Thomas Gets More Praise

Even though his season is over, Christian Thomas has been praised once more, this time by Hockey’s Future. In their regular column called ‘on the rush’ HF look at some of the ‘most notable performances’ of the season in the pros, college, juniors and Europe and discuss at some length, the season of Christian Thomas.

To recap; Thomas exploded this season to finish the year with 54 goals and 99 points and did it all in just 66 regular season games. Indeed, Thomas’ numbers allowed him to finish second in the OHL in goals and 6th overall in points; a truly impressive season. HF had a few things to say about Thomas and while some Rangers fans may be concerned about his apparent lack of size (5’9, 170 lbs) they do note that he has a sturdy frame that helps him outwork opponents, aiding his goal scoring ability. Adding fuel to the thought that Thomas may be a Rangers’ dark horse come training camp was this comment;

His offensive game is already fairly polished, and he kills penalties, so the forward doesn’t have much left to do as far as diversifying his game at the OHL level. He could stand to add a little weight to his 5’9 170 pound frame though.

As many believed, it seems those who watch Thomas regularly also don’t think he has anything left to achieve in the OHL and offensively speaking he may already be able to handle himself at higher levels. A lot of work in the gym over the off season, getting his body ready for the pros would give a better chance at an immediate opportunity to stick at the next level. Whether the development of players such as Thomas had a part to play in the trade of Ethan Werek, well you never know, but Thomas seems to be on the fast track to success.

The Rangers could sorely do with an additional goal scorer and in a perfect world one that doesn’t cost assets or big dollars to acquire; hence Thomas may have a legitimate chance in September. His chances may depend on whether a guy like Chris Kreider decides to turn pro or not but one thing is for sure, training camp will once again be full of competition – only a good thing.