Rangers European Prospects Tearing It Up
Fasth now top-3 in SEL goalscoring. Oscar Lindberg tied for fourth.
— Alex Nunn (@aj_ranger) February 2, 2013
...i'm going to tell you right now, next year's camp is going to be some competition. The amount of young talent that this organization has is scary. If you're a veteran on this team, you better bring it next September.
...besides the above two guys, the camp will also include Miller, Mashinter, Thomas, Bourque, Hrivik, Ferriero, St. Croix. Not to mention McIlrath pushing hard for a spot on defense.
...another benefit to having such good young talent coming through the system is that it gives Sather some bargaining chips during contract negotiations. Which he'll need the next few years, when virtually the entire team will be free agents.
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Nice - I don't ultimately know how many of em will pan out but that's a good sign. From what I can gather it sounds like the European kids along with Thomas will have the best shot to make the big club and be able to make a mark. Scoring in that Swedish Elite League doesn't appear to be too easy and Thomas sure looks like he'll be a bonafide NHLer. McIlrath sounds like he just needs more and more training and learning. Guys like him need to be really smooth positionally.
BTW, I don't have any intention to put a damper on this article or on the prospects in the Rangers organization.I hope for the best and wish that these young players succeed.
But like I said earlier, going back, the Rangers haven't really drafted anyone that was offensively successful since Marc Savard and before him, Alexi Kovalev.
@Beckfan5 in all fairness, I think Alexei Cherepanov would have been something special, just didn't get the chance. But we'll never know.
@Beckfan5 Prospects are prospects for a reason. Sometimes they work out, but normally not.
I have to say, it's nice to see something that looks like a plan come form the Rangers as far as the future is concerned! There's no way all these forwards play for the Rangers. I would guess that Sather either uses some of them as trade bait at the deadline depending upon needs, or uses them to get high picks or a stud goalie prospect as the heir apparent for Hank.
@gravey94 I like the stud goalie idea. We need a young NHL ready goalie within the next 2 years.
@GLENsatherVSglennDANZIG hanks got 5 years left of playing at a very high level. I do not go after a goalie for 3 or 4 years. Maybe even more. I don't want a 27 year old goalie coming in after hank is ready to hang it up. I would rather have a rookie. No need in any way to start looking for a goalie for awhile
@slapshot13j @GLENsatherVSglennDANZIG Didn't say NHL ready goalie. Get a 19 or 20 year old stud, have him play in the minor for a couple years then come up to mentor from the best. Hank was 24 when he started for the Rangers and he had no mentor. Besides, with no goalie in the system, whole seasons are done if Hank ever got injured.
Look for fasth, st. Croix, and bourque to seperate themselves from the others next year. I have a feeling those 3 will be on the team next year. Then mcilrath will most likely make it as a 6th defenseman
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Not for nothing but I'll wait to get my hopes up.
Who have the Rangers drafted in the last few seasons that has helped this offensively challenged organization score goals (minus Callahan, not that he's Brett Hull)?
Evgeny Grachev anyone? What about Lauri Korpikoski? Ethan Werek, are you there?
@Beckfan5 Like who? Anyone above the top 5 in the draft is a crapshoot as to whether or not they are going to be successful. Richards was a 3rd round pick, Kurri was a 4th round pick, Peter Bondra was an 8th round pick, even Messier was a 3rd rounder. It takes a few years for those diamonds to blossom. Rangers haven't had higher than a #10 pick in the last 5 years so I wouldn't expect them to become immediate contributors.
@gravey94 I never said 1st round picks, did I. Go back, all the way back, to 1995. That was the last time they drafted anyone remotely close to being considered an offensive weapon.
And they ran out of patience with that player and traded him for Jan Hlavac and the right to draft Jamie Lundmark (yippie!).
How'd that work out for them?
@Beckfan5 the korpedo is tearing it up in phoenix right now. change of scenery does wonders sometimes although i think its a pretty freak thing that hes scoring
@ry_man @Beckfan5 that's one guy I wish we still had. I always kinda thought he didn't get a chance here.
@KevinDeLury @Beckfan5 @ry_man oh my goodness. I couldn't even remember what we got in return. Womp Womp Woooommmmmmp!!!!
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@GLENsatherVSglennDANZIG @ry_man @Beckfan5 No sweat, they received Enver Lisin for him.
@Beckfan5 That's fair, but seeing guys like Stepan and Hagelin succeeding in the NHL has my hopes up for the rest of these guys.
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@KevinDeLury Succeed? I hope you mean in other areas.
Stepan averages .23 goals per game while Hagelin averages .21.
@GLENsatherVSglennDANZIG @Beckfan5 @KevinDeLury They are good players. I wouldn't call them well rounded until they can prove that they can score a bit more than a 1/2 a point per game.
@Beckfan5 @KevinDeLury I would consider them successful. They are well rounded players. They just need to start burying. I love watching hags motor around forcing bad choice because of his forecheck.
@Beckfan5 Wasn't referring to scoring, but they're both already solid NHLers at young ages. Plenty of room to improve though.
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@Beckfan5 I had such high hopes for Grachev. I was hoping to have a 91 Grachev jersey one day. He was a HUGE disappointment.
One of these prospects might get us a player to help us in the playoffs at the trade deadline. I would give up a bourque or thomas for a player that will help bring us the cup!
@GLENsatherVSglennDANZIG Agreed, got to assume a couple of these guys might be traded.
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@KevinDeLury can't keep'em all! I can't wait until we could put McIlrath in for our 6th spot next year. I've never seen him get backed down in a fight.
