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New York Rangers: 5 prospects to focus closely on

By Michael DeRosa

Vitali Kravtsov #74 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Vitali Kravtsov #74 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 03: Morgan Barron #47 of the New York Rangers skates against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on May 03, 2021 in New York City. The Capitals defeated the Rangers 6-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 03: Morgan Barron #47 of the New York Rangers skates against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on May 03, 2021 in New York City. The Capitals defeated the Rangers 6-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Morgan Barron C/LW

At 22 years old, Morgan Barron is certainly on the older side of these prospects. However, he is absolutely a player for Ranger fans to keep an eye on this season. During the 2019-20 season, he was captain of Cornell University. In 29 games, he scored 14 goals and recorded 32 points. From here, he went on to begin his professional hockey career.

He actually suited up in five games with the Rangers and managed to score a goal. Yet, what is even more noteworthy is the fact that he also lit up the AHL this past season with the Hartford WolfPack. In 21 games, he scored 10 goals and had 21 points. This was his first taste of AHL action and he showed that he can handle the league with ease.

It will be interesting to see what the Rangers end up doing with him this upcoming season. It seems more likely that he will end up back in Hartford for at least the beginning of it. The Rangers have three strong centers in Mika Zibanejad, Ryan Strome and Filip Chytil taking up the first three lines. They could elect to play Barron on the fourth-line, but Kevin Rooney seems to better-suited for that specific role.

Barron can also play on the wing, but when looking at how much depth the Rangers have on both sides, it is still an uphill battle for the youngster. With players like Ryan Reaves and Sammy Blais filling out the bottom-six, they seem like better fits for those roles.

Yet, if Barron continues to find this much success in the AHL, he should become a mainstay in the Rangers’ lineup. Also, if he does in fact start the season with Hartford, he will almost definitely receive a call-up when injuries occur. Overall, he has a very bright future.

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