A possible target in this year’s NHL Entry Draft would be the young Jeremy Bracco.
New York Rangers
This young man is 18 years old and hails from Freeport, NY. He ranks 60th among the NHL’s 2015 Central Scouting. As the Rangers have a pick in the second round (59th overall selection from the trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2014), Bracco could be available for the organization.
In the fall, he will be enrolled at Boston College, where the likes of present Rangers Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes have been developed.
He’s natural position is at right wing, a position the Rangers are in need of replenishing. He could be liken to Mats Zuccarello or Martin St. Louis, in that Bracco is small in stature and not overly buff in the weight department. As of now, he stands at 5’9 and weighs 173 lbs; both of these measurements are comparable to the before-mentioned players. And, they weren’t that bad playing for the Rangers.
NHL Player Comparison: Johnny Gaudreau (thehockeywriters.com)
Bracco has garnered praise from the hockey community in his young career. He has spent the past few years with the USNTDP (Unite States National Training Development Program) participating in the under-18 program.
While playing for the program, Bracco was a consistent point-per-game player, averaging 1.41 points in 119 games. He registered 46 goals and 122 assists in two seasons with the U.S. National Under-17 and -18 Teams. His highest offensive production was this past season with the Under-18 National Team, where he scored 30 goals and 64 assists in 65 games.
So what does this young prospect bring to the table?
Well, Bracco has been described as a fast, elusive player who possesses a good vision of the ice around him.
On thehockeywriters.com, they posted a prospect article on Bracco and their observations:
"“Highly skilled, Bracco is elusive in the offensive zone and outworks everyone to win loose puck battles. His work ethic is one of the best I’ve seen this year and he does everything in his power to help his team win. Size will always be a huge drawback, which is why I consider Bracco a “boom or bust” pick. He does get knocked around against bigger defenders, but that’s to be expected. He’s still able to maintain excellent balance for the most part given how low he is to the ground. Having said that, he’s shown the grit and determination that leads me to believe he’ll be more boom than bust.”"
Bracco is not a player that will make an immediate impact for the Rangers in the near future. The man is only 18 years of age and has room to grow. However, he is on the right path following Kreider and Hayes to Boston College.
If his consistent play continues into college and is able to put on a little more muscle, he could be a factor in the team’s plans. But, Bracco doesn’t need to look far for examples of small players, who’ve made it in the NHL.
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