The New York Rangers made the Ryan McDonagh trade in part because they were receiving defenseman Libor Hajek in return. The defenseman should not be rushed even though he had a strong postseason performance.
The reason NHL teams do not conventionally draft for positional need is the development process. Drafting a player in the first round outside of the top four or five picks usually means at least a year or two of development is still needed. Therefor, drafting for positional need can put a level of unnecessary stress on a young player. The New York Rangers made this mistake during last year’s draft selecting Lias Andersson at number seven.
The team made this choice with the vision of the Swede immediately playing and replacing Derek Stepan in the lineup. Instead, this put pressure on the 18 year old during the preseason and it created a stigma around the forward. Being that he was expected to make the team, when he didn’t, it was a bad look.
Now, it looks as if Andersson will be fine following a solid season in the AHL this past year. However, the Rangers must be mindful to not repeat the same mistake this season with another prospect. Sure, the upcoming season will be about talent development, but it has to make sense. Different levels of competition make sense for different prospects.
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In the case of Hajek, jumping from the junior hockey level of the Western Hockey League to the NHL may be asking too much.
The prospect
During the Rangers developmental camp this week, Hajek has said his goal is to make the team this upcoming season.
Libor Hajek, who came to the @NYRangers in last season's big trade with Tampa, has his sights set on making the big club next year. #NYRPDC pic.twitter.com/4rANr5EbkV
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) June 26, 2018
This may seem a tad far fetched based on where he was this past season. On top of a decent regular season for the Regina Pats, Hajek posted a strong showing during the 2018 World Junior Championships. In seven games for the Czech Republic Hajek had seven assists and a goal for the fourth place team. Against players in his own age group, Hajek looked like a boy amongst men.
Throw in the fact Hajek posted a strong statistical season (39 points in 58 games) and he may seem like a candidate for the Rangers NHL roster. In addition to those numbers, Hajek has the look according to Pats coach John Paddock.
"“He’s going to be a top four (defenseman) for a long time,’’ Paddock said. “He’s big, (he) skates, (he’s) got skill. There’s nothing to stop him from being an NHL defenseman for quite a while.’’Furthermore, Paddock said, he believes Hajek will be a legitimate contender to earn a roster spot with the Rangers next season.“I think he’s real close,’’ Paddock said."
The fit
However, the biggest problem in the way of Hajek making the NHL roster is the sheer number of defenseman the Rangers have under team control. As of the moment, New York currently has Brady Skjei, Kevin Shattenkirk, Neal Pionk, Marc Staal, Brendan Smith, John Gilmour, Rob O’Gara and Tony DeAngelo. In addition to those defenseman, there are also Ranger first round draft picks K’Andre Miller and Nils Lundkvist.
This surplus of defenseman will present several challenges for Hajek as he hopes to make the team. First , the established NHL guys, Skjei, Shattenkirk, Staal, and Smith are locks to make the roster. The organization has too much money tied up in those four players (following Skjei’s extension) to allow any of them to rot away in the AHL.
The other challenge for Hajek will be garnering meaningful ice time during the preseason. The Rangers new coach, David Quinn, will be implementing a system none of the players on the team have ever played in. This means that the entire roster will be learning on the fly during the preseason. Being that there are so many defenseman, the split squads will limit potential ice time for Hajek to make an impression.
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The Rangers will have a difficult decision to make with Hajek. Ultimately, it will come down to his performance in the preseason. But, no matter what, the team should not force it if he is not ready.