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Rangers' Draft Results - Defenseman Michael Del Zotto Picked in First Round |
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After all the speculation, anticipation and conjecture that the Rangers may move up, I even saw a rumor that the Rangers were going to try to trade with LA for the 2nd spot, instead the Rangers just stood firm and waited to see who would filter down to the 20th spot.
They chose Canadian OHL defenseman Michael Del Zotto, who is considered to be an extremely offensive minded D-Man that loves to join the rush and is highly adept at quarterbacking the power play. Last season playing for the Oshawa Senators he had 63 points in 64 games played, (16 goals and 47 assists).
TSN had Del Zotto rated 15th in the overall rankings. Some criticism was that he was poor in his own end, but apparently last season in Oshawa he has worked out some of those kinks and finished this past season with a +7 plus/minus.
Bob McKenzie of TSN had this to say about the Rangers' newest acquisition, "He's a great passer with a good shot. Maturity is a question mark. He's certainly got all the tools; he's just got to get the toolbox organized."
Oshawa head coach Chris DePeiro has stated, "Michael is a very skilled skater, puck handler, and shooter. He can be a physical presence who will be an asset to any team's power-play. He continues to improve defensively on a daily basis."
So it sounds like we have a guy that isn't afraid to jump into the play, he can hit but he still needs some work at rounding out his full game on both ends of the ice.
With Staal already making his mark in the NHL and Bobby Sanguinetti anticipated to make a splash in training camp, now the Rangers have a third blue chip defensemen in the system, and all drafted from the OHL. However, Del Zotto will not be an immediate fix to the Rangers' floundering power play as he is expected to be still some years away from making the team.
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The Rangers have also drafted 6 foot center Derek Stepan in the 2nd round, (51st pick overall), he will be playing for the University of Wisconsin next season. The scouting report on Stepan is that, "Derek is a very good skater who accelerates quickly, pulling away from his opponent. He is quick on the forecheck and he possesses a surprising reach. He has very good hands with a quick-release shot and excellent passing. He is a smart player who will continue to improve."
In the 3rd round, (75th pick overall) the Rangers have drafted yet another center, a big 6 foot 3, 202 pound Russian, Evgeny Grachev. The scouting report on Grachev is, "Evgeny is a power forward with a good physical presence and ability to come up with the puck in traffic areas. He displays strong puck skills and the ability to make plays all over the ice, but needs to improve his acceleration and overall speed."
The Rangers have also drafted right wing, Dale Weise, (111th overall) & center Chris Doyle, (141st overall).
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It was also mentioned during the NHL first round draft coverage that the Rangers HAVE been in contact with Jagr's agent and that they have sat down to talk just the day before the draft. They mentioned that whether it is a one year or two year deal could be what is the point of contention in resigning Jagr.
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