FullTilt Flashback: No 1st round pick, no problem
JT Miller on draft day (NYR)
Way back in June of 2014, I wrote about the Rangers not having any 1st round picks. Well, two years later and we still haven’t made any. This article was written more so to show Rangers fans the organization’s efficiency in later rounds. Enjoy.
Original Post:
A look at the last 10 years of Ranger drafts and I scratch my head with why anyone is concerned. In 2004, the Rangers had – not one, but two first round picks and came away with Al Montoya and Lauri Korpikoski? Yes, and Montoya was selected 6th overall! That is the highest 1st round pick NY has had in 10 years.
Oh, I failed to mention 4 years earlier the Rangers drafted some guy named Lundqvist in the 7th round. Yes, Al Montoya. And still you whine about a first round pick.
In my 30 plus years of following the NHL, I have seen more busts in the 1st round then hits…Alexandre Daigle anyone? Yes…who is that? He dated Pamela Anderson for 5 minutes, all you need to know.
Pam Anderson & Alexandre Daigle (MSN CANADA)
Matter of fact, the Rangers best picks have come in the later rounds:
2008: Derek Stepan (2nd)
2007: Carl Hagelin (6th)
2006: Artem Anisimov (2nd)
2004: Brandon Dubinsky (2nd)
2004: Ryan Callahan (4th)
While the latter 3 aren’t here any longer, they were turned into two future hall of famers in Rick Nash and Marty St. Louis.
But, you still want to know more about our 1st round picks. Good, let’s do this:
2004: Al Montoya / Lauri Korpikoski
2005: Marc Staal (12th overall)
2006: Bob Sanguinetti
2007: Alexei Cherepanov (deceased)
2008: Michael Del Zotto
2009: Chris Kreider (19th overall)
2010: Dylan McIlrath
2011: JT Miller
2012: Brady Skjei
2013: No Pick (However, Anthony Duclair was drafted in the 3rd round)
Bob Sanguinetti was selected in the 1st round in 2006. (NYR)
So of all the 1st round picks, to this point only Marc Staal and Chris Kreider have become stars for the New York Rangers. In fairness, Cherepanov was loaded with talent and had a rare condition (chronic ischemia) that led to his untimely passing in Russia.
Alexei Cherepanov’s funeral procession. (Photographs by Nikolai Krivich/AP)
So in 10 years and 10 picks, NY has a 20% success rate of drafting a bonafide star. The jury is still out on players like JT Miller, Dylan McIlrath and Brady Skjei, but you can give me established stars like Rick Nash and Marty St. Louis anytime.
NYR 2014 DRAFT (prosportstransactions.com)
Glen Sather and his scouts will be ready come draft day, of that you can be sure. Considering the amount of talent all around the world and the Rangers deep scouting staff, who knows what gem they may find this year.
Lundqvist draft day (NYR)
Henrik Lundqvist, 7th round draft pick, 205th overall. The #1 pick of that draft class – Rick DiPietro. Case Closed.
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