In 2017 NHL Entry Draft New York Rangers Select…
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As of earlier this afternoon, the Rangers traded Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to Arizona in exchange for Anthony DeAngelo and the 7th overall pick in tonight’s draft. This gives the Rangers 2 picks in the 1st round tonight the seventh pick and 21st pick. Moving into the seventh spot there will be some really good talent to chose from. We will see if the end up moving the 21st pick before the draft.
The Blueshirts have done a solid job with their draft choices after some tough losses in the early-mid 2000s (i.e. Hugh Jessiman). I ran a poll on Twitter to see what Rangers fans think we need to do in this draft. 65% of voters thought like Rangers GM Jeff Gorton and said to just get the best available player, while 32% of voters said to go after a defenseman.
https://twitter.com/NHLCouchCoach/status/876968924784492545
That being said, I looked at some of their options come the 7th & 21st pick on Friday night. Here are some of the NHL’s top reporters and their mock draft picks for the New York Rangers.
TSN Bob McKenzie
7th Pick – (C/LW) – Timra IK (SWE) Elias Pettersson
21st Pick -C, London Knights (OHL) Robert Thomas
TSN Craig Button
7th – D, Brooks (AJHL) Cale Makar
21st – C, Tri-City (WHL) Michael Rasmussen
NHL.com Adam Kimelman
7th – D, Brooks (AJHL) Cale Makar
21st – LW, Sioux City (USHL) Eeli Tolvanen
NHL.com Guillaume Lepage
7th – D, Brooks (AJHL) Cale Makar
21st – C, St. Cloud State (NCHC) Ryan Poehling
Sportsnet Mock Draft
7th – C Windsor Spitfires (OHL) Gabe Vilardi
21st – C, St. Cloud State (NCHC) Ryan Poehling
(click names for prospect report)
Top Options at Seven
Now the Rangers have been really hurting for an offensive defenseman for quite some time now. With the seventh pick, we have a real good oppurtunity to grab a guy like Cale Makar. He maybe quite some time away from the NHL, but his future upside is great. This is a guy that could go as early as fourth, but because of the time it will take to make an NHL club, some teams are hesitant. He is an anchor on his team’s power play, something the Rangers could desperately use.
“It’s his hands and how well he can pass and handle the puck at that speed that really catches your eye. He moves it with great vision and good lateral mobility, which is so important in today’s game. It’s not just straight-ahead speed, it’s being able to create time and space in small areas and he does that exceptionally well.” – NHL Central Scouting’s John Williams.
If The Rangers decide to go the Center route they may be able to grab Elias Pettersson. A crafty and agile two-way forward, Pettersson is consistently productive in all three zones, and his creativity is probably the best in this draft behind Nico Hischier.
A creative forward who possesses very good hands and can beat opponents in 1-on-1 situations with his slick hands and puckhandling skills. He can make quick turns in different directions with the puck and keeps his feet moving. Has improved his skating and shot even further as of lately. One of the leading scorers of the Allsvenskan league. – Dennis Schellenberg
21st Pick Top Options
The Rangers have quite a good selection of centers who they could choose from. With the loss of Lindberg, trading Stepan and Larry Brooks reporting Hrivik will not resign, the Rangers have an opportunity to fill a gap with some really talented center options.
This is tough to pick but if I would pick a center out of that list above I would take St. Cloud State’s Ryan Poehling. He was the youngest player in the NCAA this season, but many scouts believe that may have hurt his draft stock. Had he waited one more year, many believe he’d probably be a top ten pick. NHL Central Scouting has him ranked at number 13 among North American skaters. And while Michael Rasmussen is ranked sixth, his 6′ 6″ frame scares me, because it seems every big player the Rangers draft doesn’t pan out.
The youngest player in the NCAA this season — he turned 18 on Jan. 3 — Poehling stood out with his creativity and knack for generating scoring chances at the most important moments. He protects the puck well, and his defensive game improved as the season went along. He had 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 35 games. – Guillaume Lepage, NHL.com
If I had to choose anyone of the players above, the best on that board would be Eeli Tolvanen from the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. The kid can flat out play. His shot off the pass as well as his in-stride shot is probably in the top ten in this draft. He was ranked seventh best North American skater by NHL Central Scouting and caught my eye watching him play at the World Junior Championships
“He’s got excellent skill and hockey sense. Plays the game at a high pace and is very tough to contain. He is dangerous offensively creating opportunities with a quick shot that he can release on the fly. He is very good at finding the open man with a tape-to-tape pass. He understands the game very well and can be responsible is all zones. He scored at over a point per game in a league that is tough to score in.”
– David Gregory, NHL Central Scouting
FullTiltNYR Staff Picks
Dillon Horan
7th – C Windsor Spitfires (OHL) Gabe Vilardi
21st – LW, Sioux City (USHL) Eeli Tolvanen
7th – C, Eden Prairie Casey Mittelstadt
21st -D, HV71 (SWE) Erik Brannstrom
Chris Aurigemma
7th – (C/LW) – Timra IK (SWE) Elias Pettersson
21st – C/LW, Dynamo Moscow (RUS) Klim Kostin
Shawn Taggart
7th – D, Brooks (AJHL) Cale Makar
21st – D, Rögle BK (SWE) Timothy Liljegren
7th – C, Windsor Spitfires (OHL) Gabe Vilardi
21st -D, HV71 (SWE) Erik Brannstrom
Alissa Devine
7th – C, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) Casey Mittelstadt
21st – D, Rogle (SWE) Timothy Liljegren
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