Poll Results

Which forward would you like to stay permanently with the Rangers this season? The following scouting reports are courtesy of hockeysfuture.com.

1) Brandon Dubinsky (46%) - Dubinsky has bulked up, which has accentuated his tough aggressive style of play. He tends to be an agitator, but his offensive game is his best attribute. Dubinsky has become an excellent playmaker.

*My take: He looked good last season, but seemed to be overpowered at times by much stronger NHL players. I still think he might be another year away from making this team full time, but I hope I am wrong.

2) Artem Anisimov (33%) - "A decent skater for a player of his size [who] displays adequate bursts of speed [and] solid balance on his skates." Anisimov displays "nifty stickhandling skills [and] can handle the puck in traffic well." He has "decent vision and hockey sense[, is] a crafty passer who can make long accurate feeds[, and] fires a quick slap shot."

*My take: He has been a hot topic lately after playing very well in the Russian Super Series and the Traverse City Prospects Tournament. It would be terrific for this team if he could play right away, but it might take time for Artem to get used to North American hockey. My guess is that the organization would want him to learn the game and mature in Hartford.

3) Nigel Dawes (13%) - Despite his short stature, Dawes has offensive intangibles that make him a top candidate for an NHL roster spot. He is a prolific goal scorer with incredible hands, who can make some very good moves at top speed. Dawes is also a very hard worker, and he never hesitates to sacrifice his body to make plays in the slot.

*My take: Dawes is without a doubt the most NHL ready prospect the team has. He made the team out of training camp last year and even scored some goals, but the team was struggling badly and the younger inexperienced players are often the first ones to go. He has scored goals (lots of them) at every level he has played at and I am looking forward to him doing the same in New York. Although he is not a center, he is prospect I want to make this team.

4) Alex Bourret (6%) - Bourret is a strong skater , who combines skill with physical play, and is a tireless worker. Beyond his offensive ability, the most dominant aspect of Bourret’s game is his physical play. He is more than willing to get his nose dirty, and stick up for his teammates. What Bourret needs to improve upon is his consistency. Flashes of brilliance were interspersed with poor decision making at times during the 2006-07 season. If Bourret can become a consistent player, he has the potential to be a top-line forward.

*My take: Atlanta gave this kid up to the Rangers for a bag of potatoes. After overcoming a head injury and adjusting to a different style of play with the Wolfpack, Bourret started to show his magic in Hartford. He is one of the few players that are of the 'power forward' variety in the Rangers organization. I have a feeling that the team thinks he is one more year away (similar to Dubinsky) from making the team.

5) Tom Pyatt (0%) - He can bring you out of your seat. He has great abilities and great hands but after making some awesome plays, he’ll disappear for three games. He made some moves with the puck this year that were just outstanding but I just don’t know where his consistency was. He looks smaller than he is; he’s really strong on his skates and when he runs into somebody you realize that he’s not small. There is more here than we saw all year but at the U18’s he was very good.

*My take: His lack of votes is most likely from the fact that nobody knows who he is and there is not a lot of hype surrounding his name. He probably will play in Hartford this year, because he is still very young. I have heard some great things about him. Basically a Jed Ortmeyer that can score.