New York Rangers: Who are our favorite prospects?
Brandon Cohen – Filip Chytil
If you know me at all, you know that Filip Chytil is the prospect I am most excited about. Sure it is part of my brand or whatever, but Chytil is also the most talented prospect in the system.
It’s been widely rumored that if Chytil was born a couple of weeks later, he would have been a top 10 pick next season. Watching him play in the Rangers prospect tournaments, Chytil looked like a men among boys, despite being one of the youngest players there.
Chytil is a brilliant player who recognizes how to use his size to his advantage. Unlike other prospects, his ceiling is what’s most exciting rather than what we already know. Potential is so much fun, and with Chytil, it’s a “go big or go home” mentality. We’re going big. We’re going Filip Chytil.
Tim Haggerty – Lias Andersson
Lias Andersson was selected by the New York Rangers with the seventh overall pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft.
Andersson was taken this early in the draft for a reason. Scouts have been raving about Andersson’s commitment and effort at all times on the ice. It definitely helps that he is a beast on both ends of the ice with a great hockey mind.
This summer has been a great one for Andersson. He had a great IIHF World Junior Championship notching four points in five games. He is set to play with Frolunda in the Swedish League this year if he does not come over and play in the NHL.
What Andersson already has makes him a safe bet to be a top six forward. It’s unknown if he will blossom into a superstar, but he will certainly be a good NHL player. He could make the roster as soon as this fall.
George Ruggiero – Robin Kovacs
I believe that Robin Kovacs will have the best career of the Rangers’ rookies who haven’t yet played in the NHL. The former third round draft pick didn’t have a great year adjusting to the North American game last season with the Wolf Pack. However, he definitely has the skill set to make the jump.
Although he was drafted two seasons ago, Kovacs is still only 20 years old. The young Swede only produced a measly 12 points in 72 games with the Wolf Pack. In that same breath, however, we must remember how bad the entire team was last season and that Kovacs was relegated to bottom-six time.
Internationally, Kovacs has shown out immensely. In his last outing with the Swedish National Team, Kovacs scored five goals and an assist for six points in the same number of games. When he is put in the right situation, Kovacs can be a force who’s skill set translates well to the NHL game.
Kovacs bases his game on a mix of speed, skill, and agitation. That rings a bell to me; it reminds me of a Mats Zuccarello type player. The main difference there is size: Kovacs has a larger frame at 6 feet tall and 176 lbs. We know personally that a skill set like that translates into a strong NHL player; it just takes time.
Logan Clements – Igor Shestyorkin
Igor Shestyorkin is the prospect who I believe will have the best NHL career. Shestyorkin is the likely heir to the throne when Henrik Lundqvist retires.
His stats in the KHL are nothing short of elite. During the 2016-17 season, Igor Shestyorkin recorded a .937 SV% and a 1.64 GAA for SKA St. Petersburg. In the playoffs, he appeared in five games and had a .940 SV% and a 1.84 GAA.
Shestyorkin has tremendous talent, reflexes, and puck tracking abilities. His play style reminds me a lot of Henrik Lundqvist, which makes me even more confident in my belief.
He is still very raw as a prospect, but he is playing in one of the best hockey leagues and dominating it. He hasn’t even gotten to work with Rangers’ goaltending coach Benoit Allaire, who is the best in the business and has done wonders for the goaltenders he has coached.
The sky seems like the limit for Shestyorkin as he’s proven himself and dominated at every level so far. And that is why I believe that he is going to have the greatest NHL career of all the New York Rangers’ prospects.
Alexandra Russo – Sean Day
A player who shows a lot of promise is defenseman Sean Day. At only 19 years old, he has had a lot of experience playing for various teams in many leagues. Since 2013-2014, he has been with the OHL.
Averaging about 60 games per season, he knows how tough it is to play a solid season, considering NHL seasons are 82 games long. This should help in the long run when he has to log more minutes. In 2016-17, Day recorded six goals and added 16 assists for a total of 22 points.
He’s got a knack for pushing the pace and that will help him when he gets to big leagues, playing for the New York Rangers, a team built on speed. He’s an exciting player to watch, and his skill and drive will lead him to a great NHL career.
Joshua Lipman – Filip Chytil
The New York Rangers left a lot of fans scratching their heads by selecting Filip Chytil 21st overall at the draft. As a somewhat off the board pick, Chytil avoided pre-draft hype thanks to a combination of youth, geography, and a relatively poor team.
Chytil, who doesn’t turn 18 until next month, is almost too young for the 2017 draft. He missed the cutoff for 2018 by less than two weeks.
While Chytil totaled only eight points in 38 games, he did so as the second youngest player on a roster with an average age above 25. The Czech center also scored a goal and an assist in a two game relegation series as he helped HC Zlin successfully avoid demotion from the Czech Extraliga.
Chytil avoided major notice in 16-17 despite great skating, size, and playmaking ability. His profile could rise in a hurry this season, however, since he scored a goal less than minute into his first Czech preseason game and tallied another a few days later.
The Rangers wasted no time inking Chytil to an entry level contract last month. Chytil may well return the favor by developing into the first dynamic, homegrown Ranger pivot in a very long time.
Garrett Gartino – Igor Shestyorkin
The New York Rangers elite goaltending is going nowhere in the near future. Following Henrik Lundqvist’s eventual departure to retirement (hopefully no other scenario is possible), the team will be in good hands.
Igor Shestyorkin, a 21-year old Russian, is currently one of the best goaltending prospect not playing North America. His team for now is SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL. Last season he recorded 27 wins and eight shutouts, both of which were second in the league.
Shestyorkin figures to make his way over to the AHL or NHL within the next year. Under that assumption, he will have time to train under both Lundqvist and goaltending guru Benoit Allaire. That training and mentorship will prove valuable for the prospect’s transition to the North American life and playing style.
Shestyorkin has proven he is capable of performing against grown men. Now the next step is to translate that success into a long, rewarding career in New York.
Igor Shestyorkin is making his way to Madison Square Garden. When he does, he’ll be ready to become the new King in town.
Michael Delasandro – Igor Shestyorkin
I believe Igor Shestyorkin will flourish in the league once he gets his chance, already playing in a fairly competitive league in the KHL, Shestyorkin has put up competitive stats ranking fairly high among the league goaltenders. The professional experience he is getting in the KHL will only develop him to be better in any professional league like the NHL.
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Shestyorkin needs some development, but he overall has the skill set of an NHL goaltender and he can only earn more experience and coaching to develop his game. Among the active Rangers prospects, Igor Shestyorkin has made potentially the most sizable impact on his current professional league, which leads me to believe he will have a great career barring any outside circumstance like injury or other occurrences