Names to watch for at the draft

I've scoured the internet once again looking at some NHL mock drafts and have compiled a few names I feel may help the Rangers down the road. Remember, Gordie Clark and the Rangers scouting staff have surprised us for the past couple years when it came to first round picks, so the chances of one of these guys being taken by the Rangers when they finally pick 28th is slim.

Stefan Matteau 6' 1" 209 lbs - C - (USHL)

Of course I had to start with the son of a Rangers hero and legend. Last season with the U-18 US National Development Team, Matteau played 46 games and was 15-17-32. Matteau is ranked 17th in North America by Central Scouting. Matteau's positives are his forechecking ability and his ability to win puck battles along the boards. Has been called an "immovable object" in front of the crease. One of the biggest negatives about him is discipline issues although with maturity comes better discipline so I don't foresee that becoming an issue as he gets older and closer to becoming NHL ready. There are also some concerns about his skating ability and total offensive skillset. Basically what the NHL got from Stephane is the NHL future you hope for out of Stefan. Matteau is considered as a 'safe' mid to late first round pick, although a couple draft boards have him going early in the second due to his discipline issues that might scare away teams.

Phillip Di Giuseppe 6' 1" 200 lbs - LW - Michigan (NCAA)

It could be time once again for the Rangers to tap right back into the Michigan University pipeline by selecting Di Giuseppe with the 28th overall pick this coming Friday. In his freshman year at Michigan, Di Giuseppe scored 11 goals for 26 points in 40 games. Di Giuseppe is listed as a pure goal scorer first and foremost, with the ability to forecheck, win battles along the half-wall and in the corners. Also described as extremely coachable with a strong work ethic and the competitive drive to get better. Di Giuseppe doesn't have too many negatives listed about him other than he is a 'work-in-progress' in his own end, but with time and added experience, scouts feel those concerns will evaporate. Di Giuseppe is widely listed as the No. 1 draft eligible prospect coming out of the NCAA ranks for this cycle. Some mock drafts that are high on this kid have him going top-20, but the majority have Di Giuseppe picked at the bottom of the first round.

Tanner Pearson 6' 0" 196 lbs - LW - Barrie Colts (OHL)

The 2012 draft will be the third time and likely final time Tanner Pearson will sit and wait to hear his name called on draft day. Because Pearson has an August 1992 birthday, a team probably won't hesitate to sign him to a contract and stick him in the minors from day 1. I've tried to figure out why he was passed over in the draft for the past two seasons. Besides being termed as a 'late-bloomer,' I couldn't really find any realistic answers to that question. Pearson has been scouted as a solid two-way winger, with incredible hockey sense and is said to make difficult passes with ease. Pearson's statistics with the Barrie Colts of the OHL exploded from '10-'11 to '11-'12 going from 15 to 37 goals and from 42 to 91 points and doing that in 6 less games from the season before. Pearson led the OHL in scoring going away at one point, but began to tail off towards the end of the season before breaking his leg in the final game of the regular season and missed the playoffs. Scouts say that Pearson doesn't have any major flaws but say his downside is that he has little upside and isn't dominant in any one area. However in my opinion, that can be fixed with a strong work ethic, motivation and heart. To some this also could be considered a reach at 28 but Pearson is forecasted by most to be taken at the top of the second round.

Tim Bozon 6' 1" 178 lbs - LW - Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

A player who has seen his draft stock rise recently, Bozon, a French national and son of former Blues forward Philippe Bozon, played for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL and was a point-per-game player this past season registering 36 goals and 71 points in 71 games in addition to another 5 goals in 11 games in the  WHL playoffs. Bozon may have one of the best hands in the draft. He is lauded for his superb puck-handling skills with a fast release on his shot, passing the puck through small windows and a strong work ethic. Some negatives is the defensive aspect of his two-way game and has been called "lanky." Bozon earned a WHL Rookie of the Year nomination this past season. Seems like a bit of a reach with the 28th pick but still a name worth pondering over.

Slater Koekkoek 6' 2" 183 lbs - D - Peterborough Petes (OHL)

Don't ask me how to pronounce this guy's name. Koekkoek has been sidelined since November with a torn labrum, which has extremely affected his draft stock. However, Koekkoek was considered as a consensus top-15 pick before his injury and has slid far enough down draft boards to where he may fall to the Rangers at 28. Koekkoek was logging 30+ minute nights for the Peterborough Petes scoring 5-13-18 in 26 games before his injury. Scouts love his size/speed/skill, he possesses a low, hard, heavy shot from the point and is not afraid to jump into the play on offense and knows when to stay back. Koekkoek is a superior skater with the hockey IQ to make sound decisions with the puck. There isn't a whole lot of negatives besides improving his game in his own end and could look to add a few pounds of muscle to his frame as his shoulder continues to improve. I've got to imagine the Rangers would be thrilled to see this kid fall on their laps at the draft and add him to the embarrassment of riches the team has had on their blueline recently and their depth would allow Koekkoek to come along slow and not be forced to rush to the Rangers roster too quickly.

Ville Pokka 6' 0" 198 lbs - D - Karpat (SM-liiga)

I've seen this young Finn in several mock drafts taken between 25th and 35th overall and felt compelled to do a small write up about him. Pokka was a key blueliner for Team Finland in the U-18 and U-20 World Juniors. Pokka was good for 6 points in 7 games at the U-18 juniors and had 7 points in 12 games at the U-20 tournament. I've read that Pokka in transitioning from defense to offense makes an excellent first pass out of the zone, which was a noticeable area of deficiency for the Rangers in the playoffs. Pokka is also a right handed shot which is a valuable commodity in today's NHL.  Worked out well at the scouting combine. Some listed negatives about Pokka is that he is not fast and will probably get turned around by the elite skaters in the NHL and has a poor reach for a man his size. Although Pokka is likely about 3 years away from playing North American hockey, he is labeled as a sure fire high end second round pick who may sneak into the first round.