Rest in peace, Derek Boogaard

I just want to extend my condolences to the Boogaard family with the shocking and tragic news of the death of Rangers forward Derek Boogaard. In the Rangers press release (link), they go on to say how much Boogaard was involved in charity work and always tried to help other people.

"While with the Rangers, he created “Boogaard’s Booguardians,” hosting military members and their families at all New York Ranger home games.  In addition, he made multiple appearances with partner organizations of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the non-profit charity that works closely with all areas of Madison Square Garden, including the New York Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Media, MSG Entertainment and Fuse “to make dreams come true for kids facing obstacles”."

 Boogaard scored one goal and one assist in 22 games this season for the Rangers, his first in the red, white and blue. He also racked up 45 penalty minutes, and continued to be one of the more imposing enforcers in the league. He had signed a four year contract in the summer of 2010 to play in New York with the Rangers.

To finish it off, I have linked the video of Derek Boogaard's goal that he scored during the year. It is absolutely terrible to hear this news. RIP Derek, you will be missed.

Looking Back On the First Round Of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft

With the Stanley Cup playoffs heading towards the conference finals and the 2011 NHL Entry Draft inching closer and closer, I thought I would take some time to evaluate the first round draft class from five years ago. There has been ample time since this draft has occurred, as most of these prospects have developed and only five of them have yet to play an NHL game. There are some very recognizable players from this draft, including some of the league's stars. There are also some players that one cannot believe were taken in the first round, and are all but destined to be classified as busts from their drafting teams' fan base. So here's my breakdown of the best, the worst and those still developing.

There are many notable names that came out of the first round of the 2006 NHL draft class. Jonathan Toews, Nicklas Backstrom, Claude Giroux and Phil Kessel are star players for their respective teams. Jordan Staal has proven that he can play even without Crosby or Malkin dealing with the opponent's top defenses. Michael Grabner emerged this year as a goal-scoring threat in all situations. Two players featured in this group, Erik Johnson and Chris Stewart, were traded for each other in a four-player deal during the 2009-10 season. Kyle Okposo has been a consistent scoring threat for the goal-strapped Islanders, while Peter Mueller was having a solid career until a concussion knocked out his entire year. Forward Michael Frolik scored 21 goals in each of his first two seasons. Most of, if not all of these names are recognizable by hockey fans everywhere. They are some of the biggest faces in the game and have had impacts on their respective teams in the five years since they have been drafted. Four of them have already made it to the NHL All-Star festivities. These are the cream of the crop from the 2006 Entry Draft.

There are a fair share of busts and players that one would not believe were drafted in the first round. Mark Mitera was taken 19th overall by the Anaheim Ducks and has not played an NHL game yet. He spent four years at the University of Michigan where he had a good career as a puck moving defenseman, but unfortunately for him that has not translated to the pro game. His lack of ability to stay healthy and lack of an offensive game as a pro has hampered his ability to crack the NHL roster in Anaheim. David Fischer was taken by the Montreal Canadiens one pick after Mitera, and was not signed by the Habs after a four year career at the University of Minnesota. He did not progress as expected by the Montreal brass and did not get offered a contract. He signed with the ECHL's Florida Everblades where he enjoyed a moderately successful first pro season, though he has a lot of work to do to get to the NHL level and even try to justify his first round selection. Defensemen seem to be the theme of this part of the article, as Dennis Persson may not be able to justify his first round selection either. The solid defensive-minded Swede never was a big point producer back in the SEL or their junior leagues, but the Buffalo Sabres were intrigued with his defensive presence when they selected him 24th overall. After three AHL seasons, he has yet to make his NHL debut and he might not earn another contract from the Sabres.

There are a few NHL regulars that have not developed as planned but are still sticking with the NHL teams that selected them. James Sheppard was a scoring dynamo with his Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the QMJHL, but after his selection at 9th overall in 2006, he has yet to replicate those stats in the pro game. His career highs in the NHL are five goals, 19 assists and 24 points which all came in his second season in 2008-09. His entire 2010-11 season was wiped out by injury, and Sheppard is going into the off-season as a restricted free agent. Jiri Tlusty was taken 13th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs and has actually played 157 NHL games in parts of five professional seasons. He has not been able to stick with either the Leafs or the Hurricanes and though he has found scoring success in the American league, he can not replicate those stats in the NHL. Derick Brassard set career highs this year, his fourth NHL season, with 17 goals and 30 assists for 47 points. The one time 116-point scorer from the QMJHL was once thought to be the solution to Rick Nash's center problem but it is now more likely that Brassard is more suited to the second line center role. While having some success with Nash, he was not scoring consistently to receive the quality ice time in Columbus.

There are still a few players developing their games that can make an NHL impact in the next season or two. Jonathan Bernier has finally gotten his chance as a full-time NHL goaltender this year, though he has not been spectacular this season. It is a learning experience and being the backup behind an established starter is a difficult job to adjust to after being a starter with little competition for years. Down the road LA will have to choose which goaltender will be their starter, as they are too good and will cause a logjam in the crease. Ty Wishart is now with his third NHL team, but he is by no means a bust. He is in his third professional season, was acquired by the New York Islanders in the Dwayne Roloson deal and totaled 20 games, scoring his first NHL goal and registering four assists. There are openings on the blueline on Long Island next season, and Wishart will look to take one and prove his worth as a former first round pick. It is only Chris Summers' first full pro season, yet he has already made his NHL debut with the Phoenix Coyotes, playing two games earlier this year. The big Summers (6'2", 180 pounds) does not have much of an offensive game, but he is responsible enough in his own zone to warrant a spot. Trevor Lewis finally cracked the Kings lineup and took on a checking role this year. In a few years down the road, he has the ability to be a good 15-20 goal scorer on the wing.

There it is folks. Some players panned out nicely, and some didn't. There are the superstars and there are the nobodies, as in every draft. With the 2011 NHL Entry Draft coming up in late June, just remember that not all draft picks work out in the end. Then again, some just take a little bit longer to find their game and apply it at the highest competitive level in the world. Look out for the next Toews, Giroux or Tlusty in the coming draft in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Rangers Trade Werek to Phoenix for Lindberg, Showing Change in Philosophy?

The Rangers have traded forward Ethan Werek to the Phoenix Coyotes for Swedish winger Oscar Lindberg. Werek, 19, was drafted in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and had a good but not spectacular third OHL season with Kingston Frontenacs. He scored 24 goals and added 28 assists for 52 points in 47 games, while sporting a -3 +/- rating and 51 PIMs. Lindberg, 19, was drafted in the second round, 57th overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Coyotes. He has played the last two years with Skelleftea of the Swedish Elite League, mostly on the third and fourth lines and posted five goals and nine assists in 41 games. In 18 playoff games he scored three goals and registered four assists for his club.

In the Hockey's Future article about the top-20 prospects of the Phoenix Coyotes (Link), they described Lindberg as having "the potential to be a good offensive player". They continued to say that "He has good instincts with the puck and is a smart playmaker on the perimeter" and that he is also "a very solid defensive player who has seemed to excel in a shutdown role so far in his young career". Acquiring Lindberg identifies that this team lacks top-end skill and while Lindberg does not project to be a first line player, he has the ability to be a skilled second liner that has good hands.

Werek, conversely, is a hard-nosed and gritty center who has dealt with injuries that have hampered his development. From the analysis of Werek from Hockey's Future (Link), he is described as "a solid two-way player" who is willing to "do the little things that help teams win". While his stats are good, they are not overly impressive of a player expected to turn pro next year. With his injury history, it is hard to determine how long it will take for him to develop into an NHL player

I personally think that this trade is the turning point in the philosophy of the New York Rangers. Regarded this year as the blue collar, hustling and hard-working team that will grind their opponents down, the team lacked serious scoring talent and finesse. Marian Gaborik is far and away the most skilled player on this team, and there isn't really a close second on the team or in the system. Trading the rough and tumble Werek for the skilled Lindberg could signify the change in philosophy from grit to skill, especially with the 2011 NHL Entry Draft coming up in late June. There are several intriguing names in the upcoming draft that could fall to the Rangers at pick 15, including Finnish sensation Joel Armia, flashy Russian Vladimir Namestnikov or playmaking center Mark Scheifele.

With the core of the Rangers built around Marian Gaborik, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers have a lot of grit and are lacking in the skill department aside from Gaborik. While some of the prospects taken in the 2011 draft may not make the NHL until after Gaborik is gone, it sets up the Rangers for a really good mix of skill and hard-working grinders that are both essential to be successful in the post-season. Now is the time to take a high risk/high reward first round draft pick with our depth. We already have numerous players developing such as Chris Kreider and Christian Thomas who have the potential to be good second liners and possibly even first line players in the NHL, but we don't have a player in the system that has the possibility of being a superstar.

Oscar Lindberg is just the start to the new philosophy of infusing skill to our lineup of blue collar players. As shown by the teams still in the playoffs such as the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins, a combination of finesse and determined play is necessary to get far. While Werek was a highly regarded prospect as a third line center, he was not going to have much of an impact above that as he fits the mold of Colorado's Kevin Porter with a similar drive and skill set. This draft will start the idea of infusing talent into the roster, and Gordie Clark is sure to pick a good starting point in this June's draft.