Anthony Duclair And Pavel Buchnevich Give Rangers Fans A Glimpse Of The Future
The Rangers two brightest stars are showing off why they're so high on the totem pole.
There has been a lot of excitement of late over two players in the Rangers farm system. You know the names already: Anthony Duclair and Pavel Buchnevich. Both players are expected to make impacts next year due to different restrictions -- Buchnevich has one more year on his KHL contract, and Duclair would need to earn a top-nine spot in order not to impact his development at the NHL level since he can't play in the AHL.
The past few days both players have been involved in pre-WJC activities. Buchnevich played Wednesday night, and while he didn't crack the scoresheet, he did open some eyes and was widely considered Russia's best player.
Buchnevich-NYR clearly Russia's top option, has a few chances, but plays haven't executed so far. Tough defense for him to crack.
— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) August 7, 2014 Duclair, on the other hand, made a more visual impact -- although both players played with the same amount of dominance. If you missed it, here's the GIF of Duclair's eye-popping, Rick Nash-like goal a couple of days ago.
Anthony Duclair-NYR with a highlight reel goal. Very strong game from him, consistent pressure.
— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) August 6, 2014 That was in addition to all the other things he did during the game:
Duclair was a scratch on the U18 team, with some pointing to lack of consistency and all-around game. Playing hard here, hits and defense.
— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) August 6, 2014 Both players were taken in the third round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, which is causing more than a couple of General Managers to regret passing them up twice or more in the draft. Duclair got more of the attention from the media, since he's playing in the QMJHL while Buchnevich was in the KHL, but international competitions are a chance for both to strut their stuff for all to see.
Duclair was a controversial absence last year from the Canadian WJC side. Buchnevich was better than a point-per-game in his stint in the WJC for Russia. Both player are expected to make their respective teams this year.
Also of note: Brandon Halverson and Keegan Iverson (2nd and 3rd round picks of this year's draft) are both attending the USA's camp this year.
