Potential Players the New York Rangers Could Draft
The New York Rangers are currently sitting ninth from the bottom of the NHL. With the playoffs highly unlikely, it’s time to focus some attention on the lottery draft. Here is an early list of potential players expected to be the top 15 selections.
For a team that is in a rebuilding season looking at the draft is very important. Currently the New York Rangers have two first round picks this June, with the potential of having four if the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup and the Dallas Stars make the Western Conference Final.
Since we do not know where exactly the Rangers will pick in the draft, I am going to cover the top 15 projected players in the draft to get a sense of what the Rangers may end up picking. The rankings are based on ISS Hockey’s mid-season rankings.
Picks 15-11
15. Raphael Lavoie – Forward
Lavoie currently plays in the QMJHL for the Halifax Mooseheads. He is 18 years old and plays center and right wing. In his 58 games played in the QMJHL he has 32 goals and 39 assists. These are fairly impressive numbers, but they most likely won’t transfer over to the NHL.
Being six foot four inches and 198 pounds, Lavoie has a big body that can help him shield the puck and use it in the tougher areas of the ice. From the amount of points he has and his highlights from this year he has quite the knack for scoring and producing offense.
14. Thomas Harley – Defense
Harley, who is only 17 years old, is playing in the OHL for the Mississauga Steelheads. Playing defense, he currently has 52 points in 61 games played. Having a height of six foot three inches and weighing 183 pounds Harley is a large defenseman who will only get bigger as he ages, who has shown offensive potential.
13. Cam York – Defense
York is a five foot 11 inch and 172 pound defenseman, currently playing for the United States National Development team. In his 44 games played he has 36 points. York is a speedy defenseman, with the ability to move the puck. The 17-year old is committed to the University of Michigan next season, so he is longterm prospect.
12. Victor Soderstrom – Defense
Soderstrom, native of Sweden is his first season playing for Brynas IF in the SHL. In his 38 games he has seven points. Soderstrom is projected as a 2-way defenseman who is able to play both sides of the puck. With the Rangers history of drafting, I could see them looking at Soderstrom to be a good contribution to a defense that has been struggling quite a bit.
Don’t expect Soderstrom to play in the NHL right after getting drafted. His path could be similar to Nils Lundkvist, honing his skills in the SHL before coming over.
11. Matthew Robertson – Defense
Another big defenseman who is six foot four inches and 201 pounds, Robertson is currently playing in the WHL for the Edmonton Oil Kings. Robertson has good offensive ability and understands when to join the offense and when to stay back on defense. In his 46 games played he has 26 points.
Robertson has a big body that allows his to have an effective hit and protect the puck in tight areas. Robertson is another option that the Rangers could pick if looking for a big, mobile defenseman.
Picks 10-6
10. Alex Turcotte – Center
Playing for the United States National Development team, Turcotte has a total of 23 points in 11 games played. The five foot 11 inch and 194 pound center is only 18 years of age. Turcotte is a dynamic 2-way center with great skating ability and great overall offensive ability who has been a top scorer at every level he has played.
The Rangers already have quite a few centers, but if they find themselves drafting in the middle of the first round and Turcotte is available they should not hesitate to draft him.
9. Philip Broberg – Defense
Swedish-born defenseman Broberg is six foot three inches tall and 203 pounds. At only 17 years of age Broberg would be on the younger side of draft eligible players. Playing majority of this years games for AIK in the Allsvenkan league in Sweden, he has recorded eight points in 39 games played.
Broberg has a powerful shot from the point and great overall speed. Although, he does not have a lot of points this season, Broberg does have a decent amount of offensive potential. The Rangers should take a long look at Broberg if they want a defenseman with plenty of speed who is great on both sides of the puck.
8. Trevor Zegras – Center
Zegras currently plays for the United States National Development team, but has spent some time with their under 18 team. Being only 17 years old Zegras is younger them most other draft eligible players. He’s a native of Bedford, New York.
This season he currently has 65 points in 46 games played. This shows that Zegras has plenty of offensive ability. Zegras a center, which is not a need for the Rangers currently, but with the potential that he has it may be a mistake to pass up on him. Zegras is committed to Boston University next year.
7. Matthew Boldy – Left Wing
Boldy is a left winger who should be a player of interest for the Rangers, who lack in offensive prospects. The Boston College commit is currently playing with the United States National Development under 18 team. In the 47 games played he registered 24 goals and 29 assists.
Boldy is a very offensive minded forward and always looking to shoot the puck. Being six feet two inches tall and 187 pounds, Boldy is a large forward who can be able to protect the puck and use his body to in the rough areas to win puck battles.
6. Kirby Dach – Center
A right handed centerman, Dach, is currently playing the WHL for the Saskatoon Blades. In 56 games played this season he has 23 goals and 44 assists. These impressive numbers may not transfer over to the NHL, but shows the potential that he has.
The six foot four inch and 198 pound centerman is extremely skillful with a great set of hands and good skating ability. The Rangers if drafting this early should take a long hard look at Dach even if they are deep at center.
Picks 5-1
5. Dylan Cozens – Forward
Cozens, who is 18 years of age is currently playing for the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL. Playing in 62 games this season, Cozens has 31 goals and 45 assists. Posting impressive numbers in the WHL shows how much offensive potential that Cozens has.
Cozens is very versatile being able to play both the wing and center. This is good for the Rangers since they have quite a lot of centers in their system.
4. Bowen Byram – Defense
The six-foot one-inch lefthand shooting defenseman currently plays for the Vancouver Giants in the WHL. This big bodied defenseman can play both sides of the puck and knows how to deliver a hit. In the 62 games he has played this season he registered 66 points.
Producing at any level shows that Byram has offensive potential, but it most likely won’t be the same production in the NHL. Byram is a defenseman that the Rangers could definitely use.
3. Vasily Podkolzin – Forward
Currently playing in the KHL for the SKA St. Petersburg, Podkolzin is a highly skilled forward. who is a consensus top three pick in the June draft. Podkolzin is a speedy left winger with explosive skating and a great shot. The large six-foot one-inch winger can use his body effectively and push through defenders to get the puck.
Podkolzin doesn’t turn 18 until June so one expect that he would probably spend some more time in the KHL before making the move to North America. He is exactly what the Rangers should be looking for. Lacking in the wing department, Podkolzin would be a solid addition to the rebuilding Rangers.
2. Kaapo Kakko – Forward
The 18 year old Finnish right winger is one of the most coveted players coming into the draft. Kakko is extremely skilled in all aspects of the game. Playing in the Liiga with TPS, he has 33 points in the 40 games played.
Kakko is considered to be NHL ready and should make the jump to the big leagues next season. With the skill set that Kakko has he will be extremely successful in the NHL. If the Rangers are lucky enough to pick in the top two Kakko would be a great addition.
1. Jack Hughes – Center
Jack Hughes is considered the prize pick of the draft, a cannot miss prospect ready to make the leap to the NHL. The center plays for the United States National Development team and is the best player in the draft by far. Hughes is a very dynamic player who has wonderful hands and a great shot.
Hughes can play both sides of the puck and significantly contribute to the offense. In 33 games for the National Team, Hughes has 17 goals and 64 points. He is one of the three Hughes brothers. Quinn is defensive prospect for the Canucks and younger brother Luke is a defenseman just starting his career.
The only knock on Hughes is his size. At 5’10”, 170 pounds, the 17-year old is expected to grow, but he makes up for his lack of size with his explosive skating speed. It’s no mystery that the lottery draft has become known as the “Lose for Hughes” sweepstakes.
If the Rangers are fortunate enough to move up to a top three position in the draft lottery, there are some very fine prospects for them to pick from.
Next. Is Zibanejad the next Ranger superstar?. dark
The NHL 2019 draft is June 21-22 and with about five weeks left in the season, much attention will be on the battle for draft lottery positioning. We will be hearing a lot more about all of these players as we get nearer to the draft.