New York Rangers 2021 Draft Analysis

Featured image courtesy of the Flint Firebirds official website

Well Rangers fans, it’s been one hell of a week huh…

Generally speaking, I find when fans read draft recap articles like this, the majority are hoping to read good things about the picks, and tend to get pretty defensive if you are negative. Given what I’ve seen from speaking with friends, family and reading social media the past few days, my guess is this mentality may be the opposite this year. It seems just as many people are hoping we talk shit about the picks to further fuel the fire. Not that we ever let fan sentiment or the environment surrounding a team influence our analysis, it’s just a very interesting feel I’m getting from the fanbase right now the as I sat down to write this intro, I felt compelled to address.

Anyway, time for the article. Just like last year, myself, Rich Coyle and George Obremski all provide our grades and analysis for each pick and the overall draft performance, and we also provide site aggregate grades for everything as well. We have some pretty different opinions on some of the picks, so we hope seeing some alternative perspectives can help inform you a bit more on the prospects, and at the very least provide for a more interesting read. At the end, Drew provides some insight into who he feels are the best players that went undrafted, before answering some questions we got on Twitter.

Note – While I think it’s kind of ridiculous to claim the Rangers picked 16^th in round 1, and count Arizona’s vacated selection at 11 as an actual pick, the pick numbering below reflects counting Arizona’s non-selection as pick 11 in order to stay consistent with how the NHL and other mainstream publications accounted for the draft. Also, as always, all prospect profile data is courtesy of Elite Prospects, unless otherwise stated.

Round 1, Pick 16: Brennan Othmann

Saginaw Spirit loses home opener to Flint Firebirds — *Photo Credit: Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com*

Site Draft Grade: C+

Prospect Profile:

Position: Left Wing
Team (league): Flint (OHL); played 20-21 season with EHC Olten (Swiss League) on loan due to pandemic shutdown of the OHL
Nation: Canada
Birth Date: January 5, 2003
Handedness: Left
Height & Weight: 6’ 0’’, 174 lbs

Drew Way: B

The reaction over the Brennan Othmann pick, and then the snowballing effect that occurred after, reminds me a lot of how the fanbase generally reacted to the 2018 NHL draft by the Rangers. By this I mean, similar to the 2018 draft, the theme of the draft was that the Rangers took a bunch of guys that, with a couple notable exceptions, were fine picks in a vacuum; however, there was almost always multiple players left on the board that many would have preferred.

Now, was Brennan Othmann a bad selection at this spot in a vacuum? Absolutely not. I had him ranked 23 overall, and on my third tier, which spanned 16 (Matthew Coronato) to 28 (Sebastian Cossa), and I feel he is a much more talented player than many are giving him credit for. However, the issue I had, and the reason why I cannot give a grade any higher than a B despite really liking the player, is the fact that the Rangers, whose prospect pipeline has a CLEAR and OBVIOUS need at center, passed on multiple centers who I had ranked a tier above Othmann.

Now, I would never advocate reaching for need, but my methodology is when it is your pick, there likely will be multiple guys left on your highest tier remaining, and the choice between which of these guys on this tier to go with then falls down to things like fit and need. But I would NEVER reach for a player outside of the tier based on need. So, if I were the Rangers, I would have taken either Chaz Lucius, Aatu Räty (yes I get he fell a lot but when all is said and done, him falling out of the first will look ridiculous) or Fyodor Svechkov, all of whom I had on my second tier and ranked 12, 13 and 15, respectively.

All that said, just because I would not have taken Othmann at this spot, doesn’t mean it was an awful pick, and it certainly doesn’t mean he is a bad player. In fact, at this early point in time, I’d say Othmann is EASILY now the Rangers second best forward prospect, behind only Vitali Kravtsov (I classify anyone that still had Calder eligibility as a prospect, so Kravtsov still counts here). Othmann is a smart, physical player with no blatant holes in his game (something that can be said of very few in this class) who possesses an excellent shot. Sure he has some areas for improvement, like nearly all players at this stage in their development, but he is one of the more well-rounded players in this class in my opinion. Plus, I PROMISE you that the way he plays will absolutely endear him to fans quickly, and he is a candidate to be a fan favorite for years to come.

He is a decent skater with a non-stop motor and is a relentless forechecker, and is exactly the kind of player that hockey men love to say is, “tough to play against.” However, he is so much more than just a gritty player. He is a high-pace attacker with the puck on his stick, and has the ability to either beat or just run over opposing defenseman. He is very adept in transition—both offensively and defensively—and has the tools to be a good defenseman; although he’ll need to be coached up here a bit and learn that you can’t always cheat and try to get a jump on the breakout. By far the hallmark of his game however, which I’ve already mentioned, is his shot. He is one of the best in this draft class at getting his shot off while skating at top speed, and he also has one of the best wrist shot releases in the class. His shot is both powerful and accurate, and I believe it will absolutely translate to the NHL.

All-in-all, I believe Othmann projects to be an effective, do-it-all middle-6 wing that can play higher if needed, be a nightmare to play against and be a perennial 20-25 goal scorer. I tend to shy away from player comps, but I can see Othmann as a Zach Hyman-type player with a bit more of a scoring touch. While I know it’s not the sexiest comp, if he turns out to be Zach Hyman but with a plus wrist shot, that is every bit worth a middle first round pick.

Rich Coyle: D

TThis may seem like a harsh grade to some, but I did not have Othmann ranked nearly as high as the consensus did. On my board, I had Othmann ranked as an early third round pick. The player archetype is not one I would consider using this much draft capital on, especially when there were significantly better options available. Othmann is a hard working physical player that skates just okay and primary niche is goalscoring. Sound familiar? It should. The Rangers drafted a similar player in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft in Will Cuylle. Othmann played this past season in the Swiss second division after the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the OHL season. Othmann posted a line of 7g-9a-16p in 34GP (0.47 P/GP) You can argue that the production is alright, since Othmann played in a professional league against men. However, I’m not really convinced that the quality of the competition he was facing in that league is any good. I really think he should have produced more in that league, especially since it sounds like he was given second line minutes.

Production aside, I really don’t see much offensive upside for Othmann. I think he tops out as a bottom-six, somewhat-skilled, somewhat-gritty player. Is that really a player you can justify taking with the 16th overall pick? There are a ton of those types of players available in free agency every year. I would have much rather seen the Rangers bet on a player with upside like Chaz Lucius or Fyodor Svechkov, both of whom were subsequently selected right after the Rangers drafted Othmann.

George Obremski: B-

A fast-paced, physical forward who is good on the forecheck and a strong shot. He has one of the better shots in this year’s draft, but uses his strength rather than a quick release. While he always plays at a high tempo, he needs to improve his skating, particularly his speed, if he’d like to make the most out of his high-octane offensive game at the pro level. I had him ranked 16th in this year’s ranking and while I had better players available at our pick at 16, he is a solid pick and will need 2 to 3 years to develop until making it into the NHL.

Round 3, Pick 65: Jayden Grubbe

*Phot Credit: Red Deer Rebels Twitter Account*

Site Draft Grade: D+

Prospect Profile:

Position: Center
Team (league): Red Deer (WHL)
Nation: Canada
Birth Date: January 12, 2003
Handedness: Right
Height & Weight: 6’ 3’’, 201 lbs

Drew: C-

I’m paraphrasing a bit here, but Chris Drury more or less said after the draft that the team was not reaching for bigger, tougher to play against players, and that is just how the draft fell relative to their list. While I believe that he believes that, I think it’s pretty clear that their list was absolutely influenced more than most other teams by attributes such as size, toughness and grit, and this pick is the biggest piece of evidence of that.

While I only release my top-two rounds worth of ranks, my own personal tracking document that I keep updated on a daily basis has about 150 players on it, and I had Grubbe ranked 96. When you look at other popular public lists, they were in the same ballpark as me: Bob McKenzie had him 87, McKeen’s had him 101 and Elite Prospects had him 94. I get the mentality of saying screw the other ranks and just get your guy, but considering the other picks the Rangers had coming up, I feel it was a missed opportunity to take someone else here and perhaps take Grubbe later, especially since he is coming off of ACL surgery.

If you really want to rub salt in the wounds, here is the list of players that were taken immediately following this pick, and I’ve put my rank of each in parenthesis after: Sasha Pasjujov (18!!!), Ryan Winterton (94), Samu Salminen (46), Stanislav Svozil (36), Carter Mazur (132), Simon Robertsson (22!!), Anton Olsson (41) and Ayrton Martino (37). In the 8 picks immediately following the Rangers selecting Grubbe, 6 guys in my top-50 went off the board, and two that I had comfortably ranked as first rounders. If you want to make the argument that the Rangers decided they really wanted a center here after going wing in round one—Salminen is a 6’ 3’’ center that also is defensively responsible, a willing and hard-working forechecker, has a tremendous hockey sense and more skill than Grubbe. For these reasons, despite the positives Grubbe does bring (which I’ll get to in a moment), I just cannot sit here in good faith and tell you this was a good selection. Here’s to hoping Grubbe proves me wrong!

If Grubbe does prove me (and many others) wrong, and we look at this selection in a few years as a smart pick by Drury & Co., it’ll likely be because he gets healthy and continues to build upon the foundations of his game, which revolve around defense, physicality, motor and playmaking. He came into the season as someone that many had as a potential second rounder due to these traits, and perhaps had an injury not cut his season short, we would’ve been able to further develop and rise a bit in the ranks. However, fact of the matter is he tore his ACL in March, and while ACL replacement surgery is fairly common and many people fully recover, this is absolutely something that needs to be factored into the equation of where to take him. Plus, in terms of his overall skillset, he’s not a great skater, is overly passive in the offensive zone and has an average shot at best.

All in all, while Grubbe does have some upside, I believe he projects as a bottom-six, defensively reliable center who can help on the PK, but won’t contribute much offensively.

Rich Coyle: D-

This pick honestly infuriated me when I saw who the Rangers had picked, for two primary reasons. First, I did not know much about Jayden Grubbe initially. However, after doing some statistical research and hearing what others had to say about Grubbe, it became clear to me that the Rangers drafted someone who likely is a 4th line player at best in the NHL. Grubbe is a big forward who needs to improve his skating but is best known for his physical play and compete level. He just came off a major knee injury, so his point totals are a wash this past season since he only played 5 games in the WHL. His draft year-minus one point totals were okay, but nothing to glamour at. I believe point production at lower levels is a major indicator for future success when it comes to evaluating prospects. Grubbe needs to come a very long way from a statistical standpoint to show me that his potential is greater than that of a replacement level 4th line forward.

The second, and perhaps even more important reason this pick infuriated me, is that the Rangers left some serious upside on the board in USNTDP winger Sasha Pastujov, who I had ranked #5 on my board. Pastujov was widely considered to be a late first to early second round pick by most of the consensus. It was shocking that he fell to the third round. The Rangers taking Grubbe and seeing Pastujov go to the Ducks with the very next pick left an extremely sour taste in my mouth.

George Obremski: C-

Picking Grubbe at 65 was pretty bad, especially when you consider the players the Rangers passed on in this spot. He isn’t very noticeable in the offensive zone but is very good in his own end. He is hard to play against in the defensive zone and uses his size well. He is very good in the faceoff circle which could help on the penalty kill. I didn’t have him ranked at all in my top 100 and some of it has to do with him having an ACL tear last season and him not being very highly skilled.

Round 3, Pick 75 (Traded 80 and 176 for 75): Ryder Korczak

Warriors Stn Korczak — *Photo Credit: Lucas Punkari / Prince Albert Daily Herald*

Site Draft Grade: A

Prospect Profile:

Position: Center
Team (league): Moose Jaw (WHL)
Nation: Canada
Birth Date: September 23, 2002
Handedness: Right
Height & Weight: 5’ 11’’, 181 lbs

Drew Way: A

Trading up to select Ryder Korczak at 75 was the Rangers best move of the draft in my personal opinion. The public lists had him ranked all over the place—I saw him ranked as high as 18 and as low as 75, I personally had him ranked 48—and the fact he is a small(ish) center who is also among the oldest in this class did not do him any favors on some lists. However, Korczak is a skilled, high-upside player that Elite Prospects dubbed as someone with “steal of the draft” potential in their profile of him—and I wholeheartedly agree.

Korczak had phenomenal D-1 season and was widely considered as in the argument for a first-round selection entering this season. However, like many, he struggled to produce at a level he did previously, and it’s admittedly difficult to parse what is actual stagnation, and what is the circumstances of this crazy year, causing him to fall.

Korcazk is a fantastic puck handler and is remarkably deceptive with the puck on his stick. While he is just an average skater, his puck-handling allows him to consistently beat opposing defenders, and I believe this can translate to the NHL level. He sees the ice well and is a very good passer and overall playmaker, and he also possesses a good shot. He is good in transition and is a capable and willing defender, and despite his offensive game not progressing too well this year, his defensive game really impressed and took multiple steps forward. Now, what I just described certain sounds like a first-round player, so how was he available so late? Well, he does have some flaws in his game he will need to work on. While he is phenomenal with the puck on his stick, he is pretty poor off the puck, and far too often can be seen just floating around, waiting until it’s his turn to have the puck. He also not only isn’t a physical player, but too often he seems to go out of his way to avoid contact. However, both of these issues I believe can be relatively easily improved with proper training and the right coaches around him, so I’m not overly concerned.

Overall, I feel Korczak projects as a creative two-way center that likely slots in on the third line, but he possesses the upside to perhaps develop into a top-six center if everything goes right.

Rich Coyle: A

The Rangers made an absolute gem of a pick when they selected Ryder Korczak at 75. Frankly, this is the type of prospect I think the Rangers should always be targeting in the draft—a gamble on upside. Korczak is a dangerous playmaking center whose primary vocation is his puck handling. He’s an illusive setup man who can really leave you in awe with some of the feeds he makes. His production in the WHL this past season was pretty neat (16p in 17g) and microdata that was tracked by Mitch Brown looked great. Next season will be a pretty good indicator of whether or not Korczak is a legit prospect when players in juniors will finally have the opportunity to play a full season again after COVID-19 denied that opportunity for so many. This pick is reminiscent of the Rangers grabbing another under-the-radar playmaker in Evan Vierling in the 2020 Draft.

George Obremski: A

Great value pick here at 75 overall. I had him ranked 53, and comfortably as a second round selection. Korczak is a bit undersized but is a very good skater with nice long strides. He has the ability to reach full speed quickly. He has excellent hands and his stickhandling is matched with his skating which makes him dangerous in the offensive zone. Even though he’s undersized, he’s a hard worker and tough to play against in his own end. He has middle six upside and will be going back to the WHL this upcoming season to work on his game.

Round 4, Pick 104: Brody Lamb

Site Draft Grade: A-

Prospect Profile:

Position: Forward
Team (league): Green Bay (USHL)
Nation: U.S.A.
Birth Date: August 30, 2003
Handedness: Right
Height & Weight: 6’ 0’’, 165 lbs

Drew Way: A-

Speaking of upside swings, New York Rangers fans, meet Brody Lamb. Admittedly, I was not all that familiar with him until about a week before the draft, when a Twitter follower of mine Christopher Kinney asked me about him. While Lamb finished his season in the USHL, most of his season was spent with his high school team (Dodge County), and with the exception of the elite of the elite (like Scott Morrow), US high school players are by far the most difficult for me to get a good read on during my draft preparation.

Thanks again to Christopher for bringing him to my attention, and I can tell you that everything I’ve seen since has been very impressive. He is on the younger side of this class and has a lot of physical maturation to do, but he has a tantalizing skill set from what I’ve seen that makes him an excellent upside flyer at this point in the class. He produced at an astronomical 3.63 points per game in high school and has an excellent array of shooting skills for any prospect, but especially one taken in this area of the draft. Again, to be clear and transparent, I have seen very little of his game with my own eyes, but based on the research I’ve done in the past week or so, he is a willing defender and has the toolset to develop into a reliable two-way player at higher levels.

In terms of areas for improvement, like most high school players he’ll need to add strength, physicality and more consistent effort off of the puck, but above all he mainly just needs to prove that his game can translate to real competition above the high school level. He also was not able to skate around USHL defenseman the way he did in high school, so you’d also look for him to work on his skating.

Overall, this is certainly an upside project pick, but with the right development, you can certainly see an NHL role in his future. It’s hard to project what he could be in the NHL at this early stage, but once we see him play more in the USHL and then eventually with the University of Minnesota (where he is committed to play starting the 2022-2023) we should have a much better idea. Regardless, he is a pick worthy of some excitement, and here’s to hoping he reaches his ceiling!

Rich Coyle: A

he selection of Brody Lamb is probably my favorite pick that the Rangers made in this draft. Lamb is an offensive dynamo who is a lethal sniper, but also an efficient playmaker. He absolutely crushed his high school league in Minnesota this past season, scoring 52 goals and 35 assists in 24 games. That alone, in and of itself sounds like someone who shouldn’t be on the board here.

The gripe with Lamb (and really anyone playing HS hockey in Minnesota) is the quality of competition he faces. The Minnesota High School players are so tough to evaluate because you never know if they are just eviscerating lousy competition or if they are truly that good. This is what makes Lamb such a fascinating pick—he is a lottery ticket in essence. Many people who have watched Lamb play this season really do think he is that good. He’ll play in the USHL next season where we will likely get some sort of idea as to whether he is the real deal or not before he ships off to play for Bob Motzko and the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2022-23.

George Obremski: A-

A very good goal score, Brody scored 52 goals for his High School team this past year. He’s a shoot-first player but he has a good pass and is able to create opportunities for his linemates. At his size and his skating ability, he’s a very elusive player. Being one of the younger players in this year’s draft, he will need a few more years than normal to develop. He will play for Green Bay of the USHL before going to University of Minnesota in the 2022-23 season.

Round 4, Pick 106: Kalle Väisänen

Site Draft Grade: B-

Prospect Profile:

Position: Left Wing
Team (league): TPS U20 (U20 SM-Sarja)
Nation: Finland
Birth Date: January 28, 2003
Handedness: Right
Height & Weight: 6’ 4’’, 181 lbs

Drew Way: B

Väisänen is your prototypical mid-round prospect. He has some skill and some standout traits, and if you catch him on the right night you can walk away feeling like he might push for a top-two round selection. However, like most that go in this range, he does not flash that upside consistently enough, so falls into this wide range of players that, if developed properly, can crack the NHL one day, but there is a lot of work to do. From a skillset perspective, he is a decent playmaker with a very good shot, but his skating could use some work. He’s a good puck handler, particularly in traffic, and can play along the boards and in the middle of the ice. He has a physical style and frequently engages on the forecheck and in the defensive zone, but certainly will need to add considerable muscle to his lean 6’ 4’’ frame. This was a perfectly reasonable selection for the Rangers to make at pick 106, but they passed on multiple players I felt had way more upside and a higher floor, which I’ll get to more in the next section.

Rich Coyle: B

I didn’t get to see Kalle Väisänen play this past season and thus he wasn’t on my radar. However, rarely does the selection of a player who produces pretty well in the U20 SM-sarja bother me. Väisänen seems to be a big (6’4) and skilled playmaker who skates surprisingly well given his size. The Rangers have done exceptionally well uncovering talent from TPS in recent years, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t trust them on this one. Väisänen is certainly one to watch next season as he vies for time in Liiga and could potentially land a spot on the Finnish World Junior squad if he gets off to a good start.

George Obremski: C

Wasn’t who I wanted with this pick, but he’s a big player at 6’4” who has a fluid stride and a surprisingly high top speed. As a right handed LW, he is able to have more opportunities in the middle of the ice and has the size to create some space. He’s a physical player which comes with his size and he does have some skills and is a solid playmaker. He will need at least 3 years with TPS to continue to develop.

Round 4, Pick 112: Talyn Boyko

Tri-City Americans goaltender Talyn Boyko — Photo Credit: Tri-City Americans

Site Draft Grade: D

Prospect Profile:

Position: Goalie
Team (league): Tri-City
Nation: Canada
Birth Date: October 16, 2002
Handedness: Left
Height & Weight: 6’ 8’’, 201 lbs

Drew Way: D

I’ve said this numerous times over the years and I will again reiterate: goaltender prospect analysis is so much different from skater analysis, and I am anything but an expert here. When it comes to my analysis here, I tend to rely on some folks I trust who specialize in goaltender prospect analysis. The problem is, most of the folks I usually go to for this sort of analysis didn’t really view Boyko as a legitimate candidate to be taken this year. So the best I can offer in terms of why the Rangers made this selection is he is gigantic—standing six feet eight inches tall—and perhaps Benoît Allaire saw some potential in his game, instincts and mechanics.

Generally, I’d chalk something like this up to just trusting Allaire and give an ok grade, but when you look at who the Rangers passed on to make this selection, I just cannot be forgiving. Some of my favorite prospects went within the next 20 or so picks after the Rangers made this selection, including two of my Ty Smith Memorial Trophy finalists, both of whom are exactly that “tough to play against” style that Chris Drury seemingly cannot get enough of. These players include:

Red Savage – Drafted 114by Detroit; I had him ranked 64 and he was one of my Ty Smith Memorial Trophy finalists
Ryan Ufko – Drafted 115 by Nashville; I had him ranked 71
Ethan Cardwell – Drafted 121 by San Jose; I had him ranked 74
Dylan Duke – Drafted 126 by Tampa Bay (of course); I had him ranked 34, and this is easily one of the steals of the draft
Sean Tschigerl – Drafted 130 by Anaheim; I had him ranked 57 and he was one of my Ty Smith Memorial Trophy finalists
James Malatesta – Drafted 133 by Columbus; I had him ranked 87
Jack Bar – Drafted 138 by Dallas; I had him ranked 80
Cole Jordan – Drafted 141 by Calgary; I had him ranked 70

So, admittedly, my very poor grade on this pick has far more to do with who the Rangers didn’t pick than who they actually did, but I stand by it. Especially when multiple of the players the Rangers passed on are exactly the type of players they claim to be seeking, such as Red Savage and Sean Tschigerl.

Rich Coyle: D-

This is probably my least favorite pick that the Rangers made. It can be stupid to call a pick a waste on draft day, but I think this pick is a waste. It’s easy to see why the Rangers liked Boyko—he’s 6’8 as an 18 year old. However, in his 3 seasons in the WHL, he has not posted anything better than a .901 save percentage. His team not being great almost surely played a significant role in the less than impressive statistical profile. How often do toolsy goaltender prospects who post lackluster numbers in juniors work out? The Rangers could have probably waited until the 7th round to draft some random Russian overager who posted excellent numbers in the VHL. All jokes aside, I really think European overagers playing well in pro leagues are better gambles than Boyko, especially in the 4th round. I think many will agree with me on that one.

George Obremski: D

A towering goalie prospect at 6’8” who posted subpar numbers for Tri-City Americans of the WHL. He was 7-7-0 with a .901 SV% in the 2020-21 season. His numbers did improve from the season before but still bad even on a very bad WHL team. He is mobile in his net and has good vision which should come with his size. He is a work in progress and Benny will have a challenge developing him but he could, at best, be a solid backup.

Round 5, Pick 144: Jaroslav Chmelař

*Photo Credit: Archiv Jaroslava Chmelaře*

Site Draft Grade: B-

Prospect Profile:

Position: Forward
Team (league): Jokerit U20 (U20 SM-Smarja)
Nation: Czech Republic
Birth Date: July 20, 2003
Handedness: Right
Height & Weight” 6’ 4’’, 198 lbs

Drew Way: B

I’d by lying if I told you I knew who Jaroslav Chmelař was prior to the Rangers selecting him on Saturday, and so I won’t sit here and pretend to know what his game is all about. Like many of you, my knowledge of Chmelař is primarily based around this video that the Czech Prospects Twitter account posted on Saturday. I did a bit more digging however and reached out to a few people that know more than me on the matter, and what I’m told is this is your typical upside flyer to take in this range that, is unlikely to ever really make the NHL, but does a few things well enough that with the right development, could result in one day cracking an NHL roster. Specifically, he’s a big player with a strong net-front presence and a quick release on his shot. While he certainly can improve on his skating, relative to his size he is a good enough skater where it shouldn’t hamper his development in any way.

Rich Coyle: C

Jaroslav Chmelař is not who I would have picked here, but he is certainly an interesting player to say the least. I didn’t know much about him when I saw he was the Rangers pick. It seems like he’s a bit of a project pick. He is a big dude (6’4) that produced pretty well in U18 SM-sarja, but didn’t really get much gametime in the U20 SM-sarja. He flashed some goal scoring ability with the Czech U18 squad and seems to have competent play away from the puck. Can’t say I uncovered much more than that. Chmelař is likely an NHL longshot at this point, but it will be interesting to see how he progresses over in Europe.

George Obremski: C+

Chmelař represents more of a project pick here, and is a big Czech forward with solid skill but still very raw. He was almost a point per game player for Jokerit U18 team this past year. At 6’4”, he has the size to play around the net and is strong away from the puck. He has the tools to be a good bottom 6 forward with some scoring touch and will need 3-4 years to develop before making it to the AHL.

Round 7, Pick 208: Hank Kempf

Site Draft Grade: C

Prospect Profile:

Position: Defense
Team (league): Muskegon (USHL)
Nation: U.S.A.
Birth Date: April 15, 2002
Handedness: Left
Height & Weight: 6’ 2’’, 190 lbs

Drew Way: B

Unlike the previous two picks, I do actually know a decent amount about Kempf and I didn’t mind this pick at all this late in the class. Sure, I MUCH would’ve preferred Jake Martin here (more on that in the next section of this article), but this pick was a fine swing to take in the last round. He is a one-year overager that played for the Muskegeon Lumberjacks in the USHL last year and is committed to play for Cornell University this fall. Every year Rangers fans seem to look for a prospect that they can label as a potential Dan Girardi type, and this is your winner of that search this year. He has good size and strength is a physical, defense-first defenseman with an NHL-caliber shot.

However, he certainly has a lot of work to be done if he hopes to crack the NHL one day (hence, why he’s a seventh round pick), and similar to Dan Girardi, he tends to treat the puck like an active grenade when it is on his stick, he is subpar in transition and could use some work on his skating. All that said, there certainly are tools there that, with proper development, could lead to an NHL career one day, and the fact I feel comfortably saying that makes this a very solid pick this late in the draft.

Rich Coyle: D

Hank Kempf is an overage defensive prospect who played this season in the USHL with Muskegon. Another player I didn’t track this season—it seems like Kempf is of the big bodied, “tough to play against” type. For an overager in the USHL, he didn’t produce much and that’s likely why he got drafted in the 7th round. Can’t help but think the fact that he is going to Cornell played a hand in the Rangers’ selection of Kampf, seeing as the Rangers were very happy with Morgan Barron’s development at the ECAC school. Would have much rather seen the Rangers go with Jake Martin or Jeremy Wilmer here, both of whom were in my top-64 but ended up going undrafted. I don’t really see an upward trajectory here with Kempf and the Rangers.

George Obremski: C-

A stay at home defenseman, Kempf is a hard player to play against and plays a physical game. He will play for Cornell University in the fall and finished this past season with Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL. He has some upside but has the potential to be a third pairing defenseman and will need college years to develop.