Rangers, Prospect and Whale Puck Talk (Part one)

The Rangers’ progression in recent years and the foundations for future successes have, in part, been built through prospect development and the presence of a good farm system. For a while now, Hockey’s Future have rated the Rangers’ prospect pipeline highly. A lot of that passes through the Connecticut Whale and the AHL.

Brian Ring, on behalf of the Whale – for the second time – has kindly agreed to answer some questions for us about the Whale and in particular some of the Rangers’ prospects expected to see ice time on the farm. Here’s part one of the latest Q&A series, focussing on a few of the young players that may (or may not) be with the Whale this season.

• The CT Whale promise to be much changed this coming season. Which forward do you expect a breakout offensive season from?

Brian: Carl Hagelin. The team figures to have some offensive depth, and should Hagelin not make the Rangers this season it would seem that he’s set up to have a very nice year given his skill set.

• Regarding Tommy Grant; following a solid college career Tommy had an equally solid yet brief stint last season with the Whale, leading to a professional contract. What can Rangers fans expect from Tommy?

Brian: With Tommy Grant, I think fans could expect a two-way player that isn’t afraid to get in the dirty areas of the ice. He has decent size and quite a bit of skill, and as you mentioned he spent four years in college for Alaska-Anchorage and will be more seasoned than some players in the AHL this season. I think he’s a good candidate to put up some real numbers this year.

• Another player that had a brief cameo with the Whale last year was Andrew Yogan. Despite his trade within the OHL, do you expect Andrew to be a Whale player and if so, what impact over a full season can be reasonably expected?

Brian: I think it depends on if the Rangers end up taking Hagelin or Bourque with them out of camp, right now looking at a depth chart of potential forwards in Connecticut it doesn’t look like there will be room for Yogan. That is not a slight on Yogan, he is a very skilled and talented young player, but I think the extra year of over-age eligibility might hurt his chances of playing for the Whale this season. If he does end up here, he certainly didn’t look out of place with two goals in his first pro game, and he totalled three points total in just two games. I think he would fit in quite well here

• What hopes to do the two organisations (NYR and CT) have for relative unknown (at least to most fans), Kelsey Tessier?

Brian: While not the biggest guy on the ice, Tessier raised some eyebrows with a pretty impressive rookie season (10-18-28 in 75 games). He is a smart player that sees the ice well and despite the fact he is smaller than most of the other players out there, he plays very hard and competes at a high level every night. Tessier can certainly be an asset in Connecticut as a third or fourth line energy player and could maybe even play the same role in New York one day.

• Wade Redden aside (assuming he starts the year, still a member of the organisation); who will be counted on for leadership in Connecticut this coming season and why?

Brian: The team has been lucky to have a healthy locker room culture where everyone seems to do their part to push each other and be supportive. But returning alternate captains Jared Nightingale and Kris Newbury are both guys that will be respected leaders, Brendan Bell, should he be here has a ton of experience too. But again, I think everyone takes it upon themselves to be a leader and a motivator on the ice and in the room.

Once again, a big thank you to both Brian Ring and the CT Whale for participating with the Q&A. It’s always interesting to hear insight from ‘within the system’. Be sure to follow both Brian and the Whale on twitter at @brianring and @CTWhale. Be sure to check back later this week for the next part of the Q&A where we discuss even more prospects and the CT Whale’s upcoming season. 

Musings: Return Of The King, Real Scouting Reports, & More

That title is my highly inflated ego talking, but all jest aside – I haven’t been around on the site much recently but I’m back now and it’s a Musings day! Time to throw my random thoughts at you before I throw the mike over to the Suit; yes – it’s a double barrelled Musings (gasp!).

So the Rangers apparently won’t be skating on to the ice via center-ice anymore? Is it that big a deal, I mean really?

I’m really excited at the organisational depth at the moment evidenced by my genuine excitement at following the CT Whale this coming season. There’s a lot to monitor down on the farm. Depending on the training camp shake down there could be some serious NHL potential starting the year in the AHL. Depth wins baby.

Random me: I’m probably going to a Wedding in California in November. If I do, I’m not even paying for my flight, which means there’s a good chance I’ll be in the US twice in 6 weeks. Check me out, the high flyer!

I’m sure, as an ambitious prospect he won’t like my theory but I really hope Scott Stajcer ends up back in the OHL this season. Why? The kid has legitimate talent and I’d rather not see him rot away in a three man rotation in the minors or be sent to the ECHL. Staying healthy and playing a full year with an OHL club surely is better than a handful of appearances as a minor pro.

Christian Thomas reported to his OHL Generals on Tuesday. Chance he starts the year there? Probably headed to the OHL due to numbers and age and if he does spend another year in the OHL, I expect another monster year from the blue chipper scorer.

Keeping on the prospect theme: Andrew Yogan was recently traded to the OHL Peterborough Petes. Like Thomas it’s not a given where he will play this season yet and could be a dark horse Rangers candidate but…very likely a candidate for the Whale. The kid has great size and good talent and is healthy. One to watch for sure.

More me: By the time you read this I’ll have picked up my new car! Went and got myself a shiny VW Golf. Definitely an upgrade.

So, Henrik Lundqvist is seventh on Yahoo’s top 100 fantasy hockey players? That’s high (and deserved) praise. I firmly believe the Rangers have the best goalie in the league and with more offense in front of him it’s hard not to love him as a fantasy pick this year.

That’s all for my ramblings today folks. Carry on down for some expert talk from The Suit.

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Chris, until you learn how to correctly place commas, you need to take that ego down a notch…damn Brits

Just kidding bro. I love English Muffins. 

Dan David over at the Rangers Offiicial site had a great article on Christian Thomas, which included some excellent scouting/analysis by Adam Graves. Here’s one quote:

His (Thomas) shot is as good a shot as I have seen in a long, long time,” said Graves. “Inside the top of the circles, he has a special shot. He knows where it’s going and he can move it and he can change the angle on a goalie in a hurry. When the goalie is looking at him, he can change the angle because he drags the puck with equal amount of zip. I used to have to bring the puck in tight to my body where I had all my strength to change the angle like that, but by just movement of his stick and his sense of scoring, Christian is very good at changing the angle on the goalie.”

That’s analysis people! They need to get Adam Graves in the TV booth more often. You’ll never hear analysis in that detail from a TV commentator. Hell, you won’t even get that from “expert” prospect bloggers.

Chris mentioned that Lundqvist was ranked the seventh best overall player by Yahoo, which is refreshing to see. Yet ESPN has Hank ranked the 11th best goalie some reason beyond my comprehension. 

I know ESPN sucks at life, but really…11th?  Since the lockout, no goaltender has been more consistent than Henrik Lundqvist, save Vokoun. Miller has had bad seasons, as well as Bryz, Price, Fleury, etc. Year in and year out, Hank is up there in every goaltending category, yet the people around him keep changing.  It makes no sense to me how anyone could list Lundqvist outside of the top 5.

Anyway, last week I mentioned that we would be organizing  a Fantasy Hockey league between myself, Dave, Chris, and some of our readers. I haven’t set anything up yet, but expect an email shortly after Labor Day. If you are interested, and you haven’t yet dropped a comment, please do so here or shoot me an email.

HF: Rangers “Loaded” In Juniors

The Rangers upper management sure has been busy this month.  In all, the Rangers have signed six prospects out of the Canadian Juniors, with only one eligible player (Dan Maggio) remaining unsigned.  Leslie Treff at HockeysFuture took an in-depth look at the nine prospects that the Rangers had in juniors, which includes the six signed and three unsigned (including Maggio).  Treff predicts that only one player has a legitimate shot at making the club next year (Christian Thomas), while another top prospect (Dylan McIlrath) is likely headed back to Juniors.

It’s tough to disagree with Leslie here when it comes to where the prospects wind up.  Due to age restrictions, Thomas is either going to play for the Rangers or return to the OHL.  At the risk of repeating myself, I still think he makes the squad outright.  McIlrath is also a lock to be returned to the WHL.  As for the other players that signed (Ryan Bourque, Roman Horak, Scott Stajcer, Jason Wilson), all four will be spending at least one season with the CT Whale, as Leslie states in her article.

Where things get interesting are with Maggio, Randy McNaught, and Andrew Yogan. Treff states that Maggio likely will not be offered a contract, which means the Rangers rights to sign him will expire next week.  I am a little disappointed to hear that, because once Maggio was traded to Oshawa (Thomas’ club), he showed vast improvement in his game.  I was hoping he would be signed, and to be honest, I assumed he would be.  However, it appears that the Rangers are done signing their prospects, which leaves him out of the bigger picture.

McNaught, who was initially drafted to be a tough guy for the Rangers, he suffered a sever ankle injury that required surgery.  With last season being his over-age season in Canadian Juniors, he cannot return there next year.  Treff states that he likely will not be given an entry level deal because of this.

As for Yogan, the Rangers will retain his rights for at least another year, as he was a 2010 draftee who was not in his overage year in the CHL.  Yogan has talent, but his shoulder injury really hampered the Rangers decision making ability.  He played well in his ATO with the CT Whale this year, registering three points in two games.  With the Rangers approaching the 50 contract limit, there is no need to sign Yogan now, especially when there is a significant shoulder issue.

In regards to long-term development of these prospects, Thomas is the only one likely to be with the Rangers next season.  McIlrath is also going to be a Ranger at some point (barring a significant trade).  Stajcer’s path is blocked by Henrik Lundqvist, so the best case scenario is that he becomes either a viable backup for The King.  Bourque, Horak, and Wilson will likely be in CT for at least a season and a half, possibly longer.  None really project out to be top-six guys at the NHL level.  It doesn’t mean they aren’t useful pieces though.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of them packaged in a bigger deal.

Rangers Prospects Stepping Up For the Whale

A season of promise at every level for the Rangers organisation seems to be continuing for the prospects. Recently signed to short term contracts following their junior seasons, 2010 top pick Dylan McIlrath and fellow draftee Andrew Yogan have already made their presence felt in the AHL.

In their first pro game they couldn’t have made more of an impression. Injured for most of the year, Yogan made a spectacular impact scoring twice even though the Whale lost to Bridgeport on Saturday night, 4-3. Not to be outdone however was McIlrath. The big defenseman got into a fight, which he won, and was a laying numerous hits throughout the game to play a very physical game in his pro debut. Both young players showed remarkable confidence and ability in their pro debuts. Indeed, Mitch Beck of Howlings noted that he was very impressed with McIlrath’s play.

While the Whale lost their regular season finale to the Admirals on Sunday, Yogan once more found a way to get involved offensively. The big center notched an assist to cap his minor league cameo off in impressive style. Overall the Rangers pick grabbed 3 points in 2 games and went +1. In the Admiral game, McIlrath had a shot and was -1 for the night. Other prospects also pitched in during the game. Pavel Valentenko (not to be forgotten amid all the rookie defensemen hysteria in New York) had 1+1 to finish the year with 17 points and an excellent +21 for the year. Some opinions suggest he may get a long look in training camp for the Rangers. At 6’2 and 220lbs, with a cannon of a shot and a physical game, Valentenko would be a welcome addition if he could make the grade next year.

Quietly having a solid second year is Evgeny Grachev. He may not have dominated at the AHL level or even managed to keep up with the (unfair?) level of expectancy but Grachev notched an assist against Norfolk to finish the year with 38 points, a +21 (compared to a – 13 the year before) and more shots in less games over the year so there has been decent progress made this season. With the few games of NHL experience he managed to grab, Grachev should be well stocked to make an impact next year, perhaps at both levels. 2 years of pro seasoning, further acclimatising to the language and being carefully monitored by Rangers staff should really allow for a decent camp for the big Russian. There could be a spot there for the taking.

Still on the Rangers bubble is Dale Weise. In a season where Weise played in the NHL and AHL as well as suffering through injury he managed to finish with 38 points in 47 games to make sure everyone remembers the big body has an offensive side to his game. Weise should have a chance at a bottom 6 roster spot next camp but he will need to be wary of the prospects fast developing in the organisation also looking for spots.

Playoff Time

The Whale will begin their playoff schedule against Portland in the first round. Game 1 will be on Thursday 14^th while the first two games are held in Portland. It will be an upset if the Whale can win (similar to the Rangers series vs. Washington) as Portland finished top of both teams’ division with an impressive 47 win, 103 point season. Portland will likely be led by Luke Adam and NHL veteran Mark Parrish as two of the team’s better offensive players are up with the Sabres in the NHL playoffs. It should be an interesting series to see how the Rangers prospects step up against quality opposition.

Steven A. McDonald Award; Yogan Signs ATO

Tonight the Rangers give out the Steven A. McDonald Extra Effort Award to the player, as voted on by the fans, to have given the most to the team for this season. There are probably four Rangers who I wouldn’t be surprised to see win the award (Brandon Prust, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Henrik Lundqvist), but personally I voted for Prust, and think he deserves the award this year. He has clearly gone above and beyond what anyone has expected of him, and his quote of “It’s just pain.” will be quoted by fans for a long time.

Also, in CT Whale news, Brian Ring is reporting that the Whale signed 2010 fourth round pick Andrew Yogan to an amateur try-out. Yogan missed most of this season in the OHL following shoulder surgery, but came back and put up three goals and an assist in the Erie Otters final ten games of the regular season. In the playoffs, Yogan notched two assists in three games. Yogan initially was thought to have first round talent, but dropped after a slow start in the OHL. He has the size and skills to become a decent NHL player, but it all has to come together for him. Yogan is now the second player from the 2010 draft to sign an ATO with the CT Whale, with first round pick Dylan McIlrath signing one yesterday.

Training Camp Day Four, Yogan Hurt

As per Andrew Gross, day four of training camp involved another set of scrimmages today, with Chad Johnson and Jordan Parise backstopping one team against Martin Biron. Erik Christensen had his turn centering the dynamic duo of Alex Frolov and Marian Gaborik, but it appears he didn’t have the magic touch, as that line was held scoreless against the Johnson/Parise combination throughout the scrimmage. Vinny Prospal and Tomas Kundratek (3rd round, 2008) scored the only two goals of the scrimmage. Other players with strong performances were Mats Zuccarello-Aasen (who seems to be putting a lackluster first day behind him), Christian Thomas (2nd round, 2010), and Ryan McDonagh.

The second scrimmage had more scoring than the first scrimmage, and Sean Avery continued his impressive pre-season with two goals in a 4-1 win. Roman Horak added his second goal in as many scrimmages, and he too continues to put a lackluster first day behind him. Sam Klassen, the master of the +/- in the CHL, also netted a goal. Henrik Lundqvist looked strong again in net, only getting beat once by Artem Anisimov. Unfortunately, it looks like Ethan Werek left the scrimmage early, with an apparent left leg issue.

In some bad news, Andrew Yogan (4th round, 2010) has a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Apparently he played all of last year in the OHL with the injury, and no one noticed it. The injury was discovered during the standard medical evaluations, and he will undergo surgery to fix the tear. The Rangers did not know of this injury when they drafted Yogan in June.

A Bus Fit For A King; Andrew Yogan Notes

For his effort with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the face of the Rangers, and all-world goalie Henrik Lundqvist has a New York City bus named after him yesterday afternoon. I was unable to attend, but good friend Nick Montemagno of Rangers Tribune was able to not only join, but found a way to interview The King himself. The interview can be found at Rangers Tribune. It’s good to see that professional bloggers like Nick can still find ways to get interviews with players, even if the organization doesn’t approve. Nick also had the privilege of interviewing Wayne Gretzky a while back, and always does a great job. Make sure you head over and read his brief interview.

Also, Draft America caught up with Peter Worrell, who coached Rangers 2010 4th round draft pick Andrew Yogan while he played in Florida for the Junior Panthers. Peter had some very kind words for Andrew:

“Andrew is one of those kids who’s just a naturally gifted goal-scorer. He has an ability that you cannot teach a player. He just knows how to put the puck in the net. He’s a big, strong kid… He has a real opportunity to be the first kid from this area to actually be an NHL player.”

Although HockeysFuture has Yogan projecting out as a checker in the NHL, it is good to see Yogan has a scoring touch. Yogan will be playing for the Erie Otters in the OHL next season, as he begins his career as a professional hockey player. Don’t forget to go to Draft America to check out the rest of the interview.

One last thing, I received an email about some Ranger greats appearing at Iona College on September 25. Here’s the information:

I thought you, and your followers, may be interested. Saturday, September 25th, Messier, Lemieux, Howe, Leetch, Graves, Hull and more will be at Iona College’s Mulcahy Gym at 10AM for ‘Steinerfest IV:Hockey Greats’, to meet fans and sign autographs. Admission is $10 and $5 for children 12 and under. Fans will be able to purchase player autographs, win raffle prinzes, participate in silent auctions, take pictures and more. Tickets can be purchased at Steiner Sports Store and at Last Licks locations.

That’s a hell of a crew headed to Iona for autographs. Each one alone is worth the admission.

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.