Mel
8-18-05, 10:40 PM
To all of us Ranger fans....
(Courtesy of NHL.com (http://www.nhl.com))
The New York Rangers have dramatically improved their prospects' roster over the past two seasons, giving Blueshirts fans reason for optimism. They have the rights to a pair of top-notch goalies, several good offensive prospects, a "can't miss" first-round defensive prospect and a player said to have the best hands in junior hockey, Nigel Dawes.
There's very little Dawes hasn't done to date that the left wing could have done. He's won a Memorial Cup, led the World Junior Championship in goals, won a WJC gold and silver medal and was voted runner-up as Western Hockey League player of the year. Dawes led the Kootenay Ice to the 2002 Memorial Cup with nine goals in 22 playoff games. He had six goals, including two in the final game, when Canada fell to the United States in 2004. He had two goals and six points to help lead Canada to the WJC gold in January.
The captain of the Kootenay Ice, Dawes had 50 goals and 26 assists in 63 games this past season. He was the WHL Player of the Month for February. The knock on Dawes, the Rangers' fifth-round pick, 149th overall, in the 2003 Entry Draft, is that he is too small at 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds.
Too small to do what? He was plus-26 and set Kootenay franchise records for goals (164) and game-winning goals (30).
Rangers head coach and Vice President of Player Development Tom Renney was asked if he can contain his excitement over Dawes. "We are trying to be realistic. Nigel is a really solid player who can put up numbers," Renney said. "We're excited about that part of his game, but we want to be prudent about bringing him along. He has great instincts and he's a great leader.
"Nigel will bring those qualities to Hartford and New York. He has to appreciate the professional pace and find his game within that and that may take some time. He has a very good frame for a shorter player. He's very strong, with big glutes and quads. He can stand the hacking and whacking and that helps him a great deal. He's good at going to the net, getting pucks and doing his thing. He's had two real good years in a row and he's proven he can score goals. Lord knows, we need that on our left wing."
Then there's the two sharp goalie prospects, Swedish netminder Henrik Lundqvist and Al Montoya, the hero of Team USA's victory at the 2004 World Junior Championship. Lundqvist is the older by three years and more advanced. He was the goalie for Team Sweden at this year's World Championships, in which Sweden finished fourth.
Lundqvist has represented Sweden in seven different major international tournaments. He was the best junior player in Sweden in 2001-02 and the top goalie in the Swedish Elite League the following year. Average goalie size at 6-foot-1, 192 pounds, he fills the net to the point "where you couldn't get a pea past him sideways," to use one of Rangers' President Glen Sather's favorite expressions.
Lundqvist was an absolute steal when the Rangers took him in the seventh round, 205th overall, in 2000. He had struggled the previous season and was dropped a level in his draft year. He's had five seasons in the top Swedish league and might have come to North America a year ago. At 24, it's time for Lundqvist and the Rangers to find out if he's got the game to play in the NHL.
"He makes our goaltending situation more of a horse race," Renney said. "He's been very successful in Europe. I expect he'll be able to vie for the starting position this season. It's time for him to get over here and do his thing on North American rinks. He'll make it quite interesting. The big adjustment he'll have to make is with the larger rinks. It's not just the size of the rinks, but the different angles from which the shots come. It's also the bigger, stronger players. He'll see more shots from the funnel and he'll have to school himself. But he has the physical strength and mental maturation to handle it."
Al Montoya left Michigan after his junior season to sign with the Rangers.
Montoya led Team USA to its first World Junior Championship in 2004 by posting a .944 save percentage and 1.33 goals-against average with two shutouts. Montoya allowed only eight goals en route to being named to the All Tournament team. His bid for a second WJC medal was thwarted in the 2005 tournament when the Czech Republic scored in overtime of the bronze-medal game. He also won a gold medal for the U.S. in the World Under-17 championship.
Montoya completed three seasons at Michigan before turning pro. He was named to the CCHA All-Rookie team and led the league in minutes played this season. Montoya struggled early along with his team, but played well at the end of the year. Renney doesn't think the team's off-year will hurt Montoya.
"By his own admission it was an average year, but he was very good in the playoffs," Renney said. "We feel strongly about Al as a goalie candidate for our future. He will be a solid, solid goaltender in the NHL. He's a tremendous prospect and we are happy to have him. This year probably improved his mental toughness and his ability to handle adversity. His lateral mobility has improved under the tutoring of Benoit Allaire and he'll come even further and make it very, very interesting."
Center Jarko Immonen was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the eighth round, 254th overall, in 2002. The Rangers made a complicated deal with Toronto and Calgary to get Immonen and the 19th overall pick that they used to select Finnish left wing Lauri Korpikoski in the March 2003 trade that sent Brian Leetch to Toronto.
Immonen is a chunky, well-balanced skater with good hands and a blistering slap shot. At 6-foot-2, 202 pounds, he plays a strong two-way game and was often used at the point on the power play while playing in Finland. He finished fourth in goals in the Finnish league two years ago. His last two seasons have been very consistent at a high level.
"There's no question we can use a guy who can make plays from both sides of the stick," Renney said. "He passes the puck well and his vision is terrific, offensively and defensively. He's antagonizing to play against because of his second and third effort. You don't get free ice against this guy. He can get under your skin. He's a good center and a guy that is close to being a Ranger. We'd love to have him now. All in good time, I guess."
Korpikoski tied for Team Finland's goal-scoring lead at the 2005 WJC, but failed to score in 41 games with TPS Turku in limited ice time. He probably would have been much better served playing North American juniors this season but that wasn't possible because of his national military obligation. He's expected to play in Finland for another season.
Korpikoski was key player for Team Finland in the 2005 World Juniors.
"He had a good year, playing on the fourth line, but it was hard for him to get ice time," Renney said. "He played with the men and got a lot of hits, both ways. He's got to get stronger and he will. He also needs to handle the puck more so he can step in and play a high-pressure game without the puck. Lauri loves to go to net. I expect we have another good player on our hands here. He's committed to his military duties so we expect to see him next year. In that time, we expect he'll grow nicely into what we want."
Once the plan was for right wing Hugh Jessiman, the Rangers' 2003 first pick, 12th overall, to finish his education at Dartmouth and then step right into the NHL. That went up in smoke early in Jessiman's junior year for the Big Green when he broke his ankle four games into the season. Jessiman was the 2003 ECAC rookie of the year when he led Dartmouth with 23 goals and 47 points in 34 games. Now, he'll be in training camp and try to make the big club.
Jessiman is 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds. The scouting reports just glow. He uses his size along the boards, crashes the net, plays strongly both ways, makes open-ice hits, sets up teammates and has a heavy shot with a quick release. The Rangers ranked him fourth in the draft and got him at No. 12. There's another bonus: He grew up 30 miles from New York City in Darien, Conn., and dreamed as a kid of playing for the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
"That was tough for Hugh, choosing to go back to school and then he broke his ankle in his fourth game," Renney said. "We like his size and skills, especially his ability to shoot. He skates with the puck with speed. His size and his speed are his attributes. He's going to be good when he hits the pro level and learns what that is all about, night in and night out. We hope he is as healthy as ever. We hope he can convince us to keep him with the Rangers but I expect he'll need a season at Hartford after missing last year."
The Rangers could be awfully big down the middle in a few years with both Immonen and 6-foot-6, 235-pound center Bruce Graham. Either one will be scary with giant Jessiman on his wing. Graham had a strong third season with his hometown Moncton Wildcats, scoring 23 goals and adding 19 assists in only 47 games. His skills and on-ice awareness are excellent for his age but his skating seems to be a matter of controversy. Some say it needs improvement while Renney and others think he's progressing well in that area. He's good defensively and has improved his shot release time. He'll bump and check rivals but some scouts want to see him be more punishing. Renney says he's coming along.
"The one thing he brings to his game is some sandpaper," Renney said. "He has great size, terrific skills and he skates well. We'd like to not just push back, but be pro-active. When he does that, he should make quite an impact. We are quite excited about him because of the size and skill he brings to it."
Former University of Michigan star John Olver, the head coach of the ECHL Idaho Steelheads, may have to sneak in the back door at future Wolverines reunions after his son, Darin, chose Northern Michigan University while Michigan coach Red Berenson wanted him in Ann Arbor. Olver was also good friends with NMU coach Walt Kyle, a former Rangers assistant coach. A six-foot, 165-pound center, Darin Olver has some growing to do, but he's learning in a good environment and making progress.
He's a playmaker as his nine goals and 34 assists last season will attest. He led the Wildcats in assists and points as a sophomore. He had a hat trick to beat Northern Michigan and scored in a shootout to top Harvard. As a coach's son, it's not surprising he's well-schooled in all aspects of the game. What is surprising is his willingness to mix it up with bigger players and to drive the net.
Renney is pleased Olver is learning from Kyle, whom he respects.
Jessiman grew up just 30 miles from Madison Square Garden.
"Walt knows what we need and knows what we've talked about with Darin," Renney said. "Any coach that spent time in the NHL knows what it is about and Walt is all about development. Darin is a sparkplug who can light it up. He has good speed and knows what to do. He's a little frail and needs to gain strength and wait for his body to mature. When he does that and brings his fire and emotion to the game, we'll have a really solid prospect."
Left wing Alexandre Giroux used this season to tell the hockey world he doesn't want to be a career minor-leaguer. As a result, he'll get a serious look at Rangers' training camp, Renney said. Giroux was a 52-goal scorer for Hull in 1999-00 and was taken by the cross-town Ottawa Senators in the seventh round, 213th overall, in 1999. He was acquired by the Rangers at the 2004 trading deadline in the deal for Greg de Vries. Giroux topped the Hartford Wolfpack with 32 goals and 54 points. We don't know if he couldn't hear "Hey, I'm open" or the tapping of sticks but that was the biggest differential between goals and assists in his career. Giroux was on a mission and it worked.
"He will get a really serious look in a Rangers jersey next year because he had a really good year in Hartford," Renney said. "We're hoping we can ignite the flame. We're rebuilding and we need what he can do. He just has to be consistent."
rest -> http://www.nhl.com/futures/features/prospects_nyr081105.html
Hey it's nice to dream about the future for once than curse the past. :thumb:
Can I get a witness?!?!
(Courtesy of NHL.com (http://www.nhl.com))
The New York Rangers have dramatically improved their prospects' roster over the past two seasons, giving Blueshirts fans reason for optimism. They have the rights to a pair of top-notch goalies, several good offensive prospects, a "can't miss" first-round defensive prospect and a player said to have the best hands in junior hockey, Nigel Dawes.
There's very little Dawes hasn't done to date that the left wing could have done. He's won a Memorial Cup, led the World Junior Championship in goals, won a WJC gold and silver medal and was voted runner-up as Western Hockey League player of the year. Dawes led the Kootenay Ice to the 2002 Memorial Cup with nine goals in 22 playoff games. He had six goals, including two in the final game, when Canada fell to the United States in 2004. He had two goals and six points to help lead Canada to the WJC gold in January.
The captain of the Kootenay Ice, Dawes had 50 goals and 26 assists in 63 games this past season. He was the WHL Player of the Month for February. The knock on Dawes, the Rangers' fifth-round pick, 149th overall, in the 2003 Entry Draft, is that he is too small at 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds.
Too small to do what? He was plus-26 and set Kootenay franchise records for goals (164) and game-winning goals (30).
Rangers head coach and Vice President of Player Development Tom Renney was asked if he can contain his excitement over Dawes. "We are trying to be realistic. Nigel is a really solid player who can put up numbers," Renney said. "We're excited about that part of his game, but we want to be prudent about bringing him along. He has great instincts and he's a great leader.
"Nigel will bring those qualities to Hartford and New York. He has to appreciate the professional pace and find his game within that and that may take some time. He has a very good frame for a shorter player. He's very strong, with big glutes and quads. He can stand the hacking and whacking and that helps him a great deal. He's good at going to the net, getting pucks and doing his thing. He's had two real good years in a row and he's proven he can score goals. Lord knows, we need that on our left wing."
Then there's the two sharp goalie prospects, Swedish netminder Henrik Lundqvist and Al Montoya, the hero of Team USA's victory at the 2004 World Junior Championship. Lundqvist is the older by three years and more advanced. He was the goalie for Team Sweden at this year's World Championships, in which Sweden finished fourth.
Lundqvist has represented Sweden in seven different major international tournaments. He was the best junior player in Sweden in 2001-02 and the top goalie in the Swedish Elite League the following year. Average goalie size at 6-foot-1, 192 pounds, he fills the net to the point "where you couldn't get a pea past him sideways," to use one of Rangers' President Glen Sather's favorite expressions.
Lundqvist was an absolute steal when the Rangers took him in the seventh round, 205th overall, in 2000. He had struggled the previous season and was dropped a level in his draft year. He's had five seasons in the top Swedish league and might have come to North America a year ago. At 24, it's time for Lundqvist and the Rangers to find out if he's got the game to play in the NHL.
"He makes our goaltending situation more of a horse race," Renney said. "He's been very successful in Europe. I expect he'll be able to vie for the starting position this season. It's time for him to get over here and do his thing on North American rinks. He'll make it quite interesting. The big adjustment he'll have to make is with the larger rinks. It's not just the size of the rinks, but the different angles from which the shots come. It's also the bigger, stronger players. He'll see more shots from the funnel and he'll have to school himself. But he has the physical strength and mental maturation to handle it."
Al Montoya left Michigan after his junior season to sign with the Rangers.
Montoya led Team USA to its first World Junior Championship in 2004 by posting a .944 save percentage and 1.33 goals-against average with two shutouts. Montoya allowed only eight goals en route to being named to the All Tournament team. His bid for a second WJC medal was thwarted in the 2005 tournament when the Czech Republic scored in overtime of the bronze-medal game. He also won a gold medal for the U.S. in the World Under-17 championship.
Montoya completed three seasons at Michigan before turning pro. He was named to the CCHA All-Rookie team and led the league in minutes played this season. Montoya struggled early along with his team, but played well at the end of the year. Renney doesn't think the team's off-year will hurt Montoya.
"By his own admission it was an average year, but he was very good in the playoffs," Renney said. "We feel strongly about Al as a goalie candidate for our future. He will be a solid, solid goaltender in the NHL. He's a tremendous prospect and we are happy to have him. This year probably improved his mental toughness and his ability to handle adversity. His lateral mobility has improved under the tutoring of Benoit Allaire and he'll come even further and make it very, very interesting."
Center Jarko Immonen was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the eighth round, 254th overall, in 2002. The Rangers made a complicated deal with Toronto and Calgary to get Immonen and the 19th overall pick that they used to select Finnish left wing Lauri Korpikoski in the March 2003 trade that sent Brian Leetch to Toronto.
Immonen is a chunky, well-balanced skater with good hands and a blistering slap shot. At 6-foot-2, 202 pounds, he plays a strong two-way game and was often used at the point on the power play while playing in Finland. He finished fourth in goals in the Finnish league two years ago. His last two seasons have been very consistent at a high level.
"There's no question we can use a guy who can make plays from both sides of the stick," Renney said. "He passes the puck well and his vision is terrific, offensively and defensively. He's antagonizing to play against because of his second and third effort. You don't get free ice against this guy. He can get under your skin. He's a good center and a guy that is close to being a Ranger. We'd love to have him now. All in good time, I guess."
Korpikoski tied for Team Finland's goal-scoring lead at the 2005 WJC, but failed to score in 41 games with TPS Turku in limited ice time. He probably would have been much better served playing North American juniors this season but that wasn't possible because of his national military obligation. He's expected to play in Finland for another season.
Korpikoski was key player for Team Finland in the 2005 World Juniors.
"He had a good year, playing on the fourth line, but it was hard for him to get ice time," Renney said. "He played with the men and got a lot of hits, both ways. He's got to get stronger and he will. He also needs to handle the puck more so he can step in and play a high-pressure game without the puck. Lauri loves to go to net. I expect we have another good player on our hands here. He's committed to his military duties so we expect to see him next year. In that time, we expect he'll grow nicely into what we want."
Once the plan was for right wing Hugh Jessiman, the Rangers' 2003 first pick, 12th overall, to finish his education at Dartmouth and then step right into the NHL. That went up in smoke early in Jessiman's junior year for the Big Green when he broke his ankle four games into the season. Jessiman was the 2003 ECAC rookie of the year when he led Dartmouth with 23 goals and 47 points in 34 games. Now, he'll be in training camp and try to make the big club.
Jessiman is 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds. The scouting reports just glow. He uses his size along the boards, crashes the net, plays strongly both ways, makes open-ice hits, sets up teammates and has a heavy shot with a quick release. The Rangers ranked him fourth in the draft and got him at No. 12. There's another bonus: He grew up 30 miles from New York City in Darien, Conn., and dreamed as a kid of playing for the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
"That was tough for Hugh, choosing to go back to school and then he broke his ankle in his fourth game," Renney said. "We like his size and skills, especially his ability to shoot. He skates with the puck with speed. His size and his speed are his attributes. He's going to be good when he hits the pro level and learns what that is all about, night in and night out. We hope he is as healthy as ever. We hope he can convince us to keep him with the Rangers but I expect he'll need a season at Hartford after missing last year."
The Rangers could be awfully big down the middle in a few years with both Immonen and 6-foot-6, 235-pound center Bruce Graham. Either one will be scary with giant Jessiman on his wing. Graham had a strong third season with his hometown Moncton Wildcats, scoring 23 goals and adding 19 assists in only 47 games. His skills and on-ice awareness are excellent for his age but his skating seems to be a matter of controversy. Some say it needs improvement while Renney and others think he's progressing well in that area. He's good defensively and has improved his shot release time. He'll bump and check rivals but some scouts want to see him be more punishing. Renney says he's coming along.
"The one thing he brings to his game is some sandpaper," Renney said. "He has great size, terrific skills and he skates well. We'd like to not just push back, but be pro-active. When he does that, he should make quite an impact. We are quite excited about him because of the size and skill he brings to it."
Former University of Michigan star John Olver, the head coach of the ECHL Idaho Steelheads, may have to sneak in the back door at future Wolverines reunions after his son, Darin, chose Northern Michigan University while Michigan coach Red Berenson wanted him in Ann Arbor. Olver was also good friends with NMU coach Walt Kyle, a former Rangers assistant coach. A six-foot, 165-pound center, Darin Olver has some growing to do, but he's learning in a good environment and making progress.
He's a playmaker as his nine goals and 34 assists last season will attest. He led the Wildcats in assists and points as a sophomore. He had a hat trick to beat Northern Michigan and scored in a shootout to top Harvard. As a coach's son, it's not surprising he's well-schooled in all aspects of the game. What is surprising is his willingness to mix it up with bigger players and to drive the net.
Renney is pleased Olver is learning from Kyle, whom he respects.
Jessiman grew up just 30 miles from Madison Square Garden.
"Walt knows what we need and knows what we've talked about with Darin," Renney said. "Any coach that spent time in the NHL knows what it is about and Walt is all about development. Darin is a sparkplug who can light it up. He has good speed and knows what to do. He's a little frail and needs to gain strength and wait for his body to mature. When he does that and brings his fire and emotion to the game, we'll have a really solid prospect."
Left wing Alexandre Giroux used this season to tell the hockey world he doesn't want to be a career minor-leaguer. As a result, he'll get a serious look at Rangers' training camp, Renney said. Giroux was a 52-goal scorer for Hull in 1999-00 and was taken by the cross-town Ottawa Senators in the seventh round, 213th overall, in 1999. He was acquired by the Rangers at the 2004 trading deadline in the deal for Greg de Vries. Giroux topped the Hartford Wolfpack with 32 goals and 54 points. We don't know if he couldn't hear "Hey, I'm open" or the tapping of sticks but that was the biggest differential between goals and assists in his career. Giroux was on a mission and it worked.
"He will get a really serious look in a Rangers jersey next year because he had a really good year in Hartford," Renney said. "We're hoping we can ignite the flame. We're rebuilding and we need what he can do. He just has to be consistent."
rest -> http://www.nhl.com/futures/features/prospects_nyr081105.html
Hey it's nice to dream about the future for once than curse the past. :thumb:
Can I get a witness?!?!