Ranger Analysis: Ryan Bourque

Okay, so for the next week or so we will be going over some top Ranger prospects who are starting their respective seasons. This week we start with Ryan Bourque!

Two nights ago the Quebec Remparts started their pre-season against the Rimouski Océanic. Why am I citing a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) pre-season game on this site? Well in that first game Ryan Bourque scored a goal and added two assists for three points and earned the teams first star. It should be interesting to see how Bourque plays in the QMJHL especially since he passed up a Scholarship at the University of New Hampshire to play there.

With the QMJHL he will play more games in a season and play against some pretty hefty competition, but remember that the QMJHL is a very high scoring league when you look at stats.

Check after the jump for more!

Our friend Jess from the Prospect Park will be helping us with these little reports. And here is what he had to say about Bourque:

A very talented LW who is going to surprise a lot of people with his overall game. Everything with Bourque starts with his forechecking as Bourque's has one of the most intense forechecks I have seen in a long time. Bourque combines speed with a great on ice vision as Bourque knows where everyone is on the ice and makes the smart play. The question is going to be about his durability given his body frame as he plays against bigger and stronger players. His frame suggests that at best Bourque might grow to weigh 185.

Bourque--this years third round pick--has been impressing me since he was drafted as well. There is not much to add to what Jess had to say, he is an overall very exciting prospect. Many different scouts were saying that if Bourque was three inches taller he would have been a first round pick.

Bourque was very impressive in his U.S National Under-18 team putting up 21 goals and 33 assists for 54 points in 57 games. I would assume he will now find himself on the U.S National Under-20 team for international games and evaluation camps; while playing for Quebec in the QMJHL. Basically I am very excited to see him play. He is high on the Jess radar which is a huge plus in my book and overall he is exciting to watch. You're thoughts?