New York Rangers: Top five prospects post-trade deadline
The New York Rangers added a number of prospects to their pool during the trade deadline. Let’s revisit the kids and see how the rankings have changed.
The New York Rangers were extremely active at the trade deadline. Longtime Rangers were sent away to bring in a load of young players hoping to break into the Rangers lineup in the future. The trades, for some, were initially met with reservation, but reactions have since quelled.
With these trades came some very young talent. The Rangers idea was a rebuild, and they are committed completely to the strategy. Nick Holden, Michael Grabner, Rick Nash, J.T. Miller, and Ryan McDonagh were traded in some big deals. More moves are anticipated come draft day.
The prospects obtained have helped buff the Rangers shallow pool, which consisted mostly of Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson. Now, the top five can be reconstructed in a way where the players beyond those two are just as strong as the ones in front of them.
(NOTE: For the sake of reviewing skaters, an area the Rangers were weak in prior to the trade deadline, Igor Shestyorkin, G, the clear number one prospect on the Rangers, will be left out of this list).
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the rankings as they are now:
Honorable Mention: Sean Day
*Sean Day does not make the top five but was hard not to include here.
The first thing you will notice about Sean Day is his skating. He is extremely smooth on his skates, moving with speed and fluidity up the ice. He is able to beat players with ease and make end-to-end rushes like it’s nothing. Day is so far beyond his competition, skating wise, at this juncture of his career.
There were two issues concerning Day’s development prior to this season. One was his defensive hockey IQ. In spite of his terrific skating ability, Day would routinely be beaten defensively by onrushing forwards. While he has improved in this regard, there is still much work to be done. Day needs to work harder defensively and learn to use his legs to defend as well as he attacks.
The other issue with Day was his offensive production. Touted as more of an offensive, puck moving defenseman, his production in juniors never quite matched his style. Now, as a 20-year-old, he is finally producing at close to a point per game. The only concern here is that he is 20, and 20-year-olds frequently dominate juniors regardless of their future potential.
Day is the definition of a boom or bust prospect. If he booms, he will be a top-four defenseman on the Rangers. If he busts, he may just be an AHL regular for his entire career. It remains to be seen, but right now, he is the fifth best prospect this team has.
Day projects to be similar to John Moore.
5. Libor Hajek
Acquired in the massive return for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller, Libor Hajek becomes the Rangers fifth-best prospect. Hajek is pretty much the antithesis of what Sean Day hopes to be. He won’t dazzle you with end-to-end rushes, dangles or single-handed plays. What he will do is everything, and he’ll do everything very well.
That is both the blessing and the curse of Hajek. He is smart on the defensive side of the puck, a shutdown defenseman with nice size and skating ability. He can contribute offensively with a good eye and a big shot. Where it’s a curse: he isn’t quite elite at any one thing, he’s just good at everything.
What the Rangers lack is a player that excels at an elite level at one particular skill, a potential star defenseman or forward. Now, Hajek not projecting to be that is not a critique of him. He will be a very good player at the NHL level and the Rangers should certainly appreciate that. Expecting him to be an elite defenseman may lead to disappointment, though.
However, again, Hajek will certainly be a strong NHL defenseman, most likely a very good middle pair guy who can play in all situations. What the Rangers like about him is how close he is to NHL ready. It is believed that Hajek can step into the Rangers lineup as soon as next season. Because of this, he is the Rangers number five prospect.
Libor Hajek compares favorably to a younger Dion Phaneuf.
4. Brett Howden
Another player acquired in the big McDonagh/Miller trade, Howden projects as a two-way skilled center. Howden, whose brother Quinton was drafted by Florida in 2010, has been having a splendid career for the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. He was a first-round pick by Tampa in 2016.
Like Hajek, Howden excels at everything you’d want a center to excel at. While he also isn’t exactly “elite” at any one skill, he is very good at everything. Offensively, he contributes in a variety of ways. He can beat you with a quick shot, score goals in the paint, or set teammates up with slick passes.
Defensively, Howden works hard in the corners and has a keen eye for smart stick plays. He isn’t a big hitter, but he is physical in a way that is effective and riskless. Due to his strong defensive acumen, he too may be NHL ready as soon as next season.
Wherein lies the issue with Howden is where he projects as a future center. His upside is not that of a first line center. He will most likely never be good enough to record consistent 60+ point seasons or be a top defensive player in the league. He will, however, be a good second line center that can contribute both on the powerplay and the penalty kill.
Howden compares to a player like Sean Couturier.
3. Yegor Rykov
Acquired in the Michael Grabner trade to New Jersey, Rykov is my dark horse candidate for the top defensive prospect in the Rangers system. Rykov is a two-way defenseman that is extremely strong on the defensive side of the game. Offensively, it appears that he does not contribute quite as much as one would like, but the KHL masks that a bit.
What has been incredibly impressive about Rykov is that he is playing…at all. Rykov’s team, SKA St. Petersburg is the strongest in the KHL by far. They are essentially the Yankees of Russia, who acquire every star player in the league to create a super team. The few young players they do have face little to no ice time per game. Pavel Buchnevich can attest to this during his time with SKA.
Rykov, on the other hand, has become a regular on this team, playing tough minutes on a team of that kind of depth. Where he has contributed, he has done so with enough excellence to continue impressing his coach in a league and on a team that often shuns young players for the aforementioned veteran stars they buy.
Rykov will be NHL eligible when his KHL contract expires in the summer of 2019, the same time as KHL teammate and Rangers draft pick Igor Shestyorkin. He will quite likely step straight into the Rangers lineup and show his smooth skating, effective physical defensive style. Rykov may also surprise many with his offensive ability. His team does not look to him as a primary source of back-end offense, but he has the skills to provide some scoring.
Rykov compares favorably to Dmitry Orlov.
2. Lias Andersson
Lias Andersson sits at number two on this list. Taken 7th overall in 2017, Andersson was made available to the Rangers thanks to the Derek Stepan trade to Arizona. Andersson projects as a similar player to Brett Howden: a two way center with offensive ability.
Andersson is a sneaky good shooter. He has a quick release and a sharp eye for accuracy. Defensively, Andersson loves to work hard near the front of the net, below the goal line and plays much bigger than his body. He will most likely be perceived as the hardest worker on the team when he makes it to the Rangers.
The same concerns with Howden show with Andersson. His offensive upside just isn’t high enough, particularly for a 7th overall pick in a draft where there may have been stronger forwards available. He projects as a second line center who may surprise people with his skill set, but won’t quite show anything elite level. His stint in Hartford so far, however, has shown a bit more offensive than many may have expected of him right away.
Andersson may make the team next year. He was expected to make the team this season, but it may have been expecting too much of a center with limited upside to make the team as an 18-year-old. Nevertheless, Andersson will not only be an NHL center, but he will be a fan favorite in New York no matter what kind of offensive skill he brings.
Lias Andersson compares to ex-New York Ranger Derek Stepan.
1. Filip Chytil
Filip Chytil remains the New York Rangers best skater-prospect, of course excluding goaltender Igor Shestyorkin. Chytil has only strengthened his spot here with his season in Hartford this year, where he has been an unprecedented success. He is currently producing at a rate similar to William Nylander’s 18-year-old AHL season, and at four months younger than Nylander was. Another favorable statistical comparison, AHL debut wise, is David Pastrnak.
Chytil, who made the cut for his draft year by a mere two weeks, is the only Rangers prospect with a potentially elite skill set. He will dazzle you offensively with quick stick moves and a high hockey IQ in both the offensive and defensive sides of the game. Where he has impressed particularly is in his defensive play. For an 18-year-old, his all-around game is much more mature than anyone could’ve expected.
Filip Chytil is the only current Rangers prospect with first-line center ability. This may change after the 2018 draft, but he absolutely has the ability to be a 60-70 point center in the NHL. Chytil is an extremely exciting player to watch and is the type that will put butts in seats and bring them out of them as well.
Next: Five Questions After The Deadline
After seeing Chytil’s development in Hartford, it is hard to find negatives in his game. Perhaps he can improve his shot a little more, and maybe he could be more physical. He could put on a little more weight and strengthen his core to improve his puck control under pressure. In spite of this, his skill set is so high end, the Rangers may not need him to do any of this. He is a potential star in the making.
Filip Chytil compares to Evgeny Kuznetsov.