The New York Rangers prospect pool is deeper than it has been in years. In the latest news, their goalie of the future is free to cross the Atlantic and two draft picks are still playing for teams contending in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
The New York Rangers will be busy over the next few weeks, preparing for the NHL Entry Draft and working on getting their top Russian prospects under contract and in North American. While the seasons for Vitali Kravtsov and Ygor Rykov ended weeks ago, the player who has intrigued Rangers fans for years appears to be ready to make the move.
Igor Shestyorkin
For Ranger goaltender of the future, Igor Shestyorkin, his season ended when SKA was eliminated by losing game seven of the KHL Western Conference Finals. Shestyorkin had 21 saves while in goal for SKA in the heartbreaking 3-1 loss to CSKA who will play Avangard in the Gagarin Cup Final. He allowed only one even strength goal in the game as CSKA scored on the power play and into an empty net.
After a rough start in the playoffs, Shestyorkin lost the starting job to former Ranger Magnus Hellberg. He won the job back and started the last six games of the Conference Finals. He was 3-3 with a goals against average of 1.77 and a .914 save percentage in those games.
With his KHL season over, the goalie is now free to sign with the Rangers and make the move to North America. Shestyorkin, 23, was asked about the future and a report that he would refuse to sign a contract that would allow the team to send him to Hartford.
News out of Russia is notoriously unreliable, but if this interview is for real, it looks like good news for the Rangers and a fascinating goalie situation facing the team next season.
OHL Playoffs
The depth of the Rangers prospect pool is demonstrated by the fact that two New York Rangers draft picks are still active in the OHL playoffs and getting valuable post-season experience. The OHL has an arduous four round playoff schedule that started on March 21 and will continue to mid-May.
Joey Keane
Joey Keane is a defenseman for the London Knights. The Knights can clinch their second round series against the Guelph Storm tonight as they have a 3-1 series lead. While he has shown an offensive upside, since he was traded from the Barrie Colts to the Knights mid-season, he has let top defense prospects Evan Bouchard and Adam Boqvist take the lead. In the 2018 draft, Boqvist was taken eighth overall by Chicago and Bouchard was the tenth overall pick for Edmonton, with the Rangers’ Vitali Kravtsov sandwiched in between at number nine.
Keane was selected 88th overall in the third round and looks like a steal. He signed his entry level contract with the Rangers in March. Keane has four assists in eight playoffs games this spring, including two assists in London’s 7-4 win in game three of the series.
If London can clinch their series, they’ll probably face the Saginaw Spirit in the third round of the playoffs.
Nico Gross
Swiss born Nico Gross is still in action with the Oshawa Generals. They are tied 2-2 in their second round series against the Niagara IceDogs. Gross has one assist in nine playoff games, but he is a defensive defenseman and has been in the starting five the last two games.
Gross is not a sure thing when it comes to a future with the Rangers. He was selected 101st overall in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. He will likely return to Oshawa for a third season and will play for Switzerland in the 2020 WJC. He has played in three of the tournaments and is still eligible as he doesn’t turn 20 until next January.
Game five in the series is Saturday night in Niagara.
There will be more non-NHL hockey for Rangers fans to follow in the coming weeks, with both Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko participating in international tournaments. Despite the Blueshirts missing the post-season, it’s encouraging that future Rangers are still in action and worth following.