The defense prospects under contract
LIBOR HAJEK – Left defense, 22 years old
Current status – Hajek spent half of the season with the Rangers, but was a disappointment with some of the worst possession numbers on the team. This came after a solid year in Hartford and an excellent five game stint with the Rangers last season. This season, he started the campaign as a top six blueliner, but bounced throughout the lineup, partnering with all three righty defenders.
He lost his starting job to Ryan Lindgren and after he suffered a knee injury in December he was sent to Hartford to work himself back into shape. He was never recalled, although the team had opportunities to do so, especially when they traded Brady Skjei to Carolina. He had five assists in 28 games in New York and had one goal and two assists in 23 games for Hartford.
When play resumes, we will see if the team invites him to their Phase Three training camp. He is the only defenseman in the organization not on the major league roster with any NHL experience.
The future – Hajek is going into the last year of his Entry Level Contract and in a perfect world, he comes to the preseason training camp and impresses enough to earn the job of being Trouba’s partner. The question is whether he can rebound from a disappointing season in New York and Hartford. At 22 years old, the next campaign could be make or break for Hajek, especially since the team will have to decide if they want to protect him in the Seattle expansion draft next summer.
Prediction – This is a tough one to project. Optimistically, he would earn the role of Trouba’s partner as he lives up to the advance billing that made him the centerpiece of the Ryan McDonagh trade. If he fails to impress, he could very well end up returning to Hartford unless the team wants to carry him as their seventh defenseman.
K’ANDRE MILLER- Left defense, 20 year old
Current status – Miller signed his entry level contract after concluding his season at the University of Wisconsin. He would have gotten in to a handful of games with Hartford if their season hadn’t been cancelled. The question is whether the Rangers will bring him to their training camp when Phase Three of the Return to Play goes into effect. If they do an he impresses enough to join the roster for the postseason, there’s a question of if that would burn a year of his eligibility.
The future – In all likelihood, the first time we will see Miller will be at Hartford’s training camp. With the COVID-19 play stoppage, it will mean that the NHL and the AHL will be on completely different schedules with the Wolf Pack beginning to prepare for their season in September and the Rangers not getting started until December.
All AHL clubs conduct their own preseason training camp and any players not guaranteed to make the NHL roster will likely start their season there.The Rangers have made it clear that they are not going to rush prospects like Miller to the NHL, citing the benefits a season in Hartford did for players like Ryan Lindgren.
Prediction – This is where the pandemic will have an interesting effect on the next NHL season. Miller could attend the Wolf Pack training camp and play almost half a season in Hartford before the Rangers even convene to begin their 2020-21 campaign. If Miller impresses in Hartford, he could find himself actually beginning next NHL season with the Blueshirts after a number of games in the AHL. If not, he will play the season in Hartford and possibly be a call up at the end of that season to bolster the Rangers blueline.
DARREN RADDYSH – Right defense, 24 years old
Current status – Raddysh is a 24 year old right handed shooting blueliner who was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks who traded him last February to the Rangers for veteran Peter Holland. He is an arbitration eligible restricted free agent next season, coming off a contract that paid him the NHL minimum. He was the top right defenseman after Joey Keane was traded and he finished with six goals and 28 points.
The future – Raddysh is likely to remain a Ranger property as he is the only right handed shooting defenseman under team control next season not in the NHL.
Prediction – Another season awaits Raddysh in the AHL. He could see some time in the NHL if the Rangers are hammered by injuries on the right side of the defense, but that is unlikely.
YEGOR RYKOV – Left defense, 23 years old
Current status – When Yegor Rykov came to North America last summer after three full seasons in the KHL, he was expected to contend for a starting job in the NHL. Instead, he had a tough season, sustaining a nagging ankle injury at the Traverse City prospects tournament. He ended up on the sidelines for two months, before getting back on the ice in December with Hartford.
Needing to make the transition to the smaller ice surfaces, losing a big chunk of the season didn’t help him. He finished with two goals and 11 points in 27 games in Hartford.
The future – Rykov has one more year on his Entry Level deal and will get a full shot at earning a job with the Rangers next season. Like Miller, he will likely benefit from the disparity between the AHL and NHL seasons. Rykov could start the season in Hartford and play over 20 games before the NHL training camps will even begin.
Prediction – Rykov will indeed start the season in Hartford, but if he has a positive showing, he could be the first candidate for call up to the Rangers, especially if Smith and Hajek don’t impress. If he doesn’t do well in Hartford, he could be trade bait.
MATTHEW ROBERTSON – Left defense, 19 years old
Current status – The Rangers thought that they had one of the steals of the 2019 Entry Draft when they were able to select Robertson in the second round (49th overall). At 6’3″, 204 pounds, the teenager has great size, yet another attribute that makes him a top prospect.
He was invited to training camp and remained with the team until just before the season started, when the team returned him to the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL.
They were quick to sign him, inking him to his entry level contract at the beginning of October. The contract will slide depending on when he actually turns pro. Robertson just finished his third season with the Oil Kings, posting his best numbers with 13 goals and 47 points in 60 games and was named the team’s MVP.
The future – Ironically, Matthew Robertson could be in the NHL season, but if he doesn’t make the varsity, he must return to the Oil Kings. He’s old enough to play in Hartford, but the NHL has an agreement with the CHL that forces drafted players under 20 who don’t make the major league roster to return to their junior clubs.
That means that the likelihood is that Robertson will return to the Oil Kings for a fourth year and won’t be eligible to play in the AHL until he turns 20 in March 2021.
Prediction – Robertson is one player who won’t be helped by the COVID-19 scheduling vagaries. In a normal season, he would have had a realistic shot at making the Rangers out of training camp, but with the pandemic, he is destined to return to Edmonton for a full fourth season. He may see some action in the AHL at the end of the season, but look for Robertson to start his career as a Ranger in the 2021-22 season.
TARMO REUNANEN – Left defense, 22 years old
Current status – The Rangers had to sign Reunanen last summer or risk losing him to free agency and after an impressive training camp, he used a European Assignment Clause to return to Finland rather than play in Hartford. He played his second full season with Lukko in the Finnish Liiga and while his offensive stats declined, his overall play improved.
He finished the shortened season with five goals and 19 points in 51 games. His plus/minus of +17 was second best among Lukko defensemen and he was a solid force on the second defense pairing.
The future – Reunanen has two more seasons on his Entry Level Contract and it is believed that he has no European Assignment Clause next season so he could either play for Hartford in the fall or ask to be loaned to Liiga for another season. Starting the campaign in Hartford will give him an opportunity to make the Rangers when their training camp begins.
Prediction – Reunanen will return to North America for play in Hartford. Depending on his play, he could be a candidate for the Rangers roster, depending on the roster moves the team will be making.
BRANDON CRAWLEY – Left defense, 23 years old
Current status – Brandon Crawley was drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 Entry Draft and has spent four seasons in the minor leagues, mostly with Hartford. This season he started the season with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL and was a late season call up to the Wolf Pack.
The Glen Rock, New Jersey native will possibly be invited to the Rangers postseason training camp in a few weeks as he tries for a job on the expanded roster. It has to be encouraging for Crawley that with the Rangers buying out Sean Day and not signing Nico Gross, that they still see him in their plans for the future.
The future – Crawley is in the last season of his Entry Level Contract and will need to be re-signed. He will probably be offered the league minumum and expect to spend another season in the minor leagues.
Prediction – Crawley has been dropping in the Rangers’ prospect depth chart and the emergence of prospects like Robertson and Zac Jones hasn’t helped. He will be a fixture on the Hartford blue line in 2020-21, but could also see himself traded if the right deal comes along.
NICK EBERT – Right defense, 26 years old
Current status – Nick Ebert was acquired from the Ottawa Senators along with a fourth round draft pick in exchange for Vlad Namestnikov. In 46 games for the Wolf Pack he scored five goals and added 11 assists.
The future – Ebert is a Group 6 unrestricted free agent and while he could re-sign with the Rangers, he will mostly likely go for the best deal he can find.
Prediction – Ebert is a goner and will sign with another NHL team.