Alexei "The Mullet" Cherepanov

...With the 17th pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, the New York Rangers select Alexei Cherepanov...

Did anybody else see this happening? A 17 year old who was considered by many to be a top 5 prospect in this years draft slipped all the way to the number 17 pick because people were worried about his work ethic. This pick may payoff big time for the Rangers, but it also could crash and burn. As it always is with big sniper forward picks like this, it's a real boom or bust, but with Cherepanov only 17 years old, the upside is huge.

welcome to NY Alexei, don't screw up or else we'll hate you! haha!... seriously

How many times did you watch Evgeni Malkin or Alexander Ovechkin play this past year and were just amazed by how exciting they are to watch? Too many times. And when you switched back over to the Rangers game to watch players like Marek Malik or Jason Ward, how many times did you consider throwing that dinner plate through the TV screen? Yeah, too many times. That's not to say the Rangers were a boring team last year. 2007 was one of the most exciting years known to memory for a fan, but we were lacking that exciting flash of lightning. That flash of lighting is Cherepanov.

Coming from Russia, Cherepanov has been considered to be the next All-Star Russian to play in the NHL in a line of forward stars like, Pavel Bure, Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovehckin. The fact that Cherepanov is being compared to the likes of these players is enough to make a Rangers fan forgive Glen Sather for being Glen Sather. (Almost... not really... not at all actually. Screw you Sather.) But what really can get you excited?

"I broke records held by players like Pavel Bure, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin which was a great honor for me," Cherepanov said.

He was better than all of them while playing in the Russian Super League. He broke records that were held by each of them, and because of this Cherepanov was given the #17 (which ironically is his age and the spot he was picked in the draft, if that isn't a sign of all the stars aligning then god help me I will nuke the stars.) which was immortalized in Russia by the immortal Valeri Kharlamov. If his own country thinks this highly of him, there is no reason to doubt his ability as a fan who hasn't seen as much of him as his own country has.

It would be hard for someone to be angry at this pick, and already across the internet Islanders fans are trying to downplay the pick as if it were a mistake. Yes, picking someone who was a top 5 prospect at the number 17 pick is a mistake. Example #12,094 why Islanders fans suck: The envy that oozes out of their pores is actually fish greasel. Don't fratenize with Gorton's Fish Sticks. But as a Rangers fan, don't worry what other people are saying, this kid is one of a kind. The potential he has is scary to think about, and only time will show how great he actually will become. It's sort of like going to Vegas with 2,000 bucks and betting it all on black jack table where nobody had won anything the previous 16 games. The odds should be in your favor right? Right, only in this case, the chance of succeeding is much greater because of one key factor.

The return of the hockey mullet.