The New York Rangers currently possess three first round picks in next month’s NHL Entry Draft. In addition to their own pick, ninth overall, they currently hold Boston’s pick, at 26th overall and Tampa Bay’s at 28th overall. One player they could target with one of the late firsts is Dominik Bokk.
Dominik Bokk is a talented German winger who currently plays for the Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League. He is projected to be a late first round pick, and should be available with either the Boston or Tampa pick.
Bokk played at the D1A World Junior Championships with Germany this year, and posted five points in five games. In Sweden, he has split time between the SHL and the J20 leagues. He didn’t play much in the SHL and was mostly stapled to the fourth line. In 15 games in the SHL, he put up a goal and an assist.
However, in the J20 league, he absolutely dominated. In 35 games, he put up 14 goals and 27 assists. There is no denying that Bokk is an exciting talent. Let’s take a deeper dive.
Skating
Bokk is a pretty strong skater. While he isn’t going to dazzle you with his speed, he has a good first step and also accelerates very strongly. It doesn’t take long for him to reach his stop speed as it just a couple of strides.
He can also change speed and direction instantly which gives him the ability to create space. He is also very agile and his edge-work is good which allows him to make plays without much room.
Offense
Bokk’s offensive game is outstanding. He is an incredible stick-handler and has amazing hands, not requiring much space to make a play. His passing and vision also stand out on the ice.
His hockey IQ is also second to none. He constantly makes smart plays with the puck and can get open when he doesn’t have it. Bokk is incredibly strong and has good balance, which allows him to protect the puck well.
Bokk is a pure goal scorer. His wrist shot is very hard and accurate, as is his snap shot. His release is also very quick. He has a strong slapshot as well.
Bokk can also score in tight. He’ll go to the net and score via tip-ins and rebounds, as well as passes from in close.
Defense
Defensively, Bokk needs some work. His positioning and backcheck are not great, but they will improve with time and coaching. One thing to keep in mind is that this was Bokk’s first year playing against serious competition. In the lower leagues, Bokk often had the puck and didn’t need to defend as much. As time goes on, he will improve away from the puck.
Projection
Bokk is very talented, but is also incredibly raw. He will need to continue to improve his game, and also get some good coaching. Bokk is a few years away from being NHL-ready, but when he is fully developed, he should be a talented top-six winger.
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Bokk is someone that the New York Rangers would be wise to grab with one of their late firsts. While he needs some work and is a few years away from the NHL, he has tremendous upside. If he develops well and hits his potential, he could be an incredibly valuable top-six winger.