We’ve watched David Quinn coach the New York Rangers for two seasons and we know what kind of players he likes. How will that affect the upcoming NHL Entry Draft?
There’s no question about the kind of player that New York Rangers Coach David Quinn likes. He favors strong North American skaters who take the body and play hard. He values toughness over finesse and treasures players who show his proverbial “swagger” and “battle level.”
Quinn has been with the organization for two drafts, but this is the first one in which he will have an opportunity to have an impact. In 2018 he was new to the team and couldn’t have had much sway when the team picked Vitali Kravtsov ninth overall. Would he have preferred Oliver Wahlstrom or Evan Bouchard? Who knows? He probably did weigh in on the acquisition of K’Andre Miller later in the first round having seen him in NCAA action.
Last year there was no doubt about who the Rangers were going to select when they won the second pick in the lottery. It was either Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko, depending on the choice made by the New Jersey Devils. We will never know what Quinn really felt about Kakko and whether deep down he would have preferred a Kirby Dach or Alex Turcotte.
For later rounds, Quinn would inevitably have to rely on the team’s scouts as he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see much of players like Matthew Robertson or Karl Henriksson. But with all of the knowledge available about potential first round picks, Quinn could have some influence.