Who should the New York Rangers target with Carolina’s first round pick?

Noel Gunler, RW, Luleå (SHL)

I have written about Gunler before, and he is a player that I am a huge fan of and feel is undervalued by mainstream scouts. As I have also pointed out before, I think the Rangers may be a bit more clued into his talent than most teams because Gunler plays on the same team as Rangers prospect Nils Lundkvist.

Gunler is not an excellent playmaker, but he brings a talent the Rangers lack outside of Mika Zibanejad, and that is a shoot-first mentality. Gunler has a reputation as a lazy player, but that is not accurate. He is a good forechecker and while his skating isn’t pretty it still gets him from A to B faster than most.

Gunler played limited minutes at Luleå this past season but still managed to put up 13 points in 45 games. I expect him to obliterate that total this upcoming season. Gunler would be truly excellent value in this range and is a very realistic pick for the Rangers.

Marat Khusnutdinov, C, SKA-1946 (MHL)

Like Gunler and Jan Myšak (who is my third European target), Marat Khusnutdinov is a player that I have written about before. He stands at only 5’9″ but is a nearly prodigious defensive talent both in terms of effort and positional intelligence. He is an excellent skater with a high skill level and strong creative instincts. The only real knock on him is his shooting talent, but players can work on their shot.

I really believe that if everything clicks for Khusnutdinov, he could be a borderline first-line center. I am higher on him than most, but that is mainly due to a) exposure and b) him not putting up gaudy numbers due to playing on a deep team. Khustnutdinov is a project in a physical sense, but his hockey skill and intelligence are both incredibly advanced. He is a real player, and one I hope will don the Rangers sweater one day.

Jan Myšak, C, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)

Myšak is a player that gets linked with the Rangers very often. He started off the season in the Czech Republic’s professional league before making the switch to the OHL halfway through the season. Myšak scored at a 40 goal pace over a full season in the OHL, putting up 15 goals in 22 games. I don’t think he is a high-end playmaker, but he is still very good in that respect. His real gifts are his speed and scoring ability. He is a very direct player with the puck on his stick and has some nice physical tools. I think he projects as a good second-line player who can play on both special teams.

Rodion Amirov, LW, Salavat (KHL)

Amirov is a highly skilled playmaker who spent most of his draft season in Russia’s top professional league. He only put up 2 points at that level, but it is very easy to see why he is rated so highly by scouts after watching him for a bit. His puck skills are very strong and he is an excellent transition player, which means he will likely be a positive possession player at the NHL level.

His skating is very good and will help with his transition to the NHL. He is not a big player, standing at about 6′ and weighing 170 lbs, but he knows how to use his skill and skating ability to hold onto the puck and win battles. There is a decent chance Amirov will be gone when the Rangers select, but we know the Rangers like their Russians, so if he is still on the board he will definitely be a target.