haven’t let up offensively.

Headlined by Christian Thomas goals have kept coming for the Rangers prospects. Over the past week, Thomas had an insane period where he scored 10 points (5+5) in 2 games including his first ever 6 point game.  On back to back nights the young sniper scored 3+3 and 2+2 to lead his Oshawa Generals side to two strong wins. Thomas is 12^th in overall scoring in the OHL with an excellent 33 points in just 20 games and is looking like another brilliant 2^nd round pick by the Rangers. Often criticised for a lack of high end skill and finishers it looks like the Rangers could have a keeper in Thomas. If blood lines really do help, having a former NHL workhorse in Steve Thomas (father) as a role model bodes well for the 18 year old.

Another player that has shown some excellent consistency this year is Ryan Bourque. Reports indicate he has been the best Ranger prospect throughout November and had put up 15 points in the month so far. Bourque, given his role on the WJC winning US squad was a defensive one, may be surprising some prospects with his offensive output this year as he now has 27 points in just 18 games while playing his usual strong two way game (+8) for a good Quebec team in the QMJHL.

While Roman Horak was never likely to be able to sustain his torrid pace that he began the season with, Horak is still enjoying a good season. Currently, the 5^th round pick has grabbed himself 29 points in 21 games while his Bruins of the WHL are 2^nd in their division behind traditional powerhouse Vancouver Giants. The Bruins aren’t enjoying great form however as they have only won 3 of their past 10 games.

Key Prospect Stats:

Christian Thomas 20GP 17G 33PTS +13

Roman Horak 21GP 14G 29PTS +1

Ethan Werek 21GP 12G 24PTS -5

Ryan Bourque 18GP 12G 27PTS +8

Dylan Mcilrath (currently injured) 20GP 2G 7PTS -3

Chris Kreider 12G 3G 6PTS -5

Carl Hagelin 14GP 6G 15PTS +9

Jesper Fasth 16GP 2G 3PTS +2

Mikhail Pashnin 18GP 0G 0PTS -7

Scott Stajcer 14GP 10wins 3L 2.91GAA .901S%

Prospect Watch

Plenty more prospect news to report from the past week but first of all a reminder that three Rangers prospects face Russia in the Subway Super-series on Thursday representing the OHL. Ethan Werek, Christian Thomas and goalie Scott Stajcer are all slated to play for the OHL side, it will be interesting to see how they fare.

Back to prospect performances and the hottest current prospect is probably Ryan Bourque of the Quebec Remparts. After their incredible start the Remparts are 0-2-1 in their last three but Bourque has continued to produce. On Saturday Bourque netted his 9^th assist but his side dropped the decision, 3-2 to Montreal. The diminutive Bourque has now tallied 7+9 in just 12 games on the season.

A player who has got better as his season has worn on is Carl Hagelin. After a modest, penalty minute filled start the Swedish prospect has now got 3+7 in 10 games  as he grabbed 2 assists as his Wolverines won 5-2 in Alaska. Hagelin continues to look like a strong prospect and hopefully can help the beleaguered Hartford offense next year as he grows into an NHL player.

Another player that is becoming as reliable as a Swiss watch is Ethan Werek. As his OHL Kingston side has climbed into the division lead Werek has continued to rack up points. On Saturday Werek grabbed an assist and a shootout goal as his side won 3-2 against Bellville in the SO and he’s  now got 21 points for the year. If the talented center can do something about the slightly ugly +/- rating he’ll have himself a very fine season to take in to his pro career.

Over the Atlantic and Jesper Fasth is trying to stick with the men’s club of HV71.  After playing strongly back in junior, Fasth now has 1+1 and a +2 rating in 14 games for the big club. Fasth won’t be seen for a while in America as he’s a project and will be given a chance to fully develop in Sweden unless he has a real spike in his development.

The best news of recent prospect play is the constant improvement of Dylan Mcilrath. The 2010 1^st round pick has played strong hockey both ends for a few weeks now and in 18 games this season is now 2+5 and has an even rating. More than the stats though are his team’s performances. After a very slow start to their year the Moose Jaw Warriors are on a 6-0-0 streak and have an overall record of 10-8-0-1 to surge into 2^nd place in their WHL division. It will be fun watching Mcilrath continue to try and lead his club throughout the year. The Rangers could use his physicality sooner rather than later.

Key Prospect Stats:

Ryan Bourque 12 GP 7G 9A 16pts +5 5PIMS

Roman Horak 15 GP 10G 13A 23pts +2 16PIMS

Dylan Mcilrath 18GP 2G 5A 7pts E+/- 37PIMS

Christian Thomas 15GP 11G 10A 21pts+8 9PIMS

Ethan Werek 16GP 11G 10A 21pts -4 22PIMS

Carl Hagelin 10GP 3G 7A 10pts +6 21PIMS

Chris Kreider 8GP 2G 1A 3pts -4 6PIMS

Jesper Fasth 14GP 1G 1A 2pts +2 2PIMS

Scott Stajcer  12GP 9wins 2L 2.65GAA .911SV%