The New York Rangers season is less than a month away from beginning. Training camp is drawing nearer, the preseason begins shortly after, and the NHL season is right around the corner.
New York finds itself in a very unique position. After years of having one of the best groups of prospects throughout the league, the latest run in the Eastern Conference Finals has changed the Rangers’ mindset.
It’s no longer good enough to have a good prospect pool, but the goals have now shifted to that of a contender.
Even with much of the team decided, and championship-level aspirations running rampant throughout the facility, the Rangers still have a bevy of solid prospects that can help out eventually with the big-league club.
Here are the top 10 prospects the Rangers currently hold rights to at the moment.
10. Kalle Vaisanen
Vaisanen is a fourth-round pick from the 2021 NHL Draft and enjoyed a solid showing in World Juniors for Finland. At just 19 years old, he still has some development to do but has the size and physicality to be able to make some major noise throughout his career.
9. Bobby Trivigno
The undrafted UMASS product has been a fan favorite from last year in Hartford and continues to show that size means nothing in this game. Trivigno played really well in the development camp in July. He is on the outside looking in for a roster spot on the major league club, but I think it’s safe to say he can be a solid player in Hartford this season.
8. Bryce McConnell-Barker
The third-round pick back in June, McConnell-Barker was a top 100 prospect that the Rangers nabbed at a position of need. I wouldn’t expect the young center to take a few years to develop, but he does have plenty of two-way experience in the OHL. It was a solid pickup by Chris Drury in the draft and will not get to develop under the Rangers’ watchful eye.
7. Brett Berard
The PC product looked really good in development camp and is going in for his junior season at Providence College. Like Trivigno, Berard’s lack of size could hurt him later on as he tries to make the big league roster, but he has solid playmaking ability and is an underrated passer. A big year for the Friars could very well have Berard looking at getting an entry-level contract with the Rangers.
6. Ryder Korczak
There are very few centers that the Rangers have in the pipeline that could be seen as future NHL players. Korczak is certainly one of them. The third-round selection in the 2021 draft will need a good training camp, and a good season in the WHL though to shoot up the rankings.
5. Matthew Robertson
There’s a chance we might see Robertson at some point next season with the Rangers, as he is the best defensive prospect not on the team right now. The difficult part is that Robertson is behind a plethora of young and immensely talented defensemen already on the roster. Training camp will be huge for the 6’4″ player.
4. Adam Sykora
The “rat” of the Rangers prospects, Sykora is still very young but is already a promising prospect for the Rangers. His physicality will pair well with the current roster when he eventually gets called up and showed his scoring ability at World Juniors. It may be a little bit before the Rangers see the young forward, but Sykora is one player that the team can afford to be patient on.
3. Dylan Garand
The lone goaltender on this list, Garand shot up the prospect board after an excellent showing in World Juniors where he went 6-0 with a 1.98 GAA, and .925 SV%. Garand is obviously behind the best goaltender on the planet in Shesterkin, but he could be a very valuable piece when he’s ready to make some starts for the Rangers.
2. Will Cuylle
Training camp could ultimately decide what happens to Cuylle in the Rangers organization. The forward notched 4 points in 7 games in the World Juniors for Canada. Cuylle has a balanced game to his approach and is also big enough to withstand physical players around him. A strong camp could very well give him the fast track to the roster, but a poor one could make things very interesting for the second-round pick.
1. Brennan Othmann
If you asked every single Rangers reporter, they would have Othmann first on this list. Othmann is the unquestioned top prospect who played well in World Juniors and dominated the OHL. Othmann showed the physicality he needed for Canada last month and will be an interesting conversation for Ranger coaches in camp. A strong training camp could put Othmann on the fast track to making the roster as soon as possible.
