Guest Post: The New York Rangers 2013 Draft Recap

by Matt Lavanco

The 2013 NHL Draft came and went this past weekend and it was relatively uninteresting in Rangers-land. No draft picks were moved in or out, Glen Sather stood fast and left Gordie Clark to select the players he thought would best help this organization.
Left to his own devices Gordie used his five selections on five projects, none of whom project to compete for a roster spot in fall camp. Fans will have to patient for this current crop of prospects to develop and hopefully we’ll see some offensive output from this class several years down the road. It is interesting to note that the Rangers drafted two players from the QMJHL – the same amount of players selected from the Q since 2007 (in which they also took two).

Here's a look at each of the five:

Clark opened the third round by selecting University of North Dakota commit, Adam Tambellini. Tambellini absolutely dominated his BCHL competition this past season. Tambellini used his size, speed and great shot release to give teams a headache. He’ll have to continue to develop his defensive game and turn into an all-around effective two-way player. He will more than likely spend all four years at NoDak to grow into his body and grow his game.

Pavel Buchnevich, the second of the third round picks, is a wild card. Buchnevich is a highly skilled offensive dynamo. He stood out this year in at the Under-18 tournament in his home country showing off his skill and playmaking abilities. It feels like well-worn territory, but with every Russian draft pick the big question of whether he will actually come to the USA is asked. Buchnevich has two years remaining on his KHL contract so there isn’t much to get excited over just yet. If he does come though, he will hopefully be stronger and physically more mature than he is now.

The selection of Anthony Duclair closed out the third round for the Rangers. The Quebec Remparts winger burst on the scene as a rookie with 31 goals and 66 points in 63 games. Expectations for Duclair went sky high and there were musings that he might be go in the first round this year. However, injuries and inconsistency led to Duclair’s stock dropping sharply. If he can find a groove and add some strength Duclair could be a terrific prospect. The slick winger is an absolute stud in the offensive zone. He has elite speed that allows him to retrieve loose pucks and generate scoring chances. He also has great puck protection skills. Duclair has to improve his defensive game and show better positioning in his own zone. He will be an exciting prospect to follow over the next few years.

There’s not much to say about the Rangers fourth round selection, P.E.I. Rockets’ Ryan Graves. Graves is a work in progress. He attempts to play a physical, intimidating game in a league that is not overtly physical. Graves needs to improve is skating and footwork in order to play the shutdown role he is sized for.

With the Rangers final pick of the 2013 NHL Draft, they chose goalie Mackenzie Skapski of the Kootenay Ice. Now in my preview I had stated that I did not thing where the Rangers were selecting a goalie would be a wise choice. I stand by that opinion. Skapski posted a 34-25 record with an unremarkable 2.78 GAA and .910 Save % for the Ice. He lead his team to the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL’s Eastern Conference – to which Kootenay got railroaded by top seed Edmonton. Skapski did have a fantastic February and recorded four shutouts with a 1.27 GAA and .956 Save %.

Skapski is a big body in the net. He uses his size to cut down angles well, but he needs to work on his recovery. In limited viewings, Skapski seemed slow on rebounds and therefore exposed on second and third shots.

Post-Draft Monday Musings

All sortsa random stuff rattling around my head after spending Sunday in Newark:

*That was the fastest seven hours I've experienced - what a terrific experience. The NHL should stick to the one-day draft extravaganza rather than trying for tv ratings with a two-day affair.

*Oh, New Jersey, you stink. Funny that their fan fest was sponsored by "Stronger Than The Storm" as it was a mess - a ferris wheel that never was completed, an unorganized mini golf 'course' and loads of sand where it didn't belong.

*Really nice to see the prospects celebrating their selection by hugging their families. Really sad to see the prospects who weren't picked hugging their families at the end of the night.

*One reason why the draft was so great was the accessibility of everyone. Saw one kid walking around handing out resumes, which I thought was a brilliant move.

*Alain Vigneault showed his fan-friendliness by stopping and taking pictures with everyone who wanted one. And even Glen Sather was in a good mood, he actually didn't ignore everyone and answered my quick question - Hey Glen, good draft or bad draft? He replied, "Great draft." Not sure he was awake for it and totally aware as to what was going on, but at least he had as good a time as us fans did.

*My draft guy Matt Lavanco should have a pick-by-pick review done in the next few days but personally I was a bit disappointed. No trades for picks, so just five selections - none of whom appear to be NHL-ready for at least two, three seasons. Minimum. My take, in order: NHL legacy Tambellini, Russian Brendl Buchnevich, injury case Duclair, project defenseman not-related-to-that Graves and some goalie Skapski.

*Buchnevich, by the way, is the first Russian selected by the Rangers since I took a look at all of the players from that country/the USSR back in 2010. It is not a good track record.

*Not one of the kids selected Sunday was alive when Messier raised the Cup, with Skapski being born the day after. Feel old? I do.

*Interesting that the Rangers trade for a big defenseman seemingly on the cusp of success (according to the Wilderness guys) on the same day they are rumoured to add Ulf Samuelsson to the coaching staff.

*Hopefully that is the first of many good moves this offseason as our metro rivals improved themselves with trades. The Devils acquired a franchise goaltender in Schneider to replace Fatso for a pittance, their No. 9 pick. And the Isles added some very-needed grit and ability in Clutterbuck for the Swiss problem child.

*Interesting that Brodeur showed up to draft his own son, and the Flyers had Chris Pronger handy when they selected the next Chris Pronger.

*Former Ranger Jeff Ulmer spent six games with Tappara this season and I asked him back then if Barkov was the real deal. He thought that the kid should be first overall, so seeing him go second was not a shock.

*Colorado continued to drive down the road to irrelevance, passing on the defenseman they desperately needed for a flashy center they didn't. But it certainly worked out for Nashville as they add yet another stud defender.

*Darnell Nurse to the Oilers is pretty much unfair. Once that franchise gets a goaltender, they're winning some Cups. Jump on the bandwagon now ...

Guest Post: The New York Rangers 2013 Draft Preview

by Matt Lavanco

Skimming stones is one of those activities that is a heck of a lot of fun to do. The satisfaction you feel from finding that perfect stone, flicking your wrist and watching it skip across the water is tremendous. Properly skimming a stone requires as much as skill as it does luck, much like predicting an NHL Draft. Such a task is made even harder when your general manager trades the first and second round selections. The farther away from shore you get, the more chance your stone will sink.

It is a shame that the Rangers – at the moment – will start a ways away from land. If they still had their own selections, they could use talented forwards like Ryan Hartman, Adam Erne, Kerby Rychel Max Domi or Bo Horvat. But, alas, the first time the Blueshirts will call a name will be in the third round, where they have three selections. Add them to the fourth and sixth round spots that the team still possess and this makes for a boom or bust draft and Gordie Clark and the rest of his scouting staff have their work cut out for them. I’m no expert prospect prognosticator, but I’ll try sorting through this year’s crop of talent for our beloved New York Rangers:

First off, the thought of sitting on the sideline for two entire rounds is disappointing. Perhaps Gordie can talk Glen into packaging a pair of their third round picks to move up into the second and draft dynamic winger Oliver Bjorkstrand. Bjorkstrand led all WHL rookies in scoring and plays a hard, fast game. The Portland Winterhawks winger needs to add some more weight to handle the rigors of a pro game, but his scoring and overall skill make him an exciting prospect. Jumping to the defensive side, while still thinking offensively, the Belleville Bulls’ Jordan Subban is a pure puck-moving defenseman that would make quite a pick. Although he is undersized, Subban is a fast skater who possesses a hard shot and is highly intelligent on the ice. Size, however, is a concern and he does need to improve his own zone play, but the Rangers really could use his skill set on the right side of the blueline. If Sather decides to sit on his three third rounders, I’ll be bummed. But there will still be plenty of projects the Rangers could decide to undertake.

One of which is the Kingston Frotenacs’ Ryan Kujawinski. The slick skating center excels in the dot and has a hard shot that challenges goaltenders. But the big hold out is his lack of consistency throughout season. If he can be coaxed into producing night-in, night-out Kujawinski could be a contributor.

The Rangers might also consider a pair of U.S. National Team Development Program players: Hudson Fasching and Tyler Motte. Fasching, a Golden Gopher-commit, is a big rangy power forward with a nose for the net who uses his size to attack the goalmouth and is not easy to knock off the puck. Motte is a small, speedy winger who tied for the Team USA lead in points at the World Junior Under-18s with five goals and two assists in seven games. But he isn’t just a scorer, Motte earned his Stars and Stripes for doing the little things as well - killing penalties, blocking shots, and jumping passes. Motte plays a lot like our own Carl Hagelin (BORK!) and will be taking his game to the Swedish Chef’s old kitchen at Michigan in the fall (BORK! BORK! BORK!).

Another possible third round selection could be Roberts Lipsbergs of the Seattle Thunderbirds, a winger who finished second behind Bjorkstrand in WHL rookie scoring. The Latvian turned it on for the T’birds down the stretch and scored 20 points in the final 21 games. His head coach in the Emerald City, ex-pro Steve Konowalchuk, has lauded Lipsbergs’ abilities as a playmaker and goal-scorer. He is encouraged by Lipsbergs desire to be a complete player, but he says Lipsbergs has to learn to finish his checks and block shots in order to do so.

A pair of offensive defenseman in Dakota Mermis and Niklas Hansson should be available in the middle rounds. Mermis was passed over last year so he defected from the Denver Pioneers to head to the OHL’s perennial powerhouse London Knights to raise his draft stock. He did just that, but this undersized offensively skilled d-man still needs to improve his consistency. Hansson is more of a sleeper, having played the majority of 2013 with Sweden’s Rögle BK Under-20 team. He is another highly skilled d-man with a big upside and he even managed to get in nine games with Rogle’s top team in the Elitserien. But, much like Subban, Hansson’s own zone play leaves a lot to be desired.

Seattle’s Jared Hauf and Sudbury Wolves’ Jeff Corbett are two of your more traditional stay-at-home defenseman. The 6’5 Hauf plays the shutdown role for the Thunderbirds and is a capable puck mover. Corbett flew up the Sudbury’s depth chart with his play and leadership. His own zone play is steady and his offensive game is improving.

A forward that the Rangers are familiar with that may slip through the cracks is Michigan’s Andrew Copp. Copp ended the season in Red Berenson’s top-6 and routinely shared the ice with the Blueshirts’ second round selection last summer Boo Nieves. This Wolverine is a solid two-way center that is adept on the penalty kill and is a leader on and off the ice. Bloodlines always get noticed and Cole Cassels, (son of former NHLer Andrew) also fills the two-way center role for the Oshawa Generals. Cassels’ feisty play earned him 43 points in 64 games but, by his own admission, had a poor postseason that will send him deeper down the draft board.

Other projects include the oversized Tyler Hill and the undersized Taylor Cammarata. At 6’6 Hill has all the tools to be a power forward in the NHL, but has yet to put it all together consistently. Cammarata, all 5’7 of him, led the USHL in scoring with 93 points in 58 games and what he lacks in size he compensates with skill. Headed to Minnesota in the fall, is always around the puck and makes plays happen on the ice.

Apologies but no goaltenders have really stood out amid my scouting that deserve spotlighting. The majority of netminders in this draft class are largely unproven and using one of the limited draft choices is a risky move, even for Sather.

It’ll be interesting to see how the draft plays out on June 30th. The many moves Sather made to strengthen John Tortorella’s team have left the Rangers cupboard close to barren. Now with a new coach coming in, does the scouting staff add size or skill, defense or offense? Do they take a flyer on a no-name foreign goaltender to eventually replace the no-name foreign goaltender they took in the seventh round in 2000, the one who turned into the King? Clark and co. are going to skip some stones, let’s hope some help this team stay afloat.

Quick 2012 Ranger Draft Recap

Gordie Clark, Glen Sather and the rest of the Ranger brass went to Pittsburgh and came away with four Future Blue.

Last year Sather swapped his sixth rounder from this draft for Nashville's sixth rounder in that one and this time around he made two more moves with the Preds for picks. He got a third round pick for next year and a fifth round pick in this draft for this year's third rounder and a fifth next summer. Got all that?

While it is highly unlikely we will see any of the kids that were called in Consol for the next two, three seasons, let's take a lil' look at 'em anyways:

Brady Skjei - 1st round, 28th overall - You can never have enough defensemen, right? Especially ones that are favourably compared to Ryan McDonagh... Skjei is headed for Minnesota, where he will hopefully take the next step towards becoming a NHL defenseman. Keith Ballard, Paul Martin, Alex Goligoski, Erik Johnson, and Stu Bickel all played at Mariucci Arena since the millennium, showing how the Golden Gophers program can produce capable defenders.

Cristoval “Boo” Nieves - 2nd round, 59th overall - As Matt mentioned in the preview, Boo dominated the draft combine so he should be able to handle Camp Tortorella (should the coach still be around when the kid comes out of Michigan). While it will be a while before be becomes a Ranger, Nieves will grace the Garden ice this year when he skates for the Wolverines against Cornell on November 24th. Red Berenson is a former Ranger and a brilliant coach who bequeathed us Ortmeyer and Hagelin so there is cause for faith. Matt, an avowed UofM fan, offered more: "The one knock on him is he's too much of a perimeter player at times, Red will work on that though. His hands are silky smooth, Rangers have not had a prospect with the stick-handling control that Boo possess."

Calle Andersson - 4th round, 119th overall - Reports about Andersson read like he is a right-handed, Swedish version of Skjei - good skating, good size, good vision - just with more of an offensive edge. His dad was a fourth round Ranger pick himself but if Andersson he can follow another Calle's career path - former Cap Johansson - we'll have one workable defender in a few seasons.

Thomas Spelling - 5th round, 142nd overall - The Danish winger did quite well playing against men in his home country's highest league last season. Spelling helped the Herning Blue Fox to the title with four goals and seven assists in the seven-game championship series against Odense, including a goal and two assists in a 4-0 Game 7 victory. While the natural scorer is from the same hometown as Peter Regin and Frans Nielsen (BOOO), he likely won't be facing them for a while - Spelling will spend this season helping Rogle in the club's return to the Elitserien. He is listed at 6'1, 165 so he definitely needs to bulk up if he is to make the leap over the pond eventually.

Surprisingly Clark and company didn't select a single goaltender yet again, which is a bit of a cause for concern. Chad Johnson and Martin Biron are both UFAs and Cam Talbot is a RFO. That leaves Hank, Scott Stajcer and Jason Missiaen - not exactly organizational depth. Stajcer put up personal-best save percentage despite being a backup in the OHL and Missiaen did well as Greenville's starter (ECHL), but both of them are years away from the show. That position will have to be addressed by Sather soon - perhaps by signing camp-invitee Troy Grosenick - but that is a post for another time.

Preppin' For Some Pickin'

by Matt Lavanco

Scotty Hockey Note: This was due to run on the NY Rangers Blog but seeing as Kev called it quits for now, I offered to put it up. Matt is a friend of the blog and a diehard Ranger fan with an appreciation of the amateur game. Some good stuff.

The draft is a day away and it is my favorite event of the offseason. I do not claim to be a pro scout – I simply enjoy amateur hockey and looking at players that might help the Rangers for years to come. One of the main things I like to consider is who may be a good fit with the current make-up of the Rangers squad. Unfortunately where the Rangers pick at 28th, the odds of selecting a dynamic offensive scorer or an elite puck-moving defenseman are slim. Additionally the Rangers are organizationally thin when it comes to goaltending prospects. But, with only four draft picks in seven rounds, I don’t feel it’s appropriate for the Blueshirts to use a first round selection on a goalie.

So if a 30-goal scorer or a power play quarterback are not within reach, I think Gordie Clark and company could certainly look to add some toughness to their lineup. The Rangers were pushed around, knocked off the puck and just flat outworked along the boards all too many times during the playoffs. Right off the bat, or the puck drop, there are two potential draftees with familiar last names that play a tough, physical game that could contribute to the top-9 set of forwards.

First off, Stefan Matteau (Matteau! Matteau!) is a hard-nosed kind of player who is not afraid to go into the dirty areas and is a physically strong kid for his age. Matteau spent last season with the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he played all three forward positions. He has the skills to contribute offensively but would be better suited on a checking line. He has backed out of a commitment to play at the University of North Dakota and will head to the QMJHL next season to skate for Blainville-Boisbriand, where the elder Matteau is working as assistant coach.

And secondly Henrik Samuelsson has travelled a fair amount over the last 18 months. Ulfie's boy was playing with Matteau and the USNTDP until he followed his dad to MoDo in Sweden. After being dropped to MoDo's junior club, Samuelsson returned to North America to join 2011 Rangers 4th round selection Michael St. Croix on the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings. Samuelsson jumped onto the Oil Kings' second line and contributed right away with 10 points in his first 8 games. At 6'3 young Henrik is a big body in front of the net and has a mean streak not unlike his pops. Samuelsson might have raised his draft stock with 14 points in the playoffs, which doesn’t include the five points he put up in four Memorial Cup games.

After toughness, the other glaring weakness that really lasted the length of the Rangers season was faceoffs. The team lost too many draws all over the ice, especially in their own defensive zone. Colton Sissons is a player I think would help with depth down the middle. Sissons plays a smart two-way game, is a quality faceoff man and has an NHL-caliber shot. Sissons served as the captain for the Kelowna Rockets (Gordie Clark loves character!) and finished third on the team in scoring despite a concussion-shortened season. He was able to return in time for the playoffs and by all indications has had a full recovery.

Should the team decide to shore up the blueline, there are two defensive draftees that project in the final third of the first round that interest me. The first is Dalton Thrower. Thrower has a particular snarl to his game that a team can never have enough of and he is unafraid of all physical aspects of the game. True to his surname, Thrower is ready and willing to fight to defend his teammates. His offensive skills might be underrated as well, as he is more than capable of chipping in offensively. The second defenseman is another USNTDP product in Brady Skjei. Skjei plays a solid well-rounded game, but his skating is what really sets him apart as he is one of the better skating defenseman available. At 6’3, Skjei has good size and played top-pair minutes for the gold medal winning Under-18 U.S. team.

If the Rangers do look at a goaltender – Malcolm Subban, Andrei Vasilevski and Oscar Dansk are at the top of this year’s goalie class. Subban is the most athletically gifted of the three and has worked hard in the OHL this past season to round out all areas of his game. Vasilevski is the most technically sound but his status playing in Russia might scare off some teams. Dansk is a big-bodied Swedish goaltender that plays somewhat deep in his net and is known for his intense focus. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Now I’m not saying he’s as good as our beloved Hank, they just have some similar qualities. It’s hard to say if any of the three will be available in the second round, and it's even harder to determine if any are worth a first round pick.

Other options for second round and beyond include: Derek Stepan's cousin Zach. Zach is a two-way center that is starting to get some attention, is coming into his own both offensively and defensively. He does not project to be as offensively talented as Derek but would certainly be an asset. Cristoval "Boo" Nieves, a Michigan Wolverine-commit, would also be worth a look. Nieves has slick hands and a solid 6'2 frame to grow into that he has used last few years playing prep school puck in Connecticut. He also dominated the draft combine finishing in the top-10 in most fitness categories. Defensively, Shayne Gostisbehere is a name worth knowing (and knowing how to spell). Gostisbehere is a true puck-moving defenseman who played quality minutes as a freshman for the Union College Dutchmen. He showed real poise down the stretch for Union and was one of the better defenseman in the entire NCAA tournament.

These drafts are always impossible to predict as one never really knows who will be selected or when. Personally though, I like Colton Sissons. I think he does a lot of the little things that are needed for a team to be successful and most importantly could help this team in the face-off circle. I also think Boo Nieves could be a solid pick-up in the second round as his ceiling is still rising.

Whoever the Rangers draft, they certainly will be well scouted. Gordie Clark and staff have certainly done a good job the past few years and we are beginning to see the returns of their labor at the NHL level with Stepan, Hagelin and Kreider. Here’s to Mr. Clark and co. surprising us with a player we can get excited about and look forward to pulling on that blue sweater.

Quick 2011 Ranger Draft Recap

Gordie Clark, Glen Sather and the rest of the Ranger brass went to Minnesota and came away with six more Future Blue. Yes, six. Sather swung a deal with St. Louis to get the Blues third round pick; he had to give up Evgeni Grachev, but given how often Grachev himself gave up on the ice, it is no big loss. And he swapped next year's sixth rounder with Nashville's this year.

While it is highly unlikely we will see any of the kids in the next two, three seasons, let's look at 'em anyways:

JT Miller - 1st round, 15th overall - It was a classy move by the Rangers to have Aaron Boogaard announce the selection, it was just disappointing that it was this kid. The Hockey News ranked him 59th just two months ago and there were several other players on his own team that would have been better selections - big Tyler Biggs, bible-thumping sparkplug scorer Rocco Grimaldi or goalie John Gibson. Miller committed to play at the University of North Dakota next year but doesn't plan on being there for long, which is not something you really should admit ahead of time. He is just another grinding north-south player with third line upside, a decent second or solid third but first? Perhaps after the Jessiman embarrassment the organization just wants to make sure their guy makes it to the NHL, no matter the role.

Steven Fogarty - 3rd round, 72nd overall - Grachev was a third round pick in 2008 and he brought us back a third round pick in 2011 - that's actually pretty good considering how inconsistent his play was in the AHL. Let's hope Seven Fogarty is steadier down the line. Fogarty looks pretty good in this video but it was against high school kids in Minnesota, so who knows? Looks like he has that Datsyukian timing and sneakiness to steal the puck and the ice sight to do good things with it.

Michael St. Croix - 4th round, 106th overall - A WHL scorer with flash but little grit but he will stand up for his teammates. St. Croix put up points on a bad Edmonton team and helped them to the playoffs. Unfortunately he disappeared once the postseason started, getting just one goal and no assists as the Oil Kings were swept by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the Red Deer Rebels.

Shane McColgan - 5th round, 134th overall - While he is willing to stand up for himself, McColgan is a skill guy first and foremost. A background in roller hockey (I like him already) has given him great hands and he has the speed to make them work in the new NHL. Kelly at Behind The Net spoke to him earlier this month after he had a good showing in the WHL playoffs.

Samuel Noreau - 5th round, 136th overall - After drafting a small skill guy in McColgan, they flipped the coin and took a dreadnought two picks later. Noreau is a defensive defenseman who has a tendency to lose his gloves and beat people up. He sounds like a McIlrath-kind of player without the upside.

Peter Ceresnak - 6th round, 172nd overall - Just the fifth Slovak selected in the draft, Ceresnak is several seasons away from the NHL, if at all. The boys at Copper & Blue did their due diligence and took at look at him thinking he could end up in Edmonton. They saw Jan Hejda in him but he sounds more like Radek Martinek to me, without the stink of Islander all over him.

Surprisingly Clark didn't select a single goaltender with any of the six picks to fill the one true hole in the organization. Tortorella doesn't trust Chad Johnson, the Whale relied on journeyman Dov Grumet-Morris even after Cam Talbot got healthy and Scott Stajcer couldn't seize the starting job on Owen Sound. But apparently Sather was convinced by Benoit Allaire that free agent signing Jason Missiaen is enough to supplement those three disappointments. Let's hope they can turn things around and that the injury bug doesn't strike again.

Scotty's Selection?

The first round of the NHL draft, as you are surely aware, is tonight in Minnesota. Because the Rangers made it to the playoffs but flamed out in the first round, they select 15th overall. They dealt away their second round picks to Calgary for Tim Erixon and sent their third rounder to Florida in the McCabe deal. That leaves them with 104th in the fourth, 134th and 136th in the fifth (134 was part of the Erixon deal).

Things worked out that my selection for the Rangers matched that of Gordie Clark and we got Dylan McIlrath. I was lucky enough to have seen McIlrath play but did not make it to any junior games this year so it is far harder to judge. Jess from Prospect Park, the blogging guru when it comes to the Ranger kids, presented a few options and likes Finland's Joel Armia at 15 or American Tyler Biggs if the Rangers trade down in the first round. Personally I am hoping they do deal away the 15 pick and drop, because they can get back a third rounder to be sure - maybe a second if the other team is desperate. If there is a way to trade it and get back a top-six player, well, I do that in a second.

Strange to say, right? After years of begging for a rebuild with youth it is finally here. We have a young core with another wave of kids about to come through. We need to ride that wave and quickly. Those kids need to enter a culture of winning - not mediocrity - where they can succeed before they go sign somewhere else or need to be dealt away in this salary cap world. If we needed a reminder of that, well Philly just gave us one.

The Rangers clearly are building a team that will be successful when the renovations are finished in MSG, to justify the extraordinary prices. Given the parity in the draft picks after the top six or seven this year, would a project kid be able to not just play but to succeed in two seasons time?

Twenty years ago the Rangers picked Alex Kovalev 15th overall. Since then the Rangers drafted one player who turned out worthy of the title 'First Round Pick" - Marc Staal. That is, of course discounting MDZ, Kreider and McIlrath as the jury is still out on them. A few guys made it to the league and became worthwhile players - Sundstrom, Cloutier, Malhotra - and a few didn't - Cherneski, Brendl, Jessiman. One would like to imagine that Clark has set the team back on the path of regularly drafting guy who can make the shot but who knows?

However, since it isn't fun not to have a horse in the race, if I had to throw some darts at the wall and guess at who the Rangers will pick - I'd like Mark McNeill if he is still around, Nicklas Jensen, David Musil or even goalie John Gibson. As long as Sather doesn't make an awful trade and Clark does select a netminder at some point, the 2011 draft will be successful for the team.

Draft Day No. 2, 2010

Jess at Prospect Park spends a lot of time watching junior hockey so, as always I recommend you take a look at his take of the day. Funny thing though, he asks for us to have faith and then goes on to rip three of the five guys drafted and point out the folly of the Bobby Sanguinetti deal.

That being said, the Blueshirts claim they wanted old school Canadian grit and frankly that is exactly what they got. Whether it is what will help the franchise in the long term, well we'll have to see, won't we?

If you haven't seen or read we drafted:

Name Round Overall 2009-10 Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Born Birthplace
Dylan McIlrath 1 10 Moose Jaw (WHL) D 6’4” 212 4/20/92 Winnipeg, MB
Christian Thomas 2 40 Oshawa (OHL) RW 5’9” 162 5/26/92 Toronto, ON
Andrew Yogan 4 100 Erie (OHL) C/LW 6’3” 205 12/4/91 Coconut Creek, FL
Jason Wilson 5 130 Owen Sound (OHL) LW 6’2” 205 4/15/90 Richmond Hill, ON
Jesper Fasth 6 157 HV 71 Jr. (SWE-Jr.) RW 5’11” 165 12/2/91 Nassjo, Sweden
Randy McNaught 7 190 Saskatoon (WHL) RW 6’4” 222 8/5/90 Nanaimo, BC

And we dealt Bobby's World to Carolina for the sixth round pick which we spent on that Swedish nobody and for a second rounder next year. The writing has been on the wall for Bobby when the team drafted MDZ and signed Matt Gilroy. The poor kid got a guest spot on Broadway but was banished right back to Hartford after five quick games. It is pathetic when you think about the Rangers dealing the 21st overall pick in '06 away for a second and a sixth. Claude Giroux was picked 22nd, do you think the Flyers would trade him away for that right about now? Glen Sather has made so many solid trades over the last year that it is hard to get too pissed.

No, seriously.

It is in his signings that he has doomed the team to mediocrity so let's accept what happened in L.A. as something to (possibly) dread another day and start focusing on next Thursday. Will Marc Staal hit the market? It's possible. Will Shelley? Will Glen overpay for Frolov?

See! There are plenty of worse things to worry about right now than draft picks and with good ole Glen you know something is going to happen, it is just a matter of what ...

What A Way To Spend A Friday

Billed as a Ranger Draft Party, the Friday night get-together at the Hills was more of a 'cram Ranger fans into a hot hipster lounge where they will drink and wait to be disappointed.'

And disappointed they were. As well as dismayed, angered and utterly baffled.

Three things were lustily booed: Gary Bettman, the Islanders draft table and Glen Sather. Sather garnered the loudest boos ... and that was before the Gordie Clark announced the selection of Moose Jaw's Dylan McIlrath 10th overall.

Afterwards, well, there was a whole lotta shock, some quizzical looks and then some head shaking. Oh, and me laughing my ass off in the back. The Ranger braintrust and I apparently were on the same train of thought as they selected the same player I picked for the team ... just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay earlier than I would have. They clearly decided to draft for a need rather than picking the best player available and were afraid that that player would be gone quickly. Considering how wacked out the round was after the top few picks, perhaps they were right.

But we will never know.

The Rangers added a big and mean defenseman who, should he improve his skating, could provide a perfect compliment to the skill of Michael Del Zotto. Ryan McDonagh would not have been the partner that McIlrath can be. McDonagh is a strong, solid two-way defender who hopefully will head to Broadway and be a good Blueshirt for a long, long time. But McIlrath could be the Beukeboom to MDZ's Leetch.

When Beuk was out there, Leetchie could freelance all he liked because there was a rock behind him. Should the puck come back the other way, Beuk was the big body to stuff the zone and intimidate the opposition from crashing the slot in numbers. He bought time for the team to backcheck and used his physicality to keep players from getting any rebounds Richter would give up. Trust the goaltender to make the first save, and either clear the puck yourself or keep the bad guys from getting it.

Yes McIlrath at 10 was a huge stretch but it possibly filled a void that desperately needed filling. Plenty of skill was left on the board and there are plenty of holes left to fill but that will be what Saturday is for. So relax for now and know that the franchise is stronger. Is it as strong as it could have been? Well, history will decide that. No use getting angry over a failure that hasn't happened yet and (hopefully) may never occur.

Scotty's Selection?

As if you don't already know, tonight is the first round of the NHL Draft out in Los Angeles. Thanks to the mediocre season that they had and the near-miss of the playoffs, the Rangers have the 10th overall selection.

There are dozens of mock drafts out there, I'm not about to do one. As always, I turn towards Jess at Prospect Park when looking for scouting info and he recommends we take Emerson Etem, a former roller hockey player who had a Fotiu-esque travel schedule to get to training. Jess' first choice was the young Swiss sensation Nino Niederreiter but prevailing thought has him going before 10. If Etem is as dedicated to his craft and is as good as Jess has raved, I don't see why he would still be on the board but we will have to see.

Kitchener Rangers kid Jeff Skinner put up great numbers in the O last season but all accounts say his skating leaves much to be desired and he is a bit undersized. Vladimir Tarasenko may be a better all-around talent but, no matter what Dmitry says about Russians, given our track record I wouldn't waste the pick.

Instead, I would rather see the Rangers trade down. Let them get back a third round pick - they wasted theirs on Brian Boyle - and use a late first round selection on defenseman Dylan McIlrath. I saw McIlrath when I was out west and, as I was trying to root for the home teams in Seattle and Everett, instantly hated him. He was big, he was mean and he seemed dirty. Pretty much everything we need on our blueline. His skating is suspect, but so was Zdeno Chara's when he came into the league (and as a defender it is more forgiving a sin than up front like with Skinner). At best, McIlrath is another Jeff Beukeboom. Beuk sets a high bar so perhaps he could at least be a sane(r) version of Dale Purinton. At worst he is a bust, but there have been plenty of them over the last 20 years - and unlike back then there are actually good, young players in the system already.

Until Glen trades them away.

Russian Ranger Draft Picks

With Gordie Clark telling all of the beat writers that he thinks quite highly of Vladimir Tarasenko as a possible selection next week at the NHL Draft, I figured I would go through the Rangers' history of Russian draft picks. I think I covered pretty much every one and ran it through Russian hockey writer Dmitry Chesnokov of Puck Daddy/Sovetsky Sport just to be sure I got things right. As with picks from any country, it is a mixed bag at best. Of the 29 players, 20 have yet to play in the NHL and only five (of the other nine) have played more than six games for the Rangers.

1982
7th round, 141st overall: Sergei Kapustin (LW): At 29 years old, Kapustin was in the prime of his career but never made it to North America. A shame, as he was a true winner with the USSR dynasty of the 70s.

1989
10th round, 202nd overall: Roman Oksiuta (RW): Had not made it to North America before he was traded to Edmonton in 1992 as part of the Kevin Lowe deal.

1990
5th Round, 85th overall: Sergei Zubov (D):Perhaps the most underrated Ranger ever, Zubov averaged nearly a point per game over his time on Broadway before being unceremoniously dealt with Petr Nedved to Pittsburgh for over-the-hill Luc Robitaille and Ulf Samuelsson. After going on to win a second Cup with Dallas in '99, Zubov left the NHL in 2009 and racked up 42 points in 53 games over the KHL last season. He played 1,232 NHL games including playoffs - over a 1,000 of them after leaving the Rangers (1,035 to be precise).

12th round, 244th overall: Sergei Nemchinov (C): Sarge was a rock solid center who could be counted on defensively while adding a little bit of offense. He lasted nearly six seasons on Broadway before going to Vancouver with Brian Noonan for Esa Tikkanen's second Ranger stint and Russ Courtnall.

1991
1st round, 15th overall: Alexei Kovalev (LW): Speaking of two stints, Kovalev played 536 games in all as a Ranger tantalizing and frustrating us fans. Kovy was the first-ever Russian selected in the first round of the NHL draft and he showed why with stellar play in 1994. Eventually, however, his inconsistency sent him packing. Twice. The second being one of Sather's worse trades, dealing him for Josef Balej and a second round pick (that never panned out). He is still playing and pissing off fans, just up in Ottawa.

9th round, 191st overall: Vjateslav Uvaev (G): Uvaev never made it to North America, spending most of his career in Russia before a span in Italy.

11th round, 235th overall: Vitali Chinakhov (C): Never a big point scorer, Chinakhov spent his career in Russia.

1992
5th round, 120th overall: Dimitri Starostenko (W): Two seasons after Starostenko was drafted, he came to the States and gave the NHL a shot. He never made it. The Belarussian (close enough) spent parts of three seasons in Binghamton - and 11 ECHL games (where he had nine goals and two assists) - before giving up and going home. Having lived there, I don't blame him.

10th round, 240th overall: Vladimir Vorobiev (W): When I was in Binghamton I covered Vlad, and saw firsthand his size and ability. At 6'3. 200, Vorobiev had a nice package of skills and some good hands. He just didn't have that x-factor, the push to make himself great. He would get to the show - 31 games over two seasons with the Rangers - but was eventually dealt to Edmonton for Kevin Brown (who?). Vlad was still playing in Russia last year.

1993
3rd round, 61st overall: Maxim Galanov (D): Another guy I would later see in Binghamton, Galanov spent three seasons in the A. He got a six game stint in the show, which was enough for Pittsburgh to decide they wanted him when the Rangers put him on waivers; he went on to play 122 games in the NHL in all and is still playing in Russia. Galanov had good size and skated well but wasn't gritty enough

4th round, 86th overall: Sergei Olumpijev (C): Six-foot-four, 220 pound winger was drafted and came to North America to play in the O. After two seasons of juniors, he started on a minor league career that saw him play on seven teams in four leagues over five seasons. I had to have seen him when he was with Muskegon of the UHL but don't remember; I do recall seeing him with the RHI Sacramento River Rats, where he had just 19 points in 27 games (by comparison his teammate Gerry St. Cyr had 89 points in just one more game).

7th round, 162nd overall: Sergei Kondrashkin (RW): Never came to North America and was out of hockey five seasons after being drafted.

10th round, 242nd overall: Andrei Kudinov (C): Like Starostenko, Kudinov came over to play in Binghamton for a few seasons before going home. He scored 76 points for the baby Rangers in 155 games but, back in Russia would play his final season alongside Oksiuta of all people (kinda interesting coincidence).

11th round, 261st overall: Pavel Komarov (D): Komarov played four games over three seasons for the Binghamton Rangers. The only mention I could find of him with the Blueshirts was getting cut during training camp one season. Judging by his numbers, he was a defensive defenseman who wasn't a fighter but took a lot of bad penalties.

11th round, 268th overall: Maxim Smelnitski (C): Like the last five Russian Ranger draft picks, Smelinitski came over, saw Binghamton and left for home. His tenure was the shortest - just one game.

1994
4th round, 100th overall: Alexander Korobolin (D): At 6'4, 225 you had to think he had some grit but he managed to make it through 21 games in Hartford before running home to Russia. He had one point (a goal!) and 22 PIM.

6th round, 135th overall: Yuri Litvinov (C): Litvinov never played on this side of the world and didn't play much on the other side either; he managed just 133 games over six seasons in Russia before quitting.

9th round, 209th overall: Vitali Yeremeyev (G): Ok, he is really from Kazakhstan but I had to include him. Yeremeyev was the first pick of the 9th round; following him in the same round were Tim Thomas, Johan Hedberg, Evgeni Nabokov, Tomas Vokoun and John Grahame. Yeah. Four games as a Ranger, four losses. He returned to Russia after that and became a cult hero for Dynamo Moscow fans (according to Dmitry, himself a diehard Dynamo fan). Yeremeyev won the championship in 2005 alongside some guy named Ovechkin and is still playing at a good level - 16-11-2, 2.37 and .920 last season for the 10th place team.

1995
5th round, 110th overall: Alexei Vasiliev (D): Like Yeremeyev, Vasiliev is still contributing in the KHL. Before going back there, he played 171 games for the Wolf Pack and helped Hartford win the Calder Cup in 2000. Unfortunately he didn't show he could help the big boys, going pointless with one minor penalty in his one game on Broadway.

8th round, 195th overall: Ilja Gorohov (D): Gorohov played one game here in America, and it was with the Las Vegas Thunder in 96-97. The defenseman returned to Russia and has steadily played there ever since. He played last season with Salavat alongside Vorobiev, Max Kondratiev and Dmitri Kalinin (as well as other familiars NHL renegade Alex Radulov, Viktor Kozlov and Oleg Tverdovsky).

1995
3rd round, 76th overall: Dmitry Subbotin (F): A career Russian-leaguer, Subbotin never came to play for the Rangers or their affiliates and was actually selected off our roster by Columbus in the 2000 expansion draft. He didn't play for them either.

1999
8th round, 226th overall: Evgeny Gusakov (LW): Gusakov is a curious case. He showed up to camp in '99, showed off his massive frame (6'6, 210 lbs) and was promptly sent to Baie-Comeau of the QMJHL. He had a decent time (53 points in 67 games) and would get one scoreless game in Hartford before the end of the season. Gusakov went back to the Q the next season, had 31 points in 32 games and then essentially fell off the map. He went to Belarus in 2001 and played 44 games, then managed 15 games over the next two seasons in Russia. Injuries maybe?

9th round, 254th overall: Alexei Bulatov (LW): Bulatov was on the '99 training camp roster as well but I guess he didn't like it here and the team had no qualms with letting him go home afterwards. He played 21 games for three different teams that season in Russia.

2001
2nd round, 40th overall: Fedor Tyutin (D): Oh Toots. Dealt to Columbus for flash-with-no-substance Nik Zherdev, Tyutin was a strong defensive player and he complimented Dan Girardi well. He actually hit players around the Ranger net and was smart on both sides of the ice. And Glen, in his wisdom, replaced the youngster with Kalinin a day later. Ugh.

8th round, 230th overall: Leonid Zhvachkin (D): Selected right after Aaron Voros of all people, Zhvatchkin went to training camp and was assigned to Hartford but never played in the A. He ended up with Guelph in the OHL alongside Tyutin. Where Toots was gone the next season, Zhvachkin or Zvachkin or Zhvachin (depending on where you look) stayed another year, was traded and went home in the offseason not to return to North America.

2006
2nd round, 54th overall: Artem Anisimov (C): It is fair to say that the jury is still out. After pathetically tepid play for much of this season, Anisimov found his game with Prust and Shelley during the stretch run. Arty said he felt more comfortable on the ice with them there, so of course John Tortorella has already said he will break up that line this fall.

2007
1st round, 17th overall: Alexei Cherepanov (RW): RIP. Cherry dropped down the draft board for some reason and everyone was happy to see a Jagr replacement. But whether it was heart problems (myocarditis) that killed him or alleged steroids, we'll never know if he would have come over here to play and if he would have been any good.

2008
3rd round, 75th overall: Evgeny Grachev (C): After being hailed as another big Russian who will swoop in and save us, Grachev made the jump to the AHL last season and was underwhelming by all accounts. He managed 28 points in 80 games and was accused of disappearing many nights. Whether we chalk it up to a transition season or his true colours has yet to be seen.

2009
7th round, 200th overall: Mikhail Pashnin (D): Pashnin was also drafted first overall by CSKA Moscow and went on to collect five points in 44 games with them. He is signed through next season but will come to the summer prospect camp and the Rangers are still quite high on him.

2010
????

Draft Party 2010

Colour me surprised:

The last Ranger draft party I went to was inside the Garden on June 26th, 1999. Why do I remember so precisely? Because I was talking to Dan Cloutier when team officials came to take him away. He was pulled off the floor and informed that he had just been traded - along with Niklas Sundstrom, a 1st and a 3rd round pick - to Tampa Bay Lightning for their first round pick. Which the Rangers then promptly wasted on one-dimensional sniper/slacker Pavel Brendl. I stuck around until they drafted Jamie Lundmark ninth and left, pissed off and utterly disappointed.

Just in case you were wondering, the Rangers had nine more selections in the draft and not one of them played a single NHL game. Because it is fun to look at who we missed: Tim Connolly was picked right after Brendl, Barret Jackman was picked 17th, Nick Boynton 21st and Marty Havlat 26th. That draft also featured Douglas Murray (241st from Apple Core here in NY, geez), Henrik Zetterberg (210th), Martin Erat (191st), Ryan Malone (115th), Chris Kelly (94th), Mike Comrie (91st), Ryan Miller (138th), Craig Anderson (77th) and Stanley Cup runner-up Mike Leighton (165th, by Chicago of all teams). But no, this was not good ole Glen's mess up, this was Neil Smith's final draft as Ranger GM. No wonder he got canned.

Nothing Like Planning Ahead

Think the Rangers are planning on having a draft party for the fans with Marian Gaborik? Yeah, I don't think so either ...

NHL Draft '09 Late Reaction

Since I posted earlier, the Rangers drafted four more guys and made a pair of trades. Let's take a look:

Fifth Round
127th overall - Roman Horak - A Czech who played for HC České Budějovice last season, he saw some guest action with the men but primarily played junior. Hockey's Future makes him sound like the second coming of Nik Zherdev - good skills but unmotivated. Great.

140th overall - Scott Stajcer - A big goalie who managed a .500 record on a terrible Owen Sound squad in the OHL. Much like the second round pick Werek, Stajcer had to have a big CHL Top Prospects game to draw some heads and did. Being able to take advantage of big opportunities is a good skill and it is nice to see the Rangers recognize that. There is an interesting audio interview with him here.

Sixth Round
170th overall - Daniel Maggio - A decent-sized kid from Sudbury (6-3, 198), the defenseman is trying to get over knee problems and will definitely return to the OHL next season. I won't even begin to guess at skills and upside so make sure to head to Prospect Park later for a real evaluation as I am sure Jess actually saw him play.

Seventh Round
200th overall - Mikhail Pashnin - Pashnin was the first overall pick in the KHL draft so you have to imagine he won't be joining the Blueshirts. But, just in case, the Rangers added the rights to the slick-skating defenseman. Just in case.

Trades
*The Rangers dealt their third fifth-round pick, No. 151 overall, to Pittsburgh Penguins for a goalie: Chad Johnson, a 2006 fourth-round pick from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Just like Matt Zaba, this kid put up good numbers in college and received some accolades but still has a way to go before becoming a NHL goaltender. But, considering we were worried about organizational depth in net, getting Johnson and Stajcer in the same day was good work by the brass.

*The Rangers traded next year's third round pick to L.A. for former first round pick Brian Boyle. At 6'7, 250 Boyle is massive. He also isn't particularly good. For the Kings this is a steal as they get a return for someone who couldn't even make their terrible team despite a distinct hole up the middle. I had him in fantasy hockey and was all-too-often disappointed last season. For the Rangers, they get a big body to throw out on the ice to get pummeled in Colton Orr's place. Boyle will stand up for his teammates but isn't a enforcer. As a former defenseman, Boyle is more of a fourth line defensive center - essentially Blair Betts' replacement.

Zipay spoke to Sather, who said that Betts could be wooed by Edmonton. Yet again I get to watch my favourite player leave the team. And you guys wonder why I dislike this team so ... Sather also told Zip that he didn't qualify RFA Freddie Sjostrom so say goodbye to the NHL's top penalty kill. But considering that the team will be so much more disciplined - following the example set by the coach - we won't have to worry about killing penalties, right?

NHL Draft '09 Fourth Round Reaction

The Rangers didn't have a fourth round pick this draft. It marked just the second time since 2000 that they dealt it away (2007).

The fourth round has been pretty kind to the Rangers - Beezer, Mark Janssens, Tony Amonte, Marc Savard - and recent history hasn't been too bad either:

2003 - Corey Potter
2004 - Ryan Callahan
2005 - Tom Pyatt
2006 - David Kveton
2007 - No pick
2008 - Dale Weise

Since the Rangers didn't make a move to get into the round, let's look ahead. The fifth round is where we get even deeper into hit or miss territory but some names that have made it were Sergei Zubov, Dale Purinton and Nigel Dawes. Max Campbell was picked two seasons ago and has found some success at Western Michigan so we may yet see another name added to that this. We will see who gets their shot soon ...

On a personal note, I gotta step away for a few hours and will check back in later today.

NHL Draft '09 Third Round Reaction

"It starts now, it starts now."

Those were the words spoken by defenseman Ryan Bourque, the Rangers third round pick, when he was interviewed just after pulling on a Blueshirt for the first time. I love it.

The Rangers used the 80th pick on Bourque, one of Ray's son's. Like the second rounder Werek, Bourque decided not to go the college route - he decided against UNH to play for crazy Patrick Roy in Quebec. His dad also played in the QMJHL but his brother Chris, who will likely make the Caps this fall, spent a year in college. It is a tough call as the Quebec league isn't the most physical and Ryan is a small guy. In fact, his size is likely what let him slip down to the third round, but he is a Bourque so there is toughness in his DNA.

A solid skater with dual citizenship, Bourque went through the NTDP program and will play in the World Juniors for Team USA. It is fantastic top level experience to go along with league play for his dad's former teammate. From what I saw, he looks like his dad, and from what I read, he plays like his dad. Not a bad selection at all.

Before the draft a lot of folks (including myself) had the Blueshirts picking a goaltender in this spot. No netminders were picked in the first, two picked in the second and three before the Rangers picked. The Islanders grabbed two. I am still sure there will be a goaltender selected by the Blueshirts, but I'm guessing that one of the ones they wanted were picked so they figure they will bide their time.

NHL Draft '09 Second Round Reaction

The Rangers selected center Ethan Werek with their second round pick - the one they got as compensation for Cherry. Werek spurned BU to play at Kingston of the OHL last season - one of Sean Avery's OHL squads. Werek nearly averaged a point per game for Doug Gilmour's squad despite his team coming in dead last. He is a tough kid who is willing to get his nose dirty to score and defensively capable of playing against the opposition's top players.

His father is Israeli but he turned down the chance to play for Team Israel in the hopes that he would get a shot at Team Canada. Can't imagine why ... the Canadian Jewish News put together a nice article about him.

Werek is certain not to make the team this season but is definitely not a long term project like our first round selection.

By the way, I am (rightfully) known as being down on the Rangers - I admittedly dislike the state of the franchise at the moment - but eternal optimist Jess of Prospect Park (someone who knows far more about the 16-20 crowd than any of us) mirrors my thoughts that picking Kreider was a bad move.

NHL Draft '09 First Round Reaction

Much like the NBA on Thursday evening, the biggest news to come out of the night of the NHL's draft came in the form of a big trade. The Philadelphia Flyers dealt their future for Chris Pronger. Lupul, Sbisa and a host of top picks for Pronger, who is perfect for Philly. He is mean, he hits hard, he cheats and he isn't very bright. To quote Slap Shot, as I so love to do, "for the sake of the game, they oughta throw him in San Quentin. He is a criminal element!" Pronger is as much as a goon as Chris Simon ever was and has skated off virtually scot-free because he is one helluva hockey player.

And now he is in the Atlantic Division with us.

As my buddy Eric said, now we have to keep Colton Orr. Orrsie has always been huge in keeping the Flyers in check and always stepped up his play against them. And now they have a monster on defense. Not good, not good at all.

Speaking of not good at all, my loathing for the Isles knows no bounds. Forget Tavares, hearing them make deal after deal and then select an idiot who can't even put a hat on his head properly made my night. Calvin De Haan? Really? Terrible pick for a terrible franchise.

Then again, De Haan will actually get a shot at the NHL in the next two, three years. The kid the Rangers picked should make the team right around the time that Wade Redden's contract comes up. Chris Kreider may be the top skater in the draft but it has to be mentioned that he has looked so good skating for Andover - a U.S. high school - against kids two, three years younger and while playing just 26 games. Bring up Brian Leetch all you like, Leetchie dominated averaging three, four points a game and played in three World Juniors. He then played a year in college and a year against top competition with Team USA before getting an Olympics under his belt. This Kreider kid will not see anything remotely close to professional-quality play for a long time.

Maybe he will turn into a NHL star, maybe he won't - we all know this is a crap-shoot and I am not going to bet against him. My biggest issue with the decision to pick Kreider is that it shows that the Ranger organization has no feasible plan. No direction. Are they looking to win right now? Are they looking to win a few years with Callahan and Dubinsky? Is Sather just killing time until retirement? Which should come right around the time this project player is ready for the NHL (hopefully, then again Iron Maiden sang that 'evil seems to live forever').

The prevailing thought is that the Garden brass doesn't believe in rebuilding, they want a winner. If that was the case, then the Rangers should have dealt the pick. If Tortorella is to be believed in that they have to build a winner (and thus justifying his decision to bench Avery), then they draft to fill a need and a power forward like Caron or Ashton would have been ideal. If they have no clue, then they throw a dart at the wall and hope that it sticks. Tonight they went that way and the dart landed on a virtually-unknown quantity that is a American high school player.

As someone who bent over and took the MSG ticket increase right in the wrong spot, I am disappointed by the decision to pick Kreider. By the time he makes the team I will almost certainly be priced out of the building and will be that much more sore for having gone through the experience. Perhaps Sather and the Rangers will pull something off tomorrow or next Wednesday to provide some lotion heading into this season. Man do I hope, cause this hurts ...

DZ Gets Paid And Other Ranger Notes

It is good to see that there is some activity on Broadway even after John Tortorella sent the team to the golf course. Sather managed to spend more money, signing last year's top draft pick Mike Del Zotto to a contract today.

I can't say I'm all that excited or even pleased, but whatever. After grabbing Bobby Sanguinetti in '07, the Rangers picked this kid - another offensive defenseman - and then signed Wade Redden for six years. Apparently the team thinks Marc Staal can play defense on his own, I don't know. Del Zotto seems like another one dimensional defenseman who isn't a game breaker. Sure he averaged a point per game but, despite playing alongside future Islander bust John Tavares, he couldn't elevate his team into the Memorial Cup. He couldn't even make the Canadian World Junior team, something that is pretty much the benchmark of quality for kids nowadays.

We saw him in the preseason and, as I said then, I was entirely unimpressed as he played a Rozsival/Redden-esque game with a bad penalty, a few turnovers and a goal against scored while he was out of position.

But, seeing as that was all I saw of him I will leave it to the experts to judge and Jess at Prospect Park seems pleased with his progress over the last year and thinks there is a future on Broadway for him. We'll just have to wait and see.

Some other random Ranger notes, while I am typin':

*First off, vote in the poll at the right. Who is the biggest villain for you as a Ranger fan? The results thus far have been quite amusing and no, I wasn't one of the ones who voted for Poti ... yet.

*If you haven't already heard, Pat Quinn went to Edmonton, where he will be assisted by Tom Renney. Quinn would have been nice to replace Renney behind the Ranger bench, instead of the megalomaniac we did get. Yes, I am still bitter we lost and yes, I still blame Torts for singlehandedly giving up a 3-1 series lead. But back to the Oilers, my question is will Jaromir Jagr come back to the NHL now? He already was interested in going from Siberia to the Canadian prairie last season and now that Renney is there?

*Heard from my ticket rep and she said that the biggest renovations to the Garden - the ones that will force most folks out of the locations they've loved for years - won't happen until next summer. *whew*

*Since Mikael Samuelsson is playing so damned good this postseason for Detroit, how much do you think Glen Sather will overpay for him on July 1st?

*Speaking of free agency, On Sunday Brooksie said in the Post the Rangers should go after another former Blueshirt, Mike Knuble. Like we need another over-priced old guy? Totally random - is it me or does Saku Koivu this summer look like Markus Naslund of last - a former captain making over $4 mill with diminishing numbers ...

*If the Rangers hadn't picked Del Zotto and already had all of the other defensive-deficient blueliners, it woulda been really cool if they had used their second rounder this coming draft on Jan Erixon's kid. While he is an offensive defenseman instead of a defensive offenseman like his old man, you'd have to think something from the old man had to wear off ...

*Another former Ranger, Tie Domi, was in the luxury box with Mario Lemieux as the Pens beat the Canes to get to the Cup tonight. He looked quite happy to be there, we need to get him back in the Garden, and we need to get this far in the playoffs too.

Now I'm depressed. I'll be back soon - quite soon possibly as there is a distinct possibility I will be able to report back from the Stanley Cup Finals so keep comin' back!

NHL Draft: Day 2 Talk

I had started up a long analysis of each of the players that the Rangers picked with plenty of links but let's face it, who cares? I haven't seen these kids play and there are plenty of places that the same info can be found (Blueshirt Bulletin is a good one, as always and the Rangers also looked at their new additions).

Instead I will just throw out some big picture notes:

*The Islanders were one of the big winners in the draft, picking up 13 players to restock their system. That's incredible and some of the picks are actually good prospects. Hartford will be in for one helluva fight in a few years.

*Speaking of the Pack, the Rangers dealt away Alex Bourret to Phoenix so they could draft Czech defenseman Tomas Kundratek in the third round. Kundratek was the highest-rated Czech in the draft but really, does that mean much? Every country has its ups and downs in development and the CR has rarely produced top flight defensemen with Petr Svboda and Tomas Kaberle being two exceptions. And don't throw Rozy out there as he has been pretty damn mediocre but the Rangers thrust him into the No. 1 spot because Jagr loves him. Bourret may have been fat and lazy but he still put up the points, especially in the clutch - 15 in 12 playoff games with the Pack. Who knows how he could have developed if the Rangers actually invested some time in him?

*Then again, while other teams ping-ponged up and down the draft with deals, the Rangers were relatively quiet. They made two moves - the Bourret deal and the reacquisition of their own fourth round pick for next year's fourth rounder and the seventh rounder from this year. They used the fourth rounder on WHL late blooming winger Dale Weise.

*With a gamble on a late bloomer like Weise, they also rolled the dice for their sixth rounder, Mitch Gaulton. Gaulton could end up a total stud or a total bust as he is coming off of a major injury. But I guess, like with all draft picks, it's really a crap shoot.

*There was no guessing when it came to the best story out of Ottawa. David Carle, the brother of San Jose defenseman Matt, was expected to be a early round pick. During the pre-draft physicals, Carle was diagnosed a heart condition that puts him at risk for sudden cardiac death if he exerts himself too strenuously. He withdrew his name from the NHL draft but the Tampa Bay Lightning used their last pick on him anyway. New owner Oren Koules said, "The kid worked his whole life to be drafted in the NHL, and I don't see a reason he shouldn't be." It was an incredibly classy move and I tip my hat to him and the Lightning organization for making it - it's the people that make this sport so great.