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…

Shane Prince

HT: 5-10

WT: 181

Pos: LW

Shoots: L

Birthday: 11/16/92

Team: Ottawa, OHL

2009-2010 stats: 15g, 15a, 65gp, 45PIM, -2

2010-2011 stats: 25g, 63a, 59gp, 18PIM, +43

2010-2011 playoffs: 1g, 0a, 3gp

NHL.com profile > 

Ranks:

The Hockey News: 52

CSS: 26 Midterm Rank: 35

ISS: N/A

TSN: 43 Midterm Rank: 35 

TSN (Craig Button): N/A 

The Scouting Report: 66 Midterm Rank: 57 

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch: 33 

Corey Pronman: 57 

ESPN: 47

Highlight Reel > 

What They’re Saying:

THN – “Having his team shocked by being swept in the first playoff round did not do anything to help Shane Prince’s stock, particularly since he was limited to just one goal in three games.  But Prince remains an intriguing prospect in that he can create offense.  However, much like Zack Phillips and Ty Rattie, Prince doesn’t have great size and is a questionable skater.  ‘All he does is score,’ a scout said.  ‘You want to knock his size and everything, but the results are there.’  Prince has already played three years in the OHL and almost tripled his offense from a year ago.  ‘He has good hands and while he’s not a thick kid, he seems to be big enough,’ another scout said.  ‘He’s big enough that he can take the traffic.’  Others are not as impressed with Prince, who sustained a concussion late in the season.  ‘There’s a lot of flash and dash,’ another scout said, ‘but I’m not sure how much substance there is.’”

The Scouting Report –“Prince is a diminutive forward who really burst onto the scene playing with Tyler Toffoli and Ryan Martindale this season, forming one of the top trios in the OHL. While undersized, Prince is a good offensive player and has a wealth of talent that he usually showcases several times during the course of a game. He’s got very good hands and has deceptive speed that he will use to throw off the defense to make a nifty pass to set up a teammate. He’s also got a good shot of his own and does a good job finding space to get a shot off. We have some concerns about Prince’s competitiveness, as he is guilty of taking shifts off, and the fact that he hasn’t convinced us that he’s going to be more than a great junior player.” 

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch – “OK- we admit it. B2011DW is more bullish on this Spencerport, N.Y. native than most. We just feel that even with the smallish size and criticisms about Prince taking shifts off, that he has legitimate scoring upside at the next level. Some question it, but we think he can certainly bring it when healthy and on top of his game. His hands are terrific- he's Mark Recchi-like in terms of the way he makes plays from the wing, preferring to dish and set up teammates rather than finish off the plays. At the same time, he does have nifty wrister that comes off his stick in a flash. He scored Team Cherry's only goal of the Top Prospects Game on precisely such a drive, making a quick head fake as if to pass and then wiring a laser through Jordan Binnington's legs. Also like Recchi, he doesn't have elite speed for a smaller guy, but is strong on his skates and just seems to know where to be when the play needs to be made. He injured his shoulder, missing some games and then got blasted in the open ice with a violent hit that caused his head to strike the ice. Prince returned to action pretty soon thereafter, but it did raise some questions about his durability and the dings he's going to take as he moves up to higher levels. At the end of the day, we simply like this player enough to have him knocking on the door of the late first-round and feel that he has the skill and intestinal fortitude, plus passion for the game to make it as a top-six scorer someday.”

Yahoo! Sports – “The biggest knock on Prince from scouts is his small frame, he isn’t exactly able to power his way past defenders, though he’s managed to use his other attributes – good skating, excellent speed and great hands – playing on the 67’s top line along with Tyler Toffoli and Ryan Martindale, both NHL draft picks who played in the Prospects Game last year.  ‘In today’s game I don’t think size is a big issue at all,’ Prince said. ‘I don’t consider myself a strong player and a lot of people may say, yeah, my size (is) maybe small, but I completely disagree. I think it has to do more with your skill and your speed and your strength, and I think I have a lot of that.’”

Alan Bass – “The best part of Prince’s game is his skating. He has flashy speed and great hockey sense, which makes up for his lack of abilities on other aspects of the game. His size is his biggest disadvantage, but his two-way play is not far behind. Scouts are worried about his ability to develop properly in an NHL atmosphere, but Prince likes his chances.”

Mock Drafts:

Adam Kimelman, NHL.com – N/A 

Mike Morreale, NHL.com – N/A 

Steven Hoffner, NHL.com – 28 

Deven Persaud, NHL.com – N/A 

TSN.ca – N/A 

Gary Joyce, ESPN – N/A 

Mark Seidel, CBC – 26 

Hockey’s Future – N/A

The Hockey News – N/A

Thoughts: Like a number of forwards eligible for the 2011 NHL Draft, there are concerns about Shane Prince’s size.  He is a strong skater and is good at creating offense, but his compete level and upside are in question.  Prince’s point totals exploded this year, but that could be as much a result of the quality of his linemates as anything else.  There are split opinions on Prince, some think that he has what it takes to be a solid top-six winger in the NHL and others think he’s going to be nothing more than a dynamic junior player.  That’s probably too much of a risk for the Rangers on draft day, but Prince could be a first-round pick.

The Rangers took Michael Del Zotto out of the OHL in 2008 and frequently draft prospects from the league.

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Shane Prince >