Draft Watch: Patrick Sieloff, Jordan Schmaltz, Derrick Pouliot
It may seem like the Rangers have been growing young defensemen on trees, but Mike Sauer’s uncertain future is proof that you can never have enough blueliners in the pipeline. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few D-men that could interest New York at the draft later this month.
Just a reminder, all 2012 draft prospect reviews can be found on our Draft Coverage page.
Patrick Sieloff
Position: D Height: 6’0″ Weight: 194
Sieloff is a guy that stands out on tape for one reason – he’s a monster hitter. The man packs a wallop akin to Dylan McIlrath, the only difference is that he stands just 6-0, 194 lbs. while McIlrath is 6-5, 215 lbs. Sieloff is currently projected to be a mid-second round pick, but he does have one quality the Rangers covet above all others – the willingness to do whatever it takes to win, including sacrificing his body. Sieloff has benefitted from playing alongside projected top-10 pick Jacob Trouba on defense for the better part of the last six years, so it will be interesting to see how he fares on his own next season, when he’ll play for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL after decommitting from the University of Miami (Ohio) in May. Sieloff is merely an average skater and brings nothing to the table offensively – his Twitter profile bio reads “Offensive defenseman in practice but come game time slightly change my role!” Someone is likely to fall in love with the stay at home defenseman’s heart and character.
