A Russian Steal?

 

Patrick Hoffman (HV)

 

When it came time for the New York Rangers to make the 17th pick of the NHL Entry Draft on Friday night in Columbus, Ohio, many scouts could not believe that the player they ended up selecting, Alexei Cherepanov, had lasted this long.

 

Cherepanov, who plays for Avangard Ommsk of the Russian Superleague, was ranked number one on the NHL’s Central Scouting’s list for top European draft-eligible players. It looks like the Rangers may have a steal on their hands for years to come.

 

During the 2006-07 season, Cherepanov broke Pavel Bure’s record for most goals by a rookie with 18 and he also put up better numbers than Washington Capitals’ superstar Alexander Ovechkin as he had 29 points (18 goals, 11 assists) while Ovechkin tallied 23 (13 goals, 10 assists).

Rangers General Manager Glen Sather told www.newyorkrangers.com that he has a tremendous amount of upside and hopes that he can be a big contributor to the future of the organization.

 

“We are thrilled to add a player with the talent and skill Alexei possesses,” Sather said. “He has tremendous upside and is an outstanding addition to our organization.”

 

Rangers head coach Tom Renney also had much to say about the teams’ first round draft pick.

 

“In talking to our scouts, I really like the fact that he's got a high level of skill and is a creative thinker and that he has an instinct for the game that really enables him to exhibit his skill,” Renney told the teams’ website. “That's exactly what you hope for with a guy that's gifted like that.”

Cherepanov is currently in Greenburgh, NY at the teams’ training facility participating in a clubs’ prospect development camp.