NHL History & News

On Thursday, Christian Thomas, the son of former NHL forward Steve Thomas, has signed a 3 year, entry level contract with the New York Rangers.

Thomas scored 54 goals and added 45 assists for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals last season, who will be 19 next week. Thomas, who is 5-9, was the second round draft choice, 40th overall, of the club in 2010.

In an OHL campaign, Thomas and his father became the only father-son duo to record 50 plus goals. In an Ontario Hockey League regular season Christian Thomas, the first Rangers prospect to score 50 goals since Ryan Callahan, went on to lead the league in playoff scoring per-game average with a remarkable 19 points in only 10 postseason games.

Registering 54 goals and 45 assists for 99 points, along with 38 penalty minutes and a plus-20 rating, Thomas skated in 66 games with the Oshawa Generals this season. In points, goals, assists, power play goals (19), game-winning goals (nine), penalty minutes, and plus/minus rating, he established career highs. In the OHL, Thomas ranked second in goals and sixth in points, and tied for first in the league in power play goals and third in game winning goals.

Thomas led the league in postseason scoring with 19 points and nine goals at the time of Oshawa’s elimination in the second round, having recorded at least one point in nine of 10 contests and six multi point performances, in the 2011 OHL Playoffs.

With the London Knights and Oshawa Generals, registering 103 goals and 87 assists for 190 points, along with 79 penalty minutes, the 5-9, and 170-pounder has skated in 189 career OHL contests.

On June 25 at the NHL Entry Draft, only two NHL teams get to select Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin. The Bruins are the holders of the second overall pick and will likely select whichever player wasn’t taken by Edmonton with the first pick, by virtue of a trade with Toronto.

With a pair of first round selections, the Bruins are one of three teams. It seems much more likely that they will take whoever is left out of Hall and Seguin, although there have been rumors that Boston may package the second overall pick in a deal for a goal-scoring forward that can help right away.

For the Plymouth Whalers, Hall plays left wing for the Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Seguin plays center. Having twice won the Memorial Cup, Hall is the more famous of the two. Seguin, however, was NHL Central Scouting’s top North American skater in the year-end rankings and has a tremendous shot and a special combination of skill, speeds, and size.

Leaving the Bruins to take Seguin, the consensus is that Edmonton will use the first pick on Taylor Hall. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli has stated that they would be happy with either one and his scouts have no favorite between the two. Even though they are relatively deep at center, they will still use the second overall pick on Seguin should the Oilers take Hall.

Bruins goal tender Tuukka Rask led the NHL in save percentage and in goals allowed and will gladly welcome more help on the blue line. They will consider defensemen Dylan McIlrath, Derek Forbert, Mark Pysyk and Jonathan Merrill, when they pick again with the 15th overall selection.

The wings are another area of concern for Boston. They need to pick up some wingers to help out and they are deep at center (and will be even more so if they end up with Seguin). They will be very active in terms of trades at the draft, so it is very likely that they could package either the 15th pick or the 32nd pick in a deal to bring in some new talent on the wings.