Rangers 2019 5th/6th/7h Round Preview
The New York Rangers own their 5th round (#130) and 6th round (#161) picks. They dealt away their own 7th round pick (#192), their own 4th round pick (#99) along with Steven Kampfer to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Adam McQuaid. The Blueshirts were able to recoup a 4th round pick when they sent McQuaid to the Columbus Blue Jackets for their 4th round pick (# 112), their 7th round pick (#205) and defenseman Jules Bergman who signed a deal with Frolunda in Sweden in May 2019.
Each draft pick lists the Central Scouting (CS) ranking {which is broken down by North American skaters (NA), European skaters (E), North American Goalies (NA-G) and European Goalies (E-G)}, the ranking by McKeen’s (McK) and the ranking by The Hockey News (THN) along with THN’s best case scenario for their first 62 players.
FIFTH ROUND (Pick #130)
LAYTON AHAC (D)
CS: # 62NA – McK: # 196 – THN: # 66 (N/A)
The 6-2/188 d-man was called a “defensive puck-mover in the Chris Tanev mold” by THN. He played last season for Prince George (BCHL) and was part of the effort that defeated Alex Newhook’s Victoria team in the playoffs. In 53 games, he scored 4 goals and 28 assists.
Ahac, a lefty shot, utilizes his speed and skating ability to both avoid opposing forecheckers and to join his team’s rush. The blueliner has committed to Ohio State.
MAX CROZIER (D)
CS: # 85NA – McK: # 175 – THN: # Not Rated in Top 100
The 6-2/190 Crozier helped lead his Sioux Falls team to the USHL championship last season. In 60 regular season games, he scored 10 goals and 33 assists. He stepped up his production in the playoffs as he tied for the team lead in scoring with 4 goals and 7 assists in 12 games.
He has the ability to clear the zone either with a breakout pass or on the rush. He was used as the one the top d-men on both the PP and PK. Crozier committed to Providence College.
Greg’s father, Jim Crozier, played goal for Cornell (1987-91) and his brother Tristan played his freshman year last season at Brown University.
Steve Kournianos of TheDraftAnalyst.com writes, “Crozier can be a mean, physical player who delivers big open ice hits. He uses his stick a ton – both legally and illegally – while making sure not an inch of the low slot is taken without a fight.”
NIKITA OKHUTYUK (D)
CS: # 56NA – McK: # 115 – THN: # 82 (N/A)
THN calls the 6-1/194 d-man an “old-school defenseman [who] is nasty to play against, and he can skate.” The shutdown d-man played for Ottawa (OHL) and tallied 2 goals and 15 assists.
Okhutyuk is a strong and physical d-man who plays a smart defense first type of game – and that has tampered down his offensive numbers. He does have the abilities to put up bigger numbers offensively, but prefers to take care of the defensive end of the ice first.
As you can see, I have made a bit of a commitment to drafting a defenseman in the 5th round. It wasn’t my original choice, but as I started to slot players in rounds 5-7 that is how it ended up.
My choice for the Rangers 5ht round pick is Max Crozier. It was a close call with Nikita Okhutyuk, but Crozier won out because he has developed an offensive game and I like that he plays with a bit of an edge to his game.
SIXTH ROUND (Pick #161)
ANDRE LEE (C/LW)
CS: # Not Rated – McK: #: 103 – THN: #: Not Rated in Top 100
Many Rangers fans might have Islanders captain Anders Lee on their UFA wish list, but Andre Lee might have to suffice. The 6-4/200 C/LW was a teammate of Greg Crozier at Sioux Falls and it was Lee that tied Crozier for the team playoff scoring lead (6 goals and 5 assists).
The Swedish-born Lee scored 20 goals and 15 assists in 61 regular season games. The power forward has committed to UMass-Lowell.
McKeen’s describes him as a “big winger [who] plays a disruptive game with enough speed to keep defenders off his heels. Turned his game up in the postseason….”
Kournianos calls him a “…bruising net-front presence who also joins the attack and finish off the rush, and he has deceptive speed in open ice…. Lee is almost impossible to move from anywhere below the circles, and he is a menace along the wall.”
SIMON LUNDMARK (D)
CS: # 21E – McK: # 97 – THN: # Not Rated in Top 100
The 6-2/201 Lundmark is a right-handed shooting d-man who split his team between the Swedish Senior and Junior leagues. He is a steady blueliner who doesn’t stand out in any one area, but is a solid player who can have a fine career as a third-pair d-man in the NHL.
Lundmark plays a safe game and has the skill set to play on both special teams, as well as getting ice time late in games.
ONDREJ PSENICKA (RW)
CS: # 53E – McK: # 144 – THN: # Not Rated in Top 100
The 6-5/195 Psenicka is a handful to play against to say the least. McKeen’s calls him a “towering winger [who was] unstoppable in the Czech U19 league. Has a high hockey IQ and uses his size to his advantage. Puck skills also impress.” In 45 games with Sparta Praha’s U19 team, he scored 30 goals and 40 assists.
Psenicka is as much a passer as he is a goal scorer. His goal scoring prowess comes from his quick hands and his size which he uses to get into good scoring positions. On the down side, he is not as physical as you would hope from someone with his size.
This is really a two-horse race for the 6th round pick between Andre Lee and Ondrej Psenicka. I like that Lee is a LW because I have been very tilted to the right when it comes to wingers. In the end, my first choice would be Psenicka because he seems to have the greater upside potential.
SEVENTH ROUND (Pick #205)
YANNICK BRUSCHWEILER (LW)
CS: # 60E – McK: # 119 – THN: # Not Rated in Top 100
The 5-10/172 LW is hoping that the third time is the charm after being passed over the last two drafts. He took a step in the right direction with the first goal in Switzerland’s 2-0 defeat of Sweden in the 2019 WJC quarterfinals.
Despite his smallish stature, Bruschweiler does not shy away from physical play and will go into the dirty areas (corners and front of the net) to make a play. He is able to survive in those areas because of his strong skating and solid puckhandling abilities. He also sees time on both special teams.
RADEK MUZIK (LW)
CS: #: 100E – McK: # 198 – THN: Not Rated in Top 100
The 6-3/180 LW is a two-way forward who has been used to kill penalties and play the point on the PP. He is well-versed in leadership roles as he captained the Czech’s team in the WU18 tournament.
Kournianos write, “Muzik owns a hard shot with a quick release that he fires with authority off the rush or while moving laterally. If he doesn’t see what he likes, he’ll stickhandle his way inside to improve his angle. Muzik is an agile skater with good speed and shiftiness.”
JOSH WILLIAMS (RW)
CS: # 145NA – McK: # 158 – THN: Not Rated Top 100
The 6-1/195 RW had an up-and-down draft season. He struggled in the WHL playing 66 games with Medicine Hat and Edmonton and scored 14 goals and 19 assists with 2 goals and 4 assists in 15 playoff games with the Oil Kings. However, he drew the attention of scouts with his 5 goals and 1 assist in 6 games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Kournianos says Williams is, “a high-energy forward who plays with bite…. He combines agility, above-average speed and balance to form an impressive skating package in addition to possessing a nose for the net.”
We have a wide variety of choices for the 7th round pick. At this point in the Draft, you are hoping for a good organizational player who might have the ability to contribute in the NHL. Teams do not constantly select the likes of Henrik Lundqvist in the 7th round, who was drafted with the 205th overall pick.
In the end, my choice would be Radek Muzik based on his ability to kill penalties and be an option on the PP – followed by Bruschweiler and Williams.
rangerramblings 