New York Rangers: Who should they pick in the first round of the draft?
With the future of this NHL season in doubt it’s not too early to look ahead to the NHL Entry Draft and some possible future New York Rangers
On Wednesday, the NHL announced that the draft, combine, and awards show scheduled for June in Montreal would be postponed, another example of how the sports world continues to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s only one small bit of collateral damage from a much-larger crisis, but since hockey fans have some time on their hands, we can take a peek ahead at players the New York Rangers might (or should) be targeting in the draft.
Picks gained and lost
The Blueshirts don’t have a second round pick (it was traded to the Hurricanes as part of the Adam Fox deal) though they do have a pair in the third round. Most selections after Round Two are a crapshoot and the Rangers can’t count on them to stick in the NHL, though there are a few notable exceptions from the last decade: Pavel Buchnevich third round -2013, Igor Shesterkin fourth – 2014, and Jesper Fast sixth – 2010.
So, we’ll concentrate on the Rangers’ two first rounders. The team’s biggest needs are a true second line center and someone who can win faceoffs. It would be a huge boost to the tream if they could find a player who meets both requirements.
New York’s extra pick is also thanks to Carolina, which came in exchange for Brady Skjei. The Rangers get the worst of the two picks Carolina owns (their own and Toronto’s). Technically, since the Canes have a better record than the Maple Leafs, the first rounder would arrive via Carolina, but the final standings are still unclear due to the number of games played by each team. Right now, that means the Rangers would pick 21st or 22nd.
First round – The Skjei trade pick
Kaiden Guhle (Prince Albert – WHL) is listed as the 19th best prospect on NHL.com’s March 20 draft rankings. But he’s a defenseman, as is #20, Jeremie Porter (Saint John – QMJHL). The Rangers are well-stocked at defense (and in goal), so even if these two fall a few spots, New York should probably pass on them.
Seth Jarvis (Portland – WHL) is at 21st on NHL.com’s prospect list. They call the center a “smart, skilled player who executes with pace and excels as a penalty-killer”. One possible knock on him is his size, or lack thereof. He’s listed as 5’9”, 179 lbs, not exactly a mountain of a man, but check him out in this video from a year and a half ago. Scrappy.
There’s another clip on YouTube which might have convinced me Jarvis would be a great pick.
The prospect listed just after Jarvis presents a bit of a dilemma for the Rangers. Justin Barron (Halifax – QMJHL), is a solid 6’1”, 195 lbs, though he is another defenseman. But he’s also the brother of ECHC Player of the Year Morgan Barron, chosen by the Rangers in the 2017 draft. As Steve Paulus noted in his recent article (below) Morgan could return to Cornell for his senior campaign. Would drafting one brother encourage the other to sign with the Rangers this year?
First round – Rangers’ pick
Then there is New York’s own pick in the first round. If the regular season does not resume, and forgetting (for now) about the draft lottery, the Rangers would select 16th. Once again, the two preceding prospects William Wallinder (Modo – Sweden) and Braden Schneider (Brandon – WHL), are defensemen, so let’s not waste a wish on either of them falling a couple of spots. At 16th is Hendrix Lapierre (Chicoutimi – QMJHL). Though the center missed quite a few games with an injury last season, NHL.com says he “may have the highest ceiling of any player projected to go in the first round.”
After that is Rodion Amirov (Salavat Yulaey Ufa – KHL). NHL.com says the Russian “models his game after forwards Auston Matthews…and Nikita Kucherov.” If you’re going to steal, steal from the best.
That leaves a dark horse in center Dylan Holloway (Wisconsin – NCAA). NHL.com lists him at 18th, the first collegiate player selected in the draft, but others have him going as high as 10th. He’s only one year removed from an AJHL season where he scored 88 points (40 g – 48 a) in 53 games.
Different perspectives
There’s a mock draft at www.draftsite.com which has the Rangers selecting RW Dawson Mercer (Drummondville – QMHL) with the 13th pick, and D-man Ryan O’Rourke (Sault Ste. Marie – OHL) with the 23rd selection. In 2018-19, Mercer tallied30 goals and 34 assists (nearly a point-a-game) in the QMJHL, and had 60 points in 26 less games this year.
Actually, anything could happen. While it’s doubtful Detroit would pass on projected top pick LW Alexis Lafreniere, what if Jeff Gorton went for broke and tossed two first rounders and two third rounders at them? And no, I am NOT suggesting they do this. I think Kaapo Kakko will be a very good player, but he and Jack Hughes have shown that even a can’t-miss prospect won’t necessarily help a team right away.
But players sometimes inexplicably slip in the draft, giving teams a shot at somebody they didn’t think they could get. Or the Rangers might package bloated, expiring contracts and draft picks to go after one of the centers NHL.com has rated in the top six: Quinton Byfield, Cole Perfetti, or Marco Rossi. And we can’t rule out another draft lottery miracle.
Write-in candidates?
I’ll throw it open to the readers. Do you have a prospect you’d like to see the Rangers select, someone you’ve seen play, even an ESPN highlight that gave you a feel for them? Pass that knowledge on.
Just puh-lease make sure he can win a faceoff.
More. 5 worst days in team history. light