When the New York Rangers traded Carl Hagelin to move up in the 2015 NHL Draft, those that followed the draft rankings couldn’t have been more caught off guard when their selection.
With players like Daniel Sprong, Jeremy Bracco, and Oliver Kylington available, amongst others, the choice seemed obvious. Despite this, the Rangers took their man, Ryan Gropp of the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, 41st overall.
Ryan Gropp’s skill set is very similar to that of James Neal. He has some deceptive speed for a big player (6’3, 205 lbs) and has a very quick release on his shot.