2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: New York Rangers

Credit: Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Rangers’ prospect pool has been one of the more interesting ones in recent years.

At one point, there was Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, Lias Andersson and Vitali Kravtsov in the waiting, with Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller getting their reps in on the blueline and Igor Shesterkin waiting for his chance to be the No. 1. The latter three have been great, but the forward crop fell short of expectations. Lafreniere and Kakko have struggled to put points on the board, Andersson is AHL-bound with the Montreal Canadiens and Kravtsov is off to the KHL again after an unsuccessful stint in Vancouver.

But still, they’ve kept up a solid prospect pipeline, while also building one of the more dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference. And that’s not going to change any time soon. They have a solid mid-pack prospect pool with some pieces that could become quite valuable over time, like 2023 first-rounder Gabe Perreault or 2021 pick Brennan Othmann.

There are a bunch of contenders with much weaker pipelines, including Boston and Colorado. For the Rangers, at least they’ve got some players worth keeping an eye on.

Biggest Strength

Whether or not they’ll all stay there is one thing, but the Rangers have some strong left-wing depth. Perreault, Othmann and Will Cuylle are excellent players leading it off, with Adam Sýkora and Brett Berard giving them some extra depth. That’s a position of strength in the NHL, too, thanks to Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. So it’s easy to expect changes there, whether through trades or positional shifts, but it’s some excellent depth to have.

Biggest Weakness

There are two ways of looking at this: center depth and impact defensemen. Down the middle, Bryce McConnell-Barker is the best they’ve got, with Ryder Korczak, Karl Henriksson and Adam Edstrom being other options. On the blue line, Zac Jones and Matthew Robertson are both on the older side, so you’d want to see more soon. The good news is both spots seem solid for the NHL team, but the pipeline could use some extra work.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Gabe Perreault (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Grade: B

1. Gabriel Perreault, LW, 18 (Boston College, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 23, first round in 2023

Perreault’s biggest issue this season was perceived reliance on his teammates to get stuff done. But you don’t break the 100-point barrier by accident, especially when so few players have managed to do so. After watching him at the World Junior Summer Showcase, he proved he can play with just about anyone, and drive the offense, too. Plus, his skating didn’t seem to be as much of a hindrance. This will be a big campaign for Perreault, who will start off with Ryan Leonard and Will Smith at Boston College and could earn a spot on the American world junior team, too.

2. Brennan Othmann, LW, 20 (Hartford, AHL)

Drafted: No. 16, first round in 2021

At all levels, Othmann has made himself very difficult to play against. He’s always active on the attack, can throw rattling hits, and is a solid point producer. Last year, he captained the Flint Firebirds before moving to Peterborough, where he helped the Petes win the OHL championship. He also reunited with his old Don Mills Flyers teammate, Shane Wright, to help Canada win gold for the second time in a row at the world juniors. I expect Othmann to get a solid look to start the year with the Rangers, but some time in Hartford wouldn’t hurt.

*Will Cuylle (Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)*

3. Will Cuylle, LW, 21 (Hartford, AHL)

Drafted: No. 60, second round in 2020

Cuylle’s rookie season was a little better than some may have expected. The hard-nosed winger had 25 goals and 45 points in 69 games with Hartford, and even saw four games of NHL action. Cuylle was one of the OHLers that got to spend the 2020-21 COVID-affected season in the AHL, with mixed results. The skilled winger with an excellent shot is a great physical/scoring dual threat and one that will look great in a middle-six role one day.

4. Zac Jones, D, 22 (Hartford, AHL)

Drafted: No. 68, third round in 2019

The 22-year-old spent most of the season with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, recording eight goals and 31 points in 54 games. He has 66 points in 106 games over two seasons since turning pro, an impressive number for a young defenseman. He also has some NHL experience, with eight points in 38 games for the Rangers over three seasons. The former UMass standout should fight for a roster spot, but with a number of others looking to snag a third-pairing role, Jones will have his work cut out for him.

5. Adam Sýkora, LW, 18 (Hartford, AHL)

Drafted: No. 63, second round in 2022

Sýkora has three years of pro hockey experience under his belt in the top Slovak league, scoring a career-high 21 points this year. He saw some duty in the AHL to close out the season, and recorded his first point in an April 28 playoff game against Providence. Sýkora is expected to get a full season with the Wolf Pack in 2023-24, where he’ll adjust to living in North America.

*Bryce McConnell-Barker (left) (Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News/USA Today Network)*

6. Bryce McConnell-Barker, C, 19 (Soo, OHL)

Drafted: No. 97, third round in 2022

The first thing that stands out watching McConnell-Barker is his defensive play. He’s smart, takes space away and has a great backcheck. I wish his skating was better, and it’s something that hasn’t improved all too much, but coaches can fix that. I think there’s some decent bottom-six potential here. Another year in the OHL will allow him to continue rounding out his game.

7. Brett Berard, LW, 20 (Hartford, AHL)

Drafted: No. 134, fifth round in 2020

The speedy winger completed his three-year run at Providence College with a 24-point campaign, a step back from his 38-point output a year prior. Both years, though, Berard was doing a ton of the heavy lifting on a team where goals didn’t come easily. It was a solid run, and he finished the season by joining the Wolf Pack for the team’s postseason run. At 5-foot-9, Berard is undersized, but he has a motor that won’t quit, and he isn’t afraid to land big hits.

8. Dylan Garand, G, 21 (Hartford, AHL)

Drafted: No. 103, fourth round in 2020

It was a learning year for Garand, who made 32 stops as a professional rookie. He had a 13-14-3 record with a .894 save percentage, but he had three shutouts while sharing the net with veteran Louis Domingue. He was tremendous during the playoffs, with two shutouts and a .935 save percentage in eight games. It was a promising end to a big year for the young prospect, some many believe could end up being Igor Shesterkin’s backup one day. It’s Garand’s net to lose in Hartford in 2023-24.

*Dylan Garand (Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports)*

9. Matthew Robertson, D, 22 (Hartford, AHL)

Drafted: No. 49, second round in 2019

Robertson has been in the pipeline for a while now and still hasn’t made it to the NHL. Offensively, it was nice to see Robertson double his scoring output with Hartford, but that’s not his bread and butter. At 6-foot-4, he’s so difficult to take the puck off of and can land some massive hits. His season was cut short due to injury, so a good start to 2023-24 will be nice to see. This is a make-or-break-it year for the 22-year-old.

10. Drew Fortescue, D, 18 (Boston College, NCAA)

Drafted: No. 90, third round in 2023

Fortescue was one of the better defenders on the USA Hockey National Team Development Program last year, putting up a respectable 26 points. He scored his first goal of the season at the U-18 World Championship, where he played some of the best hockey of his career. He also turned some heads with a solid World Junior Summer Showcase, showing that, perhaps, the Rangers got a nice value pick in the third round. We’ll see how he performs in college, hopefully keeping the momentum alive.

Other notables: Eric Ciccolini, RW (22), Hugo Ollas, G (21), Ty Emberson, D (23), Mac Hollowell, D (24), Adam Edstrom, C (22), Karl Henriksson, C (22), Ryder Korczak, C (20), Olof Lindbom, G (23), Talyn Boyko, G (20), Oliver Tarnstrom, C (20), Brody Lamb, RW (19), Noah Laba, C (20), Jaroslav Chmelar, RW (20), Zakary Karpa, C (21), Hank Kempf, D (21)

Previous 2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool instalments

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