Redrafting the Rangers part 1: Building a contender
Redrafting the New York Rangers, year by year
This is the first of a three part series looking at the New York Rangers NHL Entry Draft selections from 2003 to 2019. Did the Blueshirts make the right selection or would they do it differently? In our first installment, we’ll look at 2003-08 when the team began to emerge as a Stanley Cup contender.
Hindsight; noun: ‘perception of the nature of an event after it has happened…’ Translation – when New York Rangers fans examine and reexamine what the franchise should of, could of, or what they would have done year after year in the off-season.As I’ve stated before, I’m a big “What If” guy. The possibility of what could be or could have been reinvigorates my love of the game. The trade deadline is my personal Christmas. Free agency is my birthday and the NHL draft is my New Year’s. Each and every year the rumors circulate and my heart pounds with anticipation – “What will the New York Rangers do next?”
With this year’s first-overall pick still up for grabs, the possibility of the New York Rangers drafting a potential generational talent in Alex Lafrenière percolates. It’s not likely to happen, but the odds aren’t zero either. To be clear, winning the Stanley Cup is by and far the preferred outcome. Every sane Rangers fan would prefer that, especially after such an overwhelming year, but… in the off chance that the puck doesn’t bounce in the Blueshirts’ favor… the alternative isn’t so bad.
The NHL Draft is something special. Since I was a kid, I would watch and scout from the comfort of my couch equipped with my Brian Leetch jersey, a notebook and clipboard with that year’s NHL.com’s projected draft order attached. I’d pretend to know more than I did about each player’s scouting report and then debate the picks at that week’s Peewee practice. Heck, maybe Glen Sather would call my name one day. Why not me?
Was my name ever called? Only in my dreams, but regardless the thrill of the draft never diminished.
Each and every year young men dress their best and attend that annual weekend of festivities. Hundreds of players watch in anticipation as years of hardwork and sacrifice finally payoff with not only a payout, but the possibility of playing at the top tier of their craft. Parents, partners, and people of all ages partake in the feel good weekend.
Watching mothers and fathers tear up as their child walks to that podium to don that new ball cap is truly something special.
However, this is just the start of another chapter. A more rigorous journey for these young men awaits and as years go bye some of the cream selected in later rounds rise to the top and some early-round top-tier talent sinks to the bottom…
Living up to the potential
The New York Rangers have never been known for their drafting. They’ve acquired most of their first-round talent via trade or signing or the front office has opted to mortgage off their picks and prospects in order to push for the Stanley Cup “here and now.” They came so close, but at a cost that may not have been worth it – in hindsight, of course.
In terms of drafting, on more than one occasion the Rangers have selected a ‘stud’ who was ultimately a dud. Whether that’s due to the Rangers’ development program or the player itself, the player’s potential is stunted and perhaps even disappear from the NHL entirely.
No disrespect to the players that never panned out, but a few have managed to break many a fan’s heart over the years. Some have caused such heartache that decades have passed and the sting remains.
Building a contender
For context to these selections, between the 1997-98 to 2003-04 season, the New York Rangers failed to make it to the postseason. The great Brian Leetch was the leading scorer in those years with 331 points in 480 games and was a minus-71. Petr Nedved was second in points. The team was living in the shadow of its 1994 triumph and prior to the 2004-05 NHL lockout, the New York Rangers finally overhauled their lineup. 2005-06 would begin with an entirely new looking roster headlined by the king of the mullet, Jaromir Jagr.
With all of this in mind, here is a part one of a three part series that reexamines the New York Rangers’ draft selections over the years.
Please note that I’ve only selected players that went in the first two rounds (or selections). Players that were drafted much lower – like a Henrik Lundqvist for instance – were universally skipped over. Franchises could never have predicted that he’d be who he is today.
2003 Original Selection #12 Hugh Jessiman
This is a painful place to start, but it feels the most appropriate. Several players that came out of the 2003 draft are still dominating the league today. Several of whom were selected after Dartmouth’s Hugh Jessiman. To give you some context, Jessiman was drafted right after Jeff Carter and right before Dustin Brown.
What hurts even more is that Jessiman never even suited up for the Blueshirts. After five years bouncing around in the minors, Hugh Jessiman was traded to the Nashville Predators in 2008 for the always gut-punching “future considerations.”
With 2003 going down as one of the best drafts in recent years, it’s agonizing and heartbreaking to have such a high draft pick only end up playing a total of 2 games in his entire NHL career. It’s even worse considering the Rangers selected Ivan Baranka with their second-round selection (#50). Baranka played a total of one game in the NHL.
This may go down as Glen Sather’s worst draft of all time.
New Selection: Brent Burns
Originally selected 20th overall, Brent Burns is still a top five NHL defenseman to this day. I was torn between Brent Burns, #19 Ryan Getzlaf, #17 Zach Parise or #45 Patrice Bergeron, but Burns is still one of the most feared players in the game. Patrice Bergeron would be a great second choice, but considering where he was originally drafted, Brent Burns is a more fair selection here.
Yes, Burns and the San Jose Sharks did have an bad season this year, but so did every other California franchise. At age 35, Brent Burns is only one year removed from his 83 points in 82 games and three years removed from his Norris Trophy-winning season, in which he tallied 29 goals and 76 points in 82 outings.
Other notable players available:
#14 Brent Seabrook, #23 Ryan Kesler, #24 Mike Richards, #26 Brian Boyle, #28 Corey Perry, #33 Loui Eriksson, #49 Shea Weber, #62 David Backes
2004 Original Selection #6 Al Montoya
Katz’s Deli named a sandwich after him. I repeat: Katz’s Deli had a sandwich named “The Montoya.” That’s how big the hype was. The University of Michigan prospect was the next Mike Richter in the eyes of many. At a time where franchises were building their club from the net out, Al Montoya was the divinely chosen heir to the throne. However, Montoya never even dressed for a single Rangers game.
Though he eventually became a viable backup in the 2010s, playing a total of 168 NHL games, Al Montoya never came close to living up the the sixth-overall selection.
New Selection: Mike Green
People tend to forget how dominant Mike Green was in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Mike Green was producing over a point-per-game at one point and was the most dominant offensive defenseman in the league. Originally selected 29th overall, Mike Green would easily be a top-ten selection if there were to be a redraft.
You could also make an argument for #15 Alexander Radulov, but Radulov brought on more headaches than anything else early on. He was suspended from the Nashville Predators roster in 2012 for behavioral reasons and his extended return to the KHL would not have sat well with fans and the front office.
Original Selection #19: Lauri Korpikoski
2004 is one of only a few years in the new millennium that the New York Rangers had more than one first-round selection. Drafted out of Finland, Lauri Korpikoski eventually became a solid third-line winger in his own right, but he only played one season in Manhattan before he was dealt to Phoenix/Arizona for Enver Lisin.
In 609 career NHL games, Lauri Korpikoski had 201 points. 14 of those were with the New York Rangers.
In 135 career NHL games, Enver Lisin had 42 points. Fun fact, just like Korpikoski, 14 of those points were with the New York Rangers.
New Selection: Travis Zajac
Selected immediately after Lauri Korpikoski with the 20th overall pick, Travis Zajac is still a viable center to this day. He’s never been a flashy playmaker, but he has been a steadfast center over the years. Zajac may have only eclipsed 20 goals twice in his career, but he would have been a needed anchor down the middle for the always center-lacking Rangers.
Draft Note:
The saving grace to the 2004 draft is that the Rangers selected Brandon Dubinsky with the last pick of the second-round and Ryan Callahan in the fourth with 127th pick. Both of whom became fixtures for the franchise for the next decade.
Other notable players available:
#13 Drew Stafford, #14 Devan Dubnyk, #26 Cory Schneider, #63 David Krejci
2005 – Original Selection #12 Marc Staal
Selected directly after Anze Kopitar, Marc Staal is obviously the best first-round selection on this list thus far. He’s still a member of the team and still playing significant minutes which is an accomplishment unto itself. Outside of Henrik Lundqvist, Staal is the longest tenured player on the roster.
Marc Staal was a defensive powerhouse prior to two his often-referenced injuries. Had neither occurred Staal may be a steal at #12 to this day. However, post-concussion, he lost a step or two in his game. He appears to be a terrific locker room guy, but fans have been calling for his removal for more than a season or two.
New Selection: T.J. Oshie
Originally selected 24th overall, T.J. Oshie is as consistent as they come. There are plenty of other notable names in this draft class, but with Oshie sporting a career .71 PPG, T.J. Oshie would be a fan favorite overnight. And never forget his heroics at the Sochi Olympics in 2014.
T.J. Oshie made the transition from the University of North Dakota to the St. Louis Blues in the 2008-09 season. 2008-09 was the lone season of Nikolai Zherdev for the New York Rangers and the first season without Jaromir Jagr. Oshie would have provided that needed scoring touch that both Jagr and Zherdev assumed while providing a more physical presence.
Selection Note:
I acknowledge full well that this may be my most controversial selection on this list. If Henrik Lundqvist wasn’t with the franchise, then the selection would have been #21 Tuukka Rask.
Other notable players available:
#21 Tuukka Rask, #25 Andrew Cogliano, #28 Matt Niskanen, #33 James Neal, #35 Marc-Edouard Vlasic, #40 Michael Sauer, #42 Justin Abdelkader, #44 Paul Stastny, #62 Kris Letang, #72 Jonathan Quick, #85 Ben Bishop, #105 Keith Yandle
2006 – Original Selection #21 Bob Sanguinetti
In a 2008 Bleacher Report article written by Joe Correia, Correia writes, “My bet is that [Bob Sanguinetti] spends a year in the AHL as a member of the Hartford Wolf Pack, but I believe that we will be able to see Bobby in the NHL sooner rather than later.”
Twelve years later, Joe Correia was half right. In four years with the New York Rangers franchise, Sanguinetti played a year in Hartford and then another and another and another and THEN he played five games for the Rangers and was eventually shipped to Carolina for a sixth round pick.
The Rangers drafted Sanguinetti hoping he would quarterback the power play, but he ultimately was too much of a liability on the defensive side of the puck; which is a problem if you’re a defenseman.
In total, Bob Sanguinetti played 45 games in the NHL. The positive is that that sixth round pick eventually became Jesper Fast.
New Selection: Claude Giroux
Rangers fans have gotten to know Claude Giroux and his game more than most opposing players thanks to HBO’s 2011 ’24/7: Flyers/Rangers – Road to the Winter Classic’. As much as any self-respecting Rangers fan hates the Flyers, it’s hard to hate Giroux.
He’s a talented, vigilant and versatile leader that has captained the Flyers franchise for the better part of a decade. Giroux provides not only a scoring touch, but a physical presence. After switching from center to left wing in 2018, Giroux tallied a career high in 102 points; the most in Flyers history since Eric Lindros‘s 115 in 1995-96. Giroux’s efforts also placed him fourth in MVP voting.
This might have been the easiest re-draft selection on the entire list. Claude Giroux is an elite, flexible player that the New York Rangers faithful would welcome with open arms.
Additional Selection #54: Artem Anisimov
The Rangers got this one right. Brad Marchand and Cal Clutterbuck both went in the third-round, but no other player from the second-round has performed like Anisimov has. Milan Lucic was drafted four picks prior, but between Anisimov and Marchand there’s no other player to select.
Other notable players available:
#23 Semyon Varlamov, #25 Patrick Berglund, #28 Nick Foligno
2007 – Original Selection #17 Alexei Cherepanov
This is by far the most heartbreaking entry on this list. While playing in the KHL for Omsk Avangard with linemate Jaromir Jagr, 19-year-old rising star, Alexei Cherepanov collapsed on the bench. His death was ruled a heart failure.
New Selection: Alexei Cherepanov
By many accounts, Cherepanov was slated to be the next great New York Ranger. In hindsight, the Rangers shouldn’t have drafted anyone else. In an alternate universe, Alexei Cherepanov would be alive and well and thriving under the lights of Madison Square Garden.
Other notable players available:
#18 Ian Cole, 22 Max Pacioretty, #24 Mikael Backlund, #26 David Perron, #43 P.K. Subban, #61 Wayne Simmonds, #77 Alexander Killorn, #129 Jamie Benn
Additional Selection: #168 Carl Hagelin
With the 168th pick (sixth-round), the New York Rangers selected Carl Hagelin. Not only is Hagelin the only New York selection from this draft to play in the NHL, but he’s the first selection that went on to win the Stanley Cup. Additionally, he’s the only Stanley Cup winner on this list to play minutes for the team that won the cup.
Hagelin was eventually traded to Anaheim for Emerson Etem. Etem played 19 games for the New York Rangers and then was traded to Vancouver for Nicklas Jensen and a sixth-round pick . Jensen played a total of seven games for the Rangers and then left to play in the KHL.
Hagelin was traded from Anaheim to to Pittsburgh Penguins for David Perron and Adam Clendening. While in Pittsburgh, he would go on to win not one, but two Stanley Cups.
Draft Note:
Carl Hagelin is the first former Rangers draft pick to get his name on the Stanley Cup since Marc Savard. Marc Savard was drafted by the Blueshirts with 91st overall pick in 1995. Between Savard’s selection in 1995 and Hagelin’s selection in 2007, no Rangers’ selection has gone on to win a Stanley Cup.
Marc Savard would go on to win the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011. However, Marc Savard didn’t play a single game in the playoffs. On March 7th, 2011, Savard was hit in the head by Pittsburgh Penguins’s Matt Cooke. Cooke was never fined or penalized for the hit, but Savard never played another game in the NHL. Tastefully, the Boston Bruins still put Savard’s name on the Stanley Cup.
2008 – Original Selection #20 Michael Del Zotto
By no means was Michael Del Zotto a bad pick, but he was a difficult player (both on and off the ice). Unlike Bob Sanguinetti, Michael Del Zotto made a quick jump to the National Hockey League; perhaps too quick a jump. When Del Zotto arrived on the scene he was woefully a one-dimensional player. His offensive numbers from the blueline made him a fan favorite overnight. Fans were willing to overlook the gaps in his gameplay by focusing on his offensive upside…
Early on, John Tortorella praised a young Del Zotto for his confidence with the puck and playmaking ability. Under Tortorella’s tutelage, Del Zotto had a career season in 2011-12 with 41 points and a plus-minus of plus-20.
However, his defensive game and maturity never developed in New York. Alain Vigneault quickly dismissed the stubborn Del Zotto and the once productive player was shipped to Nashville for the steady, stay-at-home, Kevin Klein.
New Selection: John Carlson
An article published on NHL.com on July 16th, 2020 lists John Carlson as the number-one fantasy defenseman in the entire NHL. Carlson’s game has only improved over the years. His offensive production has yet to dip at any point in his career and in eleven seasons, Carlson has only had a negative plus-minus twice.
In 69 games this season, John Carlson has 75 points. He’s first in the league in total points by a defenseman and tied for twelvth (with Mika Zibanejad) amongst all skaters.
Originally drafted with the 27th overall pick, the 2017-18 Stanley Cup winner is the perfect player to replace Michael Del Zotto.
Additional Selection #51: Derek Stepan
Only seven players have scored a hat trick in their NHL debut. Derek Stepan is one of them. On 10/9/10, Derek Stepan debuted and delivered one heck of a show. He may have only scored 21 goals in total that season, but Derek Stepan’s introduction is cemented in hockey history.
Out of all players in the 2008 draft, Stepan has ranks sixth in total games played. He was eventually traded to Arizona along with Antti Raanta for Tony DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft (Lias Andersson)
Draft Note:
Other than Carl Hagelin, Michael Del Zotto is the only other New York Rangers draft pick in this three part series to win a Stanley Cup. However, unlike Hagelin, Michael Del Zotto didn’t play a single game in the playoffs. Acquired at the trade deadline, Del Zotto was a member of the 2019 St. Louis Blues championship roster, even though he played a total of seven games for the Blues in the regular season. His name is engraved on the Cup.
Other notable players available:
#22 Jordan Eberle, #26 Tyler Ennis, #38 Roman Josi
Up next
With these drafts, the New York Rangers managed to bounce back from their prolonged “hangover” and make the playoffs for four consecutive years between 2005 to 2009, but didn’t see much postseason success, never playing more than ten playoff games in any one year.
The team made strides toward league legitimacy again, but failing to get past the conference quarterfinals would cost Coach Tom Renney his job. The team would pick up where he left off with the era of John Tortorella.
In our next installment we’ll look at the drafts (and the picks it cost them) in the years that the Rangers were one of the best in the NHL.
Must Read. Is this the end for Lias Andersson?. light
Please free to weigh in below if you have some favorites you would have drafted.