The draft is almost upon us, and the Rangers could land in the second round with the 59th overall pick in the draft. The Rangers traded their first rounder this year in the Martin St. Louis trade, so this will mark the second straight year without a pick in the first round.
Bunting (Photo: Terry Wilson/OHL Images)
Michael Bunting
Position: LW Height: 5-11 Weight: 175
Bunting is a bit of a late bloomer, but put up solid numbers (15-27-42 in 48 GP) in his rookie year in the OHL with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. His strong rookie campaign moved him up to #37 North American in the ISS rankings. He seems to be a mid-round pick for the Rangers, but his stock is rising. Bunting is a solid forechecker, and uses his physical to force turnovers and begin a transition rush. The odd weakness he has, considering his size, is that he needs to work on his skating, specifically his speed. He could turn into a solid depth player, one who would probably be loved in New York for his work ethic.
Sanheim
Travis Sanheim
Position: D Height: 6-3 Weight: 181
Sanheim is another player who has seen his ranking skyrocket from the beginning of the year, moving up 114 spots in the North American skater rankings to #53. Considering that rise, he may be a third round pick, or even a late second rounder after his solid rookie campaign (5-24-29) with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. However, he really turned it on in the second half of the year (5-22-27 in the last 36 games) when Calgary decided to use him in a more offensive role. His offensive instincts are superb, knowing when to join the rush, and providing a great shot at the point on the powerplay. He is still a very raw talent (who isn’t at this level?), but his excellent play at the U18 WJC has certainly piqued the interest of many scouts.
Watson
Spencer Watson
Position: RW Height: 5-10 Weight: 155
Watson is an interesting case, as his stock has been falling slightly (14 spots) since the midterm rankings, despite an improvement on his performance in his sophomore season (33-35-68 in 65 games) with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. He’s a natural goal scorer, with a great release on his shot, making his shots hard and accurate. He also possesses the ability to dish the biscuit around –an underrated part of his game– and beat guys one-on-one. He also plays bigger than his small size would indicate. The small size is also his biggest weakness, he’s bounced off the puck a bit too easily. He’s also known to fly the zone a bit too early on the defensive end, but most kids need to have the defensive part of their game worked on at this level. Watson’s potential could move him up in the draft, but he slots in as a late second or third round pick.
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