A look at the 2012 draft
With the Rangers now guaranteed to draft in the 26-30 range, the number of potential draftees changes dramatically. Nail Yakupov isn’t going to drop, so there’s no real point in looking at what he brings to a lineup. But with the way the Rangers are performing, we must look at any first round pick who has the potential to slide, any second round pick with the potential to jump, and pretty much anyone ranked around #20-#40 in the ISS rankings.
Just a reminder, all 2012 draft prospect reviews can be found on our Draft Coverage page.
Tomas Hertl
Position: LW Height: 6’2″ Weight: 198
Hertl is one of those players that came out of nowhere this year due to his fantastic play at the World Junior Championships with the Czech Republic. In six games in the tournament, he notched three goals and two assists. Although he’s not a noted speedster, Hertl has a big body and knows how to use it to protect the puck and shield himself from defenders. Another great aspect about his game is that he isn’t afraid to get down and dirty in the corners. He is relentless on the forecheck, and uses that big frame to work the boards and maintain puck possession.
The only knock that has been publicized for Hertl is his skating. As mentioned above, he’s not a speedster and uses his big body to maintain possession along the boards. In the North American game, skating is very important on the smaller ice surface. It’s not a glaring weakness, but it’s definitely something that needs work.
Adam Pelech
Position: LD Height: 6’2″ Weight: 210
