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…

Colin Jacobs

HT: 6-1

WT: 205

Pos: C

Shoots: R

Birthday: 1/20/93

Team: Seattle, WHL

2009-2010 stats: 13g, 13a, 72gp, 119PIM -33

2010-2011 stats: 22g, 22a, 68gp, 69PIM -20

2010-2011 playoffs: N/A

NHL.com profile > 

Ranks:

The Hockey News: 45

CSS: 61 Midterm Rank: 40

ISS: N/A

TSN: NR Midterm Rank: 37 

TSN (Craig Button): N/A 

The Scouting Report: 47 Midterm Rank: 35 

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch: NR 

Corey Pronman: 96 

ESPN: N/A

Highlight Reel > 

What They’re Saying:

THN – “Playing his youth hockey in Dallas has made Colin Jacobs an interesting read because scouts believe there is lots of room for his game to grow.  That he played on a weak Seattle team leads scouts to also believe he’d be better on a stronger team.  ‘He got into a bad program, but he had some ice time there and there was a lot of ups and downs,’ one scout said.  ‘He could make huge strides in the future or he could get lost.’  Despite the fact the Thunderbirds are in a down cycle, Jacobs still managed 22 goals, although offense isn’t expected to be a big part of his game at the pro level.  His more prominent hallmarks are work ethic and character.  His skating could improve, but it’s not a detriment, either.  ‘He’s a pretty honest, hard-working kid,’ another scout said.  ‘He’s not the fastest guy, but he has good hockey sense and he seemed to make the best of what was a tough situation in Seattle.’”

The Scouting Report – “Colin Jacobs came into the season with lofty expectations on a young Seattle team, and though he didn’t fully live up to those expectations, Jacobs quietly had a solid season. The Coppell, Tex. native has NHL size and has proven to be very durable in his two seasons in the WHL, while posting solid, if not spectacular point totals. Jacobs is a work in progress, (as evidenced by his -52 combined ranking in the last two seasons), but he is a solid skating, physical center with good offensive instincts, and is good on the defensive side of the puck as well.”

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch –“On talent alone, this 6-2, 195-pounder from Texas probably belongs here, but some of the scouts we've talked to aren't sold on his upside at the NHL level. The old scouting kiss of death- "looks like a player but don't know if he will be one" is something we've heard several times with Jacobs. That said, he can skate well, has some stickhandling ability and definitely likes to use his big frame to bang bodies. He cut down on his penalty minutes this season by playing a more clean, disciplined style which is good news for him and the Thunderbirds. His production was a disappointment, however- 22 goals and 44 points in 68 games. More was expected of this kid, who was seen as a solid early second-rounder prior to the start of the year. Where will he end up in June? Probably in the second round somewhere, but he could drop toward the bottom 10 and be closer to 60 or might be an early third-rounder. His development time in Texas/lack of elite competition early has caused some scouts to question his awareness and ability to process quickly, but he does have a solid work ethic and could develop a better defensive positional game, whether the natural sense is there or not.” 

Corey Pronman – “Colin Jacobs didn't produce much this year on a poor team, but he has enough tools that he makes for a decent risk/reward prospect. He's an average skater, who doesn't show beyond that level, but will be able to skate with pros. He's decent on the puck, as Jacobs shows notable coordination and his hands are somewhat quick. His physical game projects as pro-average and he's already near that point. His 6'2" frame is somewhat filled and when it comes to his forecheck and defensive game, he goes at players hard physically. Jacobs has enough tools that project to fit at the pro level that he could be a low-tier scorer to high-tier checker, but his hockey sense is fringe if that and it really kills him consistently. Jacobs just looks lost on the ice sometimes in regards to his positioning and his decisions with the puck are horrible. Barring an improvement in his game processing, it's hard to see Jacobs as anything more than a fourth liner.”

NHL.com – “’He's a much stronger man this year so he wins every puck he goes after down low,’ Thunderbirds GM Russ Farwell told NHL.com. ‘That's what scouts like when they're watching him. His vision is real good, he plays the point on the power play, he moves the puck around, he's got a real good shot. He's just learning when he can get it through. He's scoring with that consistently.  You can't teach that competitiveness and stuff and he has that instinctively. There's things he has to learn, but he also has those basic things that come with being a talented athlete and a tough, competitive kid. That's a good combination.’  ‘He gets better every game out,’ NHL Central Scouting's B.J. MacDonald told NHL.com. ‘He pays attention to the defensive side at both ends of the rink. He helps out down low. He's learning to use his size much better and has good positioning. He's playing on a low-scoring team, but he's getting more effective offensive instincts each game. He's always around the puck, plays well in traffic and the corners. He's strong on the puck. He should improve as the season progresses and will be one of their go-to guys soon.’” 

Mock Drafts:

Adam Kimelman, NHL.com – N/A 

Mike Morreale, NHL.com – N/A 

Steven Hoffner, NHL.com – N/A 

Deven Persaud, NHL.com – N/A 

TSN.ca – N/A 

Gary Joyce, ESPN – N/A 

Mark Seidel, CBC – N/A 

Hockey's Future - N/A

The Hockey News - N/A

Thoughts: Jacobs has an NHL body already and sounds like he plays a decent fundamental game.  He can take face-offs and play in all situations and pays attention to defense.  However, his offensive upside may be low in comparison to other top-60 players.  A team looking for a solid body might take a shot at him, but the Blueshirts are looking for offensive forwards.

The Rangers took Dylan McIlrath out of the WHL in the first round last year.   They draft from the WHL and OHL with frequency.

Season Review:

Breaking Down The Defense >

Breaking Down The Goalies >

Breaking Down The Offense >

Breaking Down The Prospects >

How Three Free Agent Signings In 2007 Have Shaped The Eastern Conference >

Spotlight On Glen Sather >

Spotlight On John Tortorella >

Rangers Land Tim Erixon: What Does It Mean?

More Erixon Trade Fallout >

Player Reviews:

Spotlight On Mats Zuccarello >

Spotlight On Brian Boyle >

Spotlight On Matt Gilroy >

Spotlight On Ruslan Fedotenko >

Spotlight On Brandon Prust >

Spotlight On Bryan McCabe >

Spotlight On Alex Frolov >

Spotlight On Michael Del Zotto >

Spotlight On Martin Biron >

Spotlight On Brandon Dubinsky >

Spotlight On Marc Staal >

Spotlight On Steve Eminger >

Spotlight On Henrik Lundqvist >

Spotlight On Wojtek Wolski >

Spotlight On Sean Avery >

Spotlight On Dan Girardi >

Spotlight On Erik Christensen >

Spotlight On Ryan McDonagh >

Spotlight On Vinny Prospal >

Spotlight On Derek Stepan >

Spotlight On Marian Gaborik >

Spotlight On Chris Drury >

Spotlight On Artem Anisimov >

Spotlight On Mike Sauer >

Spotlight On Ryan Callahan >

Draft Profiles:

Zack Phillips >

Sven Bartschi >

Mark Scheifele >

Mika Zibanejad > 

Mark McNeill >

Brandon Saad >

Joel Armia >

Nicklas Jensen >

Alexander Khokhlachev >

Tyler Biggs >

Matt Puempel >

Rickard Rakell >

Mario Lucia >

Tomas Jurco >

Dmitri Jaskin >

Phillip Danault >

Rocco Grimaldi >

Ty Rattie >

Daniel Catenacci >

Vladislav Namestnikov >

Nick Shore >

Stefan Noesen >

Boone Jenner >

Matthew Nieto >

Vincent Trocheck >

Colin Jacobs >

Free Agency:

Plan A: Sign Brad Richards >

Plan B: Trade For A Top Center >