Just 5 players and picking from the 15th spot? Sure not a problem at all but given that there will be 14 picks before yours a longer list might be needed.
The very first thing to really look at is how many picks that the Rangers will have in the draft. The Rangers have just 5 picks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft starting with 15th in the first, 45th and 57th in second (Sanguinetti trade), then 106th in the 4th, and finally 136th in the 5th.
The Rangers do not have any picks in the 3rd, 6th or 7th round because of previous trades. It may not seem like much those losing 3 picks but the Rangers are not exactly rolling in high quality talent.
Any Ranger fan and odds are they will tell you that the team needs are: a top line center, a top line right wing, scoring depth at forward and depth at goalie. Doubt any of us are going to argue about those needs.
At 15 you are already out of the elite/franchise player range. Moving up is going to seriously cost you but with just 5 picks and what is expected to be a large turnover in Hartford then you can not really afford a deal moving up.
This draft is a nice deep draft as it is shaping up to be a good 3 rounds deep so the Rangers can find quality as well as quantity if they can find a good trading partner. If it was up to us then trading down is exactly the way to go.
Picking up an extra 2nd or even a replacing the lost 3rd could actually help the Rangers more than staying at 15. If the Rangers can use the pick at 15 to turn it into an extra pick or two then it is a good move to make.
Now that you have decided what the goals of the draft are comes the fun part, trying to guess who is going to win the argument as to who to pick when it is the Ranger's turn.
Last 2 years it has been Gordie Clark, the Ranger's Director of Player Personnel who has won out and made the pick.
So which are you going to go with the "best available player" or the best player who fits the Tortorella system? It has to be the player who is going to be who best fits in the system to make the pick work.
That is why Clark went with Dylan McIlrath instead of Cam Fowler as McIlrath was a better fit to play a grinding physical game. If Tortorella is wanting to play a wide open attacking game then yes you take Cam Fowler in a second, but Fowler would be lost in what Tortorella uses with the Rangers.
Then you have to try to think like Sather and here are a couple of tidbits that may not seem like much but can give you an idea as what to do with your draft. Out of 33 combined first round draft picks since 1980 Glen Sather has only selected 1 player from the QMJHL.
He will take WHLers, OHLers, Europeans and even high school players but not a QMJHL player. Once the first round is over then he has no trouble selecting from the QMJHL but in the first round forget it.
The other thing Sather will do once he gets out of the 1st round is trade down in order to gain extra picks in the draft. With just 5 picks in this upcoming draft then it would be a great idea to regain the picks given up in trades for Bryan McCabe, Jody Shelley, and Anders Erikkson.
As for who the Rangers might pick then now you have to subscribe to the Blueshirt Bulletin to find that out. Yes I like Tyler Biggs but really doubt that the Rangers will select him.
Derek Boogaard
From the New York Rangers today:
In lieu of flowers, the family of Derek Boogaard requests donations be made to Defending The Blue Line. The Boogaard family would like to see Derek's legacy live on by supporting military kids and the game he loved.
Defending The Blue Line
c/o Boogaard Booguardians Memorial Fund
1206 N. Frontage Road, Suite B
Hastings, MN 55033
Donations can also be made at www.DefendingTheBlueLine.org
And we Ranger fans may not have liked the contract given to Derek Boogaard but the more you look the more we are the ones who lost out.
Helene Elliot
Jason Peters
Randy Starkman
As a hockey player we did not like his contract but as a human being, Derek Boogaard was grossly underpaid.
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If you are here because of the spelling and grammar then boy did you waste your time.
There is really nothing is more hilarious than someone trying to post a comment on my writing skills but fail to proof read their own before sending it. If you have an honest suggestion I am always open to listening but really if the goal is just a reaction then oh well the delete button works very well.
(Ranger's Logo courtesy of the New York Rangers)
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