New York Rangers: Top three prospects at every position
The New York Rangers, after what seems like forever, finally have a good prospect pool. Highlighted by five first round draft picks in the last two years, the Rangers, at last, seem to have a real future.
What a difference a few years makes. The end of the 2015-16 season saw the New York Rangers get embarrassed in the first round by the Pittsburgh Penguins, losing in five games. Not only that, but their prospect pool was basically barren. Years of trading picks and prospects to go “all-in” had finally caught up to them.
However, a little over two years later, the Rangers have completely flipped the script. They now boast a group of prospects that is quite good.
It all started last year when Jeff Gorton traded Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes for the seventh overall pick and Tony DeAngelo. Gorton then selected Swedish center Lias Andersson with the seventh pick and Czech center Filip Chytil with the 21st pick. Chytil and Andersson seem to be their future 1-2 punch up the middle.
This past season, Gorton was at work again, selling off veterans at the trade deadline. He traded Michael Grabner, Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh, Nick Holden and J.T. Miller, bringing in a wealth of draft picks and prospects. This past weekend, Gorton drafted three first round players with tremendous upside in Vitali Kravtsov, K’Andre Miller and Nils Lundkvist.
Now that the New York Rangers have a future in place, let’s take a look at their best prospects, broken down by position.
Center
Center is probably the Rangers’ deepest position on the depth chart. they have three quality, young center prospects that should pivot the middle of the Garden ice for years to come.
1. Filip Chytil
Filip Chytil is the Rangers’ top center prospect, as well as arguably the Rangers’ top prospect regardless of position. Chytil was taken with the 21st pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and so far, he looks like a steal. He unexpectedly made the team out of training camp, but wasn’t played all that much. After two games, he was sent to Hartford.
He absolutely tore up the AHL, posting 11 goals and 31 points in 46 games, very impressive numbers for an 18 year old. He was called up to the Rangers for the last seven games of the season, where he posted a goal and two assists.
The future looks very bright for Chytil, as he should make the team out of training camp. He’s also in a favorable position to succeed, as new head coach David Quinn is known for developing young players. As a player with elite upside, the future looks very bright for Chytil.
2. Lias Andersson
Lias Andersson was drafted with the seventh overall pick in the 2017 Draft. He was expected to be NHL-ready at the time. However, this wasn’t the case, and he didn’t make the team out of camp.
He played 22 games with Frolunda this season, and posted seven goals and 14 points. He then made the jump to Hartford, where he recorded five goals and 14 points in 25 games.
Andersson tore up the World Junior Championships, where he captained Sweden to a silver medal. He was called up to New York for the final seven games of the season, where he recorded a goal and an assist.
Andersson should make the team out of camp this year, and the Rangers have their top two centers for years to come.
3. Brett Howden
Howden is the first player on this list who isn’t a Rangers draft pick. He was one of the prospects acquired in the McDonagh-Miller deal with Tampa Bay. Howden was drafted by the Lightning 27th overall in 2016.
Howden currently plays for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL, where he serves as captain. In 49 games with Moose Jaw this, Howden posted 24 goals and 75 points. He also posted seven goals and 15 points in 14 playoff games with Moose Jaw this year.
Howden projects to be a middle-six center, which makes him the perfect fit to play behind Chytil and Andersson.
While Howden is pretty close to NHL-ready, it would be wise to let him play a year in Hartford before he joins the Rangers.
Wing
Wing is the one position where the Rangers really lack depth. However, they do have a couple of players who should see the NHL sooner rather than later.
1. Vitali Kravtsov
Vitali Kravstov is easily the Rangers’ top wing prospect and the argument can be made that he is the Rangers’ top prospect, although Filip Chytil may have something to say about that. Kravtsov was drafted ninth overall by the Rangers in the 2018 Draft.
Kravtsov spent the past season with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL. In 35 games, he posted four goals and seven points. However, the Gagarin Cup Playoffs are where he really made a name for himself.
He became the youngest player in KHL history to score a goal in the playoffs. In total, he put up six goals and 11 points in 16 games.
Kravtsov was a surprising pick at nine, especially with American sniper Oliver Wahlstrom available. However, Kravtsov has shown elite upside, drawing comparisons to Capitals star Evgeny Kuznetsov. Kravtsov has one year left on his KHL contract, and he will then make the jump to North America.
If Kravtsov hits his ceiling, then the Rangers finally have an elite, game-breaking winger.
2. Ty Ronning
Most every Rangers fan knows about Ty Ronning. The diminutive forward and seventh round draft pick, son of former Vancouver Canuck Cliff Ronning, just finished up a historic season with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. He scored 61 goals this past season, breaking the record held by NHLer Evander Kane.
After the WHL playoffs were over, where he scored seven points in seven games, Ronning made the jump to the AHL for three games.
Give Ronning a full year in the AHL and he should be ready for the 2019-20 season with the Rangers.
3. Tim Gettinger
Tim Gettinger rounds out the list of winger prospects. Drafted by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Gettinger has played the last four season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. This past season was the best of his career, potting 33 goals and 69 points in 66 games.
Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 220 pounds, the hulking winger should be ready for a spot with the Hartford Wolf Pack this season. Depending on how his time in the AHL goes, he may be ready for an NHL spot in the future.
Defense
The Rangers went all in on loading up on defensive prospects at the Draft, taking two in the first round and six in the entire draft. The Rangers have built up some nice depth and talent at this position, which is really encouraging, considering how bad their defense has been the past few years.
1. K’Andre Miller
K’Andre Miller is number one on this list because of one word; upside. Miller has tons of upside and potential. A forward who made the switch to defense two years ago, Miller is very raw. But, there is a lot of talent there.
The Rangers traded up to number 22 to draft Miller this past weekend, which shows you how highly they think of him. A fantastic skater, Miller gives off a bit of a Brady Skjei vibe, with a higher offensive ceiling.
Miller has spent the past two seasons with the US National Development Program Team, and is slated to attend the University of Wisconsin in the fall. This season, Miller put up four goals and 16 points in 22 games with the USNDPT.
While the talent is there, Miller is not close to NHL-ready. He needs about two years of college hockey and a year in the AHL before he is ready to arrive on Broadway. That being said, with coaching and more experience, Miller definitely has a shot a being a top pairing defenseman.
2. Nils Lundkvist
Lundkvist is the second straight player on this list to be drafted this past weekend. He was taken by the Rangers with the 28th overall pick. One of the younger players in the draft, Lundkvist, who doesn’t turn 18 until the end of July, is a talented puck moving defenseman with a high hockey IQ.
Lundkvist spent the past season with Lulea HF of the SHL, putting up two goals and five points in 28 games. While Lundkvist is very young, he is closer to being NHL-ready than you might think. After another year in the SHL, he should make the jump to the AHL. After that, he should be ready to be a Ranger.
3. Libor Hajek
Libor Hajek was acquired at the trade deadline from Tampa Bay in the Ryan McDonagh-J.T. Miller trade. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round, 37th overall, at the 2016 Draft. He split time this year between the Saskatoon Blades and the Regina Pats, both of the WHL.
In 58 combined games this year, Hajek put up 12 goals and 39 points, as well as a goal in four playoff games with Regina.
Of the three defensemen on this list, Hajek is the closest to being NHL-ready. He may be ready to make the jump to the AHL this year. If that is the case, Hajek could be with the Rangers as early as 2019-20.
Goalie
The Rangers have one of, if not the best, goalie prospect pools in the world. Coupled with goaltending guru Benoit Allaire, the Rangers are set up nicely whenever Henrik Lundqvist decided to hang up the skates.
1. Igor Shestyorkin
Igor Shestyorkin is the New York Rangers’ clear-cut top goaltending prospect, and one of the best goalie prospects in the entire world. He is the consensus favorite to take over for Henrik Lundqvist in the Garden crease.
Shestyorkin has spent the past four seasons with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, winning the Gagarin Cup last year. This season, he went 20-4-4 with a 1.69 GAA and a .933 save percentage, both very impressive numbers.
Shestyorkin has one more year in the KHL before his contract expires and he can come to North America. When that happens, he should be the backup, and will be groomed to succeed him.
2. Alexandar Georgiev
Alex Georgiev is another talented European goaltending prospect. He was signed by the Rangers and reported to Hartford, where he played 37 games, posting a 2.98 GAA and a .909 save percentage. He then played 10 games with the Rangers, going 4-4-1 with a 3.15 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
Georgiev flashed a lot of talent in his short stint on Broadway, and should be a leading candidate to back up Henrikk Lundqvist next year.
3. Adam Huska
Adam Huska is a Slovakian goaltender who has played the last two seasons at the University of Connecticut. He also faced some action at the World Junior Championships. He was drafted by the Rangers in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Draft.
Huska posted a 2.59 GAA and a .912 save percentage this year, impressive numbers on a bad UConn team.
Huska has potential, and could serve as a quality backup to Shestyorkin one day, or as a trade piece. Regardless, it is very useful to have a surplus of goaltending options, as the Rangers do.
Next: Ranking the RFAs by the likelihood that they are traded
Jeff Gorton has done a nice job of rebuilding the Rangers’ prospect group. Gorton and Co. have shown that they are playing the long game with this rebuild, and so should have an opportunity to acquire more picks and prospects, as well as draft some NHL talent.
If they are patient, and make the right moves, the front office may be able to build this team into a sustainable Stanley Cup contender.