The US under 18 WJC roster was named today. Most of the kids are 94s except for a few who were born after 9/15 such as Seth Jones. They'll go in the June draft.
The Kerdiles kid going to Wisconsin is on the roster
The Rangers organization seems to really like kids who go the NCAA route. I'd say in the last 5 years or so, the NCAA has churned out some really quality players. Not sure if the development programs has gotten better or if the NCAA is just able to recruit more talent than in the 90s and early 2000s. Probably a combination of both. It's been a pleasure watching fellow alum like Moulson and Greening tear up the league.
The Rangers organization seems to really like kids who go the NCAA route. I'd say in the last 5 years or so, the NCAA has churned out some really quality players. Not sure if the development programs has gotten better or if the NCAA is just able to recruit more talent than in the 90s and early 2000s. Probably a combination of both. It's been a pleasure watching fellow alum like Moulson and Greening tear up the league.
American hockey is improving and typically as that goes, the NCAA goes. You have some Americans go to the CHL and some Canadians come to the NCAA, but there are usually the exceptions rather than the trendsetters.
Look at the relative age of the American national team and its star players right now.
The list is endless and really 27-28 year old guys are the grizzled veterans of the bunch.
American hockey is improving and typically as that goes, the NCAA goes. You have some Americans go to the CHL and some Canadians come to the NCAA, but there are usually the exceptions rather than the trendsetters.
Look at the relative age of the American national team and its star players right now.
The list is endless and really 27-28 year old guys are the grizzled veterans of the bunch.
No doubt the American talent pool is growing by the year. We can thank the popularity of the NHL in the 80s and 90s to that. I've definitely observed more Canadian players choosing the NCAA over CHL in recent years though.
What I've seen, at least with ECAC East teams, is a lot of 20 year old Canadians coming over after their junior eligibility is up. Perhaps the 18-19 year old drafted Americans who go the NCAA route are benefiting from playing against the 23-24 year old men.
There are Canadian kids, yes that come out of leagues like the OJHL, and got to NCAA at 20-21 years. Not many of them are future NHL prospects but occasionally you get an interesting kid or two to look at.
Greg Carey is one. Holds the OJHL single season goals record. Has the best wrist shot in the NCAA. Problem is he is slow, one dimensional, not very mobile. You need kids to obe able to skate in the new NHL, unless they can protect the puck like Jagr.
Agreed. The Canadian overagers who fill out the NCAA rosters rarely go on to have successful pro careers. It was just my point that the drafted American kids who play as true freshman and sophmores benefit from playing against competition that are more physically mature than them.
So we haven't picked forwards in two straight first rounds since the lockout. While our talent pool combined with our youthful players may look deep now, we have to consider what players might be moving on eventually.
We are weak at top-6 level scoring wingers. Yogan, Miller, maybe have outside 2nd line potential, but for the most part they are considered role player prospects. Fasth and Thomas are both promising, but they are maybe 30% prospects.
So we haven't picked forwards in two straight first rounds since the lockout. While our talent pool combined with our youthful players may look deep now, we have to consider what players might be moving on eventually.
We are weak at top-6 level scoring wingers. Yogan, Miller, maybe have outside 2nd line potential, but for the most part they are considered role player prospects. Fasth and Thomas are both promising, but they are maybe 30% prospects.
I'd rank Fasth ahead of Yogan.... Also, even though he's potentially a long ways away, don't forget about Fogarty.
So we haven't picked forwards in two straight first rounds since the lockout. While our talent pool combined with our youthful players may look deep now, we have to consider what players might be moving on eventually.
We are weak at top-6 level scoring wingers. Yogan, Miller, maybe have outside 2nd line potential, but for the most part they are considered role player prospects. Fasth and Thomas are both promising, but they are maybe 30% prospects.
We need to go forward in the 1st. We have a strong enough top 4 that we can get LEGITIMATE bottom pairing guys who don't make us cry if we try hard enough in free agency. Especially if everybody is healthy.
__________________
"Here we can see the agression of american people. They love fighting and guns. when they wont win they try to kill us all." -HalfOfFame
Bullcrap, Kyle. The kid is 17 fresh out of high school playing in the USHL. He's got 7 points in 8 games on a stacked Indiana team. On top of that, he's going to be a top-6 at Michigan as a freshman.
If the Rangers are picking 25-30, Nieves would be a solid choice. Woodlief is a very good scout but he's the guy who always thinks a U-18 or a WJC or a Five Nations will determine if a kid will make it or not.
Matt Herr thought he had seen it all after taking over as coach at the Kent School in Connecticut following a productive collegiate and professional playing career.
That’s before he was introduced to 6-foot-3, 184-pound center Cristoval “Boo” Nieves last season.
“I don’t know how he skates so freaking fast for his size,” Herr told NHL.com. “He’s one of the best skaters I’ve seen this year. I think he can jump into the American Hockey League and play right now and you wouldn’t even blink.”
Herr is a Wolverine, but Nieves said he committed to Michigan before he committed to Kent. Herr won two NCAA titles under Berenson along with Madden, Turco and Morrison.
Boo's a New Yorker. Baldwinsville is a suburb of Syracuse. It's a 3.5 hour drive from Manhattan to Syracuse. Lots of Yankees and Giants fans.
He's gone on record saying no CHL. I agree. Michigan is a great place for his development. Trouba's committed there as well.
I want Steffan Matteau, expect him to be late first round. Would be a miracle if he fell to us, but he is the guy I have my mind on.
That kid would never flourish here, IMO. I love him as a player and his skill set, but IMO that legacy will be a killer.
All his dad did was score the biggest goal in franchise history. No, no pressure at all.
"The locker room is to the left, Steffan. Just make a left at the picture of your Dad after the goal in game 7, then make a right at the larger picture of your dad after the goal in game 7, and then another left at the 20' by 20' wall-sized picture of your Dad after the goal in game 7."
I bet that kid hates that friggin goal, and hates Howie Rose's goal call just as much. I'll bet the farm it was Matteau's outgoing message for years
We need to go forward in the 1st. We have a strong enough top 4 that we can get LEGITIMATE bottom pairing guys who don't make us cry if we try hard enough in free agency. Especially if everybody is healthy.
The Rangers have had success in drafting/signing/trading for Dmen and then developing them. Torts gets the most out of guys like Eminger, Stralman, Woywitka, Bickell. Perhaps it would be best if they were to take a Dman if he is BPA and then trade from strength to fill weakness. Keep developing solid defensemen and trade them if in need of another position.
Scoring is a need now, drafting them won't fill that need for years. (maybe never)
__________________
"I used to pray for good things . I used to ask the Hockey Gods for puck luck for the NYR .
Now all I want is Torts the smug stupid goatee clown to be fired , . I hate Torts . Please hockey gods make him get fired. Please Sean punch him in face" -- Dorado
That kid would never flourish here, IMO. I love him as a player and his skill set, but IMO that legacy will be a killer.
All his dad did was score the biggest goal in franchise history. No, no pressure at all.
"The locker room is to the left, Steffan. Just make a left at the picture of your Dad after the goal in game 7, then make a right at the larger picture of your dad after the goal in game 7, and then another left at the 20' by 20' wall-sized picture of your Dad after the goal in game 7."
I bet that kid hates that friggin goal, and hates Howie Rose's goal call just as much. I'll bet the farm it was Matteau's outgoing message for years
lmao
Yeah, being the kid of any NHL great, or anyone who scored a goal that big, would completely suck.
Stick with the American or Canadian kids in the first two rounds.
Use mid-late picks on European kids.
Continue building a repore with the NCAA especially.
High-end talent committed to Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, Boston College, Boston University, Minnesota, Maine...you can't go wrong there.
Kerdiles, Nieves.
Sign Schultz.
Stepan, McDonagh, Schultz, Kerdiles...
Wisconsin Badger players will see fellow alumni having success on this Rangers team and that's a relationship you want. Wisconsin University is one of the top developmental programs in North America.
lmao
