Hockey Wilderness Community 2011 NHL Mock Draft: New York Rangers

by BReynolds on Jun 6, 2011 9:00 AM CDT in Features

The Dallas Stars had their choice of a multitude of players, many with strong offensive skill and many with outstanding two way games. The fans decided that the Stars needed a finisher, a garbage goal guy, a guy unafraid of the dirty areas. Wouldn't it have just been easier to sign Andrew Brunette?

Instead, the community selected Zack Phillips, a player some *cough* me *cough* and a few others have the Wild selecting at 10. His skating is the only knock against him. I hear it too many times for it to even mean anything any more. Saying a prospects skating is an issue is like listening to a car alarm in a parking lot. It should mean pay attention, but no one ever does.

Great pick for the Stars at fourteen.

Our mock draft thus far:

1. Edmonton Oilers: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
2. Colorado Avalanche: Gabriel Landeskog
3. Florida Panthers: Adam Larsson
4. New Jersey Devils: Sean Couturier
5. New York Islanders: Jonathan Huberdeau
6. Ottawa Senators: Ryan Strome
7. Atlanta Thrashers: Mika Zibanejad
8. Columbus Blue Jackets: Dougie Hamilton
9. Boston Bruins: Ryan Murphy
10. Minnesota Wild: Sven Bartschi
11. Colorado Avalanche: Duncan Siemens
12. Carolina Hurricanes: Mark McNeill
13. Calgary Flames: Joel Armia
14. Dallas Stars: Zack Phillips

Next on the list is the New York Rangers, and hey, guess what? Jere Sallinen is still available.

The New York Rangers are the crown jewel of the NHL's media plan. Sure, the Habs and the Leafs are probably better at making the league money, but without the New York market, the NHL ratings would tank, and there would be some major issues. Same gos for the Rangers not being very good. If the Rags stink, the market doesn't watch, and ratings can suffer. Maybe they didn't dip into panic territory this year, but stretch it out, and they will.

To prevent that, Glen Sather is going to need talent. Of course, he'll probably just trade it away or bury them in the AHL once they show they are an NHL talent and he signs a terrible contract with them. However, before they can botch the development, they need to draft someone.

Reminder... Jere Sallinen is still available.

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I voted other...

but I’m not sure who it will be. I’m sure Slather will draft someone that’s a complete reach like McIlrath.

by JDesthubert on Jun 6, 2011 10:03 AM CDT reply actions

Jere Sallinen?

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by BReynolds on Jun 6, 2011 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions

I voted other as well. I think the Rangers will go with Mark Scheifele.

by C.J. Richey on Jun 6, 2011 11:05 AM CDT reply actions

Hey there are plenty of things..

..you can knock Phillips for. Skating, playing in the Q and decommiting from UMass, figuring out if his production is the product of the team, etc. You go deep enough with anyone in the draft and there are things that can be knocked. I mean, this post just reeks some guy playing devil’s advocate…what’s up with that?

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by GopherState on Jun 6, 2011 1:16 PM CDT reply actions

What do you mean? I think I am missing a word or something here. Everywhere I read about the draft, multiple players are listed with sub-par skating. We talked about it on Twitter a bit, but it annoys me. I want details. If you say his skating sucks, why does it suck? There are an awful lot of aspects to skating to just say “skating.” It would be like saying a football player’s “running” sucks. What sucks about it? His routes? His speed? His footwork?

See what I mean? It has just become something so cliche it has lost meaning. Oh… and for the record, I don’t mind he de-committed from UMass. If he thought it was a better place to play, good on him.

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by BReynolds on Jun 6, 2011 2:06 PM CDT up reply actions

First, I’d like to curse all other communities for taking the easy targets in Baerstchi, McNeil, and Armia.

The Rangers almost assuredly will not take a defenseman in this draft. Stranger things have happened, but with the trade for Tim Erixon, the defense is fairly set for a while. So you can rule out Beaulieu, even though he’s currently leading the polls.

Thus, the choice for me is Mark Scheifele. With McNeil off the board, Scheifele’s the next best center available, and will give the Rangers more depth down the middle.

Honorable mention for Jensen, who is a giant risk, giant reward type player that could give the Rangers farm system an infusion of top end talent to compliment the depth of 2nd/3rd line guys being groomed. It’s pretty close between the two, but as draft day gets closer, Scheifele’s stock for me as risen above Jensen.

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by George E. Ays on Jun 6, 2011 2:59 PM CDT reply actions

I still say that Vlad Namenshinkov would be a solid #15 pick

But Scheifele seems like the better choice than having another enigmatic winger in the system

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by Kevin Power on Jun 6, 2011 6:06 PM CDT up reply actions

Agreed on Scheifele

He’s probably the best guy the Rangers can hope to have fall in their lap at this stage in the game.

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by Joe Fortunato on Jun 6, 2011 6:14 PM CDT up reply actions

Also

you guys should really take a look at the Rangers organizational depth…they have some solid forward prospects (Kreider, Thomas, Grachev) as well as having an army of young defense. This isn’t your older brother’s rangers team we’re a semi functional organization now

"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx

In Prust We Trust

"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.

A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep

Follow me @8kpower

by Kevin Power on Jun 6, 2011 6:25 PM CDT reply actions

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