For years, the biggest complaints from fans and analysts about the Rangers have been their inability to develop young talent. It seems like every young, promising player the Rangers have is unable to reach the expectations set out for them. Players like Alexis Lafrenière, Kaapo Kakko, Vitali Kravtsov, and Brennan Othmann are just a few examples of this. As a result, many fear that the Rangers will not be able to retool effectively.
However, Matthew Robertson's play should inspire some confidence. The former 49th overall pick of the 2019 NHL draft has put in a decent season thus far. He has been a fixture in the Rangers' bottom four and has recently been promoted to their second pairing. It's clear that Robertson has made major strides this season and is one of the rare development success stories for the Rangers. But where does he fit into the long-term plans, and why should he give fans hope?
Matthew Robertson development should give Rangers fans hope
In his first full NHL season, Robertson has notched four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 54 games. This is already pretty decent for a rookie defender, but his advanced metrics show he's generating more offense than his counting stats suggest. According to Natural Stat Trick, he has a 49.53 CF%, a 51.03 SCF%, and a 52.48 xG%. He also has a 34.35 xGA and has allowed 139 High Danger Chances. This shows he's been making an impact on both offense and defense.
The way that Robertson has played this season demonstrates that their development strategy for defensemen works. Having him play in the AHL for the past four seasons gave him more opportunities for ice time. It allowed him to play top four minutes and work on the shortcomings in his game. Had the Rangers rushed him to the NHL, he likely would have struggled. He would not have gotten the ice time, which would have stunted his development.
Robertson's play has earned him a spot in the Rangers' top six next season. The Rangers need young, promising players on the NHL roster. Guys who can be solid producers and fit in the long-term vision of the team. Sure, he won't be a top-pairing guy, but he's more than capable of being on the second pairing. Someone who can help set up scoring chances, while also being responsible on defense. It may not be flashy, but it's the type of player successful teams need.
This should also give Rangers fans hope that they can develop young players. Sure, they have some notable failures, but players like Robertson show they can develop players. The Rangers need to learn from what they did with Robertson and implement it into other prospects. Sure, developing players is not a one-size-fits-all type of thing, but there are lessons that they can take from Robertson. Like ample ice time and not rushing players.
Although Robertson is not the next superstar for the Rangers, he is a success story for the Rangers development team. He is a sign that the Rangers can bring in young players and term them into capable NHL players.