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In an ideal world, Sather would add a third–pair defenseman to team with Dan Boyle, a third line center who is strong on faceoffs and some additional depth among his bottom six forwards.
Since Sather does not operate in a perfect world, at best he might have to settle for a depth defenseman and a depth forward.
Of course, there is the 800-pound gorilla that is looming large as the deadline approaches – will Sather need to make a trade for a veteran goaltender?
While Skapski did win his NHL debut, it would be a lot to ask him to play a few games down the stretch against much tougher competition. Some fans point to Montreal's Carey Price as example of a 20-year-old steeping into the NHL. The point they forget to make is that Price was a first round draft pick (5th overall) while Skapski was a sixth round draft pick (170th overall).
Just as it would be a lot to ask Skapski to step up, it would be tough to ask Cam Talbot to continue to shoulder the vast majority of games without a veteran backup. There is going to come a time when the Rangers offense is not going to be able to continually bail out the defense and Talbot.
Even if Lundqvist is medically cleared in the next week or two, he is going to need another week or two to get back into game shape. Taking it a step further, having a veteran third string goaltender would prevent a repeat of last year when David LeNeveu was The King's backup in the Stanley Cup Finals.
You also have to wonder how confident the Rangers are that Lundqvist can stay healthy. Granted losing Lundqvist for the playoffs would be a devastating blow, having a veteran backup would give the team a puncher's chance in the playoffs.
There are three veteran goaltenders who are playing in the AHL and would fit the bill of a veteran backup. Peter Budaj and Dan Ellis both have NHL experience, but are currently third on their team's depth charts.
However, Chicago's Michael Leighton is fourth on the Blackhawks depth chart. Leighton is a veteran of 105 NHL games. His last significant stretch of time in the NHL was during the 2009/10 season when he went 17-9-1 with a 2.83 GAA and a .905 SV% with Philadelphia and Carolina.
Since he is fourth on the depth chart, he should not cost that much in terms of acquiring him and in terms of cap hit (his salary is $550,000).
It is the lack of cap space that is the Rangers most daunting task. Cap Space is at such premium the team decided to carry only 12 forwards during Jesper Fast's injury rather than call up a forward and further deplete its limited cap space.
When they did call up Oscar Lindberg to replace Rick Nash against Calgary they immediately returned the rookie center rather than eat up any additional cap space.
The lack of salary cap space is not the Rangers only concern come the trade deadline. With the 2015 Draft expected to be strong and deep, teams are looking to stockpile draft picks. The Rangers are hampered because their 2015 Draft cupboard is nowhere near being fully stocked.
The Blueshirts have two second round picks (their own and Tampa Bay's) and draft picks in the third, fourth and sixth rounds. In addition, there is little to no chance that the Rangers will part with the likes of Pavel Buchnevich, Anthony Duclair or Brady Skjei – especially for a rental. The organization would have to literally be blown away to include one their prized prospects in a deal.
With limited cap space and limited resources, the Rangers will have to be very creative as the trade deadline nears. If they want a more experienced backup to Talbot they could recall Yann Danis from Hartford. Danis is a journeyman goaltender who played 43 of his 53 NHL games with the Islanders and Devils during the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons.
There is one problem with Danis and it is the reason he is not backing up Talbot at this very moment. Danis is signed to a Player Tryout (PTO) contract with Hartford. In order to play for the Rangers the team would have to sign him to an NHL contract and add him to their 50-man reserve list. Currently, the list stands at 48 and would limit the Blueshirts ability to add multiple players unless they traded a player who is on their reserve list.
With the Rangers have to face the prospect of re-signing a myriad of restricted and unrestricted free agents, the team is not going to make a trade for as player who has multiple years on his contract. In other words, fans who had hoped to see the likes of a Martin Hanzal or Evander Kane in a Rangers uniform were dreaming. The Rangers are shopping in the aisle of UFAs to be – unless someone is willing to take on a Dan Boyle while giving the Rangers and upgrade on defense.
Of course, there is a long shot way of trading for a player with multiple years remaining on his contract. You would have to find a team that is willing to retain part of the player's cap hit on their books – much like Toronto did when they dealt Daniel Winnik to Pittsburgh. The problem with this scenario is that the Rangers would have to offer a mighty big enticement to get a team to keep a multiple year cap hit – and that brings us back to the Rangers lacking a first round draft pick and being unwilling to trade their elite prospects.
In other words, don't hold your breath.
With the Rangers options limited – both in terms of cap space and trade ammunition – the Blueshirts might only be able to fill one of their non-goaltending needs. It is a matter of deciding what gives the Rangers their biggest bang for their buck.
Do they take a look at Columbus' Mark Letestu in an attempt to bring in a center who wins 53% of his faceoffs or do they go against conventional wisdom and strengthen their defense by bringing in someone like Jeff Petry?
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.ca writes that Patrick Kane's shoulder/collarbone injury puts Chicago GM Stan Bowman in a position where he can place his star on LTIR and use the cap savings to chase down the likes of Antoine Vermette. Reports state that Kane will be out 12 weeks after having his fractured left clavicle repaired.
Friedman also chimed in on the Mats Zuccarello situation in his latest "30 Thoughts" column when he said, "The simple move for New York is to keep him, make a playoff run and take their chances later. But, there are rumours they will consider trading him, see what they can get and, if necessary, flip that for something else. I can't prove or disprove those rumblings, but they're out there.
The problem with moving Zuccarello is that his status as an UFA means you are not going to get full value for him. The Rangers would have to include a pretty good prospect in any deal if they want to bring back a player of equal value.
That is what the Rangers did last year when Sather sent the two first round draft picks to Tampa Bay. Of course, Slats could have, and should have, bargained harder because Lightning GM Steve Yzerman was between a rock and a hard place because Marty St. Louis has his eyes set on Broadway and the Blueshirts.
When you factor in the Rangers lack of cap space and what teams have been asking/trading for, Sather is going to have be a miracle worker at the deadline if he is going to make a meaningful trade.
The idea that the Rangers are in on Toronto center Tyler Bozak doesn't make sense given his $4.2 million cap hit over the next three years. Even if the Maple Leafs agreed to retain part of Bozak's salary (like they did with sending Daniel Winnik to Pittsburgh), the Blueshirts would still be hard pressed to find enough of an enticement to get Toronto to retain part of the cap hit.
Bozak's style of play would be suited to a third line center with the Rangers. He is strong at both ends of the ice and is solid on faceoffs. The problem is that his contract is far too prohibitive for a team who has so many UFAs and RFAs and so little cap space.
The best Rangers fans can probably expect is Sather to make one or two smaller depth-type deals. It is far more likely to see Slats bring in a Raphael Diaz than a Martin St. Louis. Sather can make those type of deals and still keep the Rangers in good cap shape moving forward – all while trading away fringe-type prospects.
]]>Fast is a nice player, but he is your Garden variety fourth line checking winger while Duclair has all the tools and talent to be a top six forward – or better.
The Rangers can't afford to let Duclair sit out too many games in a row. They can get away with giving him fourth line minutes because they have been giving him ice time on the power play. The problem is if the Rangers send him back to his Junior team he will not be eligible to return until after the Quebec Remparts season is over. Since Quebec is hoisting the 2015 Memorial Cup, that means Duclair might not be eligible to return until June because the Memorial Cup runs through May 31.
Since he has Junior eligibility, Duclair can't be sent to the AHL unless he suffered an injury and was being assigned for a two-week conditioning stint. The NHL is a tough not to crack in terms of sending Junior-eligible players to the minors for a conditioning stint.
The Buffalo Sabres tried to do that last year with Mikhail Grigorenko and were rebuffed as the NHL invoked Article 13.8 of the CBA which says the NHL "may take whatever steps he deems necessary to investigate the circumstances under which a Player is loaned on a Conditioning Loan."
The one thing the Rangers can do is loan Duclair to the Canadian National Junior team making him eligible for the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship which is being held in Toronto and Montreal. During the Summer of 2014, Duclair was one of 41 Canadians invited to the Canadian Junior team's development camp.
The Championship runs from December 26, 2014 through January 5, 2015. Canada does not have to submit their roster until Christmas Day and they are expected to use every minute after 2015 NHL Draft phenom Connor McDavid broke a bone in his hand during a fight and is expected to miss five-to-six weeks.
The Canadians will be gathering for a brief training camp on December 11 with two exhibition games on the 13th and 14th. If Duclair is invited to the training camp and makes the team, his last game with the Rangers would be December 8 against the Penguins.
If you pencil in Canada for the Finals, the Rangers would be on the West Coast for a three-game/four-day trip against the California teams. Rather than making Duclair fly across country, he could wait for the Blueshirts to return to the Garden for a January 13 game against the Islanders. All totaled, Duclair could miss 13 Rangers games.
As you can see, it is a bit of a Catch-22 situation. You don't want to lose his availability for that length of time in case of injuries to your other forwards, but he would get to experience a highly competitive level of hockey against players of his own age with the added pressure of playing the games in his home country.
One of the reasons the Rangers were leaning towards returning him to the Remparts was to experience the pomp and circumstance and pressure of the Memorial Cup.
By keeping him in New York and making him available for the World Junior Championship, Duclair get to experience the best of both worlds. He gets the experience of playing in the NHL and he gets the opportunity to represent his country on the international stage. Best of all, he would remain NHL playoff eligible from Day One of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The one question left unanswered is can Duclair withstand the rigors of the NHL at his size (5-11/180). The one plus to his staying with the Rangers is that the team should be working with The Duke on his strength and conditioning.
It is not my intention to run down the Remparts training staff, but it is logical to presume that an NHL team's training staff is better equipped to monitor and improve a player's strength and conditioning than a QMJHL team.
In addition to strength and conditioning, there are still aspects to Duclair's game that need to be developed.
"In my mind, there is a skill set there in a young player that I haven't seen in a long time," AV said to Brett Cyrgalis of the NY Post. "Sometimes, for a guy like that, playing every night is not the right thing to do."
"It gives him an opportunity to practice, work with the coaches," Vigneault said. "It's a long season. He might not play [Thursday], just day-to-day. But he's still part of this team right now."
The key is for the Rangers to place Duclair in the best positions to succeed. If that means remaining with the Rangers, then AV and his coaching staff have to be in constant contact with Duclair and keeping in the loop in terms of what the coaching staff wants from the youngster. It does not hurt to have a veteran like Martin St. Louis to lean on in terms of keeping an eye on the youngster.
In a perfect world, the Rangers would be able to assign Duclair to the AHL where he could play top line minutes and be available to return to the NHL when needed.
Larry Brooks nailed the crux of the NHL-CHL problem when he called the current system an "anachronism". There is no such agreement in place between the NHL and colleges, high schools and European teams – only the CHL. The same CHL which Brooks says receives anywhere from $10.2 million to $12.6 million (figures are in Canadian dollars) annually.
No one wants the NHL to start pumping Canadian Juniors dry, but perhaps it is time for the NHL and Canadian Hockey League to get together and find some type of compromise that meets the needs of the CHL and meets the needs of the players.
]]>In reality, when you think about it, the Rangers dodged a huge bullet in terms of Stepan's injury when you compare it to the fate suffered by Jordan Staal. The Carolina Hurricane is expected to be out three-to-four months after undergoing surgery to repair his broken fibula.
With Stepan missing the first 10 or so games (more on that later), the center ice decision shifted from finding a third/fourth line center to finding a first/second line center to supplement Derick Brassard.
This situation is one of the few times that being cap-strapped is a plus for the Rangers. President/GM Glen Sather can't sign any of the mediocre free agents left on the market nor can he make a trade for an over-the-hill center.
The center ice battle has been further hindered by some unfortunate circumstances during the last week or so. Veteran Matthew Lombardi has been hampered with a groin injury and it is uncertain how that will play into his ability to make the team and contribute at the start of the season.
It bears mentioning that Lombardi, unlike the other veteran forwards signed during the summer, has a two-year contract – as opposed to just a one-year deal.
J.T. Miller's inconsistent play has not helped his cause with Vigneault. While the Blueshirts could get away with an inconsistent Miller as a third or fourth line center, they can't afford that kind of play if he has to anchor the second line.
After putting on a show in Chicago, rookie Oscar Lindberg's play has come down to earth and it seems as if he is destined to return to Hartford – which isn't the worst thing in the world for him.
What the Stepan/Lombardi injuries and the Miller/Lindberg inconsistent play have done is force the organization to look outside the box in terms of filling out four lines.
The injuries (Ryan Malone's hip flexor included) have allowed longshot Anthony Duclair to have a legitimate shot at making the Rangers Opening Night lineup. The Duke might not have an NHL body at the tender age of 19 (5-11 and listed at 185 pounds on the team's web site, but probably closer to 175 in real life), but Duclair has shown to have NHL ready skills – scoring a goal in each of his first three pre-season games.
Duclair's situation is different than most Junior-eligible players because he will have two years left on his entry-level contract whether he plays Juniors or in the NHL. As a result, the team can keep him for longer than the standard nine games before deciding to return him to his Junior team or starting his NHL clock.
However, the Rangers are at their 50-contract limit so they would have to make a trade to open up a spot for Duclair. While every article mentions this, it should not be that difficult to find a player to trade – especially if you make it for the ever-popular "future considerations".
Kevin Hayes is another player who is getting an extended look as a result of the injuries. The Rangers have been known as an organization that would rather give their prospects ice time in Hartford as opposed to having them step right into the NHL. That might not be the case because of the team's need at center in terms of numbers and size.
While the Blueshirts dreamed of Hayes being able to play center, they wanted to take a look at him on the wing in order to see how they could best utilize him this season. However, necessity wins out as Hayes is in the mix at center.
Rookie Ryan Haggerty is another player making the best of his opportunity in his first Training Camp. After a subpar first pre-season game, Haggerty has shown the kind of speed and hands that make him a solid NHL prospect. However, the numbers game will probably cost Haggerty a chance to start the season in the NHL.
Jesper Fast has opened eyes with solid play and has become a player to watch. One thing in his favor is that Vigneault likes his style of play and feels comfortable with his ability to take care of his defensive responsibilities.
An intriguing candidate at center is AHL veteran Chris Mueller. Originally thought of as a depth player for the Wolf Pack, Mueller has two qualities going for him that the other candidates at center don't have. He has proven to be a PP scorer in the past (16 goals in the AHL last year and 11 two years ago). Most importantly, with Stepan out of the lineup, Mueller would be the only right-handed shot at center.
In terms of replacing Stepan as the second line center, two veterans might be in the mix – one expected and one a surprise.
Dominic Moore filled in admirably last year during the playoffs when injuries struck. While it would be too much to ask for Moore to play second line minutes for 82 games, he might be able to give the Rangers the 10 or so games they would need with Stepan out of the lineup. Even if the team goes another route, you would expect Moore to see extra ice time late in third period if the Rangers are protecting a lead – especially if he were spelling a youngster like Hayes.
The unexpected alternative is Martin St. Louis. The veteran RW already volunteered to play center and Vigneault had him centering one of the two PP units at practice on Wednesday morning. His linemates on the PP were Duclair and Rick Nash – definitely an intriguing trio.
Factoring in Stepan's absence, Lombardi and Malone's injury problems, Lindberg and Miller's inability to seize the day, and Hayes' lack of NHL experience and time at center, perhaps the Rangers best course of action is to play St. Louis at center – at least during Stepan's injury.
It gives the Rangers an opportunity/excuse to take a longer look at Duclair. If the youngster is struggling then they can send him back to his Junior team when Stepan returns to the lineup without much fanfare. If the Duke continues to show he belongs in the NHL then the Rangers will have a pleasant abundance of talent when Stepan returns to the lineup.
That would give the Rangers two strong scoring lines: Chris Kreider-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello and Anthony Duclair-Martin St. Louis-Rick Nash. Vigneault then could use the rest of the forwards to mix and match a third and fourth line.
You have to figure that Carl Hagelin plays on the third line with either Dominic Moore or J.T. Miller at center and Taylor Glass plays LW on the fourth line. It is a matter of deciding where Jesper Fast, Ryan Malone and Lee Stempniak fit in – with Matthew Lombardi starting the season on the Injured Reserve list.
In some respect, the start to this season will mirror the start to last season in terms of the Rangers not have a settled lineup for the first month or two of the season.
Last year it was a result of AV learning his new team and navigating his way through a nine-game road trip to start the season.
This year it is a result of injuries to some players, replacing other players, and, more importantly, having enough talent that lends itself to competition in Training Camp.
Lost in all of the talk about the Rangers options at center is the battle for the seventh defenseman. It was expected that the battle would come down to veterans Matt Hunwick, Steven Kampfer and Michael Kostka with Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath being sent to Hartford to get playing time.
Those plans have been hampered by the inability of one of the three veterans to seize the opportunity. Adding additional intrigue was Allen's assignment to Hartford as McIlrath remains.
Frankly, I don't think it makes sense for McIlrath to sit in New York as the seventh blueliner. He needs to play; not only in terms of his development, but in terms of showing that he can stay healthy and be productive over a full season.
While the remaining veterans don't exactly remind anyone of Brian Leetch, Hunwick's experience should probably win out in the long run – although Kostka's size (6-1/210) is intriguing. Ultimately, the decision might come down to which defenseman can best play his off-wing: can right-handed Kostka (or Kampfer) play the left side and can left-handed shot Hunwick play the right side?
Given the strength of the Rangers six regular d-men, the spare is not going to get that much ice time. Hunwick is fine as a replacement for a game or two but if the Blueshirts suffered a long-term injury, I would expect Allen or McIlrath to get recalled.
The other thing I expect is that Sather will be active at the trade deadline looking for a better option as the spare defenseman as the Rangers look ahead to the playoffs.
]]>While Brian Costello of The Hockey News wrote in an August 20, 2014 online article that Hayes would have been a 2nd round pick if the 2010 NHL Draft were re-drafted today, there is no doubt that Hayes would have been worth a 1st round pick this year given his stature (6-5/225) and his breakout season (40-27-38-65) as Senior for Boston College.
The best part about Hayes signing with the Rangers is that the playing field was level for all 29 teams once Hayes declined to sign with the Blackhawks. While technically an Unrestricted Free Agent, Hayes falls under the entry-level contract terms that all rookies face under the current CBA. Hayes' signing with the Rangers has more to do with his perception of his ability to make the team than it does with the deep pockets of James Dolan.
Even better than the Rangers winning a fair contract fight is the fact the 2nd round compensatory pick Chicago gets (54th overall) comes from the NHL – not the Rangers.
Some will point to Hayes' breakout season being keyed by his linemates Johnny Gaudreau and Bill Arnold. While that might be possible, that puts Hayes in a golden position to shine in the NHL if he is teamed with the Rangers version of Gaudreau – Mats Zuccarello. Heck, Hayes' ability to play center might position him for a chance to be teamed with St. Louis.
New York Rangers President/GM Glen Sather did his best to liven up the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. It started in March when he dealt away his 2014 1st round pick to Tampa Bay as part of the blockbuster deal for Martin St. Louis. Slats kept the puck sliding as he traded Derek Dorsett to Vancouver for a 3rd round draft pick (#85) and continued into Saturday when he made a couple of more deals that saw the Rangers increase their number of picks from five to seven.
With a Vancouver's 3rd round pick in his pocket, Sather traded the Rangers 3rd round pick (#89) to Washington for a pair of 4th round selections (#104 and #118).
The trade with the Capitals allowed Sather to move his own 4th round pick (#119) to his buddy Steve Yzerman in exchange for two Lightning 5th round picks (#140 and #142).
Sather's trade machinations set the Rangers up for a balanced draft that saw the team draft a pair of goaltenders and forwards and three defensemen. Here is a look at each of the newest Rangers draftees.
Second Round – Brandon Halverson (#59)
The 6-4/176 Halverson was the 6th rated goaltender by both Central Scouting (CS) (among North American Goalies) and International Scouting Service (ISS). The Hockey News (THN) did not have him rated among their Top 100 players. As for his NHL Potential, ISS believes "Halvorson will have a chance to see NHL time based on his upside and size."
The 18-year-old native of Traverse City, MI saw limited action with Sault Ste. Marie (PHL) last season – appearing in 19 games (12-6-1, 2.96 GAA and .904 SV%).
ISS Scouting Report: "Halverson is a big goaltender who did not see a lot of action this season backing up Pittsburgh draft pick Matt Murray. However, he shows good upside for the next level. Halverson's athleticism and stick handling ability with the puck separate him from most of his peers. Although he will need to learn when and when not to make plats with the puck, his natural ability is top notch."
Mike MacFarlane, ISS Head Ontario Scout, wrote: "He is a good size kid who moves well in the net, has a real physical presence. Showed a good glove, good focus, got a little fancy a couple of times moving the puck, but that is coachable. I like this kid, good lateral, squares well and controls rebounds, doesn't give shooter much. Didn't play much last year but will be number 1 next year, has the potential to play in the show."
Phil Myre, ISS Head U.S. Scout, wrote: "Very good size goalie. Has excellent focus and competitiveness. Plays angles very well, controls rebounds well. Good technique. Patient in the net. Excellent prospect for the NHL. Possibly #1 or 1A."
Third Round – Keegan Iverson (#85)
The 6-0/219 RW was rated the 85th best prospect by ISS, the 85th best North American skater by CS and was the 90th best player rated by THN who called Iverson "a competitive power forward [who] hits clean, but hard." ISS sees his NHL potential as a "3rd line grinder who will send opposition coaches into fits with his ability to pummel opponents."
The St. Louis Park, MN native spent last season with Portland (WHL) and posted career highs in games, goals, assists and points (67-22-20-42). Iverson, who turns 18 in August, has represented the USA at various U-17 and U-18 tournaments.
ISS Scouting Report: "What you see is what you get with Iverson, he's a no frills in your face type of player who plays a smash mouth style and can beat opponents into submission. He is not flashy, doesn't possess a ton of creative skill around the puck, but he can bump and pound his way all over the ice, including to and directly in front of the net which makes him a real difficult player to prepare for and contain. He wins battles consistently and while not overly quick or elusive, he's a freight train at times and it's not easy to dent him the space he wants to get."
Ross MacLean, ISS Head Western Scout, wrote: "He's the type of player who doesn't take no for an answer. He leaves it all out there and he will go at anybody who stands in his way."
Phil Bohenblust, ISS Regional European Scout, wrote: "Gritty two-way winger. Skates well, very strong balance. A hard forechecker in the corners that can create room for his teammates. Plays defensively reliable. Didn't show much offensively, missed creativity."
Fourth Round – Ryan Mantha (#104)
The nearly 6-foot-5 and 225-pound Mantha was rated the 149th best North American skater by CS and was #59 on the ISS List who compared his style of play to that of Simon Despres. ISS sees his NHL potential as that of a "depth defender who can kill penalties."
Mantha, a right-handed shot, turned 18 about a week before the Draft, had a verbal agreement to play at the University of North Dakota – who is deep in defenseman. As a result, Mantha decided to pass on college and signed with OHL's Niagara IceDogs.
"He's an NHL draft pick, he's very focused on his career and he wants to get a contract and be a pro," his new GM/Coach Marty Williamson explained to Bernie Puchalski of Niagara Advance.ca. "The timing is very good for us, adding a piece like that when we feel our team is ready to blossom."
Given what Mantha told Neate Sager Yahoo Sports, the Rangers will have a big say where the youngster plays in 2014/2015.
"I think they're [his NHL team] going to decide," The Clarkstown, MI native explained to Sager. "Some teams say they won't but I think if someone has input on what is best for me, I'll really consider it."
Mantha's decision to forego collegiate hockey mirrors the decision 2011, Rangers 1st round draft pick J.T. Miller made. Miller verbally committed to North Dakota before shifting gears and heading to Plymouth (OHL).
The big d-man is the first of two Rangers draft picks that have an NHL legacy in their background. His uncle Moe Mantha Jr. played in 656 NHL games, his dad (Bob) played in Major Juniors and his grandfather (Moe Sr.) played minor hockey.
ISS Scouting Report: "Long, lean, towering defenseman with great size and reach. Extremely difficult to beat in one-on-one situations and is a tremendous asset on the penalty kill due to his long reach and shot-blocking abilities. He skates well for a big man; however, lacks mobility and top speed. Not an effective puck-handler due to less than ideal hands. Will never be mistaken for an offensive producer due to his limitations instinctively. Still needs to continue adding mass to his tremendous frame and get stronger."
Myre wrote: "Excellent size defenseman – right shot defenseman. Average skater and average puck skills. Makes a good first pass. Needs to improve foot speed and overall skill sets.
Jan Has, ISS Regional U.S. Scout, wrote: "The overall defensive game and the coverage of his space was satisfying; however, his intense involvement was not to the level as should be expected from a high NHL draft prospect."
Fourth Round – Igor Shesterkin (#118)
The 6-1/185 goaltender was the second goaltender the Rangers selected – and I have also seen his last name spelled Shestyorkin. The 18-year-old netminder was rated as CS's 7th best European goaltender and was not among the 200 or so players rated by ISS. The one scouting service that was very high on Shesterkin was Red Line Report (RLR).
Kyle Woodlief, who runs RLR, has Shesterkin rated as the second best goaltending prospect behind only Mason McDonald. RLR had Shesterkin listed as a possible 2nrd round draft pick.
In a June 18, 2014 article for USA Today Woodlief wrote, "Next up for Red Line is Igor Shestyorkin, a super-competitive kid who never gives up on a play. The cat-like acrobat shows phenomenal reflexes and anticipation, and almost never gets beaten by anything clean – it has to be a rebound, deflection, or screen shot. He needs plenty of work on his technique, but his focus and concentration are outstanding. The biggest downside is clubs not being certain of his future intentions – he has indicated a willingness to come to North America once his Kontinental Hockey League contract is done, but his availability is not a given."
Shesterkin split time in the KHL (9 games-2.80 GAA-.903 SV%) and in Russia's Junior League (MHL). In 23 MHL games, he posted a 14-5-4 record with a 1.42 GAA and a .947 SV%. He had a stellar playoffs helping MHK Spartak win the championship with a 12-7 record with a 1.75 GAA and a .937 SV%.
Director of Player Personnel Gordie Clark spoke about the team's draft on the Rangers official web site. SNY's Adam Rotter offered this version of Clark's take on the two newest goalies in the Rangers system.
"We went in looking for a goalie. We have been looking the last 3-4 drafts and there [hasn't] been a lot of what we would call number one prospects. This was the year we thought that there were 4 or 5 and we took Halverson and we liked him where he was sitting at the end of the second round. Then Shestyorkin, two years ago at the under 18, as an underage, was outstanding, and he had a great year in the league and my Russian guy followed him a lot. We went in and looked at him a lot – we think that he is a number one prospect. By the time we picked him, we [looked] at who [was] left and there are some guys that you want to try but none were considered impact players at defense of forward – and this guy we had listed as a number one goalie. I didn't go in looking for two, but he was still sitting there and sometimes we take the best player available and Shestyorkin was there."
Fifth Round – Richard Nejezchleb (#122)
I don't know how to pronounce the name and I am working on spelling it, but the name Richard Nejezchleb was known to me before the Draft because Jess Rubenstein of "Prospect Park" and "Blueshirt Bulletin" touted him as a player he liked for the Rangers.
Considering he was rated the 50th best North American skater by CS and the 84th best overall prospect by ISS, the Rangers got a great value pick at #122. ISS sees his NHL potential as being a player who "provides good organizational scoring depth. Can fill in when needed and contribute."
In Nejezchleb's case, the third time was the charm as 2014 represented his third year of draft eligibility. In 2012, his first year of eligibility, Nejezchleb was rated as the 41st European skater.
Because of his age (20) and gritty style of play, Clark believes that Nejezchleb could be the first of Class of 2014 to turn pro.
While the 6-2/210 RW was born in Prague, Czech Republic, he is no stranger to North American hockey having played the last two seasons with Brandon (WHL). Last year he set career highs in games, goals, assists and points (66-32-25-57), before adding five goals and four assists in nine playoff games.
ISS Scouting Report: "Nejezchleb has already passed through two drafts and seemed to be looking to add enough to his game to try and avoid a third time. He's a big body with good offensive skills and this year he added some much improved fire and desire. He has a good reach which he has really learned to use properly around the net and has added more intensity on his net drives and overall presence. Nejezchleb was significantly more physical on a consistent basis this year than previous years and proved to be an impactful goal scoring forward night in and night out for the Wheat Kings. Needs to keep his feet moving as he tends to stand still or glide at times."
MacLean wrote: "He has come a long way and has shown that he is willing to pay the price to score ugly goals, something he wasn't prepared to do before now."
Andruw Yarema, ISS Regional Western Scout, wrote: "Really elevated his game for the playoffs. Battled hard along the boards. Used size and strength to create room in front of the net,"
Fifth Round – Daniel Walcott (#140)
The 5-11/170 blueliner was first eligible for the NHL Draft in 2012. The Rangers see him as an offensive defenseman who spends the season as an overage defenseman in the QMJHL with Blainville-Boisbriand. Last season he scored 10 goals and 29 assists in 67 games as a rare 19-year-old rookie in Junior hockey.
Walcott's late start to Junior hockey came as result of spending 2012/2013 season playing collegiate hockey for Lindenwood University – which plays in the American College Hockey Association Division 1. The ACHA is the governing body of non-varsity college hockey in the USA.
Coached by former NHL d-man Rick Zombo, Walcott, one of the youngest players in the ACHA, scored four goals and nine assists in 33 games as Lindenwood reached the ACHA Finals only to lose to Minot State.
Prior to the Draft, McKeen's hockey scout Rick Springhetti reviewed the Top 20 draft QMJHL prospects and listed Walcott at #14. Here is what he said about Walcott via MontrealHockeyTalk.com: "Overage player was an unknown at the start of the season but his mix of offence, defense and quickness has made him one of the Q's better defensemen this season." Central Scouting ranked him 160th among North American skaters in their Mid-Term rankings.
While speaking with Sunaya Sapurji of Buzzing the Net (for Yahoo Canada) Walcott describes his style of play. "I'm a two-way defenceman. I bring a lot of offence and I can play defence too and shutdown top lines. I can be in-your-face and physical. I give my heart out every game – a lot of character."
The Canadian web site Future Considerations lists the following talking point on Walcott:
• Strong, two-way presence and was "dominating" in his rookie season in the QMJHL
• Skates well and can generate a lot of speed going forward and backward
• Strong in transition and can skate with the fastest skaters in the Q
• Plays a shutdown, aggressive "in-your-face defensive game."
• "Is physical and willing to give a beating if needed. Uses his frame to separate the puck off attackers and to clear the danger zones around his net. Has strong leadership qualities both on and off the ice. Lacks a little in the size for the style and temperament he plays."
• Walcott is a minute muncher who contributes offensively with a strong first pass and the support of his forwards. Poised with the puck under pressure and displays impressive vision
• His NHL potential is to be a two-way defenseman.
Fifth Round – Tyler Nanne (#142)
The 5-10/174 Nanne carries an impressive NHL and sports pedigree. His grandfather Lou Nanne is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and was a 1980 Lester Patrick award winner for his work in hockey in the USA. Tyler's brother Louie was drafted 188th overall in 2012 by Minnesota and spent last season with Sioux Falls of the USHL. Their uncle, Tino Lettieri, represented Canada i4 international soccer games and was a goalkeeper in the old NASL and MISL.
Nanne, who can play forward as well as defense, broke many hearts in Minnesota when he committed to play at Ohio State starting in 2015. He is expected to play this season for Sioux Falls.
In 27 games with Edina High School, Nanne scored seven goals and 20 assists. His five goals led his team in the playoffs and 11 points (in 11 games) was tied for second on the team.
Nanne was ranked eight spots behind (#168) his eventual Rangers teammate Daniel Walcott in Central Scouting's Mid-Term rankings before settling as the 188th ranked North American skater in the final report.
Here are Future Considerations talking points on Nanne:
• Mobile, puck moving defenseman who is "ultra confident" with the puck.
• Not afraid to join the rush and very creative with the puck
• Smoot skater and can go end to end quickly
• Hard shot from the point but could be more accurate
• Sound positionally defensively but still has a long way to go.
• "The one thing that is very impressive is his smarts and ability to make the simple play to avoid trouble. He does not panic when there is a hard forecheck applied. He has solid upside and raw potential, but it will certainly help if he grows a little bit more."
• Has played a bit of forward and may have his future there.
• NHL potential is to be an offensive defenseman or forward.
With their last two selections it is apparent that the Rangers were putting an emphasis on skill (offensive skill to be precise) than on size. Walcott and Nanne are pretty much the same type of player – smallish defenseman who have high offensive skills and could develop into power play QBs down the road. Both project out as third line defensive pairings with the main difference being one is a left-handed shot (Walcott) and one is a right-handed shot (Nanne).
]]>On July 1, the New York Rangers and their fans learned a similar lesson about free agency as they watched Brian Boyle and Anton Stralman head south to Tampa Bay to join Ryan Callahan and Benoit Pouliot head west to Edmonton.
While the three Rangers players are not on par with Cano, Blueshirts fans learned the hard lesson that turnabout is fair play in free agency.
The major difference between the Yankees and the Rangers is in the why. The Yankees let Cano walk because of the franchise's "desire" to stay under the Major League Baseball Tax threshold of $189 million – a figure they raced past in signing the likes of Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Masahiro Tanaka.
The Rangers decisions on free agency came down to having very little wiggle room due to the NHL's strict salary cap. The league didn't do the Rangers any favors when they set the 2014/2015 cap at $69 million instead of the anticipated $71 million. The Blueshirts had to weigh keeping the three Unrestricted Free Agents at the risk of losing their Restricted Free Agents (Derick Brassard, Chris Kreider, John Moore, and Mats Zuccarello), as well UFA Dominic Moore.
While having an interest in keeping the players, the Blueshirts were not going to match the five-year deals that Pouliot and Stralman received, and the Boyle situation came down to a difference in perception – the Rangers see Boyle as a fourth line center and Boyle sees himself as a top nine forward.
"We're trying to fit guys who were good players for us. We wanted to sign them, but once that one-week period hit, we started to get wind of what their numbers would be and their terms would be," Assistant GM Jeff Gorton explained during a conference call with the media on July 1. "Going forward, with some of the contracts we have to do and the players we have, it just became difficult."
With all of the Rangers UFA signings (both NHL and AHL players), CapGeek lists the Rangers available cap space as around $14 million. The Rangers do have the ability to add an additional $6.9 million – which represents the summer salary cap buffer (10% of the cap). However, the team would still need to get down below $69 million by Opening Night.
As you can see, not only were the Rangers handicapped in terms of keeping their own free agents, there is not much wiggle room in terms of bringing in a second or third line center – never mind looking to bring in a first line center – unless President/GM Glen Sather gets extremely creative in terms of dealing away salary.
Even if Sather morphed into the second coming of Houdini, his ability to perform magic tricks on the salary cap is further limited because the team tries to get Marc Staal signed to a new deal before he becomes an UFA next summer.
Yes, Sather could trade him but the cost at replacing him could be even higher – in terms of talent and salary – especially when you look at some of the crazy contract figures that were thrown around for the likes of a Brooks Orpik.
The Rangers first priority is to sign Staal to a long-term contract extension. It was one of the reasons why the Rangers chose to sign Dan Boyle to a two year deal, as opposed to re-signing Stralman to a five year deal. If the Rangers went five years on Stralman and then re-signed Staal to a long-term deal, it would be difficult to have any salary cap maneuverability with five (don't forget Kevin Klein) of your six d-men working on long-term contracts (four or more years in excess of $2.9 million).
If you figure that Brassard and Zuccarello will get contracts in excess of $3 million per season, and if you round Klein's contract up, the Rangers will have 11 players making $3 million or more. Believe it or not, that is not the highest number of players. New Jersey has 13 players (and is under the cap) and Philadelphia has 12 (and is over the cap). Five other teams have 11 players making $3 million or more with Boston having $4.7 million in carryover bonus overages that were not factored into the number of players.
I have to admit that I thought the Rangers would have been, far and away, the leader in top-heavy contracts. I suppose it is some solace to know that there are a lot of other teams facing a similar cap hell.
There is a way the Rangers could be able to add a top six/nine forward without having to jump through salary hoops.
The Rangers would need to get a third team involved in order to pull off a three-way deal along the lines of the one that Arizona, Edmonton and the "Rangers South" (I mean Tampa Bay) pulled off.
The Lightning started the three-way deal by trading Teddy Purcell to the Oilers in exchange for Sam Gagner. Steve Yzerman was set to buy out Gagner when Coyotes GM Don Maloney contacted him about the center.
Maloney sent a sixth round draft pick to Tampa Bay for Gagner and B.J. Crombeen (cap hit of $1.15 million) as long as the Lightning agreed to retain one-third of Gagner's salary and cap hit – the amount Tampa Bay would have been tagged with had the Lightning simply bought out Gagner.
If Sather identifies a forward that piques his interest, he will need to find a team that has cap space available to park a "retained salary transaction". In return, that team would receive a future draft pick or prospect while retaining some salary on the books in terms of reaching the NHL minimum salary.
The key is finding the right player and the right third team. This might be the one case of having an old codger like Sather as GM might pay off. Since he has been around since the very first NHL faceoff, you know that Slats has built up a career of cache and favors. This is the case when those innocuous "future considerations" in trades can come into play.
Failing such creativity, and even if they are able to get that creative, the Rangers are going to have to rely on some of their youngsters taking the next step in their NHL careers. The likes of J.T. Miller, Oscar Lindberg and Danny Kristo will get the chance to make the permanent jump from the AHL to the NHL.
For Miller, it might be his last best chance to impress Alain Vigneault and his coaching staff because Miller sure didn't last year. Rather than come to New York prior to training camp and skate with the team at their informal practices, Miller showed up the day before camp started – not a good way to ingratiate yourself with a new regime.
The 2014/2015 season might offer the opportunity for someone like Anthony Duclair to take the leap from Major Junior to the NHL. It is a long shot, but a big training camp could open some opportunities.
There will also be an opportunity for young turks like Brassard, Kreider, Zuccarello and Derek Stepan to elevate their games.
There might even be the chance for a dark horse to emerge and grab an opening night spot on the roster. It could be someone like Chris Mueller who was signed to a one-way contract or it could be some small free agent signing – much like Benoit Pouliot – who steps to the forefront.
Heck, the doors are not completely closed in terms of bringing in an UFA – depending on how much of the salary cap the Rangers RFAs eat up. It is possible that a couple of veteran forwards could be looking for deals as we get closer to the opening of Training Camp. The Rangers might be able to business on a very team-friendly/cap-friendly deal.
The Rangers decided not to wait until they addressed their RFAs before taking a flyer on an UFA. They have signed 32-year-old Matthew Lombardi to a two-year deal worth $800,000 per season. The 5-11/195 center led the Swiss League in scoring last year (46-20-30-50) and is a veteran of 536 NHL games (101-161-262). He last played in the NHL in 2012/2013, splitting 28 games with Phoenix and Anaheim (four goals and four assists).
Lombardi is a player that has been on the Rangers radar according to Gorton.
"We've been looking for depth at the center position and Matthew (Lombardi) is always a guy we've kept an eye on," the Assistant GM explained.
He is also a player that is familiar to Coach Alain Vigneault from their years in the Western Conference and Ulf Samuelsson was an assistant coach with the Coyotes during Lombardi's first tenure in Phoenix.
Lombardi plays a finesse game that is built on his speed, agility and overall skating ability. He has a history of injury problems, the most troublesome being concussions and post-concussion syndrome. His concussion history started during the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs when he took a Derian Hatcher elbow to his head.
Another player the Rangers might have considered is former Phoenix 1st round draft pick Peter Mueller. The 6-2/210 C/RW has struggled after posting a solid rookie season in 2007/2008 (81-22-32-54). Like Lombardi, most of Mueller's problems stemmed from a concussion late in the 2009/2010 and then another concussion near the end of training camp in 2010/2011 on a hit from Rob Blake. That concussion and post-concussion syndrome forced Mueller to miss that entire season.
The 26-year-old spent last season with Kloten in Switzerland (49-24-22-46) and was last in the NHL during the lockout shortened season of 2012/2013 when he scored 17 points playing with Florida.
In the end, all of that will not amount to a hill of beans if Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis do not live up to the numbers on the backs of their hockey cards. As I said all throughout the playoffs, the Rangers best players have to be their best players.
So after the smoke has cleared on the opening days of Free Agent Frenzy 2014, are the New York Rangers a better team now than they were in the wee hours of June 14? No, they are not.
Will the Rangers be a better team at the start of the 2014/2015 season than they were at the end of the 2013/2014 season? No, they probably won't be.
Will the Rangers be a better team on January 1, 2015 that they were on July 1, 2014? No, they probably won't be.
Will the Rangers be a better team after the 2015 Trade Deadline than they are now? That is the time they have to be a better team and the start of being that better team will depend on how successfully Glen Sather runs the salary cap gauntlet during the summer. He has to make sure he has enough cap space to be able to correct any of the holes that might still be around as a result summer trades and free agency machinations.
]]>As a quick aside for those who don't know, Hall spent the 1959-60 season as the radio analyst of the New York Rangers.
Unlike previous drafts where there was a bona fide unanimous first overall pick, the 2014 Draft has what The Hockey News called "The Big Four": Sam Bennett, Leon Draisaitl, Aaron Ekblad, and Sam Reinhart. The Hockey News featured all four of these players on the cover of their 2014 Draft Preview under the headline "Fantastic Four".
In his "Editor's Notebook" column, Brian Costello drew a comparison between this year's draft and a couple of other drafts that featured four players who were grouped at the top and how the best laid plans of mice, men and GMs can go astray.
Three years ago the talk was all about Sean Couturier, Gabriel Landeskog, Adam Larsson, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins being the top four players of the draft. As it turned out, Couturier fell to number eight and Jonathan Huberdeau jumped into the top four in 2011.
In 1990, Costello points out, the big four consisted Petr Nedved, Owen Nolan, Keith Primeau, and Mike Ricci. While those players were taken as the top four picks, it was pick number five who turned out to be the star/steal of the draft, Jaromir Jagr – unless you consider Martin Brodeur at number 20 to be the star/steal of 1990.
Costello even admitted that THN's fifth (Michael Dal Colle) and sixth (William Nylander, son of former NHLer Michael Nylander) rated player could find their way into the big four.
It is the lack of a Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin at the top of the draft that has the trade lines buzzing. It doesn't hurt that GMs have been freely admitting that they expect a lot of movement in this year's draft, with Florida's Dale Tallon being at the head of the list.
With the Panthers owning the first overall pick, Tallon has the power to set the trade winds in motion and conceded as far back as May 21 that he was being contacted by other teams.
"I've already had a few guys kicking tires," Tallon relayed to Kevin Allen of USA Today. "We're going to get more calls."
Allen speculated that Tallon could simply keep the first overall pick, trade down in the first round for a combination of players/prospects/picks, or deal the #1 pick as part of blockbuster deal to acquire a star player.
On June 19, TSN's Darren Dreger tweeted that Tallon had heard from eight teams interested in making a deal – with Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver among the teams showing interest.
New Flames GM Brad Treliving thinks the balance of the draft could be the driving factor in deal making.
"This draft does set up where I could make the statement that we may see more movement in the top end of the draft than maybe we have seen in the last few years," Treliving offered to Allen.
"I think there is probably a consensus on the top five, but I think there might be 30 different lists of what order."
Nashville's David Poile, owner of the 11th overall pick, admitted that he is getting heavy interest from teams wanting to make a deal.
"I've already been approached and … it's a possibility," Poile told Josh Cooper of USA Today on June 17. "There's always that possibility I would trade that first-round pick — I've made that open to some people I've talked to. It would be for a top forward if we could do that.
"I'm not predicting that will happen, but if someone had that top-six forward, I would certainly consider trading that first-round pick."
Draft day deals in Philadelphia on the weekend of June 27 may not necessarily come strictly out of on-ice necessity. Dallas GM Jim Nill believes economics and the salary cap may drive some deals.
"Some teams are going to be looking to move some salaries, and I just have a feeling there could be a lot of moves," the Stars boss told Allen.
The most logical trade would between Florida and Edmonton. The Oilers would get the stud defenseman they need in Aaron Ekblad while the Panthers would end up with the second best forward in the draft. The question is what else would the Panthers want in order to switch places – NHL-proven player, draft picks or a combination of both?
The other team to watch is Philadelphia. With the Flyers hosting the draft, they might want to make a splash in front of the hometown fans by moving up into the top five or so of the draft.
In this Mock Draft, each player has ratings for the following scouting services: NHL's Central Scouting (CS), The Hockey News (THN), and International Scouting Service (ISS). CS breaks down their ratings by North American skaters (NAS), European skaters (ES), North American goaltenders (NAG) and European goaltenders (EG). THN lists each prospect's NHL Translation while ranking skaters and goaltenders together. ISS provides a prospects' comparable NHL player and has separate rankings for skaters and goaltenders.
The Draft positions utilized are those as of June 26, 2014.
1. FLORIDA PANTHERS – Aaron Ekblad – D
CS: # 2NAS —– THN: # 2 (Cornerstone d-man)
ISS: # 2 (Rob Blake)
If the Panthers have their sights set on one of the top forwards, then they should try and trade out of the 1st overall pick and look to add other assets. Lacking a trade, look for GM Dale Tallon to adhere to the idea of when in doubt, build from the back out and add Ekblad to Erik Gudbranson as looks to replicate his success with the Blackhawks.
2. BUFFALO SABRES – Sam Bennett – C
CS: # 1NAS —– THN: # 1 (Heart-and-soul forward)
ISS: # 4 (Logan Couture)
Much was made about Bennett's inability to do a pull-up, but that is something that can be taken care off. What can't be ignored is his superb hockey sense and skills. He is good enough, talent-wise, to succeed in a finesse game and he is still strong enough physically to succeed in a chippy game.
3. EDMONTON OILERS – Leon Draisaitl – C
CS: # 4NAS —– THN: # 4 (Top-line center)
ISS: # 6 (Anze Kopitar)
The Oilers should be prime contenders to move up for Ekblad or down to position themselves for a run at Haydn Fleury. They could still take Fleury, but if they stay at #3, the pick should be Draisaitl. His size and playmaking abilities draw comparisons to Kopitar and Joe Thornton – and he has a mean streak as seen by his 52 PIMs and suspensions at the WJC.
4. CALGARY FLAMES – Sam Reinhart – C
CS: # 3 NAS —– THN: # 3 (Two-way center)
ISS: # 1 (Patrice Bergeron)
Sam's father, Paul, was the 12th overall pick by the Atlanta Flames in 1979. Sam has two brothers who are NHL bound: Max (Calgary 3rd round 2010) and Griffin (Islanders 1st round 2012). If Reinhart is gone, the Flames could very well draft Bennett. He is a solid player in all three zones and his family pedigree should help him make that next step to the NHL.
5. NEW YORK ISLANDERS – Michael Dal Colle – RW
CS: # 5NAS —– THN: # 5 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 3 (Patrick Marleau)
The Isles chose to keep this pick and send their 2015 1st rounder to Buffalo as part of the Thomas Vanek trade. Dal Colle's shot; size and offensive ability could prove to be the perfect running mate for John Tavares. Dal Colle should the type of progress from his first year (48 points) to his second year (95 points) that you want to see in a top prospect. The Islanders have shown a penchant for bringing in Oshawa Generals (first round draft picks John Tavares and Calvin de Haan and trading for Cal Clutterbuck).
6. VANCOUVER CANUCKS – Nikolaj Ehlers – LW
CS: # 13NAS —– THN: # 7 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 11 (Matt Duchene)
Ehlers' dad, Heinz, was the a 9th round draft pick by the Rangers in 1984. While he has a slight build (5-11/162), Ehlers is ahead of the typical European player because he spent last season with Halifax of the QMJHL, scoring 49 goals and 55 assists in 63 games. Ehlers is equally comfortable in traffic or taking on, and beating, defenders wide.
7. CAROLINA HURRICANES – Nick Ritchie – LW
CS: # 7 NAS —– THN: # 9 (Power forward)
ISS: # 10 (Milan Lucic)
At 6-2/226, Ritchie brings size and scoring touch to an offensive forwards corps that is more finesse than physical. Ritchie is the prototypical power forward that all teams crave. THN says that his best he can project out as a Jamie Benn type of player, but he also could project out as an Anthony Stewart type of player. Ritchie just needs to find a consistency to his game to take the next step.
8. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS – Brendan Perlini – LW
CS: # 8 NAS —– THN: # 12 (Pure goal scorer)
ISS: # 9 (Jeff Carter)
Brendan's father Fred was an 8th round pick of Toronto in 1980. Brendan is sure to surpass his dad's total of eight NHL games based on his size (6-2/205) and natural goal scoring talents. Last season was his breakout year in the OHL scoring 71 points (34-37) after registering just 12 in his first year.
9. WINNIPEG JETS – Jake Virtanen – RW
CS: # 6 NAS —– THN: # 11 (Pure goal scorer)
ISS: # 7 (James Neal)
Virtanen might be the best pure sniper in the draft this year thanks to his big-time shot and a willingness to use his size (6-0/208) – as seen by his 100 PIMs. Virtanen nearly tripled his goal scoring output from his first year in the WHL to last year (16 to 45).
10. ANAHEIM DUCKS – William Nylander – C/RW
CS: # 2 ES —– THN: # 6 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 5 (Henrik Zetterberg)
Nylander, son of former NHLer Michael, has all of the offensive tools to be a star: puck handling, speed and hockey sense. The one concern is his size (5-11/169) and lack of strength. Nylander dominated the World U-18 Tournament with six goals and 10 assists in seven games.
11. NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Kasperi Kapanen – RW
CS: # 1 ES —– THN: # 10 (Two-way forward)
ISS: # 13 (Tomas Plekanec)
Kapanen (Sami) makes it back-to-back sons of NHL players. Kasperi missed out on Finland's WJC gold due to a shoulder injury. While his numbers in Finland might not be gaudy, the blame lies in a poor KalPa team that looked to the teenager to be its leader. His strong skating is the key to his ability to produce offensively and in controlling the puck.
12. ARIZONA COYOTES – Dylan Larkin – C
CS: # 17 NAS —– THN: # 14 (Heart-and-soul forward)
ISS: # 15 (Ryan O'Reilly)
Larkin is a product of the US National Team Development Program and will continue his development at the University of Michigan. Larkin is an on-ice leader who combines size (6-1/190) and solid skating skills. Unlike a lot of prospects, Larkin has excellent hockey sense and is always ready to compete.
13. WASHINGTON CAPITALS – Haydn Fleury – D
CS: # 9 NAS —– THN: # 8 (Cornerstone d-man)
ISS: # 12 (Ryan McDonagh)
One scout told THN that Fleury has the "S's – size (6-2/203), skating and sense." Fleury partnered with Roland McKeown on Canada's bronze medal U-18 team, where Fleury was named the tourney's best defenseman. He uses his hockey sense well as is solid in all three zones and can play in all situations equally well.
14. DALLAS STARS – Julius Honka – D
CS: # 11 NAS —– THN: # 16 (Offensive defenseman)
ISS: # 40 (Torrey Krug)
While Honka is going to have to work to overcome his lack of size (5-10/180), he took the first step by playing this season with Swift Current in the WHL. While Honka is still a work in progress defensively, there is no questioning his offensive ability. Honka features a good shot and the ability to use his skating and vision to create plays.
15. DETROIT RED WINGS – Alex Tuch – RW
CS: # 12 NAS —– THN: # 17 (Power forward)
ISS: # 14 (Keith Primeau)
The Red Wings are an organization that knows the value of not rushing prospects and that is good given that Tuch is enrolled at Boston College. Tuch (as in truck) already has an NHL body (6-3/213). Tuch came up through the USNTDP and played on a line with Sonny Milano and Jack Eichel in the U-18 Tournament. Tuch always comes to compete every night and can be an extra special player if he develops an offensive game to go with his heavy shot.
16. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Roland McKeown – D
CS: # 27 NAS —– THN: # 26 (Top-four defenseman)
ISS: # 23 (Brent Seabrook)
The Blue Jackets drafted three forwards in the 1st in 2013, so they need to look at upgrading the blue line this time around. McKeown does not stand out as an offensive or defensive d-man. He is a good two-way defender with excellent hockey sense and leadership ability as he served as Canada's captain in the U-18.
17. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS – Sonny Milano – LW
CS: # 16 NAS —– THN: # 24 (dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 16 (T.J. Oshie)
The Flyers might look defense with this pick, but will decide their value is better with Milano. Usually you think of big, physical players when you think of Philly. Milano has average size (6-0/183) but well above average skating ability with an uncanny elusiveness when handling the puck. While he needs time to develop his game and to harness his ability, he will get that chance at Boston College.
18. MINNESOTA WILD – Kevin Fiala – LW
CS: # 3 ES —– THN: # 13 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 20 (Henrik Zetterberg)
Fiala plays with an edge that belies his size (5-10/180). The Swiss native played in Sweden this year – playing in both the Junior and Senior leagues and did not look out of place playing against Sweden's best. In between, the elusive and crafty Fiala represented the Swiss at the WJC and the U-18.
19. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – Robby Fabbri – C
CS: # 21 NAS —– THN: # 20 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 8 (Doug Gilmour)
Fabbri (5-10/170) doesn't have ideal NHL size, but neither did Martin St. Louis. Fabbri makes up for stature with an excellent combination of skating, stick skills, hockey sense, and compete level. He also showed the ability to mix it up and get dirty with a 10-game suspension for a check to the head in November. However, karma did bite Fabbri as he missed four playoff games after suffering a headshot. Fabbri bounced back well with 28 points in 16 games.
20. SAN JOSE SHARKS – Ivan Barbashev – C/LW
CS: # 18 NAS —– THN: # 22 (Two-way forward)
ISS: # 19 (Brayden Schenn)
Russian by birth, Barbashev plays a North American style of play – which was enhanced by spending the last two years with Moncton of the QMJHL. While an offensive players in Juniors, Barbashev played a checking role at the WJC. One plus is his ability to play the point on the power play.
21. ST. LOUIS BLUES (4) – Jared McCann – C
CS: # 10NAS —– THN: # 15 (Two-way center)
ISS: # 17 (Steve Yzerman)
This pick could still wind up with the Sabres if the Blues trade the rights to goalie Ryan Miller before the draft. For our purposes, we are working on the theory that the Blues will keep the pick. McCann is a solid two-way center who is strong defensively and can contribute offensively – as well as see time on both special teams thanks to his high compete level.
22. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS – Jakub Vrana – LW/RW
CS: # 4 ES —– THN: # 19 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 21 (Alex Steen)
The Penguins continue their search to find viable linemates for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Like Fiala, Vrana left his home (Czech Republic) to play In Sweden's Junior and Senior leagues while representing his country at the WJC and U-18 (where he had eight goals in seven games). He has a big-time shot that gives him the potential to be a game-changer on offense.
23. COLORADO AVALANCHE – Travis Sanheim – D
CS: # 53 NAS —– THN: # 21 (Offensive defenseman)
ISS: # 30 (Tyler Myers)
The Avalanche are loaded with young star forwards so help on the blue line would not be a bad thing. Sanheim got better as the season progressed and topped it off with a strong showing at the U-18 where his six points (all assists) led all d-men in scoring. He has the size (6-3/181) and strength to develop into a two-way blueliner.
24. ANAHEIM DUCKS – David Pastrnak – RW
CS: # 5 ES —– THN: # 23 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 33 (Zach Parise)
Pastrnak left the Czech Republic and spent his non-WJC and non-U-18 time in the Swedish Elite League – the second consecutive year he spent in the SEL. He utilizes speed and elusiveness to keep defenders at bay. He needs to bulk up a bit (6-0/168), but his overall offensive ability by his hockey sense and ice vision.
25. BOSTON BRUINS – Connor Bleackley – C
CS: # 35 NAS —– THN: # 30 (Heart-and-soul forward)
ISS: # 26 (Jonathan Toews)
You just get the feeling that Bleackley is a Bruins type of player. As a 17-year-old, he captained his Junior team (Red Deer-WHL) and is a hard-nosed, hard-worker who plays in all situations. He will easily be a third-line player in the NHL, but if he works on his skating he could become an impact second-line center who is solid on faceoffs.
26. MONTREAL CANADIENS – Joshua Ho-Sang – C/RW
CS: # 22 NAS —– THN: # 27 (Enigmatic scorer)
ISS: # 18 (Nazem Kadri)
When THN asks for a one word evaluation from a scout, and that word is "Yikes", bells and whistles go off. It has nothing to do with his offensive ability which is powered by outstanding skating and puck skills. It has to do with him not being that physical (5-11/175) and mostly for being immature. Ho-Sang was hit with a 15-game suspension for a hit in his last playoff game. The OHL later reduced the suspension to six games. If he can harness his game and become more of a team player, his speed makes him an ideal member of the Flying Frenchmen.
27. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS – Adrian Kempe – LW
CS: # 6 ES —– THN: # 29 (Top-nine forward)
ISS: # 22 (Gabriel Landeskog)
Kempe has good size (6-1/187) and uses it to play a good, solid physical game. He is not afraid to go into the high-contact areas of the ice and he comes to play every night. His offensive game might develop as he matures and develops. He did not look out of place playing in the SEL with Modo for 45 games.
28. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – Anthony DeAngelo – D
CS: # 14 NAS —– THN: # 50 (Offensive defenseman)
ISS: # 32 (Phil Housely)
When you have extra 1st round picks, you can take a gamble on high-risk, high-reward players like DeAngelo. In his 3rd year at Sarnia, the 5-10/170 d-man tallied 15 goals and 56 assist in 51 games. His offensive game is predicated on his skating and puck skills, but he needs work in the defensive zone and in getting stronger. Perhaps the biggest red flag could be the two suspensions he served for breaking the OHL's policy on harassment, abuse and diversity. Incredibly, his second suspension was for comments he made towards a teammate. As I said, when you have extra 1st round picks you are more likely to gamble.
29. LOS ANGELES KINGS – Marcus Pettersson – D
CS: # 7 ES —– THN: # 39 (Two-way defenseman)
ISS: # 43 (John Carlson)
Speaking of gambling, using a 1st round pick on Pettersson might be a bit of a reach, but the 6-4/165 blueliner might be well worth it – especially when you are a multiple Stanley Cup winner. While he still has to mature and grow into his body physically, skills wise Pettersson has all of the tools to be a top four defenseman. He has a heavy shot and his surprisingly mobile for someone of his stature.
30. NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Nikita Scherbak – RW
CS: # 15 NAS —– THN: # 18 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 27 (Martin Havlat)
The Devils are just happy to have a seat at the dance in the first round after having to give up their original 1st round pick as punishment for the Ilya Kovalchuk contract kerfuffle. However, thanks to Lou Lamoriello's pull with the NHL and Gary Bettman, the Devils sneak back into the first round. More playmaker than pure goal scorer, Scherbak did not look out of place in his first year in the WHL. In 54 games, he scored 69 points (26-43). His offensive game is built on his skating and puck skills. Because of his skating skills, Scherbak is an effective forechecker.
First Round Draft Pick Transactions
1. The Ottawa Senators' first-round pick will go to the Anaheim Ducks as the result of trade on July 5, 2013, that sent Bobby Ryan to Ottawa in exchange for Jakob Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen and this pick.
2. The New York Rangers' first-round pick will go to the Tampa Bay Lightning as the result of a trade on March 5, 2014 that sent Martin St. Louis to New York in exchange for Ryan Callahan, a first-round pick in 2015 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition — Tampa Bay will receive a first-round pick in 2014 if the Rangers advance to the 2014 Eastern Conference Final — was converted on May 13, 2014.
3. The New Jersey Devils will pick 30th overall in the first round. The Devils were expected to forfeit their first-round pick in 2014 (they elected to keep their first-round picks in 2011, 2012 and 2013) as the result of a penalty sanction due to cap circumvention when signing Ilya Kovalchuk. The penalty also included a fine of $3 million and the forfeit of the Devils' third round pick in 2011. The NHL partially rescinded the penalty keeping all of the penalties, except for modifying the first-round pick and reducing the fine to $1.5 million.
4. Buffalo receives St. Louis' 2014 1st round pick if the Blues re-sign Ryan Miller or if they trade his rights before the draft. If Miller signs or is traded after the draft, it becomes a 2016 2nd round pick. St. Louis receives Ryan Miller and Steve Ott for a conditional 2014 first round pick, a 2015 1st round pick, Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart and William Carrier.
According to an article appearing online at TSN, "The league has proposed smoothing or compressing the odds among the 14 non-playoff teams for the 2015 draft and then increasing the number of selections determined by the lottery in 2016."
During meetings held during the Stanley Cup Final, the article says that Buffalo GM Tim Murray told TSN's Pierre LeBrun that the changes would not be in effect for the 2015 Draft which features Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel.
The NHL Players's Association would have to vote to ratify any changes before they could be implemented.
In this Second Round Mock Draft, each player has ratings for the following scouting services: NHL's Central Scouting (CS), The Hockey News (THN), and International Scouting Service (ISS). CS breaks down their ratings by North American skaters (NAS), European skaters (ES), North American goaltenders (NAG) and European goaltenders (EG). THN lists each prospect's NHL Translation while ranking skaters and goaltenders together. ISS provides a prospects' comparable NHL player and has separate rankings for skaters and goaltenders.
The Draft positions utilized are those as of June 26, 2014.
31. BUFFALO SABRES – Jack Glover – D
CS: # 38 NAS —– THN: # 38 (Big, mobile defenseman)
ISS: # 44 (Ben Lovejoy)
The right-handed shot will continue his development at the University of Minnesota. Glover combines good size (6-3/190) with solid skating ability. While he still has some room to grow his game, he has the right work ethic needed to take his game to the next level.
32. FLORIDA PANTHERS – Thatcher Demko – G
CS: # 1 NAG —– THN: # 28 (Franchise goaltender)
ISS: # 1 G (Not Available)
The Roberto Luongo deal took care of Florida's current goaltending needs, but left a hole in the future with trading of Jakub Markstrom. Demko gives the Panthers hope for the future. The 6-4/195 Demko took over Boston College's goalie duties as freshman and never looked back. He uses that size well as he switches from a stand-up style to the butterfly as the need warrants. He is expected to backstop Team USA in the WJC.
33. ST. LOUIS BLUES – Ryan MacInnis – C
CS: # 20 NAS —– THN: # 44 (Two-way center)
ISS: # 25 (Jordan Staal)
Ryan is the son of Blues VP of Operations Al MacInnis. While he doesn't have his dad's shot (then again, who does), MacInnis is a versatile center who plays a solid game at both ends of the ice. While he has nice size (6-3/183), he still has some room to grow as he matures and gets stronger.
34. CALGARY FLAMES – Jack Dougherty – D
CS: # 30 NAS —– THN: # 25 (Offensive defenseman)
ISS: # 42 (Jason Woolley)
Dougherty originally committed to Ohio State, but he left for the University of Wisconsin when Buckeyes coach Mark Osiecki was fired. Dougherty's attributes are those that all NHL teams look for: right-handed shot, speed and mobility – with a good dose of hockey sense.
35. NEW YORK ISLANDERS – Alex Nedeljkovic – G
CS: # 4 NAG —– THN: # 45 (Starting goaltender)
ISS: # 3 G (Not available)
If Demko doesn't lead the USA at the WJC, then Nedeljkovic will – following up his gold medal performance at the U-18. That was a big accomplishment for a player who wasn't developed within the USNTDP. Alex's reflexes, anticipation and positioning are at a high level and help compensate for his average size (6-0/184).
36. VANCOUVER CANUCKS – Alex Peters – D
CS: # 56 NAS —– THN: # 68 (Not available)
ISS: # 47 (Marc Staal)
Peters has the one thing that you can't teach – size (6-3/207). As big as he is, Peters still has room to grow his physical game. Peters, the younger brother of Carolina goalie Justin Peters, is a defensive d-man who is very good at reading the play – especially in the defensive end. He has above average skating skills for someone his size and has a good shot from the point.
37. CAROLINA HURRICANES – Mason McDonald – G
CS: # 2 NAG —– THN: # 52 (Project goaltender)
ISS: # 2 G (Not available)
Whether or not the 'canes move Cam Ward, the team needs to move to start finding an eventual replacement. His size (6-4/185) and his right-handed catching glove will present problems for opponents. His development was slow until he was traded in the QMJHL. That paved the way for McDonald to lead Team Canada to a bronze medal at the U-18.
38. ANAHEIM DUCKS – Domenik Masin – D
CS: # 10 ES —– THN: # 35 (Two-way defenseman)
ISS: # 55 (Josh Gorges)
Masin (as in machine) captained the Czech Republic to a silver medal in the U-18. At 6-2/189, Masin is not afraid to use his size and led all Czech Republic Junior league players in PIMs (102). Masin is a solid two-way defenseman who has the skating and offensive ability to join the rush. He is a solid leader and is a strong character player.
39. BUFFALO SABRES – Nick Schmaltz – C/RW
CS: # 19 NAS —– THN: # 31 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 24 (Alex Semin)
Nick's brother Jordan was St. Louis' 1st round pick in 2012. Nick is expected to move from the USHL and join his brother at the University of North Dakota. He has natural offensive skills where he is more playmaker than goal scorer at this point in his career. He will need to work on his defensive zone coverage and he will need to get stronger and bulk up his frame (5-11/172).
40. OTTAWA SENATORS – Vladislav Kamenev – C/LW
CS: # 13 ES —– THN: # 56 (Enigmatic scorer)
ISS: # 29 (Eric Staal)
The specter of the KHL very well may cost Kamenev a shot at a 1st round selection. Kamenev was Russia's captain at the U-18 where he was their leading scorer (seven points in five games). While he has good size (6-2/185), Kamenev needs to learn to play more in traffic. Outside of that, Kamenev is a solid skater who features a big shot.
41. NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Brendan Lemieux – LW
CS: # 28 NAS —– THN: # 37 (Agitating forward)
ISS: # 34 (Claude Lemieux)
The younger Lemieux does play a physical game, but he does not play on the uber-pest level that his father did. Brendan is a smart two-way forward who is tough to play against. He is a player who can add offense to a defensive third line or defense to an offensive second line.
42. NASHVILLE PREDATORS – John Quenneville – C
CS: # 23 NAS —– THN: # 36 (Solid point producer)
ISS: # 41 (Scott Hartnell)
Quenneville's hockey bloodlines run deep. His second cousin is Chicago's coach, his brother-in-law is Johnny Boychuk and his older brother Peter was a 7th round pick of Columbus and John's teammate in Brandon. Quenneville is a tenacious player who uses his talents well when forechecking, while having good offensive skills.
43. ARIZONA COYOTES – Brett Pollock – C
CS: # 34 NAS —– THN: # 33 (Solid point producer)
ISS: # 36 (Kris Beech)
At 6-2/182, Pollock combines NHL size with a soft touch around the net. He will do whatever it takes to score and has variety of means to do so. His NHL ceiling could be even higher if he is able to strengthen his skating and work on improving his play in the defensive zone.
44. WASHINTON CAPITALS – Eric Cornel – C
CS: # 25 NAS —– THN: # 41 (Two-way center)
ISS: # 37 (Jared Aulin)
Cornel saw his numbers jump big-time from his first to second years with Peterborough (16 points to 62). He is a solid two-way player who is more of playmaker than scorer. While his size isn't a problem (6-1/186), Cornel still needs to get stronger and work on using his size more effectively.
45. DALLAS STARS – Adam Ollas Mattsson – D
CS: # 15 ES —– THN: # 98 (Not available)
ISS: # 50 (Niklas Hjalmarsson)
Mattsson is a solid defensive blueliner who has the ability to make a smart first pass out of his zone. The 6-4/216 Mattsson has NHL size already and he isn't afraid to use it. He will need to work on his skating which is average at best. He has the ability and natural talent to become a shutdown defenseman.
46. NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Brycen Martin – D
CS: # 26 NAS —– THN: # 51 (Offensive defenseman)
ISS: # 63 (Not available)
Martin is a good skater with strong puckhandling skills. The best part of his game is his ability to make that first pass out of the zone. It also causes him some problems because he lets mistakes carry over from one shift to another. In addition to starting the breakouts, Martin has the offensive ability to join the rush and utilize good offensive abilities.
47. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Andreas Englund – D
CS: # 30 ES —– THN: # 46 (Defensive defenseman)
ISS: # 67 (Not available)
Englund (6-3/189) is a defensive defenseman who knows his limitations on the ice. He is a good skater for his size and has good puckhandling skills, but he does not that have much of an offensive game. With that said, he will do whatever it takes defensively to win.
48. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS – Justin Kirkland – LW
CS: # 67 NAS —– THN: # 54 (Two-way forward)
ISS: # 35 (Blake Wheeler)
As a 17-year-old, Kirkland had a strong rookie season for Kelowna (WHL) with 48 points (17-31) in 68 games. At 6-2/175, Kirkland is still growing into his body and will continue to develop as a high-energy power forward type of player. Kirkland improved as the season progressed and tallied 10 points in 14 playoff games.
49. BUFFALO SABRES – Ryan Collins – D
CS: # 57 NAS —– THN: # 55 (Defensive defenseman)
ISS: # 52 (Bryan Allen)
The 6-5/202 Collins has the ability to impact a game based on his size and defensive play. Enrolled at the University of Minnesota, Collins has the abilities to add an offensive component to his game based on his first pass and good shot. As an imposing right-handed shooting d-man, Collins is a tempting prospect who might need an extra year or so to develop his game.
50. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – Brayden Point – C
CS: # 31 NAS —– THN: # 42 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 38 (Derek Roy)
At 5-9/160, the only thing holding Point back is his size. However, the organization that gave Martin St. Louis his big chance is not going to shy away from a talent like Point. His skating game is built more on being elusive than speedy, but it is his hockey sense and overall offensive skills that allows Point to thrive.
51. SAN JOSE SHARKS – Nikolai Goldobin – RW
CS: # 24 NAS —– THN: # 34 (Pure goal scorer)
ISS: # 28 (Gustav Nyquist)
The Russian-born Goldobin left home two years ago to play in Sarnia (OHL) and saw his point total rise from 68 (30-38) to 94 (38-56) – a total that was 2nd to Michael Dal Colle among all draft-eligible OHL prospects. Goldobin's superb puckhandling is the key to his offensive game. He needs to work on improving his defensive and physical play.
52. ST. LOUIS BLUES – Dylan Sadowy – C/LW
CS: # 33 NAS —– THN: # 76 (Not available)
ISS: # 46 (Brendan Gallagher)
Sadowy is a solid two-way player who can play in all situations. Sadowy showed a development in his offensive game at Saginaw (OHL) as he went from two goals in 2012/2013 to 27 last season. While his offensive game is still a work in progress, his defensive game and compete level are high.
53. SAN JOSE SHARKS – Anton Karlsson – RW
CS: # 11 ES —– THN: # 86 (Not available)
ISS: # 31 (David Backes)
As the Sharks continue to find a way to get to the Stanley Cup Final, having a player like Karlsson will help. The 6-1/187 RW is a versatile winger who uses his size to score in the high-contact areas thanks to his tenacity and strong hockey sense. His physical game makes him a valuable asset along the boards and on the forecheck.
54. CALGARY FLAMES – Nicolas Aube-Kubel –RW
CS: # 40 NAS —– THN: # 60 (Top-nine forward)
ISS: # 73 (Not available)
Aube-Kubel played in all three situations in his second season with Val-d'Or (QMJHL) as he improved from 27 points (10-17) to 53 (22-31). At this point of his development, Aube-Kubel's game is a defensive player with a developing offensive skillset. His offensive development will be based on his ability to use his hockey sense to elevate his offense.
55. ANAHEIM DUCKS – Shane Eiserman – LW
CS: # 45 NAS —– THN: # Not Rated in the Top 100 (Not available)
ISS: # 48 (Brandon Dubinsky)
Eiserman in enrolled at the University of New Hampshire. The winger left the USNTDP last year to jump to Dubuque (USHL) where he scored 16 goals and 24 assists in 53 games. At 6-1/200, Eiserman is a potential power forward who succeeds as a two-way forward. He used his size and skating to wreak havoc on the forecheck. He uses those same attributes to drive to the net and work the high-contact areas of the ice.
56. BOSTON BRUINS – Johnathan MacLeod – D
CS: # 44NAS —– THN: # 32 (Defensive defenseman)
ISS: # 72 (Not available)
Although committed to Boston University, THN wondered if his development would be better playing Junior hockey with Moncton (QMJHL). MacLeod was the 7th d-man for Team USA at the U-18. He uses his size (6-2/200) and hockey sense to play a defensive style. With the defensive size locked down, he needs to work on improving his offensive skills by improving his average skating and puckhandling skills.
57. NEW YORK ISLANDERS – Juho Lammikko – LW
CS: # 14 ES —– THN: # 83 (Not available)
ISS: # 49 (Kyle Okposo)
Lammikko uses his size (6-1/180) to gain time and position so that he can utilize his heavy shot. He is a solid player at both ends of the ice and is willing to do what is necessary to win. He split time in Finland in the men's league and the junior league.
58. ARIZONA COYOTES – Oskar Lindblom – LW
CS: # 23 ES —– THN: # Not Rated in Top 100 (Not available)
ISS: # 51 (Johan Franzen)
Lindblom is another solid two-way forward who has the body and willingness to work his way to the slot thanks to his nose for the net. While he uses his strength to be strong on the puck, Lindblom needs to work on his skating. The best part of his game is that he is already a North American style of player.
59. NEW YORK RANGERS – Hunter Smith – RW
CS: # 39 NAS —– THN: # 49 (Power forward)
ISS: # 39 (Shawn Thornton)
The knock on the Rangers during their Stanley Cup Final against the Kings was their lack of size. The 6-6/210 Smith should go a long way to help bring more of a physical presence to NY. Smith went undrafted last year after tallying a goal and an assist in 45 games during 2011-12 and 2012-13. This season he scored 16 goals and 24 assists in 64 games. Smith will need to improve his skating and defensive play if he wants to go beyond being a third/fourth line player.
60. LOS ANGELES KINGS – Ryan Donato – C
CS: # 58 NAS —– THN: # 40 (Dynamic point producer)
ISS: # 100 (Not available)
Donato is set to join his father Ted, who is the coach at Harvard, starting with the 2015-16 season. In the meantime, Donato has to decide if he will return to Dexter H.S. next year or will he look to go to the USHL (Omaha) or the British Columbia Hockey League. One would expect Ryan will consult with his father and his eventual draft team. Donato is a strong two-way player who sees the ice and uses his puckhandling abilities to be a skilled playmaker. He will have to raise his level of play as he steps up in leagues and competition.
Second Round Draft Pick Transactions
1. The Edmonton Oilers'' second-round pick will go to the St. Louis Blues as the result of a trade on July 10, 2013 that sent David Perron to Edmonton in exchange for Magnus Paajarvi and this pick.
2. The Toronto Maple Leafs' second-round pick will go to the Anaheim Ducks as the result of a trade on November 16, 2013 that sent Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz to Toronto in exchange for Jesse Blacker, Anaheim's seventh-round pick in 2014 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Anaheim will receive a second-round pick in 2014 if Holland plays in 25 or more games for the Maple Leafs during the 2013-14 NHL season – was converted on January 18, 2014.
3. The Winnipeg Jets' second-round pick will go to the Buffalo Sabres as the result of a trade on March 5, 2014 that sent Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick to Minnesota for Torrey Mitchell, a second-round pick in 2016 and this pick.
Minnesota previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on July 5, 2013 that sent Devin Setoguchi to Winnipeg in exchange for this pick.
4. The Detroit Red Wings' second-round pick will go to the Nashville Predators as the result of a trade on March 5, 2014 that sent David Legwand to Detroit in exchange for Patrick Eaves, Calle Jarnkrok, and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Nashville will receive a second-round pick in 2014 if Detroit qualifies for the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs – was converted on April 9, 2014.
5. The Minnesota Wild's second-round pick will go to the Buffalo Sabres as the result of trade on April 3, 2013 that sent Jason Pominville and a fourth-round pick in 2014 to Minnesota in exchange for Matt Hackett, Johan Larsson, a first-round pick in 2013 and this pick.
6. The Pittsburgh Penguins' second-round pick will go to the San Jose Sharks as the result of a trade on March 25, 2013 that sent Douglas Murray to Pittsburgh in exchange for a second-round pick in 2013 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – If Pittsburgh wins two rounds in the 2013 playoffs or if Murray re-signs with Pittsburgh, then San Jose will receive Pittsburgh's second-round pick in 2014 – was converted on May 24, 2013 when Pittsburgh advanced to the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals.
7. The Colorado Avalanche's second-round pick will go to the Calgary Flames as the result of a trade on March 5, 2014 that sent Reto Berra to Colorado in exchange for this pick.[
8. The Montreal Canadiens' second-round pick will go to the New York Islanders as the result of a trade on March 5, 2014 that sent Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2014 to Montreal in exchange for Sebastian Collberg and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – New York will receive a second-round pick in 2014 if Montreal qualifies for the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs – was converted on April 1, 2014.
9. The Chicago Blackhawks' second-round pick will go to the Arizona Coyotes as the result of a trade on March 4, 2014 that sent David Rundblad and Mathieu Brisebois to Chicago in exchange for this pick.[
10. Los Angeles re-acquired their second-round pick as the result of a trade on March 5, 2014 that sent Hudson Fasching and Nicolas Deslauriers to Buffalo in exchange for Brayden McNabb, Jonathan Parker, Los Angeles' second-round pick in 2015 and this pick.
Buffalo previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on April 1, 2013 that sent Robyn Regehr to Los Angeles in exchange for a second-round pick in 2015 and this pick.
Prior to last year when the Rangers waited until the third round (pick #65) to join the draft – selecting Adam Tambellini, the latest the Blueshirts had to wait before selecting their first player was 2000 when Sather drafted defenseman Filip Novak (64th overall).
To Sather's credit, the Rangers brought in some potential offensive talent in the third round in the form of Tambellini, Pavel Buchnevich and Anthony Duclair.
Novak and the Blueshirts 2002 first round pick headed south to the Panthers as the Rangers acquired Pavel Bure. Lee Falardeau (33rd overall) was the Rangers first selection that year.
Only the Rangers would be forced to give up two first round draft picks as a result of "trading" for coaches. In 1978, the Rangers gave up their first round selection as compensation for bringing in Fred Shero as the GM/Coach. The Flyers used that pick to draft Ken Linesman. The Rangers first pick in 1978 – Don Maloney with the 26th overall pick.
Phil Esposito saw how well that move went and decided to give up his 1988 1st round draft pick in exchange for naming Michel Bergeron as coach. While Quebec wasted the fifth overall pick on Daniel Dore, Blueshirts faithful can only dream of might have happened had Espo kept the pick as the likes of Jeremy Roenick, Rod Brind'Amour and Teemu Selanne were drafted eighth through tenth overall.
Instead, the Rangers first pick in 1988 was Troy Mallette. The rugged winger's place in Rangers history is solidified as the compensation for the Rangers signing Adam Graves as a free agent. To Espo's credit, he did select fellow paesan Tony Amonte in the fourth round (68th overall)
About the only time trading away a first round draft pick paid off for the Rangers was in 1995 when Smith sent the team's first round pick (later to be #15) to Hartford for Pat Verbeek. The "little Ball of Hate" played just 88 regular season games before leaving to sign with Dallas, but did register 97 points – including 41 goals and 41 assists (in 69 games) in 1995-96. In 21 playoff games, Verbeek added seven goals and 12 assists.
While the Rangers first round draft pick (28th overall thanks to their Stanley Cup run) resides in Tampa Bay, the Rangers do own their own second (#59), third (#89), fourth (#119), and have Florida's pick in the fifth round (#122) as a result of the Casey Wellman trade.
All of this can change given the news out of Florida that Ryan Callahan has re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. One condition of the deal was that if Cally stayed with Tampa Bay, the Rangers would receive the Lightning's 2015 2nd round draft pick. It is possible that Sather dangles that future pick as he attempts to navigate his way up (and down) the 2014 draft. The Blueshirts will be sending their 2015 7th round pick to Tampa Bay to finalize the deal.
Each player has ratings for the following scouting services: NHL's Central Scouting (CS), The Hockey News (THN), and International Scouting Service (ISS). CS breaks down their ratings by North American skaters (NAS), European skaters (ES), North American goaltenders (NAG) and European goaltenders (EG). THN lists each prospect's NHL Translation while ranking skaters and goaltenders together. ISS provides a prospects' comparable NHL player and has separate rankings for skaters and goaltenders.
The Draft positions utilized are those as of June 26, 2014.
In looking at the Rangers second and third round draft picks, I have identified four players as potential second round draft selections and three players as third round draft picks.
I had to do some heavy editing when I was putting together my second round projections for the Rangers. Two of the players who made my original list ended up being selected in the second round prior to the Blueshirts pick at #59.
Ryan Collins is a 6-5/202 defenseman who draws extra interest because he is a right-handed shot. He would have been the physical, take-no-prisoners kind of blueliner the Rangers have longed for since Jeff Beukeboom retired. However, I have the University of Minnesota commitment being drafted 49th overall by Buffalo.
Nikita Goldobin is a Russian-born RW who has spent the last two years playing in the OHL. Last year, with a really poor Sarnia team, Goldobin scored 38 goals and 56 assists in 67 games. Alas, I have him being scooped up by the San Jose Sharks with the 51st overall pick.
CS: # 41 NAS —– THN: # 95 (Not available)
ISS: # 57 (Lauri Korpikoski)
ISS NHL Potential: "Potential top-six forward, but needs significant development."
The 5-11/196 RW is yet another in a long line of Russian players who have left home to play Junior hockey in an attempt to adapt to the North American style of hockey. While it was a slow adjustment, Karabacek got better as the season progressed with Gatineau (QMJHL). In 65 regular season games, he scored 21 goals and 26 assists. Come playoff time, Karabacek elevated his game to the tune of six goals and six assists in nine games.
That development came as a result of what ISS calls "[his] willingness to compete for loose pucks and his battle level which was non-existent in the first part of the year."
ISS continued, "… there is still work he needs to do to improve his 200-foot game and physical play. Consistency needs attention, a little more urgency to his game."
Chris Mooring, the head Maritimes scout for ISS, wrote: "Has the offensive skill set to play at the next level and has shown improvement with every viewing."
Dennis MacInnis, ISS Director of Scouting, wrote: "Finesse style game, he is a good skater with an above average offensive skill set and hockey sense. However, his competitiveness level scares me long term."
CS: # 39NAS —– THN: # 49 (Power forward)
ISS: # 39 (Shawn Thornton)
ISS NHL Potential: "6-9 forward who can play [on the] Power Play."
Much was made of the Los Angeles Kings' size advantage during the 2014 Stanley Cup. The 6-6/210 Smith would go a long way in helping to narrow any size disadvantage the Rangers might have. After posting a goal and an assist in first 45 games in the OHL (spread over two years), Smith scored 16 goals and 24 assists in 64 games and chipped in 100 PIMs. His development really came to fruition in the playoffs when he scored three goals and eight assists in 12 games.
Smith went undrafted last year and according to one scout it was not a case of teams missing the boat. "I don't think teams missed on this guy," a scout told THN. "He's a guy who was just a really late developer. It's still projection-based, but he had a real breakout year."
ISS says that Smith is a "big developing power forward with good size and jam to his game." Well, you know that John Tortorella would love him
ISS continued: "Drives to the net hard and is a threat to score points in the danger areas due to his combination of size and strength." Well, now you know why I love him
ISS did caution that Smith needs to work on his skating and improving his coverage in the defensive zone.
M. Cuddahee, an ISS Scout, wrote: "Can be the steal of this draft if he continues developing his skating and hands at his current pace. A monster among men standing 6-6 with actual offensive talent. Plays with a mean streak and utilizes his size defensively.
MacInnis wrote: "An unpolished product whose offensive skills are still developing. Can create room for himself and his linemates on the ice with his size and physical play or beat the crap out of you in a fight."
CS: # 42 NAS —– THN: # 63 (Not available)
ISS: # 56 (Matt Niskanen)
ISS NHL Potential: "4-6 pairing defender with PP potential with further development"
If the Snuggerud name sounds familiar it should. Luc's uncle, Dave, played 265 NHL games (Buffalo, San Jose and Philadelphia) after being the Sabres 1987 NHL Supplemental Draft pick.
Snuggerud played for Eden Prairie High School in Minnesota last season and was named the winner of the 2014 reed Larson Award as the best senior high school defenseman in Minnesota. In addition, he played seven USHL games with Muskegon and Omaha. He is committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
The 6-0/180 Snuggerud is a defenseman whose game is built on his superb skating ability. Not only is he a fast skater, but his puckhandling abilities are able to keep up with his skating.
ISS calls him, "An emerging offensive talent that plays an aggressive attacking style. He can be effective defensively, controlling his gaps quickly and reasonably."
He is still a work-in-progress in terms of elevating his defensive abilities and he will need to add some bulk and get stronger. With that said, he could be the PP leader the Rangers need/want.
Paul Dionne, ISS Regional Scout, wrote: "Loves to lead the attack and does so with success. Snuggerud is an intelligent two-way defender and is a well-known respected leader on and off the ice."
Interestingly enough, the Rangers drafted a Paul Dionne in the 13th round of the 1975 NHL Draft, but they are not the same person.
MacInnis wrote: "Explosive skater, with a smooth, fluid stride and strong acceleration. Notable poise with the puck and impressive passing skill. Makes a good first-pass to jump start his offense."
CS: # 65 ES —– THN: Not Rated in the Top 100 (Not available)
ISS: # 66 (Not available)
ISS NHL Potential: "Top four shutdown defenceman and PK unit."
The hulking 6-7/228 defenseman is hoping that the third time is a charm after being passed over the last two years. Although he will not be until August, he has spent the last year and a half playing in the KHL and represented Russia at last year's WJC.
As you might imagine, his skating and footwork need work and he really doesn't have much of an offensive game, but, as you also might have imagined, his game is built on defense – using his wingspan to frustrate opponents.
ISS calls him "an intense blueliner that plays with an edge and relishes the physical game…. A big-bodied presence that is a tremendous asset on the penalty kill. Uses his long legs to block point shots effectively and protects the front of the net."
Steve Cocker, ISS Regional European Scout, wrote: "Wouldn't be surprised to see a team jump early on this kid … some impressive attributes along with a 6-7 frame."
MacInnis wrote: "Extremely raw prospect – needs to grow into his frame. Natural mean spirited and no fun to play against. Requires plenty of additional seasoning – can be prone to lapses in the defensive zone due to his lack of polish at times.
My order of preference is Smith, Snuggerud, Karabacek and then Tryamkin.
Smith is the exact kind of forward the Rangers desperately could have used against the Kings. Not only would he have helped combat the size difference, he could made a huge offensive difference – especially in the three overtime games in Los Angeles where a power play goal here or a dirty goal there meant the difference between a win and a loss.
Snuggerud is the second choice for a similar reason as to why I had Smith first. A player like him on the power play would have been so valuable on the man advantage.
Karabacek is a good player, but is a finesse type of forward and my preference would be for a more physical player. With that said, I could be very happy with him in a Blueshirt uniform.
Tryamkin is interesting because every team is looking to uncover the next Zdeno Chara – which is why I had rated as high as I do. The main downside to him is that the wait for his game to develop might be longer than I am willing to wait. This would be a case where I would have to rely on the opinions of my scouts in terms of how long it would take for him to develop.
CS: # 46 NAS —- THN: # Not Rated in the Top 100 (Not available)
ISS: # 54 (Taylor Pyatt)
ISS NHL Potential: "3rd line two-way power forward – [penalty killer]"
The 6-2/222 winger played for Plymouth (OHL) last season and scored 13 goals and 18 assists in 54 games. He added three goals in five playoff games.
ISS says that "Chatham's pro future will be to provide a solid up and down game on the wing. He does not possess top level offensive skills, but has the potential to score dirty goals at the next level as well as help out on the penalty kill."
Mike MacPherson, ISS Regional Ontario Scout, wrote: "Having watched all five games of the Plymouth-Guelph series, he was probably the one guy who I thought really improved and stood out for me. He is big, strong, moves well, he competes very hard, see him with huge upside, especially when he fills out his size"
Phil Myre, ISS Head U.S. Scout, wrote: "Size, strength, smarts. Hard working player who wins battles. Has good speed and good puck skills. Low risk player. Down side would be a 3rd line player."
CS: # 37 NAS —- THN: # 80 (Not available)
ISS: # 94 (Not available)
ISS NHL Potential: "He fits in well in a variety of roles and could play on any line at any time, including special teams"
Hawryluk played 59 games with Brandon (WHL) and scored 64 points (24-40) an improvement from 43 (18-25) in his first season in Junior hockey.
While he is only 5-10/186, Hawryluk plays a much bigger game and is not afraid to play a physical game.
ISS calls him "a fearless and highly motivated player in all situations on the ice. Hawryluk is an intelligent player who can find great areas behind coverage away from the puck and has a very good release on his shot and that makes him a deadly scoring threat….He can kill penalties and provide that x-factor that teams covet.
Ross MacLean, ISS Head Western Scout, wrote: "He's the type of player that you absolutely hate to play against. He's fast, he's aggressive, he doesn't quit and he can score."
Brent Parker, ISS Western Regional Scout, wrote: "Finished checks, has incurred three suspensions. Plays bigger than he is, will go into dirty areas to score. Quick release, good offensive instincts."
CS: # 32 NAS —- THN: # 70 (Not Available)
ISS: # 70 (Not available)
ISS NHL Potential: "Second-third line goal-scorer"
The 6-1/194 RW played his first season of Junior hockey last year. In 66 games with Kitchener (OHL), he scored 20 goals and 26 assists.
Magyar is a raw player who is still developing, but has a goal scorer's potential moving forward – as opposed to being a playmaker.
ISS says Magyar is a "developing power forward with a rare combination of size and skill. Likes to drive to the net to create offensive chances. Adept at scoring from the slot or the garbage areas with consistency."
If you have been paying attention, you notice there is a common theme among most of the forwards that I am looking at. They are all bigger players (or smaller ones who play big) who are able to score from those places where most current Rangers forwards don't go – in the slot and in the high-traffic areas of the ice.
MacPherson wrote: "First and foremost, his compete level stood out for me. Hard working in all three zones especially on the forecheck and tracking back through the neutral [zone]. Good job of protecting the puck down low and using his line mates to create offensive opportunity.
Ron MacLean ISS Regional Ontario Scout, wrote: "He competes hard as a third line player. There is nothing flashy about him, gets to open areas well with his line unit. He is an average skater and will have to improve to play Pro."
My order of preference is tough to determine because Chatham and Magyar are similar type players (power forward types) while Hawryluk is more of a Ryan Callahan type.
Originally, Magyar was among the first players I looked at as I was putting my list together – so much so that I almost included him in my second round preview. It would that he would be my first preference in the third round. As it turns out, Magyar is my second preference.
My first preference is Hawryluk. The more I look at his scouting reports, the more he sounded like a Callahan clone. While the scab is still raw over his contentious contract negotiations, no one could ever say that they would not want a Callahan-type of player on their team – and that is why Jayce gets the nod.
]]>The Blueshirts have no sixth round picks in 2014. Their own sixth rounder (#179) went to the Sharks in the deal that sent Tommy Grant and this conditional pick for Brandon Mashinter. The condition was met because Mashinter was a signed player on the Rangers' Reserve List.
The Rangers did acquire a sixth rounder from Columbus (#167), but that selection was sent to Minnesota as part of the Justin Falk deal. The Rangers acquired the pick from the Blue Jackets in the Marian Gaborik deal.
The Rangers seventh round pick (#209) was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Daniel Carcillo.
With the Rangers only having a fourth and fifth pick, the team's best strategy will be to draft the best player available – regardless of position or current need – because these players are most likely a few years away from the NHL.
Since Glen Sather has been dealing away so many assets (especially draft picks), the Rangers have (and will continue) to make use of undrafted free agency. These players are older and more experienced and are much closer to the NHL than a regular draft prospect.
As a result, the Rangers can use undrafted free agents to fill in open spots in the organization.
Ryan Haggerty (6-0/200) was one of the first collegiate undrafted free agents to sign in mid-March. The RPI RW was named to the 2013-2014 All-ECAC Hockey First Team and was named as a 2013-2014 American Hockey Coaches Association second Team all-American. In three years at RPI, Haggerty's offensive game and strength grew and he finished his collegiate career with 47 goals and 37 assists in 106 games.
In a bizarre twist, Haggerty's contract did not permit him to be sent to the AHL. Rather than gain experience playing in Hartford, he spent his time practicing with the Rangers.
Here is his Hockey News Scouting Report:
Assets: Knows where to go in order to score goals, and has very good hands. Also displays pretty good strength in his lower body, which helps him win board battles.
Flaws: Must prove he can be a consistent scoring threat at the highest level, because the rest of his game is only average. Could stand to get stronger in his upper body.
Career Potential: Scoring winger with upside.
About three weeks later, Vermont senior captain Chris McCarthy was the second collegian to sign with the Blueshirts. The fifth-year senior captain helped Vermont to reach the NCAA Tournament. McCarthy received a medical redshirt after playing just five games into his junior year. During his final two years at Vermont, the 6-1/205 center scored 31 goals and 42 assists in 74 games.
McCarthy is a solid two-way center who should be able to contribute on the third or fourth lines. He attended the summer prospect camps of the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks during the last two years.
In mid-April, the Rangers added depth to their blue line by signing their third non-drafted collegian – Mat Bodie of Union College. Flyers draft pick and USA World Junior team member Shayne Gottisbehere might have garnered more of the recognition, but it is Bodie who captained Union and garnered higher accolades.
Bodie was a 2013-2014 All-ECAC Hockey Team and 2013-2014 AHCA East First Team All-American. Bodie uses a strong skating game and hockey sense to overcome his slight build (6-0/165) – think Torrey Krug. Bodie averaged nearly a point a game as a senior (39 points in 40 games) and finished his career with 28 goals and 96 assists in 154 games.
The Rangers recently ventured across the Atlantic to add another undrafted defenseman in Petr Zamorsky (a right-handed shot). The 6-0/185 blueliner was selected as the Czech Extraliga's best defenseman. At the beginning of May, Zamorsky signed a two-year deal with Espoo of Finland. However, his strong play in helping lead the Czech Republic to a fourth-place finish in the World Championship drew attention from the NHL and Zamorsky exercised an NHL-out clause in his Espoo deal.
Turning our attention back to the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, I have identified three players as potential fourth round draft selections and three players as fifth round draft picks.
Each player has ratings for the following scouting services: NHL's Central Scouting (CS), The Hockey News (THN), and International Scouting Service (ISS). CS breaks down their ratings by North American skaters (NAS), European skaters (ES), North American goaltenders (NAG) and European goaltenders (EG). THN lists each prospect's NHL Translation while ranking skaters and goaltenders together. ISS provides a prospects' comparable NHL player and has separate rankings for skaters and goaltenders.
The Draft positions utilized are those as of June 26, 2014.
CS: #: 74 NAS — THN: Not Rated in the Top 100
ISS: 121 (Not Available)
ISS NHL Potential: "Four-five defender who can contribute offensively."
The 6-2/173 Gendron has committed to attend the University of Connecticut in 2015-16. Interesting side note, his coach at Rivers was former NHLer Shawn McEachern, who played a big part in Gendron's development during the 2012-13 season. McEachern switched Gendron from center to defense.
Gendron does have the option to play in the USHL for Green Bay who drafted him this year. Last year, Lincoln of the USHL drafted as well as Moncton (QMJHL).
ISS says he is "a gifted offensive player with natural playmaking ability. An excellent skater with good speed who can change gears without hesitation and loves carrying the puck. Possesses a hard, accurate point shot that he can get off in no time…. Tries to do too much on his own. Still needs to get stronger physically as he has a lanky frame."
Ed Harding, ISS Regional U.S. Scout, wrote: "Very good feet and quickness in his game. Best skater on the ice. Gave opponent hard time by jumping into play and breaking up plays with his back pressure. I would have liked to see him control the puck better.
Dennis MacInnis, ISS Director of Scouting, wrote: "smooth feet and quick. Reads plays very well and good gap control. Moves the puck smartly and very strong on the rush. He needs to work on getting shots through on the offensive blueline."
CS: # 119 ES —– THN: # Not Rated in the Top 100 (Not available)
ISS: # 90 (Not available)
ISS NHL Potential: "A bottom four defenseman who brings a physical edge and defensive shutdown qualities to the blueline."
The 6-4/205 right-handed shooter is a physical defensive d-man who leads by example. The Slovak-born Jaros played last season with Lulea in Sweden. If you were as frustrated as I was watching Rangers flail away with pokechecks, you won't get that with Jaros because he is more likely to lay the body than use his stick.
ISS sees him as a "strong two-way figure on the backend brought it on both sides of the puck, defensively incredibly smart, attention to detail and active while offensively showing good vision and smart decision on the first pass…."
Steve Crocker, ISS Regional European Scout, wrote: "Brings intensity and a physical element to the blueline. Won't hesitate to engage and get involved in the play. Logs big minutes."
Ondrej Otcenas, ISS Regional European Scout, wrote: "Pretty good skater with good mobility on his size. Very good shot from point. Needs to improve his defensive play, but is very skilled. Plays body well and can make accurate long passes."
CS: # 11 NAG —– THN: # Not Rated in the Top 100 (Not available)
ISS NHL Potential: "He's got some skill and with added maturity could surprise and be a serviceable pro who may even be able to compete for a start here or there."
The California native spent last season with the USNTDP and was committed to attend Brown University. However when he was unable to get the necessary financial aid package from Brown (Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships), Weyrick de-committed from the school. His USHL rights belong to Tri-City and his Junior rights belong to Red Deer (WHL).
Kyle Woodlief from Red Line Report offered his opinion on Weyrick: "When at his best, Weyrick flashes a crisp glove hand and limits second-chance opportunities by absorbing pucks into his body and smothering rebounds. At 6-3, 210, he has the size that NHL clubs crave, and he fills the net with an upright style. However, he has a tendency to be wildly inconsistent and doesn't always handle adversity well when things break down around him."
Weyrick is an athletic goaltender who plays smartly in terms of positioning and mechanics. His problems arise when his concentration starts wondering and it is that lack of focus that causes his problems and throws off his game.
Phil Myre, ISS Head U.S. Scout, wrote: "Very good size goalie. Plays angles well. Has good skills. Good technique and lateral movement. Must improve focus and concentration. Must improve rebound control."
Ron MacLean, ISS Regional Ontario Scout, wrote: "There's a lot to like in his game and his flaws seem palpable enough to be addressed in the short term."
In respect to my fourth round preference, I wouldn't have a problem selecting any of these three players in the third round if my three third round preferences were not available. My order of preference is Weyrick, Jaros and Gendron.
While the Rangers are set with Henrik Lundqvist in goal, the cupboard behind him is pretty barren. Last year the Rangers drafted Mackenzie Skapski in the 6th round and he is progressing, but the Rangers still need to add more depth. Scott Stacjer has continued to battle the injury bug while Jason Missiaen and Jeff Malcolm have not staked out a spot with Hartford.
Things got so back with the Wolf Pack that they had to sign and rely AHL veteran goaltenders Dov Grumet-Morris and David LeNeveu.
While Cam Talbot proved to be a superb backup to The King, his days with the Rangers might be numbered. Talbot is set to be an Unrestricted Free Agent following this season. You have to figure that Talbot will want to test free agency to see if he can, at the very least, compete for a starting job. The Rangers might not be able to afford the salary cap space to overpay him to stay. In fact, the Rangers might want to start looking to move him now because a potential starting goalie who is making less than $600,000 will be enticing to more than a few NHL teams.
As a result, Weyrick gets the nod over Jaros and Gendron. While I like both defensemen, I am more intrigued with Jaros' size, physicality and the defensive presence he brings. The fact that Jaros is a right-handed shot is a bonus.
CS: # 107 NAS —– THN: # 85 (Not available)
ISS: # 126 (Not available)
ISS NHL Potential: "Top 4 puck moving defenseman with incredible smarts and vision when moving the puck."
The 5-11/193 right-handed shooting blueliner spent last season with the USA U-18 team and is committed to the University of Miami (Ohio). Belpidio was named one of the three best American players at the U-18 Tournament (Jack Eichel and Alex Nedejkovic were the other two selected).
ISS said his "Hockey sense and IQ on the puck are major strengths … his game as a defenseman is based around his poised play on the puck and leadership qualities. Mobility, agility, and overall skating is a strength."
While his size is a question, his hockey knowledge and ability to read the game help to compensate.
Crocker wrote: "A Highly intelligent offensive defenseman who shows incredible vision and mobility to run the offensive point or QB the breakout up ice."
Paul Dionne, ISS Regional U.S. Scout, wrote: "One of the most improved players on the NTDP's U-18 squad and still has really flown under the radar as a very smart two-way defender that has excellent game speed, rarely makes mistakes and just simply gets the job done."
CS: # 34 ES —– THN: # Not Rated in the Top 100 (Not available)
ISS NHL Potential: "Top 6 producer."
While the 6-2/189 Sharov had a good regular season playing for CSKA Moscow in Russia's MHL (17 goals and 17 assists in 41 games), he saved the best for the playoffs as he tallied six goals and 12 assists in 20 games.
ISS calls him a "natural goal-scorer with good finishing ability that has produced at every level. Can line up either down the middle or on the wing …. Brings shiftiness and evasiveness doe to his skating ability and speed. Has plus hockey sense."
Sharov still needs to get stronger and work on adding a physical aspect to his game and he still needs to work on his play in the defensive zone.
Yuri Yanchenkov, ISS Head European Scout, wrote: "Good third-liner for me. Competes hard. Has goal scoring ability but all-around game needs improvement."
MacInnis wrote: "Has the ability to handle the puck at high speed and change gears without missing a beat. Can go through the motions at times. Needs to play more committed defensively."
CS: # 3 E-G —– THN: # 43 (Project goaltender)
ISS NHL Potential: "Possesses a good projectable frame and raw skill-set to be an interesting development case."
The 6-4/194 Soderstrom played 23 games with Djurgarden in the Swedish Junior League posting a 2.61 GAA and a .915 SV%. Soderstrom uses his size to play within his crease – utilizing a butterfly style.
ISS cautions that he needs to get stronger and work on being more comfortable leaving his crease to handle the puck. However, they do say "his frame and technical skills are intriguing and show good potential for the next level when looking at his entire package that he brings to the table."
Cocker wrote: "Soderstrom possesses an incredible total package as a goaltender … raw frame, controlled lateral movement between the pipes. Seems to elevate his game when he is needed the most, could be a riser come Draft day."
Olli Lahdesmaki, ISS Hockey Intern, wrote: "Calm, well postured goaltender, pays attention to eh details. Good coverage on net, while glove/blocker are quick. Some inconsistency during U-18, but was solid when it mattered most."
My order of preference for the fifth round pick might be the toughest of all four rounds because the three players I selected are so different. In the end, I decided to go with Soderstrom, Belpidio and Sharov.
Since the Rangers organization is deepest in forwards, especially after their solid three picks in last year's third round, I decided to place Sharov third. While I like Belpidio, and he does fit the Rangers need for a potential PP leader, I went with Soderstrom as my second goaltender of the draft because I want to be certain that I have potential NHL-caliber goaltenders available in the system. My hope is that between Weyrick and Soderstrom I am able to hit on an NHL goalie. If both goaltenders develop into NHL-caliber players, then that is a valuable trade asset because goaltending is a lot like pitching in baseball – you can never have too many of them.
]]>Interestingly enough, many of those same pundits were writing the Rangers off because they won two Game 7s.
Every time someone has tried to bury the Rangers, they have refused to go gently into that good night. While the Rangers embrace the underdog role, they are conceding nothing.
"So throughout these playoffs, and it's not gonna change now, we've been the underdog," Alain Vigneault told Justin Tasch of the Daily News. "But what we've done is we've focused on how we play and what we need to do on the ice, and that's definitely what we're gonna do here come Wednesday."
Hockey analysts point to the Western Conference's dominance as a leading factor in their predictions of a Kings Stanley Cup championship. However, a closer look hardly points to any such dominance.
Of the last 13 Stanley Cup winners, just seven have come from the Western Conference. If you go all the back to 1991 (the year that the Oilers/Flames run ended), the numbers are dead even – 11 titles per Conference.
Unlike the rich playoff history between the Rangers-Canadiens, the Rangers-Kings playoff history is brief. The teams have met twice in the playoffs – both times in the NHL's Preliminary Round. In 1979, the Rangers began their unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Final with a two-game sweep (in a Best-of-Three showdown).
Two years later the Rangers took the Best-of-Five series in four games. That playoff matchup turned ugly following the first period of Game 2 when both benches emptied for an old-fashioned BRAWL that featured six game misconducts (three per team), and a Rangers team record for penalty minutes in one period (125) and a game (145). Rookie Ed "Boxcar" Hospodar led the way with 39 PIMs.
Even Nick Fotiu, who was serving an eight-game suspension for going into the stands in Detroit, got involved as he raced down to the glass to pull a Kings fan of one of his teammates.
Truly a game that the Hanson Brothers could be proud of.
The season series offers no insights into the Stanley Cup Final. The Rangers defeated Los Angeles on October 7 as the Blueshirts registered the first of three road victories (in nine games) to start the season.
About five weeks later the teams finished their season series as the Kings shut out the Rangers 1-0 with the win going to a goaltender who isn't even in the organization any more (Ben Scrivens).
Both teams have evolved and changed since that November 17 tilt. Each team's leading playoff goal scorer (Martin St. Louis and Marian Gaborik) wasn't even a glimpse in their GM's eye.
I see the Rangers road to victory following the path of the following keys:
In each of my previous playoff previews, two keys that have followed the Rangers are Special Teams/Discipline and having their best players be their best players. Their checklist for victory begins with these two factors.
Los Angeles begins the SCF as the highest scoring team in all of the playoffs, averaging 3.48 goals – compared to the eighth rated Rangers (2.70). The Kings power play is fifth in the playoffs (28.6%) compared to the tenth rated Rangers (13.6%).
Fortunately for the Rangers, their penalty killers have been the second best in the playoffs (85.9%) and probably would have been the best except the Flyers posted their numbers against the Blueshirts. The Kings penalty killers were rated ninth (81.2%).
Obviously, the easiest way to slow down the Kings power play is to play smart hockey and eliminate bad penalties – especially the careless ones in the offensive zone.
When the Rangers are on the power play they need to be disciplined enough to follow Wayne Gretzky's advice: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Therefore, the Rangers must stop chasing the elusive "perfect shot for the perfect goal" and look to get more rubber on goal – and more bodies in front of the goaltender.
The Kings are the second-best team on faceoffs in the playoffs. The Rangers are going to lose their fair share of draws, but they can help mitigate the problem by staying disciplined and remembering their defensive assignments.
The deeper you get in the playoffs, the more teams need their stars to lead the way. The Kings have the overall advantage in terms of SCF experience. As a result, St. Louis and Brad Richards have to step up and show their less-experienced teammates the way. Even SCF rookie Rick Nash can channel his Team Canada experiences to help his teammates brave the big stage.
It is important that the Rangers big guns fire in this series because you know that the Kings big guns (Gaborik, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar) will. If the Rangers do end up losing to the Kings, karma will probably end up biting the Blueshirts in the arse as Gaborik would probably walk away with the Conn Smythe Trophy.
No Fly-Bys: This key is a two-parter. The Kings are a very physical team so the Rangers will have to step up their physical play to match the Kings and to slow them down through the neutral zone. The Rangers must follow their pokechecks with body contact and not get caught off balance and out of position. On offense, it means Rangers forwards have to stop their habit of flying by the top of the crease and setting up shop at the side of the net. They would be in much better position to pounce on rebounds if they positioned themselves at the top of the crease as opposed to side of the net.
The Rangers also need to do a better job of finishing around the net. I don't know if the Rangers inability to score off rebounds is a result of good defensive play or really bad finishing skills. No wonder the Blueshirts don't always like to go to the front of the net.
Third Period: If the Rangers want to know what their best game plan is they just need to watch the tape of the third period of Game 6 against Montreal. The Blueshirts did not sit on their one goal lead. Instead, they forechecked the Habs into submission. The more the puck is in the Kings zone, the more chances the Rangers will have to score – thus limiting the number of scoring chances the Kings will have. They need to put pressure on the likes of Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell, or even Robyn Regehr if he is healthy enough to get into the lineup.
Quicken The Pressure: Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick has the ability to win a series on his own. However, Quick has struggled this year. The Rangers need to get some traffic in front of Quick and force him to scramble to find the puck. In such situations, he will have a tendency to drop to the ice early – thus leaving the top of the net uncovered. When Quick is off his game he will often fight the puck and be overly aggressive. As a result, the Rangers will want to get Quick moving and let his aggression pull him out of the play. On other thing to watch is to see if Quick taking a shot off his right collarbone during practice on Tuesday factors into his play during the series.
Early and Often: I have talked about the idea that momentum does not carry from game-to-game. If that were the case, we would be watching the San Jose Sharks play the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, there is fatigue-factor that can carry over from game-to-game – and it isn't necessarily a physical fatigue.
Constantly having to rally to just survive and advance can take as much out of a team as playing a lot of games in a short period of time. The Rangers need to come out extra strong to start the series and fire the opening salvo by winning Game 1. In addition to coming out strong in Game 1, they need to be strong at the start of each game. A lot of their success against Montreal was their ability to play with the lead.
While much has been made about the Kings resiliency and their ability to bounce back, the Blueshirts need to make Los Angeles chase them on the scoreboard. Even the most flexible rubber band can be overextended and break.
Torts/AV: While Vigneault has the team buying into his system, some of the Rangers success in the playoffs goes back to the defensive foundation that John Tortorella developed. Truth be told, the Rangers could have, and probably should have, been playing an AV-like style under Torts, but the former coach just never seemed to have enough confidence in his team.
The Rangers are going to need to harken back to their Tortorella days when it comes to defending against the Kings. Los Angeles is a team that far and away led the NHL in hits so the Rangers had better be prepared to return to their "Black-and-Blueshirts" ways. No one expects the Rangers to play the trap, but they're going to have to clog the neutral zone.
Five-Foot Rule: The Rangers have to obey the five foot rule in terms of defensive responsibility and in neutral zone play. Any time the Rangers have the opportunity to control the puck within five feet of their blue line; they must clear the puck out and resist the urge for a costly turnover.
Conversely, when the Rangers get within five feet of the Kings blue line they can't afford to turn the puck over in the neutral zone. If there is no play to be made, then the puck must be sent in deep to avoid turnovers and potential odd-man rushes. Playing some "dump-and-chase" hockey will also help them set up their forechecking – provided the Rangers remember the "chase" part.
Despite those who see the playing of the games as a mere formality, this series is not that easy to figure out. Yes, it does appear that the Kings are a team of destiny who are enjoying the "magic carpet ride". Winning three consecutive Game 7s, all on the road (including being down 3-0 to San Jose) does speak to that Los Angeles mystique.
However, the Rangers can lay claim to their own mojo working in their direction with a pair of Game 7 victories, including their first ever 3-1 series comeback. Toss in their ability overcome their Bell Centre of horrors and the Rangers can claim a share of that magic carpet.
The season series between the two teams really doesn't play into figuring out the Stanley Cup because the two teams haven't seen each other in over six months.
The Rangers have been used to the underdog role since the beginning of the playoffs. They were too small to beat the Flyers. They weren't offensive enough to beat the Penguins. They weren't fast enough to beat the Canadiens.
Guess what?
The Rangers still managed to find a way to beat all three teams to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Alain Vigneault spent seven years as coach of the Vancouver Canucks so he is familiar with the Los Angeles Kings. Av's Canucks beat the Kings in six games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals in 2010. The Kings got their revenge two years later in a five-game Western Conference Quarterfinals victory as part of the Kings march to the championship.
In the end, AV's first-hand experience dealing with the Kings and the Rangers edge in goal and on defense will prove to be the difference with the Rangers Game 7 mojo outlasting the Kings Game 7 mojo as Lord Stanley's Cup returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time in 20 years after a hard fought seven-game series.
Hopefully, it won't be another 20 years between Rangers Stanley Cup championships.