The Rangers Tribune

Rangers Pick Shane McColgan and Samuel Noreau in Round 5

The Rangers held two draft picks in the round five. The first, at 134th overall, was used to select right wing Shane McColgan of the Western Hockey League. McColgan is on the smaller side at 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, but is talked highly of by scouts for being a slippery, smooth skater. McColgan had 21 goals and 45 assists in 67 games with Kelowna last season. 

Some more on McColgan....

Shane McColgan is a right wing for the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. McColgan, the only U.S.-born player selected in the first round of the WHL's 2008 bantam draft, finished runner-up to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer Rebels) as the league's top rookie in 2009-10 after posting 25 goals and 69 points in 71 games. Prior to joining the Rockets, the Manhattan Beach, Calif., native played for the Los Angeles Junior Kings and produced 14 goals and 35 assists in 44 games. - NHL.com

And here's a link to an interview he did with WarhawkReport.com. 

With the 136th overall pick, the Rangers went with size and their first and only defensemen in the draft by selecting Samuel Noreau out of the QMJHL. Noreau is a whopping 6-foot-4, 206 pounds and is a whole lot of mean. He had 141 penalty minutes in 67 games last season. 

Here's a little bit about what Noreau is all about...

 

Rangers' Previous Picks today:

Steven Fogarty

Michael St. Croix

Rangers Select Michael St. Croix in Fourth Round

With their fourth-round pick (106th overall), the New York Rangers have selected center Michael St. Croix out of the Western Hockey League. St. Croix had 27 goals, 48 assists and 48 penalty minutes in 68 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings last season, and is the third straight centerman that the Blueshirts have picked in this draft. 

Scouting report on St. Croix from THN:

His statistics and achievements speak for themselves, but the essence to St. Croix’s unique game is his style of play. A playmaker and goal-scorer, he believes a big part of his game involves his vision, which contributes to his impressive offensive abilities. 

St. Croix is able to set up plays and get passes through the narrowest of lanes, but most importantly he positions himself perfectly to finish the play. At the same time, his vision grants him the confidence to get fancy with the puck and put on a show. 

Although St. Croix’s game is unique, he finds similarities in other players. 

“Patrice Bergeron has awesome vision,” St. Croix said. “He’s not the fastest guy out there, but he competes, he’s a leader, he makes plays, he scores and he’s reliable defensively. I think a guy like that is someone who I would like to mould my game after.”     

 

I've heard nothing but good things about St. Croix so this looks like a solid pick by the Rangers in the fourth round. You can follow Michael on Twitter, too: @stixy18

Rangers Trade Evgeny Grachev to Blues, Draft Steven Fogarty (UPDATE w/ Scouting Report)

The New York Rangers have traded forward prospect Evgeny Grachev to the St. Louis Blues for the 72nd overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. With that pick they have selected high schooler Steven Fogarty, who is a 6-1 centerman out of Edina, Minnesota. 

A few things here:

I am completely shocked that the Rangers have given up on Evgeny Grachev, who was once regarded as one of the best prospects within the organization. Grachev was a star in the OHL but struggled once making the transition to the professional level in the AHL. However, he slowly started to come on and had begun to find his game towards the end of this past season. 

Grachev's value is certainly worth more than a third-round pick in a rather weak draft, so as an initial reaction, I have no choice but to question the move. Drafting a kid out of high school is risky because you don't quite know what to make of him yet since he has not played at the Junior/College level. The Rangers have now given up on a thought-to-be superstar in Grachev for a question mark. At least that is how I see it. 

And from what I've heard, Fogarty needs a lot of work before he will be ready to compete at the professional level. He has size, but his skill is somewhat underwhelming. 

UPDATE: Here's a little more on Fogarty courtesy of Bruins Draft Watch...

Underrated and skilled centerman with size makes his B2011DW debut on this post and has some real interesting long-term potential. The proverbial rink rat who eats, sleeps, breathes hockey- Fogarty finished his HS career at Edina and then jumped to the Chicago Steel of the USHL, where he's been drinking from the fire hose of late. You have to credit the kid for risking his draft stock a little, which was pretty high given how well he played as a senior, by going to the USHL where his lack of strength and defensive awareness is being exposed a bit on a weak team and against older, stronger players. Still, there is a lot to like about this playmaking pivot who has a long stride and gets up the ice quickly. He has soft hands and superb vision for finding teammates in open ice. His work ethic is laudable- he wants to play and loves to compete; goes above and beyond to make himself better and put himself into situations that will put him in position to improve. He's raw and needs significant work, but will spend the entire 2011-12 season in the USHL. At 6-1, 195, he's got the physical tools to be a solid NHL prospect and watch for him to go relatively high (3rd-4th rounds) in the draft.

 

What You've All Been Waiting For: Gordie Clark's Take on J.T. Miller

As usual, the Ranger fan base is a bit uneasy following the pick of forward J.T. Miller at 15. Normally, though, after hearing the reasoning behind the pick from Director of Player Personnel Gordie Clark, the uneasiness begins to fade and the fans feel somewhat better about the newest addition to the organization. 

Courtesy of Steve Zipay at Newsday, here's what Clark had to say about J.T. Miller...

"...there was no one (on the board) that had all the qualities that JT had. There could be someone who will score more goals, there could be somebody that's going to be a faster skater, but if you want to put size with skating with character with grit with work ethic with playmaking ability and scoring ability, no one had all those qualities in their game. He had them all."

Clark also went on to compare Miller to Brandon Dubinsky and Mike Richards, saying that he puts forth a complete effort on every shift...

"he's like a Dubi (Brandon Dubinsky), Mike Richards. Every shift he expends everything he's got...He started coming up in a lot of the rankings from April because he was really one of the best players in the tournament in April. ...He validated what we had seen all year."

I'll have much more analysis and reports on Miller as well as a transcript of his meeting with the media over the next few hours (I'm not counting on getting very much sleep tonight).

Rangers Select J.T. Miller with 15th Overall Pick (Update)

With the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Rangers have picked forward J.T. Miller out of the U.S. National Development program. Miller was ranked 30th overall among this year's draft prospects at the midterm and is ranked as the second-best American player in the draft. The 18-year-old shoots left and is 6-foot-1, 198 pounds. 

Here's more on Miller courtesy of The Scouting Report:

Miller is a very strong, powerful skater and he uses his speed to help him both offensively and defensively. He’s an extremely hard worker and has the ability to get to loose pucks as well as separate the puck from the carrier seemingly at will. Miller has good balance and is strong on the puck when he has it and battles hard when he doesn’t. He’s good along the boards and gets out of battles with the puck. Miller handles the puck well and uses his balance and strength to protect the puck until he makes a play.

He’s not the most creative player on the ice but he does have the ability to make the easy play. Miller’s passing and shooting abilities are at the very least solid and consistent but he does show flashes at times of high end abilities in this regard. Miller plays his end of the ice well and has a physical side that makes him difficult to play against. The knock on Miller was that when you saw him play and admired his skills, you wondered why he did not produce the numbers to match those skills. At times, Miller’s decision making with the puck was cause to question his hockey sense and offensive awareness. He seemed a safe bet to develop into a third line center who could match up against the opposition’s top line. A prospect for sure but the first round may have been a stretch.

Pros: Strong skater, good defensive player, solid skills
Cons: Production has only recently matched skill set leading to questions on hockey IQ.
Skill-set Comparison : Ryan Kesler

The Rangers went a little off the board here going with Miller over Armia, Biggs, McNeill and Grimaldi, but this kid does have a solid skill-set and like always, we must trust in Gordie Clark. 

More later.... (Continue following our live blog for the draft here)

UPDATE: Almost forgot, classy move by the Rangers to allow Derek Boogaard's brother, Aaron, announce their pick. That was awesome. 

Live Blog: 2011 NHL Entry Draft Round 1

The Rangers Tribune is your home for 2011 NHL Entry Draft coverage as we will be live blogging the entire first round right here starting at 7:00. As you can see below we have each pick number followed by its team and as players are drafted I will update the list accordingly. I will also update the blog with any trades or transactions that take place on the draft floor as well under the "News and Notes" section.

When the Rangers pick at 15 I will have a separate post up with analysis and a bio on the player. Also, if you haven't read my Rangers Guide to the Draft yet, do yourself a favor and read that here. 

Draft Summary

1. Edmonton - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
2. Colorado - Gabriel Landeskog
3. Florida - Jonathan Huberdeau
4. New Jersey - Adam Larsson
5. NY Islanders - Ryan Strome
6. Ottawa - Mika Zibanejad
7. Winnipeg - Mark Scheifele
8. Philadelphia (from CBJ) - Sean Couturier
9. Boston (from TOR) - Dougie Hamilton
10. Minnesota - Jonas Brodin
11. Colorado (from STL) - Duncan Siemens
12. Carolina - Ryan Murphy
13. Calgary - Sven Bartschi
14. Dallas - Jamie Oleksiak
15. NY Rangers - J.T. Miller
16. Buffalo - Joel Armia
17. Montreal - Nathan Beaulieu
18. Chicago - Mark McNeill
19. Edmonton (from LA) - Oscar Klefbom
20. Phoenix - Connor Murphy
21. Ottawa (from NSH) - Stefan Noeson
22. Toronto (from ANA) - Tyler Biggs
23. Pittsburgh - Joe Morrow
24. Ottawa (Detroit) - Matt Puempel
25. Toronto (from PHI) - Stuart Percy
26. Chicago (from WSH) - Philip Danault
27. Tampa Bay - Vladislav Namestnikov
28. Minnesota (from SJS) - Zach Phillips
29. Vancouver - Nicklas Jensen
30. Anaheim (from TOR) - Rickard Rakell

News and Notes

(4:30pm) - The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenseman John-Michael Liles from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2012 second-round draft pick. 

(7:26pm) - Oilers acquire Ryan Smyth for Brule and a 4th round pick. 

(9:15pm) - Capitals acquire Troy Brouwer from Chicago for a 2011 first-round pick. 

(9:30pm) - Wild acquire Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle and a first-rounder from San Jose for defenseman Brent Burns and a second-round pick. (Blockbustah!)

(10:35pm) - Florida Panthers have acquired defenseman Brian Campbell from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Radislav Olesz.

Rangers Guide to the 2011 NHL Entry Draft: Round 1

To give readers an idea of what may be to come in the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft tonight, I have looked over a ton of mock drafts from around the net that have the New York Rangers picking different players with the 15th overall pick. I then took those players and provided scouting reports for each of them, including strengths and weaknesses, below. Let's get to it. 

- Mark McNeill, C, Prince Albert (WHL)

Scouting Report: Mark McNeill possesses hockey sense and skill that cannot be taught. Both intelligent and creative, he stands head and shoulders above most of the Raiders forwards and won numerous accolades for his play as a 17-year old this past season with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. McNeill makes plays out of almost nothing and sees the ice and developing play as well as anyone in the WHL.

He is at his most dangerous in close quarters to the opposing goaltender using his strength and quick hands to put points in the net. He does not look to always carry the puck himself but instead uses his on ice ability to see the play developing to see the best possible pass to move the puck quickly. He takes the team game to a higher level with the raiders, as the many Raiders Fan Zone polls can attest to. A strong physical and a strong skater definitely rates him high in the upcoming draft as a centre with size and skill, and most teams looking for that rare combination.

While his offensive abilities are exceptional, McNeill can also play both sides of the ice.

 - Boone Jenner, C, Oshawa (OHL)

Scouting Report: One of the best name's in this draft, Boone Jenner plays a crafty two way game. Boone Jenner has completed two years with the Oshawa Generals and scored 25 goals last year. Jenner was on fire in the playoffs scoring 7 goals and adding 12 points in only 10 games.

Boone Jenner will not blow anyone away with skill but he is a player who doesn't make a lot of mistakes. He plays an excellent two-way game but at the same time has great hands. He plays a power forward type game and he will only continue to get better as he develops.

- Vladislav Namestnikov, C, London (OHL)

Scouting Report: Namestnikov is one of the fastest skaters in this class and he also has great vision on the ice. Namestnikov scored 30 goals in his rookie season with the Knights this year and only got better as he adjusted to the new style of hockey. Namestnikov will be drafted this year has a skilled player who both shoot and pass the puck.

Namenstnikov's downfall is that he needs to continue to bulk up before making the jump to the NHL. He has the tools to one day play in the NHL but the team that drafts Namenstnikov should let him play under Dale Hunter and his great staff of coaches before thinking of rushing him to the next level.

- Joel Armia, RW, Finnish Elite League

Scouting Report: Joel Armia is a budding power forward already playing in the Finnish Elite League at 17 years old. 6'2, 185 lbs, Armia has an incredible shot and uses his size to his advantage on the cycle. Already drawing comparisons to Finnish great Teemu Selanne, Armia possesses a similar scoring touch, though not to the same degree. Although he underwhelmed during the World Junior Championship, the Finnish team collectively flamed out during the metal round. Though he is one of the top offensive players in the draft, Armia may not go straight to the NHL, as his defensive game needs rounding out. Armia projects to go in the from any where inside to top 10-the a pick in the mid teens.

- Mark Scheifele, C, Barrie (OHL)

Scouting Report: Mark is a player with NHL size and has the tools to become a very good NHL'er. Scheifele is a playmaker but contains a good scoring touch. Has good speed to his game. Scheifele is a smart two-way player who in the future will be a power forward in the NHL.

To make the next step, Scheifele will need to add on some muscle to his frame. His currently 6'3 175, to make the jump watch for him to be in around the 190-195 range. NHL teams could consider him as a project with only playing one year in the Ontario Hockey League but in a few years, he could become one of the better steals of the draft.

- Tyler Biggs, RW, US NTDP

Scouting Report: Above average penalty killer willing to sacrifice the body. Makes few mistakes in the neutral zone and shows signs of being a 20G 20A player. Stocky kid that uses his size. Will be a steal in late first round. Not tremendous upside, though. 

- Brandon Saad, LW, Saginaw (OHL)

Scouting Report: Brandon Saad will not overpower you with his skill but he is a force on the ice. He seems to be dropping a bit in the draft ranking but he could end up being one of the better picks in the draft. Saad was a point per game player with the Saginaw Sprit and he only got better as the season moved on.

Saad scored 27 times during the regular season and also added 3 during the playoffs. He is a guy that is extremely strong and will win a lot of battles in the corners, he's a power forward type player. He also plays a good two-way game and Saad has a strong hockey IQ.

- Matt Puempel, LW, Peterborough (OHL)

Scouting Report: Matt is a fantastic player, with both skill and speed, Matt moves the puck well and is able to protect the puck in his own end. Everytime his time has the puck you can see Matt getting in front of the net waiting for passes, but he is also not afraid to play in the corners and behind the net. Matt has puck control abilities for beyond the tender age of 17, he is smart enough to fall back to defence if needed or any other position, he can cover his man very well and can create turnovers.

- Rocco Grimaldi, C, USHL

Scouting Report: One of this years smallest forwards but his skill is top notch. Standing only 5'6 , Grimaldi possesses great speed and plays a two way game. He is extremely fun to watch and you notice him on every shift. If he was a bigger player, Rocco would be considered as a top 10 pick, his size may lead him to dropping a bit in the draft but some General Manager will fall in love with this kid's talent. He had a very strong U18 and will raise in the rankings before the draft. His rights are owned by the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL but Grimaldi will be playing NCAA hockey next year.

My Prediction: It's changed several times while looking into this draft, but after viewing all of the scouting reports and reading all of the opinions I am going to go with center Mark McNeill of the WHL. He is a great all around player that will fit nicely into the Rangers system.

REMINDER: Join me tonight as I live blog the entire first round of the draft right here on the blog starting at 7 p.m.!

Hockey's Future Has Rangers Taking Tyler Biggs

With the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Hockey's Future has the Rangers 
selecting Tyler Biggs, right wing, of Miami University....

After selecting defensemen in four of the last six NHL drafts, the Rangers will look to pick up a forward in the first round this year. With not a lot of players with high end potential at this point in the draft, the Rangers will look to winger Biggs, another player who was ranked higher earlier in the season, but is expected to fall in St. Paul. A player with size, good bloodlines, international experience, excellent character, good hockey sense, and in tremendous physical shape, Biggs is an excellent two-way forward who can fight and contribute offensively. Improvements are needed in scoring however, as captain of the U18 US NTDP team this past season, he posted 17 goals and 11 assists in 48 games. Biggs is committed to attending Miami University. 

Biggs is a name I have heard thrown around by many Ranger fans as we approach the draft this coming weekend. Tyler is definitely a possibility since it is almost guaranteed that the Blueshirts will be selecting a forward with their first-round pick this year. They are stocked on defense, so in my opinion it would be foolish to waste the pick on yet another blue-liner. 

Here's some more on Biggs from around the net:

Above average penalty killer willing to sacrifice the body. Makes few mistakes in the neutral zone and shows signs of being a 20G 20A player. Most underrated player in draft, will be a steal in late first round. - My NHL Draft

“Power winger who can play a big man's game up and down the wing,” an NHL scout told me. “Big and strong who runs over people when he wants too. Has good skill to complement good size and strength.” - Hockey Buzz

"He has that leadership quality … that desire, that passion, that competitiveness. He just never quits. He's a young player who has taken the role as leader of his team. He does most of their fighting when they have to fight. He's kind of the guy that when someone starts picking on somebody, he's standing up for them. I think while wearing the 'C' may have taken a little away from his offensive finish, my gut feeling is that I can't think of anything else but an uphill path for Tyler." - ESPN

Whenever I hear "size" and "strength" in the same scouting report I get very excited. The Rangers could use more of both, especially size. 

Reconsidering the Selection of McIlrath; It Was the Right One

Getty Images

Many of you are likely still steaming after your New York Rangers passed up on two future stars in Cam Fowler and Brandon Gormley. That is understandable since it all happened so quickly and came as a shock. That being said, the Rangers drafted for a need, not a want. That may have been hard to comprehend at the time of the pick, but after having a night to think it over there is a reason Gordie Clark chose Dylan McIlrath and it will pay off in the future.

I am going to keep the professional scouting reports out of this post because I am going to explain to you why this was the right decision from a fans' perspective by using examples. Think back to the previous season and count how many times you remember goaltender Henrik Lundqvist being run over in his crease and the team just standing around and watching. Remember when Marian Gaborik was pounded in the face by enforcer Daniel Carcillo of the Philadelpgia Flyers? How many times a game did the opposition plant themselves at the top of out goal crease and give Henrik a much harder time tracking the puck then he should have had to deal with?

It may take a few years, but by adding one player - that being Dylan McIlrath - all of those problems will be gone. They will no longer be something that the coaching staff finds themselves constantly worrying about and it will subtract from the very long list of problems this club faces.

In 1994 when the Rangers brought the cup back to New York, tell me who their top defensive pairing that was a major reason for Mike Richter's excellence was? Brian Leetch and Jeff Beukeboom. You see what I am getting at yet? Michael Del Zotto and Dylan McIlrath will be that pairing for the Rangers in a few years, and I'll tell you right now McIlrath will be an even better player than "Beuk" ever was.

Believe me, I would not go and say something like that about a former Blueshirt legend if I did not mean it.

Now, you are probably thinking that is all great, but what about Fowler and Gormley? First of all, let me just say this; there is most often a rhyme or reason when a hyped up player like Fowler drops very far in the draft. There is always a flaw somewhere in their game because general managers did not pass on him just out of stupidity.

And just to make the pick look even better, Larry Brooks of the New York Post confirms that the Dallas Stars, who were picking eleventh overall right after the Rangers, would have chosen Dylan McIlrath if the Blueshirts had not done so. That, to me, means this kid has some value and something that many teams want to add to their club.

Many of you wanted Nino Niderreiter, I know, but the first time McIlrath lines him up and completely flattens the Swiss forward, you will quickly forget your love for "El Nino" and open up for McIlrath. The same goes for when he drops the gloves against Dan Carcillo or shuts down Russian star Alex Ovechkin. You will learn to love him and Gordie Clark, from watching this kid since December, realized that before we did.

Folks, Dylan McIlrath was the correct decision.

Anyway, the second round will kick off this afternoon at 1 pm eastern time and we will again have coverage on the site. Obviously we will not do the pick by pick recap throughout the remaining rounds but when the Rangers pick it will be posted on the site, so stay tuned and be sure to follow our updates on Twitter.

Rangers Take Christian Thomas in Second Round

OHL.com

The New York Rangers held the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in which they used to select right wing Christian Thomas of the Oshawa Generals this afternoon. Thomas, 5-9, 165 pounds, is the son of former NHL star Steve "Stumpy" Thomas, and while he may not be able to completely follow his father's footsteps, he has shown some major improvement over the past season. Since the mid-season rankings, Christian has moved up 45 spots after scoring 41 goals and 25 assists in 64 games with the Generals.

You may recognize Thomas' name since he was a part of the John Tavares trade that sent last year's first overall pick and now current Islander to the London Knights of the OHL.

Thomas has a nice scoring touch at the right wing and has a fabulous shot according to many scouts. One scout went as far as to say that he holds an "NHL shot" already, but other parts of his game need improvement before he makes the jump to the big leagues.

Here is a couple of scouting reports on Thomas:

Hockey's Future: Small, speedy forward with a scoring touch. In his first full season with the Generals, Thomas picked up 41 goals and added 25 assists for 66 points in 64 games.

Maple Leafs Hot Stove: ...His bread and butter of going hard to the net is supported by excellent speed and skating skills (what else would you expect of Stumpy’s [Steve Thomas'] son) and a nose for goal. Coupled with decent hands, a high hockey IQ, and cannon shot, Thomas has the potential to be a killer offensive force in junior the next couple of seasons.

...Christian has a chippy edge and has shown he isn’t afraid to throw around what mass he has and furthermore he works hard on the puck all the time and knows how to make himself open. You could characterize Thomas’ play as doing the simple things well, doing them consistently and doing them with fast, hard skating.

...Thomas has yet to put up the kind of numbers to suggest he could handle top 6 duties in the NHL and lacks the size to be a pure energy third liner....what a team would be drafting in Thomas is a whole-lotta likeable skill, bloodlines, and sense with only one standout year to his name.