The Rangers currently have five defensemen under the age of 28 on their roster and two more top prospects on the way, so it’s very likely New York will be looking to add some offensive firepower with its first-round pick, No. 15 overall in the NHL Draft.

Between now and June 24th, we’ll take a look at some of the forwards that the Rangers might be thinking about taking on draft day.  Today, we look at…

Sven Bartschi

HT: 5-10

WT: 185

Pos: LW

Shoots: L

Birthday: 10/5/92

Team: Portland Winterhawks, WHL

2009-2010 stats: 6g, 5a, 37gp, 10PIM (Langenthal, Swiss-B)

2010-2011 stats: 34g, 51a, 66gp, +23, 74PIM

2010-2011 playoffs: 10g, 16a, 20gp, 16PIM

NHL.com profile >

Ranks:

The Hockey News: 8

CSS: 7 Midterm Rank: 6

ISS: 11 

TSN: 16 Midterm Ranking: 14 

TSN (Craig Button): 11

The Scouting Report: 15 Midterm Rank: 12 

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch: 15

Corey Pronman: 18 

ESPN: 7

Highlight Reel > 

What They’re Saying:

THN – "Here’s one scout describing Sven Bartschi’s NHL prospects: ‘Put it this way,’ he said, ‘I don’t think he’ll be doing any yodeling anytime soon.’  Which means the native of Switzerland is in North America to stay.  Instead playing in his home pro league, Bartschi followed countryman and 2010 first round choice Nino Niederreiter to the Western League’s Portland Winterhawks.  ‘If someone didn’t tell you he was from Switzerland, you wouldn’t know,’ another scout said.  ‘He’s not a big kid, but he had a lot of talent.’  Perhaps it’s because old habits die hard with NHL scouts when it comes to skaters from Switzerland, but some acknowledge they are looking for flaws in his game and often come away empty-handed.  He most certainly has high-end skills and matches that with a determination to succeed in what is a very tough junior league.  ‘He’s got great hands, great vision and great hockey sense,’ a scout said." 

The Scouting Report – "Bartschi came into the season as a fairly unknown prospect, but quickly established himself as a high scorer for the Portland Winterhawks. Bartschi has excellent hands and goes to the traffic areas to create offense, and has excellent vision on the ice. There are question marks about his two-way play, however Bartschi only improved as the season went along, quickly creating a name for himself as an elite level winger in the Western Hockey League while being a major offensive contributor for the Hawks; continuing his solid play well into the WHL playoffs." 

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch – “Swiss forward and 34-goal scorer has a wicked shot (rapid release and powerful, accurate drive) and elite offensive instincts. He formed a highly effective trio with fellow draft candidate Rattie and Cunningham when the latter came over from Vancouver at mid-season. Not an explosive speedster, but knows how to get from point A to B. Played a more effective game in junior this season than he did at the WJC. Solid kid and easygoing personality, but could stand to pick up the work ethic at times. Highly skilled winger will likely be a top-15 pick, but he's a finesse guy who could stand to take the puck to the net more than he does. Bartschi is deadly with that drive of his, but it's tough to score from the outside consistently at the NHL level, no matter how much pop you have on your stick.”

Corey Pronman - "Sven Bartschi was one of this year's biggest risers with his performance for the WHL powerhouse Portland Winterhawks. He shows several desirable tools, especially in the finesse department. Sven is a solid skater who can get to full speed very quickly and while his top speed is good and he has turned around several WHL defenders, he doesn't consistently maintain an above-average level. His agility is good and he can really make people miss, be it from a standstill or while rushing the puck up the ice. Bartschi has very loose hands that allow him to make rapid moves with the puck and his while I grade his puck skills as above-average, he does flash ability beyond that. His wrist and slap shots are both desirable weapons, the latter of which flashes plus velocity and he can consistently score from beyond the crease area. His physical game is fringe but does show a notable work ethic along the walls but at the moment is nowhere near strong enough to be an effective physical pro. In regards to his hockey IQ, Sven is regularly trusted with PK duties due to his good anticipation, positioning and stick work. Offensively, he has good vision with the puck, although there are times he tries to go beyond his means with the stick-handling. The skill set is there for him to be a scoring forward with most tools being above-average or around that if he can overcome the physical hurdle which at this point is below fringe level."

The Hockey Writers – “Sven brings a good combination of speed and physical ability to the Portland Winterhawks. Most of his goal scoring chances are created by his speed, or his hard work. His size unfortunately could hinder him along the boards and working behind the net in a more physical league. The biggest issue most scouts are having with him however, is his overall offensive ability. Does he have the ability to be a top line forward? Or will he be a boarder-line top six guy?  In his first year playing for Portland, Bartschi posted 34 goals and 51 assists, a total of 85 points… in just 66 games. He also finished with a very impressive plus/minus rating of plus 23.  The skill to be a very solid NHL player is there. Nobody doubts that. But he will need to show that he can be a game changer every single night, or teams will go for less safe picks, players that could be elite, or franchise players.  Bartschi makes for a very safe pick, because of his specific skill set. He has high top-end speed, and knows how to use his body. Unfortunately, standing at just 5’10” and 185 pounds, Sven’s size may hold him back from being that strong physical presence on the ice. He is not afraid to throw his body around, but until he starts playing with fully developed men in the American Hockey League, or the National Hockey League, it will be hard to tell if his size will be an issue.”

Jess Rubenstein – “Bartschi is a lot like Ryan Callahan but with more natural talent. Kid has been a huge playoff performer with 10 goals in the playoffs (5 in the finals)”

Mock Drafts:

Adam Kimelman, NHL.com – 13 

Mike Morreale, NHL.com – 18 

Steven Hoffner, NHL.com – 9 

Deven Persaud, NHL.com - 13

TSN.ca – 10 

Gary Joyce, ESPN – 8

Mark Seidel, CBC - 11

Hockey's Future - 11

The Hockey News - 8

Thoughts: Bartschi has been a late riser with his tremendous playoff performance.  Much like his Portland Winterhawk teammate Ryan Johansen last year, Bartschi’s final ranks might not be reflective of how NHL teams feel about him.  It seems that he has really surged late in the year, and it’s highly unlikely he’ll be there when the Rangers pick at #15.  The Blueshirts might be interested in trading up if there’s an offensive player they covet, and Bartschi’s reputation for giving his best effort would fit in well with New York.

The Rangers used their first-round pick on Dylan McIlrath from the WHL last year.

Possible First Round Picks:

Zack Phillips >

Sven Bartschi >