Miller is the prize of the 2011 draft.

Miller is the prize of the 2011 draft.

They say it takes five years to really judge a draft class in hockey. Very few players come in and play in the NHL immediately following their draft year. Heck, it’s usually two or three years before a draft pick even turns pro. Factor in another year or two in the minors, and you have a four or five year waiting period before some rookies even get a chance to play regularly in The Show.

If a team gets one NHL regular in a draft, it’s considered a successful draft. If they can land a second player, it’s a big win. For the Rangers, 2011 was the final time they would draft in the top-fifteen through today. They took J.T. Miller with that first round pick, their one consistent NHL player. The rest of the draft features Steven Fogarty, who just turned pro, and four mid-to-late round picks.

First Round (#15) – J.T. Miller

Miller, as mentioned above, is the only consistent NHL player at this point in time. Drafted out of the USHL/NDTP, Miller played one year in the OHL before turning pro. It was a relative surprise to see a 19-year-old turn pro from the CHL, but as an American draftee (not from the CHL), the 20-year-old AHL restriction didn’t apply to him.

Miller actually got his first real taste of NHL time in that first year, playing 26 games with John Tortorella’s Rangers. He was clearly overwhelmed, as he was in his following season. In 56 NHL games across his first two years, Miller put up 10-10-20. But by that second year, he was scoring at a point-per-game in the AHL, a sign of a player that just needed to put it all together at the next level.

After 15 games with the Wolf Pack in his third season, Miller got the call, and has been a mainstay since. He put together his first full NHL campaign last year, cracking the 20-goal mark and putting up 43 points, while also cementing a role in the Rangers’ top-nine forwards. Miller will be given every opportunity to upgrade that role to a top-six position this coming season.

Verdict: Boom

Second Round (#45) – Traded to Calgary

The Rangers traded this pick to the Calgary Flames in the Tim Erixon deal. Calgary took Markus Granlund with this pick.

Second Round (#57) – Traded to Calgary

The Rangers acquired this pick from Carolina in exchange for Bobby Sanguinetti. They then flipped it to Calgary in the Erixon deal, who selected Ty Wotherspoon.

Third Round (#71) – Steven Fogarty

The Rangers acquired this pick from St. Louis in exchange for Evgeny Grachev. The former captain of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish just turned pro this Spring, and will be joining the Hartford Wolf Pack this season. Fogarty didn’t light the lamp much, but he’s known for being very adept in his own end and in the faceoff dot. There will be many eyes on the 23-year-old this season.

Verdict: Too soon to tell

Third Round (#75) – Traded to Florida

This pick was traded to the Florida Panthers for Bryan McCabe. The Panthers took Logan Shaw with this pick.

Fourth Round (#105) – Michael St. Croix

St. Croix was very skilled, putting up 75 points in 68 games for a solid Edmonton Oil Kings team in the WHL. He followed that up with a whopping 105 points in his age-19 season. Then he dipped to just 92 points in his final WHL season. Skilled but not a fluent skater, St. Croix didn’t even make the AHL, playing three full season with the ECHL’s Greenville Road Warriors/Swamp Rabbits. His final year with the Rangers organization was this past season.

Verdict: Bust

Fifth Round (#133) – Shane McColgan

This pick was acquired from Calgary in the Erixon trade. Like St. Croix, McColgan was another skilled forward who just couldn’t put it together. He wasn’t offered an entry-level deal by the Rangers. He plays in Australia.

Verdict: Bust

Fifth Round (#136) – Sam Noreau

Noreau was huge, a real old-school type pick at 6’5″, 220 lbs, and slow feet. Noreau made huge strides in his final two years in the QMJHL, forcing the Rangers to give him a contract. But after that, he played just nine games in the AHL over that deal. His days with the Rangers are over. Andrew Shaw was taken two picks later.

Verdict: Bust

Sixth Round (#165) – Traded to San Jose

This pick went to San Jose in the Jody Shelley (remember him?) deal. The Sharks took Daniil Sobchenko.

Sixth Round (#172) – Peter Ceresnak

I don’t think anyone knows why the Rangers picked Ceresnak. He wasn’t offered a deal, and few thought he was ever going to pan out. He plays in the Czech league now.

Verdict: Bust

Seventh Round (#195) – Traded to Arizona

Arizona acquired this pick with Miika Wiikman in exchange for Anders Eriksoon. They took Zac Larraza. For those thinking 7th rounders don’t matter, the Lightning took Ondrej Palat with pick #207.

There you have it. The Rangers got their one NHL player in Miller, and may have a second in Fogarty. The rest of the draft class has since left the organization in one way or another. Abiding by the rules above, the Rangers did well in this draft in landing Miller. But boy, it would be nice to have Palat too.

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