New York Rangers: Mid-Season European Prospect Report Cards

The New York Rangers have a talent pool that spans much of the northern hemisphere. As players age and progress, and new players enter the fold, many who don’t play in North America get lost.

If I’m being completely honest, the New York Rangers don’t have the deepest group of prospects. There are a few standout individuals, but not enough to fill out the NHL roster of the future alone. The most well documented prospects tend to be those that play in North America.

As such, this will just be taking a look at the group of European prospects the Rangers have playing across Europe. Right now, the Rangers have eleven prospects playing in Europe. They play in leagues ranging from the second tier of Swedish hockey to the Czech hockey league to the KHL, the top-level of Russian hockey.

While the majority of these players may never see the NHL ice, it is good to keep them in mind, as they could become mainstays on Broadway. Since there are so many players to parse through, I found it easier to split them into groups based on their grades.

*All statistics via EliteProspects or respective league website as of Jan. 21, 2019*

Incomplete

This slide is for players I have given an incomplete grade to. They simply haven’t been on the ice long enough for me to feel comfortable giving them a grade.

Olof Lindbom G #39 pick, 2018 Draft

18 years old, Swedish, J20 Superelit

4 GP 1W 1L 0.886 SV% 3.43 GAA

This young netminder was made the Rangers’ first second round draft selection this past summer. This choice drew the ire of many fans and pundits as the Rangers already have a solid group of goaltenders in their farm system.

Supposedly, Lindbom was drafted highly by the Rangers at the behest of legendary goalie coach Benoit Allaire. In the season prior to his selection, Lindbom helped lead his U20 team to a league championship and played extremely well for the Swedish national team. He has been injured, however, for the vast majority of this season, only recently getting his first win of the year.

Calle Själin D #145 2017

19 years old, Swedish, Allvenskan

8 GP 0G 2A 2P

Själin is somewhat of a mystery to me for a few reasons. Firstly, I can’t seem to find all that much information from the league that he plays in. The Allvenskan hockey website itself doesn’t provide much information, other than name, nationality, and size. Secondly, he has attended two straight Rangers’ development camps and can’t seem to either stick in a lineup or stay healthy.

This season he has only played in 8 of his team’s matches, recently re-entering the starting roster, joining the top pairing in Leksand IF’s last game. We’ll have to keep an eye on him to see if his touted two-way game continues to improve through the rest of this season, if he gets more game time that is.

C

Jacob Ragnarsson D, #70, 2018

19 years old, Swedish, Allvenskan

25GP 0G 4A 4P

The Rangers’ earlier third round draft choice this past summer comes in with a C. Ragnarsson is in his first post-draft year, and his game seemingly dropped off slightly. He isn’t producing nearly as much offensively and his defensive numbers are down as well.

It seems as though he is simply going through some growing pains, as he’s only in his sophomore season in Sweden’s second tier of hockey. I give Ragnarsson a C based more on the potential he showed in his pre-draft season; the problems he’s dealing with now are mostly mental errors that can be fixed over time. He is still highly regarded in Sweden and was invited to the training camp for the Swedish national team  at the WJC.

Lauri Pajuniemi FW, #132, 2018

19 years old, Finnish, Liiga

29GP 3G 5A 8P

This young Finn is already playing the top flight of Finnish hockey, starring for TPS. He has already surpassed his point total from last season in fewer games. While that would make most people expect him to be higher in my rankings, especially for a player so young, he doesn’t pass my eye test.

On the ice, Pajuniemi can seem disinterested and passive at times. He is extremely talented and can produce when he goes all out, but that tends to come and go in spurts. If he can get to where he’s more consistent, I could easily see the righty producing at the next level.

Patrik Virta FW, #207, 2017

22 years old, Finnish, SHL

HC Slovan Bratislava (KHL) 21GP 2G 7A

Orebro HK (SHL) 19 GP 2G 3A 5P

Simply put, Patrik Virta is going through some growing pains right now. The overage draft pick performed at the highest level in the Finnish professional league last season, only to bounce around between the KHL and SHL this season.

Virta’s main strengths are his on ice vision and quick release. However, he lacks the size and strength necessary for the North American game at this point. If he were to come over and get some experience, he has the tools to make it as a solid depth scorer.

B

Tarmo Reunanen D, #98, 2016

20 years old, Finnish, Liiga

40 GP 4G 14A 18P

Tarmo Reunanen has stepped up his game this season for Lukko. After being moved from TPS to Lukko midway through last season, he has become a mainstay on the blueline. The offensive-minded defenseman has been no slouch defensively.

He currently boasts a plus-five rating and averages 20:36 of ice time per game. If he continues to progress at a consistent rate, Reunanen could see ice time at the Garden soon enough.

Nils Lundkvist D #28, 2018

18 years old, Swedish, SHL

28 GP 1G 5A 6P

This young Swedish defenseman was the Rangers’ third first round draft choice, taken at number 28 overall. For such a young player, he has performed exceptionally well for Lulea. He has shown his skill on both ends of the ice and was a regular at the WJC in December.

Although he is more skilled on the offensive end, Lundkvist has used his high level of awareness that has helped him excel in joining the rush to make solid plays in his own end. This young man has a ton of skill, and with the right development has NHL potential.

Yegor Rykov D Trade w/ NJ Devils

21 years old, Russian, KHL

36 GP 1 G 6 A 7P

The Rangers acquired Rykov in the deal that sent Michael Grabner to the New Jersey Devils last season. Rykov is the type of defenseman that the Rangers desperately need right now. He is solid at the backend with just enough talent to not be a black hole in the opponent’s third.

The big lefty’s contract at HK Sochi expires in April, and it remains a question of whether he can be lured to North America. Luckily, the Rangers should be getting an influx of Russian talent in the form of my A prospects.

A

Igor Shestyorkin G #118 2014

23 years old, Russian, KHL

 23GP 19W 4L 0.947 SV% 1.22 GAA

The first of my A graded prospects is Russian netminder Igor Shestyorkin. He has been tearing up the KHL for a few years now. Since entering the league, he has not posted a save percentage less than 0.903, when he was a rookie.

Over the years, the lore surrounding him has continued to grow, giving hope for a successor to arguably the Rangers’ best player ever, Henrik Lundqvist. His KHL contract expires after this season and he should make his way to North America as early as next season.

Vitali Kravtsov FW #9 2018

19 years old, Russian, KHL

38 GP 6G 11A 17P

And last, but certainly not least, we have the Rangers’ top draft choice from this past summer. Kravtsov has consistently tantalized Rangers’ fans this season, providing plenty of highlight reel material between his KHL and WJC play.

The Russian youngster was recently named to the KHL All-Star game, and was named the number one NHL affiliated prospect by TSN’s Craig Button. It has been rumored that he plans to make the leap to North America when his KHL season ends, be that after the playoffs or at the end of the Russian regular season.

When you boil it down, prospects and the draft are typically crapshoots in their own right. There’s little that we as humans can do to accurately predict the future. I don’t claim to be a talent evaluator nor do I claim to be an expert. These are just my thoughts and opinions. Let me know what you think in the comments or on Twitter.