The Rangers had what can be classified as a bit of an uneven draft. Their first, first round pick has been classified as a "safe" pick while their second might have been a fast, late riser. With no second and third round picks, you might have expected more boom or bust picks. But the Rangers opted to take several overage players, but also one who is 17 and won't be 18 until September. It's clear the Rangers targeted depth up the middle, selecting five centers along with a pair of blueliners and also focused on European players. Clearly, we won't know for several years how this draft will pan out, but I can more than understand the consternation over several picks but more so who was passed on and the inability - until the four round - to move down in the draft and acquire mire picks.
Here is who the Rangers selected along with who they might have taken then (first round) and some of the scouting reports on them. Andersson was covered in yesterday's blog, so the coverage here on him will be brief. But the other six picks, including the second, first rounder, will be covered broader.
Lias Andersson:
The big disagreement with the pick, as noted by many, is not so much that Andersson was taken but where he was selected. If he was selected 21st, no one would have blinked. But as seven, with Casey Middeltstadt, Michael Rasmussen, Owen Tippett, Gabe Vilardi, Martin Necas, Nick Suzuki, Erik Brannstrom and Timothy Liljegren all available, the selection looks worse. Now whether or not you like any of those players better, which I do, taking Andersson at 7 looks off at many levels.
However, on the flip side, when you hear Gord Clark describe Andersson, you can't help to have some hope that maybe they made the right selection. "We've really needed a certain kind of player to add into our organization. This guy's work ethic, his ability, you're going to love him. Fans are going to love him. He's got the combination of grit and ability that we've been looking for. The way that he plays - he's just so driven. Driving to the net, forechecking, finishing checks and he can make a pass, make a play." Andersson clearly wants to be great, not just good, but great. We talked about the team needing a leadership change, well, this kid certainly goes a long way towards that.
I have seen him described as a better version of Niklas Sundstrom. Other comparisons are an Alexander Steen type player, maybe Ondrej Palat. Hopefully, that's how he pans out. But again, this gets into asset management. Trade down from seven to maybe a low-teens, get another pick and then select this kid if you are that high on him. At seven, having dealt Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta, you need to hit a home run not aim for a single, which as of now, is what this looks like. In addition, Philly flipped Brayden Schenn, who has three years at $5.125 million to St. Louis for Jori Lehtera, the 27th pick and a conditional first next year, which has to make you question the return for Stepan, who is making more for longer, and Raanta, with the #7 and Anthony DeAngelo coming back, so which team made the better trade, NY or Philly? But there is upside in Andersson, although it's overshadowed by who was still there and not using the pick to get more assets.
Filip Chytil, 21st overall
ISS, ranked 64:
Scouting Report | Draft Sleeper! One of the youngest players available for 2017 draft. Chytil played for HC Ziln in the Czech Extraliga, the top men’s league in the country. Really helped his draft stock with his exceptional play throughout U18 World Championship tournament in Slovakia. He skates well and has good acceleration. He has very good hands and play making ability. Good passer. He has good hockey sense, smart player. Has a nice stride and very good speed. Protects the puck well. Plays in traffic but not a physical player. Needs to get stronger. Has good potential and should get consideration for the CHL Import draft with Pro upside with development
Future Considerations, ranked 70:
Chytil is a speedy player with good hockey sense and offensive skill. He is a very good skater, with very quick feet and balance on his edges that allows him to generate good power from every stride and high-end acceleration in his first few steps. He uses his speed well to carry the puck up ice, into the offensive zone, stopping up along the outside and setting up for some offensive zone time. His vision of the ice helps him to quickly find open lanes to go through with the puck and once moving he is hard to contain when he finds space. Has decent puck skills, although nothing too electrifying, and is able to receive and dish passes at full speed without breaking stride. He is stronger than his size would indicate, hard to knock off the puck showing tremendous puck protection, goes into dirty areas and wins most of his puck battles alongside the board. He is also very active on the forechecking and his long reach helps him to steal the puck from his opponents. He is very sneaky. It is not uncommon to see him work deep in both zones and even throw a hit or two, as he wants to make his presence felt. Chytil is a guy you will need to have patience with as he takes a few seasons to add strength, but he could be well worth it.
McKeen's, ranked 42:
One of the younger prospects available in the 2017 draft (10 days from being a 2018 eligible), Chytil is one of the more under-the-radar dynamic talents available. He spent the majority of his regular season with Zlin, in the Czech Extraliga, playing against grown men. Although his scoring totals were not overly impressive, only Martin Necas outscored him among U18 players. Secondly, he ended league play with very strong scoring in the relegation round, contributing one goal and one assist, as Zlin maintained their standing in the country’s top level.
Although Chytil is still lean, he has a solid frame, suggesting added strength in a few short years. Although his game is still justi ably raw, he displays the entire toolkit on the ice, rating as above average as a skater, shooter, puck handler and for his hockey IQ. When it came time to shine, he continued to impress at both the Five Nations tournament where his smarts and vision stood out, and nished his year with a very strong showing at the WU18 event, with ve points in ve games wearing the national colours.
He will play an East-West game when carrying the puck, and it has worked for him thus far in his nascent career. Currently slated to return to Zlin next season, he is also a player to watch in the upcoming CHL Import Draft. Chytil is a relatively long-term project for whichever team calls his name on draft day, but he has high breakout potential.
Dobber, ranked 75:
Chytil had a quiet draft season with little fanfare after a good performance at the Hlinka helping Czech win the Gold but again played great for the Czech at the end of the year at the U-18 posting a point-per-game in five games. On the strength of that breakout he finished 11th overall on the NHL Central Scouting ranking for European skaters. Chytil is an excellent skater, has a quick first-step acceleration and high-end top gear. His edge work is strong giving him shifty agility and he has the ability to carry and handle the puck at speed. He has good size at 6-0 and is stronger than his 179-pound frame suggests, but still needs to improve here to play at the NHL level. Uses his skating to forecheck and backcheck effectively and has good hockey sense.
Speedy offensive forward (Andreas Athanasiou) 15-15-30
I don't have a big issue with this pick, especially after going safe with the first selection. Chytil is one of the youngest in the draft, missed being eligible for next year's draft by 10 days. Also, he rose 40 spots in the rankings since the mid-season ones came out. New York wanted to grad the fast riser. If there is a criticism, you could say why not do what Chicago did in their trade with St. Louis. Move down to later in the round and grab a third rounder, which New York lacked, or maybe more. In addition, the team passed on Kailer Yamamoto, Ryan Poehling, Eeli Tolvanen. Klim Kostin and Nicholas Hague, the latter one lasting to the second round.
Brandon Crawley, 123rd overall
(New York traded down from 102 to get San Jose's 123rd and 174th pick)
Not ranked by ISS or Future Considerations or Dobber or McKeen's. He was ranked 199 by NHL Central Rankings. An overage pick, who is 20 years old, Crawley skated in 61 games with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), registering seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points, along with a plus-55 rating and 114 penalty minutes. That latter number, PIM, and his age stands out.
From Corey Pronman, ESPN: "He's a very smart defender, with decent feet and hands, and while he's not a highlight generator, he always seems to make a difference on the ice."
This was written about Crawley on elite Hockey Prospects in 2015, but to me, it looks as if he hasn't progressed much since then and is 20 years old while playing in the OHL. "Crawley is a tenacious defensive defenceman who also showed the ability to move the puck well as the season went on in London. He loves the physical play although he is not overly big. He adjusted well during his OHL rookie season to the speed of the game and could have a big year next year on what will be a strong London team" To me, if taking a flier, selected Igor Shvyryov, who went two picks later and appears to have way more upside. But Crawley could get a shot at being a stay-at-home defenseman.
Calle Sjalin, selected 145th
Ranked 163 by ISS
Ranked #44 by NHL Central Scouting (EU skaters)
Not ranked by Future Considerations, Dobber or in McKeen's Top 125
Ranked #119 Hockey Prospect:
"Calle Sjalin is a steady, conservative puck mover who has limited upside as an offensive player. He projects as bottom pairing defenseman and may struggle to transition to the next levels of professional hockey because of his average skating skills. He is a low end defensive prospect for the 2017 NHL Draft"
Despite what Hockey Prospect wrote, this is actually my favorite pick. Another underage player, who has tremendous upside and could develop into a solid offensive blue liner.
Dominik Lakatos, selected 157th
Ranked #50 by NHL Central Scouting (EU skaters).
Not ranked by ISS, Future Considerations, Dobber, Hockey Prospect or in McKeen's Top 125, but McKeen's wrote: Lakatos had a productive season and is finally hoping to get drafted this year, but is one of the older prospects available.
Morgan Barron, selected 174th
Ranked #98 by NHL Central Scouting (EU skaters)
Not ranked by ISS, Dobber or in McKeen's Top 125
Hockeyprospect.com, ranked 158:
"he is a player who uses his physical tools to make himself difficult to play against and is an effective forechecker"
Future Considerations, ranked 219:
Barron is a big strong power-forward in the making. His skating stride is a work in progress as he generates speed but lacks in his first few strides and his ability to start and stop on pucks. He does have a very strong motor that tends to keep him in the mix at this level but will need to improve his feet if he wants to develop as he moves along. He plays a heavy game and protects the puck well, battling for it, and going to the gritty areas of the rink. He is willing to get his nose dirty and stand up for himself if needed. His shot is solid, it has good velocity and he hits his targets but there are times you can go and make a coffee and come back before it gets off his blade. He is physical and likes to mix it up, getting into the face of his opponents and running them along the wall with each opportunity.
He is a strong playmaker who shows some impressive hands for puck distribution to go along with excellent vision. Defensively, his skating keeps his effectiveness from being overly impressive but he does read the play well and has no problems with getting his big body into shooting lanes or closing off his check along the boards. This Cornell commit will have plenty of time to round off the rough parts of his game before turning pro.
Patrik Virta, selected 207th
Not ranked by ISS, Dobber, Future Considerations, NHL Central Scouting, Hockey Prospect or in McKeen's Top 125
Overall, the rating will be determined on how Andersson, Chytil and Sjalin pan out. As of now, you likely have to give them a B- at best, based on who they passed up and failure to maximize the picks by trading down and adding more to further replenish the system. If one of those three hit, same with Barron, that grade will move up in the future. Pronman gave the Rangers B (http://www.espn.com/nhl/insider/story/_/id/19726782/2017-nhl-draft-grades-analysis-draft-class-every-nhl-team). I love what Vegas did, redeeming McPhee for a so-so expansion draft, using the two extra first round picks to grab Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom to go along with Cody Glass. They added Nicolas Hague and Jake Leschyshyn in the second round. I will be back tomorrow or the day after with a look at where they are and what that means moving forward.
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