One of the first trades that the New York Rangers made in their retool was shipping out star winger and impending free agent Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings. Due to Panarin having a no-trade clause, the Rangers couldn't exactly get a haul in return. But they were able to bring in winger Liam Greentree, who had been lighting it up in the OHL with the Windsor Spitfires.
Looking at the roster this season, it doesn't seem like Greentree has a clear path to make the opening night roster, unless he has an incredible training camp and preseason. Anything can happen. There is a lot to like out of Greentree, especially when it comes to his shot and scoring ability.
But it appears the Rangers are looking at him playing another position besides winger.
Laim Greentree could get a look at center for Rangers
NHL.com's Dan Rosen recently released an article ranking the Rangers' top prospects. Greentree ranks third behind defenseman Alberts Smits and center Cole Beaudoin. Interestingly, though, Rosen brings up that the Rangers do like Greentree at center due to his size.
"Glass said the Rangers have been struck by Greentree's maturity since they began working with him in February. They like his size (6-2, 207) and power at the center position."
That is an interesting piece of information that Rosen included, since Greentree has primarily played on the wing. During his four seasons with the Spitfires, Greentree did have minimal face-off opportunities, where he won 41 of them. So, it is a bit surprising that the Rangers would want to try Greentree out.
But, that's what training camp and the preseason is for: talent evaluation.
It doesn't hurt to see if Liam Greentree is answer at center for Rangers
The Rangers' center depth took a hit this offseason when they traded away Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth to acquire defenseman Sean Durzi and center prospect Cole Beaudoin. New York's top two centers are Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller. Noah Laba figures to be slotted in as the third line center. Besides that, there is an opening for a fourth line center entering training camp.
They could very well opt to use Joe Veleno in that role, considering they signed him to a one-year contract. But he should be far from a lock for the role. Training camp and the preseason should be used to evaluate their top prospects to see if there is a role for them on the opening night roster. Beaudoin does make sense, since he does have extensive experience at center.
Yet, Greentree's scoring ability is hard to look past. If playing him at center does fast track his way to New York, why not give it a shot? In the 2024-25 season with Windsor, Greentree put up an absurd 49 goals, 70 assists, and 119 assists in 64 games played. The production dipped next season, but he still put up 38 goals and 36 assists for 74 points in 52 games. It's hard to look past those stellar numbers.
Look, the Rangers are in a position where they do need more help at forward. The free agent market isn't great, and teams don't seem willing to trade away their forwards as of this writing. So, the next logical step is to promote prospects. Greentree could provide a spark to New York's offense, if it does translate to the pros. But it will be interesting to see if he does log some time at center throughout training camp.
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