2011 NHL Entry Draft Prospects: Mark Scheifele

For the next installment in our daily prospect reviews I give you Mark Scheifele.

Scheifele is one of the most interesting prospects in the draft, and, according to all the mock drafts I have looked at, is a guy who will probably fall into the Rangers wheelhouse on draft day.

Scheifele had a fantastic rookie season in the OHL this past season, notching 22 goals and 53 assists for 75 points in 66 games. As of right now he fills a playmaking role for his Barrie Colts, but he has a fantastic shot and has the potential to be a legitimate goal scorer as his career moves on. 

He also lead Canada forwards in scoring at the World Under 18s with six goals and two assists in seven games. If nothing else, his production at the U-18s proved what type of dynamic goal scoring talent he possesses. The fact that he was the go-to guy when Canada needed goals (despite having other quality goal scorers on their U-18 team) speaks volumes.

Join me after the jump for more scouting reports. 

Here is the take from Bruins 2011 Draft Watch:

Mark Scheifele, C Canada- Young colt lived up to his Barrie namesake with a very good offensive performance. Scored one of the more memorable goals of anyone in the tourney against Finland when he read a bungled pass, split the defense, fought off a hook from behind and still managed to put the puck in the net with a nice backhand deke. 6-3 guys don't typically move the way he does with that ability to separate, so there is a lot of raw material to work with. At about 175, he's nowhere near as strong as he needs to be. However, he more than solidified a first-round draft grade in our view. He's a poor man's Ryan Johansen at this stage we feel- won't go as high, but his progress and potentially high ceiling will see him picked ahead of other higher-profile players who are bigger names and have been in draft discussions longer. Classic guy who came into the U18s with some questions to answer and passed with flying colors. Happens every year.    

Here is the reports on his NHL Player Card: 

NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards
"Mark protects the puck very well and will take it to the net while fighting through checks. He's got a great work ethic. His Barrie Colts have struggled this season and he has been relied upon to provide offense. He sees the ice very well and his playmaking ability is very good. He gets back quickly and works hard defensively."

Barrie head coach Dale Hawerchuk
"The opportunity was there for him (this season) and he ran with it. . . . He's great. Everybody loves being around Scheif, he comes in smiling every day, can't wait to get on the ice. That's infectious to everybody. And that's how you want it to be."    

And here are the three separate scouting reports from the NHL's mock drafts (click the names on the top of the link to go to the other two drafts): 

MORREALE'S: Two-way center posted 75 points, 13 PPG, against the best checking-line forwards in the league.

KIMELMAN'S: Center's obvious skills only will get better with coaching from Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk.

HOFFNER: Had good numbers in first OHL season; led Canada forwards in scoring at World U-18s.     

Once again, we are hearing the types of things coaches and scouts want to when they look into potentially drafting a player. 

I made sure to quote the mock draft blurbs, mainly because of Morreale's analysis. Unlike guys who play on stacked teams or go up against weaker defensive lines, Scheifele was going up against the best of the best in the OHL. The fact that he put up 1.14 points a game under those conditions makes him an even more 

Call me crazy, but hearing that his attitude is infectious is one of the best things I read about him. Everyone agrees that the kid works his butt off every single second he is on the ice. Heart is a big factor with prospects, and it's safe to say that Scheifele has a tremendous amount of skill, and the heart to go along with it. 

Scheifele would be a boost to the power play (13 of his 22 goals came with the man advantage), another area the Rangers have that needs work. In the end, you can never have too many playmakers, especially when the kid has such a high scoring upside. 

So guys, what do you think? Do you want to see Scheifele in a Rangers' jersey?