New York Rangers: Comparing players under 25 to other NHL pros

Young players often come accompanied by expectations of how their careers will play out. The New York Rangers’ stable of prospects are no different.

Teeming with young talent, the New York Rangers have six players under the age of 25 looking to impact the team in 2017-18. The following players are all expected to be on the opening night roster. Along with the expectations of being on the opening night roster, each one of these players made some level of an impact last season for their respective team.

The comparisons are made based on several similarities. The playing style of the player, size, skill, statistics, and overall standout traits were taken into account. These players will be compared to other players who play a similar style of game. Hopefully, all these Rangers players can reach the potential of their comparables!

J.T. Miller – Ryan Callahan

When captain Ryan Callahan was traded at the 2014 trade deadline, the “toughness” of the New York Rangers sustained a loss that was not immediately recognized. The hard nose, defensive oriented play of Callahan often got Madison Square Garden on their feet. Toughness is undervalued in a sense because it often equates to energy and it can get the bench excited.

Although Callahan only produced 40 points three times over his seven-and-a-half year tenure with the Rangers, he had some acceptable possession seasons with New York, finishing with a Corsi-For percentage of 50.0.

Callahan chipped in physically, despite being particularly small at 5’10”.

At the end of the day, Callahan was a two-way player with defensive upside, Miller on the other hand, is a offensive player with two way upside.

Miller, 24, already brings the same package that Callahan delivers on the ice, and usually even more offensively. Leading with his high energy physical nature, Miller brings a big body to both ends and has the skill to create powerful goals along with sizable hits.

Miller possesses that power forward skill set to make some big moves around the net.

And Miller has the hands to make plays like this too.

Miller most certainly has potential to produce up to 70 points. Whether he reaches that potential certainly depends on his ice time and future linemates. Miller will also need to stay healthy. Unlike Callahan, though, he has to the this point.

Jimmy Vesey – Blake Wheeler

Blake Wheeler has always been a player who has ducked below the radar for most watching the league. Wheeler is a talented power forward. At 6-foot-5, he possesses excellent stick handling ability and can make power moves to the net

Wheeler and his size and ability to protect the puck help him create some offense.

Vesey, 6-foot-3, has some similar potential to be a power forward like Wheeler. Vesey has shown his skill and ability to maneuver in front of the net.

Wheeler produced 45 points and was a +36 in his rookie year with the powerhouse Bruins team. Playing about 13 minutes a night, Wheeler made his presence obvious and impacted the game from every angle. Wheeler benefited from a team that had six 50 points scorers, including a 73, and even an 88 point scorer.

Vesey produced 27 points in about 13 minutes per game in some questionable deployment situations on a Rangers team where only four players had over 50 points, none surpassing the 60 point mark.

Given the chance that Vesey plays with some stronger line mates, and the overall production of his team continues to climb, Vesey will come closer to the performance of Wheeler and could mold himself into a great two-way power forward in the future.

Brady Skjei – Alex Pietrangelo

Alex Pietrangelo has carved out quite the resume as a two-way defender for the St. Louis Blues. Pietrangelo, built on a solid 6-foot-3 frame, can play on both sides of the red line, contributing offensively both by pinching in the play, as well as using his shot from the point.

As well as on the defensive end of the game.

Brady Skjei stepped into his rookie season last year without high expectations. Skjei put up a convincing 39 points and really helped the Rangers on the back end. The Minnesota-native stands at 6-foot-3 and shares quite a few traits with his counterpart Pietrangelo.

Skjei’s excellent skating ability allows him to attack and step into the rush. This helps create chances for the Rangers while also protecting them in case of a turnover.

The one thing that Skjei has done way better than Pietrangelo at this point in his career is his physical activity on the ice. In his rookie season alone, Skjei generated 147 hits, whereas Pietrangelo put up 57 in his rookie campaign.

On a vastly improved defensive corp, Skjei can take quick steps to a two-way defenseman, just like Pietrangelo.

Anthony DeAngelo – Dan Boyle

Although the status of DeAngelo on the opening night roster has not yet been confirmed, we are taking a look at him to provide some insight on the young defender.

Although there has already been a comparison to a former Ranger, DeAngelo and Boyle share many traits and play a similar type of game. Both defenders fit a similar frame at 5-foot-11 and weighing in around 190 pounds. DeAngelo’s wheels also bring back memories of Boyle in his early days in Tampa Bay and even San Jose.

Boyle made his living as a power-play specialist, netting nearly a quarter of his points on the man advantage in his career.

DeAngelo produced almost half his points in his rookie season on the man advantage. He produced similar numbers to that of first few seasons of Boyle.

Boyle also demonstrated excellent ability with the puck in his playing days. He spent much of his career as an offensive minded defenseman. He never shied away from leading the rush

DeAngelo has demonstrated the propensity to produce off the rush, providing offense as a trailer and up front.

The bar is set high on this offensive minded defenseman and the hope is that DeAngelo can push the Rangers power play to the next level.

Mika Zibanejad – Matt Duchene

The multi-talented Matt Duchene was the subject of many trade rumors this past offseason, and the smooth skating, offensively talented center is certainly a player that many teams would love to have.

The 5-foot-11 Canadian center has built a nice reputation based on his high paced skating and creative stickhandling. Duchene has proven himself offensively with highlight reel goals showcasing great speed, agility, and finesse.

Although Duchene can stickhandle his way through defenders, he also possesses skating ability that few players have. Duchene’s second gear is something that can turn an ordinary stretch pass into a clean breakaway chance.

A productive season for Duchene hovers right around 60 points, with anywhere from 20 to 30 goals.

Mika Zibanejad, acquired by the Rangers over the summer of 2016, has big shoes to fill as he now takes over as the team’s number one center. Zibanejad has shown that he can make a difference in a season producing 37 points in 56 games this past season after suffering a freak leg injury in late November.

Zibanejad has a similar edge to his game that Duchene has. While Duchene has out of this world speed, the Swedish native has excellent balance and agility on his skates, allowing him to make precise movements to cut in-and0around defenders at a moment’s notice.

The promotion of Zibanejad to the first line will give him some more ice time to produce. Zibanejad also contributes on the power play. Last season, he notched 11 points with the man advantage.

Next: Is Mika Zibanejad the next #1 center?

Given that Zibanejad stays healthy for most of the season, he could reach a peak in potential matching that of Duchene in no time. The smooth skating, calm demeanor of Zibanejad can produce some great numbers.