NEW YORK RANGERS DRAFT 2024

Here we go with a little recap of who Rangers selected on draft day in Vegas. 

Entering the draft, Rangers held 5 picks, made some moves and ended up with 6 draftees. 

Rangers drafted 4 forwards and 2 defensemen.

29th OVERALL: ADAM JIRICEK

2023-24 TEAM: HC Plzen (Czechia)
DATE OF BIRTH: Jun 28, 2006
PLACE OF BIRTH: Plzen, CZE
HEIGHT: 6'2" 
WEIGHT: 179 lbs
SHOOTS: R
POSITION: D
DRAFT RANKING: 7th Defenseman

Jiricek plays better than those older than him, giving him a leg up. If he is already this good as a younger prospect, he has more time to develop and grow better than those who are close to a year older than him but still in the same draft class. The negative, of course, is that he might take longer to develop, especially physically. He stands 6’2 according to Elite Prospects, so his height is good, but he only weighs 168 pounds, he’s practically a twig. Bulking up will come with age, and that could change his game. Jiricek has played the entirety of his career up til now in Czechia, playing in the HC Plezn system. Two seasons ago, as a 16-year-old (again, his age 17 season in terms of eligibility), he played for their U20 team basically the entire season and played well, with 29 points in 41 games. He then played in the playoffs for their U17 club and absolutely dominated the younger competition with 13 points in 8 playoff games. He is one of the stronger defensive defensemen in this class. When defending against the rush, he communicates well with his forwards to explain where he needs the support prior to crossing into the defensive zone. He implements extremely good positioning to shut down passing and shooting lanes to the interior. Jiricek does a great job of re-adjusting his positioning when defending against multiple attackers to shut down potential one-timers. When behind the red line and along the boards, he plays with a physical edge and will look to pokecheck. Jiricek’s floor seems to be a top four defensemen, but with more and more refinement he could potentially be a top two defensemen

51st OVERALL: MAXIM MASSE

2023-24 TEAM: Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
DATE OF BIRTH: Apr 07, 2006
PLACE OF BIRTH: Rimouski, QC, CAN
HEIGHT: 6'3" 
WEIGHT: 190 lbs
SHOOTS: R
POSITION: RW
DRAFT RANKING: 23rd Forward

Maxim Massé is a Canadian forward who played for the Chicoutimi Saguéneens in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), totaling 36 goals and 75 points in 67 games. He also added three goals and six points in eight playoff games. The first thing that stands out about Massé is his size. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, he was usually one of the bigger players on the ice in the QMJHL. He uses that size quite effectively, too. Massé is effective in one-on-one battles along the wall, but he uses his size best in high-danger areas. He consistently goes to the net front in the offensive zone and makes a living scoring goals around the crease. Massé may have the makings of a power forward, but he has some skill, too. His slap shot is accurate, and he has an effective wrist shot that he gets through traffic. That’s something he uses to his advantage on the power play if he’s not around the net front. And while Massé may be more of a goal-scorer, his playmaking is quite underrated. Part of that playmaking stems from having a good shot. On odd-man rushes, he can bait goalies into thinking he is shooting, but he will instead pass the puck to his counterpart for a goal.

52nd OVERALL: JULIUS MIETTINEN

2023-24 TEAM: Everett Silvertips (WHL)
DATE OF BIRTH: Jan 20, 2006
PLACE OF BIRTH: Helsinki, FIN
HEIGHT: 6'3" 
WEIGHT: 201 lbs
SHOOTS: L
POSITION: C/W
DRAFT RANKING: 26th Forward

Julius Miettinen is a Finnish forward who played for the Everett Silvertips in the Western Hockey League (WHL), totaling 31 goals and 67 points in 66 games this past season. He played in two games for Finland’s national team at the U18 level but totaled no points. The first thing that stands out about Miettinen is size. At 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, he’s an imposing figure on the ice, and he already uses his size well. He’s strong on the forecheck and does well to win one-on-one battles when his team decides to play dump-and-chase. As expected with someone his size, Miettinen is a strong net-front presence. The Silvertips used him as their net-front presence on their power play, where he used his big frame to provide screens and take away opposing goaltenders’ line of sight. He’s not afraid to do the same at five-on-five, too. Another standout of Miettinen’s game is his skating. For someone who’s already 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, his skating is quite good for his size. He has a smooth stride and uses his skating ability effectively in transition, which is notable since he primarily played center for the Silvertips. If he sticks at center in the NHL, which seems like a decent possibility given his size, he will need to be able to transition the puck effectively through the neutral zone.

64th OVERALL: JUSTIN POIRIER

2023-24 TEAM: Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
DATE OF BIRTH: Sep 04, 2006
PLACE OF BIRTH: Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC, CAN
HEIGHT: 5'8" 
WEIGHT: 183 lbs
SHOOTS: R
POSITION: RW
DRAFT RANKING: 42nd Forward

Justin Poirier is in the running as the second-best scorer in this draft class. His 51 goals for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in 2023-24 not only led the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) by a six-goal margin but was the best total from a 17-year-old since Sidney Crosby in 2004-05. In the playoffs, he was even more lethal, leading the QMJHL again with 18 goals, the highest U18 total since Jonathan Huberdeau in 2010-11, and tied for the third-highest total in league history. He has a shoot-first mentality, and there are few places that he can’t score from. Several times this season, he put the puck in the net while standing on the goal line. He also generally doesn’t rely on dekes or deception to score but is incredibly accurate in his shot placement and can put a lot of power behind it without needing a long windup. Given that he’s just 5-foot-8, the power he generates in his shots is impressive. While he does tend to lean on his wrist shot, he has a good selection of shots and isn’t afraid to utilize a slap-shot or a one-timer if the opportunity presents itself.

84th OVERALL: TOMAS MRSIC

2023-24 TEAM: Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
DATE OF BIRTH: Feb 26, 2006
PLACE OF BIRTH: Surrey, BC, CAN
HEIGHT: 6'0" 
WEIGHT: 170 lbs
SHOOTS: L
POSITION: C/W
DRAFT RANKING: 38th Forward

EliteProspects describe Mrsic as ‘’A deep, fully loaded stride launches Mrsic up the rink and past opponents. He’s usually using his speed to split the defence and take the return pass for a chance. He has a great shot. Every release is packed with deception, whether he’s hiding his blade or changing the angle at lightning speed.’’ EliteProspects When looking at his stats, you will be impressed, and with merit. The smaller-frame winger from Surrey is a dynamic player. Last season with Medicine Hat, he accumulated 23 goals and 39 assists for 62 points in only 63 games played. For a fourth-round pick, this is outstanding. Mrsic produced at this level despite not having a great start to the season. Before the draft, Mrsic said in an interview with Medicine Hat News: "I didn’t have the best start, but I think in the second half, I kind of climbed the rankings quite a bit, and I was pretty happy with my second half." Medicine Hat News.

85th OVERALL: EMIL LILLEBERG

2023-24 TEAM: Tampa Bay (NHL)
DATE OF BIRTH: Feb 02, 2001
PLACE OF BIRTH: Sarpsborg, NOR
HEIGHT: 6'2" 
WEIGHT: 192 lbs
SHOOTS: L
POSITION: D
DRAFT RANKING: 24th Defenseman

Lilleberg got on the NHL map after he captained Norway at the 2020 Men’s World Juniors after the program got promoted to the top tier and won Bronze in 2019. Before his draft, Lilleberg was playing in the Norwegian league, and after he moved into the SHL. Teenagers rarely succeed in the SHL, the top European league in the world, especially defenders. But with Lilleberg’s size and by simplifying his game, he was able to adapt quickly and become a reliable middle pairing guy who hits, joins in on the offense, and is more-or-less not a headache in the defensive zone. One aspect of Lilleberg’s game that stood out was his hands. For a 6’2″ player, he has impressive hands in tight and poise with the puck. He’s able to hold onto the puck and fake out checkers or goalies with small movements. On the physical side, Lilleberg likes to throw his weight around with hits and can muscle his way to the puck in high end men’s leagues.

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NEW YORK RANGERS ACQUIRE SIDNEY CROSBY

NEW YORK, August 23rd - New York Rangers general manager Martin Auzins announced a deal with the Dallas Stars that brings Sidney Crosby to New York. 

Crosby, 35, had a steady year in 2023-24, recording 29 goals and 60 assists for 89 points in his tenth EHE season.
In 733 career games with Predators & Stars, Crosby has recorded 354 goals, 529 assists, 883 points and 134 penalty minutes.

Rangers wasted no time and named Corsby their new Captain.

Tommy Barr

Love the Jiricek pick at 29. Great value. Had both Maxim Masse and Julius Miettinen in my list to go with my next batch of picks so they weren't lasting long.

NEW YORK RANGERS DRAFT 2024
2024 EHE Draft Review

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