The annual NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo last week showcased the top prospects' physical and mental abilities in various ways heading into the draft June 27-28. With the No. 12 overall pick, the New York Rangers
were keenly in tune with a wide-range of prospects at the combine.
Some analysts believe only so much stock can be put into the prospects results at the combine, but it certainly gives players the chance to increase their value. They are pushed physically in ways some haven't been before. The interviews with team officials can throw them curveballs to see how quickly they can react to difficult situations.
Take into account that every team may handle these tests and results differently, the combine proves to be more meaningful to some, less so for others. As mock drafts continue to be updated, the Rangers options at No. 12 overall, if nothing else, appear to be a bit more clear after the combine.
Related: Rangers reportedly among teams 'buzzing around' Stars forward Jason Robertson
No top prospect increased his stock more than Frondell at the combine. The center from Sweden came into the event with general questions on fitness that are inevitable when playing overseas. Scouts will travel, but the off ice fitness can be tougher to gauge for a skater playing outside of North America.
Perhaps the most grueling test is the VO2 Max. Basically, players peddle as fast as they can on a stationary bike connected to a machine that tests their breathing until they can't peddle any more. This aerobic fitness test measures the amount of oxygen utilized during maximal exercise that employs volume determination and analysis of expired air. Frondell finished tied for first, proving that he's extremely well conditioned. This generally translates to the player's ability to push himself to extend shifts productively more-so than most skaters.
That's an important area for any prospect to separate himself, but even more-so for a top prospect, where scouts already love his skill set. Frondell followed this up with the Wingate aerobic bike tests, finishing ninth in mean power output and third in peak power output among all prospects. This should put him in the conversation as a top-3 or top-5 pick in this year's draft. Frondell was always no more than a longshot for the Rangers; now he's likely a pipedream, who should be long gone by time they select at No. 12.
McQueen was perhaps the most intriguing prospect going into the combine. His ceiling is as high as almost anyone in the draft, but following a lingering back injury that sidelined him much of this post season, until he returned to action in early March, all eyes were on him at the combine.
"The teams got all the medical history and there was some misdiagnosis from way back," Central Scouting associate director David Gregory told NHL.com
, "but when they got it fixed, it's fixed, and it was great to see his determination to come here and show, 'I can do everything.' He wasn't restricted, didn't want to hold anything back and he did a great job. He tested extremely well."
McQueen finished the combine as No. 8 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters. He even tested good enough for an eighth place finish in the horizontal jump. While modest in his performance, it wasn't enough for him to go through the motions, he wanted to stand out. The latest mock draft on NHL.com has the massive (6-foot-5) center going as high as No. 5 overall to the Nashville Predators
or No. 12 overall to the Rangers. If he's there, his upside may be too much for the Rangers to pass on.
"I think that the biggest thing is just having it done with," McQueen said. "Being able to come here and kind of have that back issue past me now. Just having that in the past and being able to come here and compete with my buddies is awesome."
Cootes comes into this draft as a born leader, someone who plays the game anyway you want to with his high-end skill and intensity. This was on full display at the draft combine.
The bench press test was used with 50 percent of the skater's body weight, and Cootes finished ninth in reps during this event. Cootes also finished third in pull ups and sixth in the fatigue index. Showing some versatility, he also finished ninth in the no arm jump event.
While he may not be considered a top prospect in this draft (projected No. 18 overall in the latest NHL.com mock draft), his intangibles may be too much for the Rangers to ignore. Sometimes you're not looking for the best players, but the right ones, though he is a solid right-shot center, as well.
Cootes is someone who simply wants to win and has enough high-end skill and grit to make the difference when the games matter most. The combine helped his case there. If McQueen, or Brady Martin, are selected before the Rangers are on the clock, Cootes may be the guy. Talented defensemen and wingers should be there as well, but it's hard to find a center like him. If the Rangers keep the No. 12 pick, it's hard to see them passing on potential catalysts and a leader like Cootes.
The smallest player in the draft at 5-foot 7 and 160 pounds certainly stood out in a big way at the combine. Previously we analyzed Schmidt to have Cole Caufield ability with the puck to match a Martin St. Louis intensity. At the combine, he met the eye test.
While Schmidt's weight certainly helped in a way, it's still telling he finished first among all prospects in the bench press. Not as surprising, he finished third in the (right side) pro agility event. This tests the players speed, agility and whole body reaction as well as control.
Schmidt did his part at the combine for scouts not to question his size as much. That said, at such a small stature it could be a high-risk, high reward selection that may have to wait a little longer to hear his name called on draft day.
Speaking of size, the 6-foot-4 Nesbitt had himself a solid combine as well. The left-handed center was a top-10 finisher at many combine events.
Finishing fifth in wingspan was not only predictable but redundant in Nesbitt's case. Being good enough for sixth among all prospects in the ruthless VO2 Max test was more telling for teams desperate for youthful center help like the Rangers. Especially at that size, this bodes well for the well-rounded centermen you simply don't find in free agency.
He also finished sixth in the (left side) pro agility event to emphasize his stride, speed, and body control. Nesbitt followed that up by finishing fourth in the right-hand grip test, for what it's worth. Projections still have him going in the middle of the first round, but the Rangers center options at 12, at their worst, could come down to Cootes and Nesbitt. Thyat's not a bad thing.
Another prospect like McQueen or Martin may slide, but these two are very likely to be there. After their individual combine performances, the Rangers could do a lot worse than two guys that seem sure to be solid second-line NHL centers one day.
Related Headlines
