Rangers, Islanders and Devils first round draft targets
New York Rangers: 26th and 28th Picks
Alexander Alexeyev: Defenseman, Red Deer Rebels
Alexander Alexeyev, 18, is the 22nd ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. This past season with Red Deer, he scored seven goals and 37 points in 45 games, as well as two goals and five points in three playoff games.
Two things about Alexeyev that teams like are his size and his risk-free play. Standing at 6’4″, Alexeyev uses his body well, and along with that, he is still very quick for a defenseman his size. He also does not make any huge mistakes on the ice. He does not cause many turnovers in the offensive zone of the ice and is able to make smart plays in the defensive zone. A comparison for Alexeyev is Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin.
K’Andre Miller: Defenseman, USNTDP
K’Andre Miller, 18, transitioned from forward to defense, and it ended up turning out for the better. In the US Development Programs, the 23rd ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting scored 13 goals and 45 points in 80 games this season. Miller is committed to the University of Wisconsin for next season.
Miller is viewed as a two-way defenseman, using his 6’4″ body to rough up the opposing team every game while shooting the puck if he has an open lane. He is a very strong skater and is able to dish out passes to teammates, no matter where they are on the ice. Miller reminds many people of current Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt.
Both Alexeyev and Miller would fit well into the Rangers young defense core alongside Skjei, Pionk, and Lindgren just like Adam Boqvist would.
Ty Dellandrea: Center, Flint Firebirds
Ty Dellandrea, 17, was an alternate captain on a struggling Firebirds team this past season. The 25th ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting scored 27 goals and 59 points in 67 games this season.
Dellandrea is a great shooter. Teams are praising him for both his wrist and snapshots, and if he does not have the puck, he is always looking for scoring chances all throughout the offensive zone. Also, he tends to dig into the corners and bring the pick out to continue the play for his team. He is comparable to Zach Hyman of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Grigori Denisenko: Left Winger, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Grigori Denisenko, 17, is ranked as the seventh best European Skater by NHL Central Scouting. Denisenko spent the regular season with Loko Yaroslavl of the MHL, scoring nine goals and 22 points in 31 games. He then put up five goals and seven points in 12 playoff games with Loko, and then was called up to Lokomotiv for the playoffs and had no points in four games.
He has flashy puckhandling skills that are highly-touted throughout the league. He is also an excellent skater and is great off the rush. He has very accurate slap and wrist shots with a quick release. Another Russian forward, Artemi Panarin, is the player that Denisenko most reminds me of.
Both Dellandrea and Denisenko, like Wahlstrom and Hayton, would fit nicely into the young core of forwards the Rangers have that includes Andersson, Chytil, Namestnikov, and Buchnevich.
Next: More potential Islanders targets
The Islanders, Rangers, and Devils have a combined six first-round picks ranging from nine to 28, and there are a variety of players that all three teams could select.