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.

Scott Stajcer Press Release

Here’s the press release for the Scott Stajcer signing:

RANGERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH GOALTENDER SCOTT STAJCER
New York, May 20, 2011 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with goaltender Scott Stajcer.

Stajcer, 19, will participate in the 2011 CHL Memorial Cup in Mississauga, Ontario, after capturing the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Championship with the Owen Sound Attack. Stajcer led the Attack and ranked fourth in the OHL with a career-high, eight playoff wins, posting an 8-4-0 mark with a 2.79 goals against average and a .909 save percentage in 13 postseason contests. He also ranked fifth in the league in playoff minutes played (688), sixth in saves (321), seventh in goals against average, and eighth in save percentage. Stajcer posted an 8-1-0 record with a 2.08 goals against average in nine starts to begin the 2011 OHL Playoffs, recording all four victories in both the OHL Western Conference Semifinals against Plymouth and OHL Western Conference Finals against Windsor.

During the regular season, Stajcer posted a 10-3-0 record with a career-best, 2.99 goals against average, a .901 save percentage and one shutout in 14 games with Owen Sound. Stajcer was named CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending October 3, registering a 3-0-0 mark with a 1.00 goals against average, a .972 save percentage and one shutout in three games over the span. He posted a career-high, eight-game winning streak to begin the season from September 25 at Guelph to October 20 vs. Plymouth, registering a 2.12 goals against average, a .936 save percentage and one shutout over the span. Stajcer recorded his second career shutout with a 36-save performance on October 2 vs. Kitchener. He missed 50 games due to a lower body injury suffered on November 20 vs. Mississauga.

The 6-3, 195-pounder has appeared in 110 career OHL contests with Owen Sound, posting a record of 47-44-12 along with a 3.57 goals against average, a .900 save percentage and two shutouts. In 2009-10, Stajcer established career-highs in games played (55), wins (21), saves (1,620), and total ice time (3,041:54). His 1,620 saves ranked fifth in the league, while he finished sixth in total ice time. Stajcer posted his first career shutout with a 36-save performance on December 6, 2009 at Kingston, and recorded a career-high, 49 saves in a 4-3 win at Barrie on December 31, 2009. He led Owen Sound and ranked 12th in the league with a career-high, .906 save percentage in 2008-09. Stajcer registered 24 saves in a 5-3 win vs. Niagara while making his OHL debut on November 17, 2007.

The Cambridge, Ontario native was originally the Rangers fifth round choice, 140th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Rangers Sign Scott Stajcer?

As per CapGeek, the Rangers have agreed to terms with 2009 5th round pick Scott Stajcer, goalie from the Owen Sound Attack.  The signing itself isn’t a surprise, but the fact that it hasn’t been reported yet is a bit of a surprise.  Stajcer had an injury filled season this year, but he has been progressing nicely after working with Benoit Allaire this training camp.  He finished his final year in the OHL with a 2.91 GAA and a .901 SV%.  His numbers aren’t overwhelming, but he has shown vast improvement each year.

The signing of Stajcer likely means that one of the goalies in the system will not be re-signed, and my money is on Chad Johnson.  With no viable backup for Henrik Lundqvist in the system (other than Martin Biron), the Rangers just need to go with the players showing improvement, and Johnson just hasn’t shown any improvement this year.  Stajcer, on the other hand, has shown steady improvement since the Rangers drafted him.  He will likely start in the AHL next season.

Stajcer Watches OHL Victory From Stands

Despite being part of a the Ontario hockey league championship victory and having the Memorial Cup tournament coming up next, it hasn’t been a great end to the season – on a personal note – for Scott Stajcer. Stajcer’s future professional career and last few weeks in junior have been affected by the musical chairs being played in the Owen Sound Net. Despite these musical chairs in net, Owen Sound managed to come back in impressive fashion against the Mississauga St Mike’s Majors to win 3 of the last 4 games and claim the championship in thrilling style, winning game seven 3-2 in overtime.

During the game 7 victory Scott Stajcer didn’t even find himself in uniform as Jordan Binnington was in net and the previously impressive Michael Zador – who took Stajcer’s place – was named back up. Game 6 was the same set up in goal while Stajcer was in net for game 5 (conceding 5) before being replaced by Zador. Indeed, each of the three goalies saw significant ice time during the finals series and given the short leash being used by Owen Sound, who knows who will get the bulk of the playing time in the Memorial Cup, being held later this month.

Despite losing playing time Stajcer’s overall playoff numbers have been solid, even if they came back to earth in his final few games. He boasted an 8-4 record, a .909% and a 2.79GAA; all solid numbers but admittedly not nearly as good as just a few games ago. Stajcer’s next steps in the hockey world are a lot less clear than they were before the OHL finals began. Given the lack of depth in the Rangers organisation Stajcer may yet receive a contract but what seemed a sure thing a little while ago is no longer that. With an injury prone season almost behind him, maybe the Rangers should look to get him into the fold by other means (AHL contract?) and make him play a full year at a lesser level to see if he is deserving of a NHL deal but that’s pure speculation on my part. Benefiting from good size and clearly talented it would be a shame if Benny Alleire and the Rangers didn’t at least try and work with the young goalie and turn Stajcer into something better.

Stajcer Benched in OHL Finals

After losing the first two games of the OHL finals, Scott Stajcer’s Owen Sound Attack have shown some resiliency over the past two games as they have come back to tie up the series 2 each. The two teams head into a huge game five tonight in Mississauga.

Unfortunately for Stajcer it appears that he has taken some of the blame for the losses in games one and two as during the two Owen Sound wins Stajcer hasn’t featured. The young netminder didn’t dress for game three and was the back up in game four. The first win for the Attack was a wild 6-5 affair, but the second win (the series tier) was a tight 2-1 victory in Owen Sound. During that game goaltender Michael Zador stopped 41 of 42 shots as Stajcer watched on from the bench. Unfortunately for Stajcer, with his competition in goal playing so well it’s highly doubtful the Rangers prospect will get a chance in net until Zador falters. After all, stopping 41 of 42 shots in a huge finals game is pretty impressive.

Has Stajcer played his last junior game? With at least two games left in this OHL series and the Memorial Cup to come later in May it’s hard to tell but should Zador play another game like his game four performance in this series it’s hard to see how Stajcer will feature again. The worst news for Stajcer is the fact that sitting on the bench greatly harms his chances of a Rangers’ contract. Had he played well and backstopped his side to an OHL playoff victory and then played well on the biggest stage in Canadian Juniors, the Memorial Cup, it’s hard to see why the Rangers’ wouldn’t offer the netminder a contract. However, with his recent ‘faltering’, doubt has now crept in even further regards to his future beyond this year. Stajcer’s future will an interesting one to watch over the summer.

Stajcer in Game 2 Finals Loss

Special teams were the undoing of Scott Stajcer’s Owen Sound Attack in game 2 of the OHL finals Thursday night. Having lost the first game of the finals, Owen Sound lost 6-2 to Mississauga, primarily on the back of the St Mike’s Majors going 4 from 8 on the power play. Any time a team scores that often on the power play it’s tough to win a game. Stajcer himself stopped 33 of 38 shots that he faced over the contest, again being outdueled (at least statistically) by JP Anderson in the opposite net.

Once more, key players for Owen Sounds didn’t turn up (Joey Hishon is -4 in the 2 games so far) as their parade to the penalty box really was a deciding factor. On the other side, key players for Mississauga did show up. A two goal night from Justin Shugg (41 goals in the regular season) paced the Majors to their game 2 win. Owen Sound and Stajcer have an immediate opportunity to get back in the series tonight as game 3 is the second half of back to backs. Tonight will be pivotal. Lose and Owen Sound have a huge hole to get themselves out of, win and new life is breathed into their series (and title) hopes.

It will be interesting to see how Stajcer fares in such a pivotal game tonight. Can he be the spark for his side like Henrik Lundqvist so often is for the Rangers? Stajcer doesn’t have many games left in his junior career. With a little better support maybe he can win one or two more games over the OHL finals and Memorial Cup series’.

Scott Stajcer; Prospect Diamond in the Rough?

The Rangers will have a very keen eye (or at least they should) on the OHL playoff finals which start on Tuesday. Rangers draft pick and Owen Sound goalie Scott Stajcer kicks off in the finals against Mississauga after beating a good Windsor Spitfires team in their conference finals, 4-1.

Stajcer – a goalie not yet even guaranteed to be offered a contract by the Rangers – has been a difference maker for Owen Sound. The 2009 5^th round pick boasts an 8-1 record along with an impressive 2.08 goals against average and a .931 save percentage. Stajcer has risen to the challenge of playing his best hockey at the right time, the most important time, of the year. With Owen Sound making their way to the Memorial Cup after the league finals, the Rangers will also be represented in the Canadian Junior’s showpiece event.

Stajcer’s play should earn him a Rangers contract. One minor concern in the organisation is that there is no real clear cut NHL calibre goalie on the horizon should anything long term happen to Henrik Lundqvist’s situation. Stajcer’s play is suggesting he could be the one to change that. A low draft pick who has had , at times an indifferent junior career, Stajcer started this year on fire and got injured but came back to play brilliantly in the playoffs. With minor league veterans and unproven goalies in the system (Grumet-Morris, Missiaen) the Rangers could do with a young goalie with some pedigree to come up and look like being able to be an NHL goalie.

Since Lundqvist established himself as an NHL elite goalie the Rangers goalie situation beyond the NHL level has been a bit of a mess. Come and gone have been the likes of Chris Holt, Miika Wiikman, Antoine LaFleur, Alvaro Montoya, Cam Talbot, Matt Zaba and Chad Johnson – none of whom made themselves irreplaceable in the system. Stajcer, should he get his deserved contract, should have a chance to make inroads in to the franchise regardless if he starts in the ECHL or AHL. Chad Johnson is coming off a disappointing year, surely the organisation won’t see veteran Grumet-Morris as a long term solution and Talbot has already won and lost a starting job at the AHL level. As you can see, Stajcer may have an opportunity.

The OHL finals start on Tuesday. Rangers’ fans should monitor the progress of Stajcer as he may become a recognisable face over the next few years with a bit of luck.

Prospect Watch

It has been a busy (and mainly) productive week for many Rangers prospects. Since we last wrote about the future Blueshirts one player in particular has gotten ‘back on track’. We said all along that what Ryan Bourque needed to do was stay healthy and then, he could be productive. Well it seems that’s what the undersized forward has done. In the last 3 games since returning from an injury Bourque has caught fire offensively scoring 7 points in the 3 games, going 2+5. Last Sunday in particular was a highlight game for Bourque as he paced his Quebec side with 1+2 and a +1 rating. It will be interesting to see if Bourque can keep up the pace when the Remparts play 2 games this weekend.

Another player (still) on fire is Czech center Roman Horak. 5^th rounder Horak had a 3 assist night as he was named first star of the game as his Chilliwack Bruins beat the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL, 6-3. Horak now has a great stat line of 6+10 in just 9 games. Elsewhere, he might not have scored a goal (shock horror) for two games but another player keeping his offensive game going is winger Christian Thomas of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. Thomas recently had a 2 assist game as his side managed to grab a losers point in the shootout against Ottawa 67’s. Oshawa were 3-0 down before losing 4-3 in the SO. Thomas now has a nice line of 10+7 in 10 games.

Perhaps the most important Ranger prospect to his current team is Ethan Werek. The 2^nd round pick is front and center of the Kingston offense and is co-leader in points with Nathan Moon despite playing 2 games less. Both players have 15 points (both with 8+7). Werek was particularly clutch this past weekend as he led his side to a come-from-behind win scoring the game tying and game winning goals, to lead the Frontenacs to a 3-2 win over Sault Marie. Werek, like Horak and Thomas, has produced all season long and the Rangers thanks to these 3 players in particular look well set in terms of offensive prospects coming out of junior. All 3 players are also looking like great draft steals with none of them being drafted higher than the 2^nd round.

Not every prospect has enjoyed a great start to their seasons however. A source of frustration is the continuing funk Chris Kreider finds himself in. 4 games into his season the Boston College winger still finds himself pointless. Given his rapid rise and almost dream season last year it’s surely only a minor blip for Kreider however it will be interesting to see how he rebounds from what is likely his first taste of adversity.

Another player who has had a little less success this week is goalie Scott Stajcer. The young goalie finally experienced his first loss but still boasts a record of 8 wins in 9 games, a .921 save percentage and a more than reasonable 2.52GAA. Stajcer was never going to go through the entire year undefeated so his first defeat is no great cause for concern.

Key prospect stats (correct at 5pm eastern Tuesday):

Chris Kreider 4GP 0G 0A -1 4PIMS

Carl Hagelin 6GP 2G 4A +3 19PIMS

Dylan Mcilrath 12GP 1G 2A -8 27PIMS

Roman Horak 9GP 6G 10A E+/- 8PIMS

Ryan Bourque 7GP 4G 7A +4 5PIMS

Ethan Werek 9GP 8G 7A +2 15PIMS

Jesper Fasth (stats from Swedish Junior) 6GP 3G 7A +8 4PIMS

Mikhail Pashnin 11GP 0G 0A -5 6PIMS

Max Campbell 6GP 3G 3A -2 0PIMS

Prospects To Play For Team OHL

Three Ranger prospects have been selected to represent Team OHL at the annual Subway Super Series, beginning on November 11. Center Ethan Werek (Kingston Frontenacs), winger Christian Thomas (Oshawa Generals), and goalie Scott Stajcer (Owen Sound Attack) will each play in the series. Each are off to strong starts and carrying their respective clubs through the beginning of the year. Werek has put up over a point per game in six games (6-4-10), while Thomas has been lighting the lamp at will in the first eight games of his season, putting up a whopping ten goals and almost two points per game (10-5-15). The biggest surprise could be Stajcer, who has been a rock in net for the Owen Sound Attack, with a GAA of 1.86 and a SV% of .943. Werek, Thomas, and Stajcer are the only Rangers prospects selected for the Subway Super Series.

Souray Unlikely and Stajcer ‘Goalie of the Week’

The Rangers were somewhat fortunate today as Tim Kennedy (and his bargain contract) and Todd White both cleared waivers. The Rangers now have the luxury of assigning either player to Hartford within the next 30 days at no risk of losing them. Both players will stay with the club for the time being and each player’s future with the Rangers is possibly closely linked to Vinny Prospal’s health. How long will Prospal be out? That is a very difficult question right now.

Only two players around the league were placed on waivers today which was somewhat surprising. Nathan Paetsch in Florida and epic disappointment, Toronto’s Matt Lashoff (once a top prospect) were the two put on waivers. A name missing from today (and yesterdays) list? Sheldon Souray. Souray hasn’t been placed on re-entry waivers so anyone who may get him in a trade (by 3pm eastern, today) will be on the hook for his full contract. Unless he comes up on re-entry waivers later in the season, for the time being you have to assume this rules the Rangers out of any Souray stakes. The Rangers simply can’t afford to be on the hook for 5.4m for the next 2 years. 2.7m would have been manageable (yet still not ideal) although in my humble opinion there’s nothing wrong with keeping cap space. If it has to be spent there are better places to spend it. Also, it may be better to let the team play a few games and see where the team is heading before spending the cap space. With the benefit of a few regular season games it may be that the defense is solid and more rugged than last year’s, while the team may need more offense.

Following on from today’s Prospect Watch post… Congratulations to Scott Stajcer who was today named the CHL’s ‘goalie of the week’. It’s good to see Scott Stajcer start the season so well in Owen Sound.  The young goalie needs a good season – to remain relevant and to kick on – and a 1.00 GAA and a 3-0-0 record to kick off his season is a great reaction to a so-so camp. The Rangers are high on Stajcer and given the disappointment in their goalie development in recent years (Antoine Lafleur, Al Montoya anyone?) it would be good to see the Rangers bring along another goalie. If Stajcer can develop well he’ll have a good chance to get serious playing time in Hartford in two years time and get the opportunity to showcase his talent there, for the big league. With Marty Biron’s deal up in two years and Chad Johnson likely in NY or another organisation by then, Stajcer does indeed have an opportunity to progress within the organisation – it’s up to him to take it.