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Olympic medals for the best Rangers draft picks, round by round

By Steve Paulus

Rangers Brian Leetch gets the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP following game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals at Madison Square Garden June 14, 1994. The Rangers won the game 3-2 and the Stanley Cup.Rangers Win Stanley Cup
Rangers Brian Leetch gets the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP following game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals at Madison Square Garden June 14, 1994. The Rangers won the game 3-2 and the Stanley Cup.Rangers Win Stanley Cup /
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INGLEWOOD, CA – JANUARY 1: Tony Amonte #33 of the New York Rangers and Alexei Zhitnik #2 of the Los Angeles Kings on January 1, 1994 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CA – JANUARY 1: Tony Amonte #33 of the New York Rangers and Alexei Zhitnik #2 of the Los Angeles Kings on January 1, 1994 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images) /

Fourth round picks

Gold:  Tony Amonte (1988)

Silver:  John Vanbiesbrouck (1981)

Bronze:   Ryan Callahan (2004)

Honorable mentions:  Mario Marois (1977), Marc Savard (1995)

Future medalists?:  Ryan Graves (2013), Igor Shesterkin (2014), Dylan Garand (2020)

Tony Amonte is a slam dunk for the gold medal with 416 goals and 900 points.   He is eighth overall in goals scored by a U.S. born player and 14th in points.  Should he be in the Hall of Fame?  Another U.S. born player, John Vanbiesbrouck takes home the silver medal.   He played more games than any goalie from the USA and is second in wins all-time.

The bronze medal goes to Ryan Callahan and that is a sentimental pick as Marc Savard probably could make a case for third place.  Savard had more goals and 706 points to Callahan’s 386.  As we said, it’s a sentimental pick.  Oh yes, the Rangers traded Amonte, Vanbiesbrouck and Callahan.

Mario Marois was a defensemen who played almost a thousand games in the NHL over 15 years.  Of course, the Rangers traded him to Vancouver in his fourth year in the NHL at 23 years of age.

Igor Shesterkin has a very good chance to  get to the medal podium though he needs to display some longevity to make it.

Next up the fifth round and a pretty dismal list of contenders except for one.

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