RALEIGH, N.C. -- The New York Rangers came into the 2004 Entry Draft with an eye towards the future. And after selecting six young players in the first two rounds who have a ton of potential, it appears the lights may very well shine on hockey Broadway once again in the not too distant future.

The Rangers started the day off with two picks in the first round (No. 6 and No. 24) and five in the second round, numbers 36, 37, 46, 48 and 51.

By the end of the first day of the draft, the Rangers had used the sixth selection on goaltender Alvaro Montoya, who was the top-rated North American goaltender. Montoya is coming off a season in which he was named to the 2003-04 Jofa/AHCA All-America West Second Team and 2003-04 All-CCHA Second Team following a 26-12-2 mark with the University of Michigan. He also backstopped the United States to its first-ever gold medal finish at the 2004 World Junior Championships and was named the tourney's top goalie.

"We like his size. He's a big goalie in the net, handles the puck extremely well and is very, very mobile," said Rangers Assistant General manager and Vice President of Player Personnel Don Maloney. "He relishes big games and big spots. He won the World Junior Championship. There's nothing not to like."

"It's a wonderful feeling," Montoya said. "I always wanted to put on this jersey. I guess it really started when I loved to watch the USA Hockey team play and being a goalie I really loved to watch Mike Richter. When the Olympics came around, it was Mike Richter time. Then I started loving the Rangers. That city has great fans. It's always been a dream of mine to play in Madison Square garden. Hopefully, it will happen one day."

The Rangers then swapped picks with the Calgary Flames, sending the 24th and 46th picks packing in exchange for the 19th selection and the 247th choice.

With the 19th pick, New York selected Lauri Korpikoski, a hard working Finnish forward the Rangers just had to have.

"We like his size. He's a big goalie in the net, handles the puck extremely well and is very, very mobile." -Don Maloney

"We had Korpikoski near the top of our draft chart," Maloney explained. "He is relatively unknown to a degree. He really came on the scene in February. He is everything we're looking for in a hockey player. He has tremendous ability. He can skate, he's physical, and he makes plays. In our eyes, he was the hidden gem of the draft and we worked hard to move up to be in a position to select this player. There's nothing about this kid not to like. Korpikoski is the kind of player who you can win a championship with and we're thrilled to have him in the organization. We just didn't think we could wait 'til 24 to get him."

Korpikoski scored 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points, along with 26 penalty minutes, in 36 games with TPS of the Finnish Junior League last season. But like Montoya, his stock rose considerably while playing on the world stage. Representing Finland at the 2004 Under-18 tournament in Minsk, Russia, Korpikoski tied for the tournament lead with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in six matches, teaming with fellow Finns (and 2004 first-round selections) Lauri Tukonen and Petteri Nokelainen to form one of the top lines of the tournament. He has great acceleration and smooth hands. He is effective along the boards and is a good passer and playmaker who likes to create scoring chances at high speed. He can burn the opposition in so many different ways.

With the 19th pick, New York selected Lauri Korpikoski, a hard working Finnish forward the Rangers just had to have.

"I'm so happy right now," said Korpikoski after his selection. "It's an honor to be drafted by such a first-class organization. I don't know these guys (the current Rangers team) too well, but I hope to in the future. What I do know is that New York City and the Rangers fans are great. I've never been to New York or to Madison Square Garden, but I know it's a great atmosphere. The Rangers have such a tradition and it's amazing that New York picked me."

The Rangers also used the rest of their picks in the first two rounds on young talented forwards. With the 36th pick the Blueshirts took Darin Olver, a center out of Northern Michigan who has good hands and deceptive speed. He is a playmaking center who sees the ice well. His passes always seem to find the open man and create scoring chances.

"We love that kid," Maloney said. "That kid's very, very competitive, smart, hard on the puck. We just think those playmaking centers are hard to find. This guy's a very good hockey player."

With the 48th pick, the Rangers took Dane Byers, a left wing out of Prince Albert of the WHL who plays a good two-way game and who creates turnovers with his hustle. The Rangers chose Bruce Graham, a 6-foot-6 center with good puckhandling and passing skills who played for Moncton of the QMJHL last season. He is a player who has soft hands and a good touch around the net. What attracted the Rangers to this hulking forward was his combination of size, hockey sense and ability, which makes him very tough to defend against.

What attracted the Rangers to Bruce Graham was his combination of size, hockey sense and ability.

The Rangers final pick in the first two rounds was Brandon Dubinsky, a 5-foot-11 center who played for the Portland Winter Hawks last season. Dubinsky, who scored 30 goals and 48 assists last season in the WHL, is a very elusive player who not only knows how to finish when he's in a scoring position, he also has the rare ability to make players around him better. Dubinsky is known as an agitating player who is a fierce competitor who also has a mean streak. He's not afraid to take the puck to the net even if it means he's going to take a hit.

"A couple of years ago it kind of seemed almost impossible to crack that lineup as a young player, but towards the end of last year you saw guys like Jozef Balej, [Jamie] Lundmark and other young guys getting quality ice time," Dubinsky said. "So I think it's a good opportunity because it looks like they are trying to rebuild so it seems like a pretty good opportunity for young guys to step in and try and show what they can do. Hopefully I'll become a member of that club."