Rangers Draft Review

So the Rangers stayed put and made 5 picks yesterday.   It was a far more sensible approach than they are taking with Brad Richards.   Still, even though they didn't have a first or second rounder, or a 5th or 7th, it was a reassuring draft.     It was reassuring because they took exactly the same types of players they've been taking during the Gordie Clark Draft Revolution.

With their first pick of the 3rd round, they took Adam Tambellini.    This was as typical bloodlines pick along the lines of Thomas, Bourque, and Andersson.   Some people are suspicious of bloodline picks, but I would argue that hockey is such a part of life in some areas that talent is not only going to be present in multiple generations, but it's going to be apparent which kids have it and want to see how far it takes them.   So I think there's a screening process along the way that thins the herd of second generation prospects before they ever get to the draft.  

Adam is reminiscent of Fogarty and Boo as a kid who is a talented, skillsy playmaker who's body needs to catch up with his talent and may need to get a little tougher.  He's a North Dakota commit and should grow his game there.   We now have kids in 4 of the best college programs in the country.

Next they took Pavel Buchnevich, who is a bit of a gamble given the lack of a KHL agreement, and because it is especially tough to figure out which of the Russian kids who look like the absolute goods, will grow into NHL stars.   But, this kid does look like the absolute goods.  He has great speeds, hands and vision and outplayed some of the kids drafted ahead of him in international competition.    He's gott two more years on his KHL contract and needs that time to build his body more.   That said he would have been an absolute first rounder if there was a KHL agreement.  And he is at the prospect camp where he has looked like the best skater in a camp with some very impressive skaters.

Their third third rounder was used on Anthony Duclair.   Anthony may or may not be 6ft tall right now, but he is a jet in the mold of the Kreider, Fast, Nieves and Buchnevich picks.    He's got some crazy highlights on youtube and is a threat to take any loose puck to the goal.    He was injured this year and had a bit of a down season - that also featured a disciplinary suspension - after lighting it up as a rookie in the Q.   That's why he was still there when the Rangers picked.

The Rangers did a really nice job of getting upside with their three third rounders.


In the first round of drafts, teams are looking for studs.  Kids who have NHL talent and NHL bodies.  In the following rounds some kids already have an NHL body but need to develop their games, while other kids have NHL talent and need to develop their bodies.

Smart drafting teams - and I am proud to say - like the Rangers and Redwings, hit on so many mid rounders because they don't get fooled by NHL bodies, but keep placing the higher value on NHL talent.    Dumb teams stock up on NHL bodies and pray that the talent will come.   That's probably a big chunk of where the "power forwards take longer" meme comes from.     So yesterday, the Rangers took three talented kids in the third and are hoping that their bodies come along.

In the fourth, the Rangers took D Ryan Graves.  He came on late in the year and does have or is close to having an NHL body already.   He's a lefty shot who's willing to play physically and fight, if not at the level of McIlrath and Noreau, just yet.  He's well ahead of where Noreau was as a skater and player when we drafted him, though Noreau has really progressed since then.  So this kid's gonna have a shot. He likes to play a simple game and big guys who can do that and hit are always gonna have jobs in the NHL.

Finally, they took Makenzie Skapsi, a goalie who was a late riser with some helium.   Goalie seems to be the hardest position to scout sort of like QB's.   There are a few different styles that work, and though every team needs two, there are not enough real ones for every team.  We'll see if this guy's a real one.   We'll probably be picking G's every year until we do, starting yesterday.

In all, given the weirdness of the past few weeks, on things like naming assistants, Messier leaving and the Richards decision, it was an island of sanity and a reassurance that they are, at least, sticking with their draft plans and drafting intelligently.