In the first part of the Holiday New York Rangers prospect review, the forwards were covered. Now, it is time to look at the four defensemen prospects. Defensively, they are for the most part solid. But on the offensive side, there are some questions that still need answered.
Drew Fortescue was the Rangers third round selection in the 2023 NHL Entry draft. Fortescue is currently in his sophomore season at Boston College and while his offensive numbers (0-4-4 in 16 games) are not impressive, his defensive game is.
Standing at 6'2" and weighing 180 pounds, Fortescue still has some room to fill his body out with. There is no question that Fortescue is going to one day play in the NHL as a defenseman.
He has the unique combination of superior skating, physical play, and above average hockey IQ. Thus, Fortescue has been playing in every situation for both Boston College and Team USA's Under-20 teams. Not to mention, he is also a product of USA Hockey's National Training and Development program.
As a freshman last year, Fortescue was 4-4-8 ,+13 with 31 blocked shots in 40 games. Yes, the 0-4-4 is anything to get excited about but the +12 and 14 blocked shots are a good sign when one considers how poorly the current Rangers play on defense.
What is a bit frustrating about Fortescue is the fact that he does have more offensive potential than he has shown. One of the more accurate point shots on Boston College, if Fortescue were to use that shot then the points would rack up more than they are now.
E. J. Emery was the Rangers first round selection in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. For some reason people were comparing him to K'Andre Miller and, to me, that isn't even a close comparison.
Emery is clearly already a far superior defensive player than Miller ever will be. The natural defenseman stands at 6'3", 180 pounds and was clearly the best defensive player in the 2024 draft.
One of the more gifted defenders when it comes to having a solid Hockey IQ., Emery is a chess grandmaster on the ice, as he can read the play and make the correct move sometimes way before the opposing player has made his move.
A master swordsman when he comes to using his stick whether it is to break up plays or poke checks the puck away. Emery will force those trying to make plays to the outside setting them up to be hit or force the turnover.
And yes, there are question marks about his offensive skill set but it is hard to get a good read on his offensive potential since Emery has been used as mainly on the third pair as a freshman at North Dakota.
But as with Fortescue, there is potential for growth on the offensive side down the road. For now, Emery has done an excellent job on defense as a freshman registering 20 blocked shots on defense.
Emery was invited to try out for Team USA's Under-20 squad for the 2025 World Under-20 championships. If he makes the team, it will more likely be as the third pair or seventh defenseman.
He is at least two or three years away from being ready to turn professional.
the Ivy League's Hank Kempf was the Rangers seventh round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry draft. Just like the first two defensive prospects, Kempf is a stay at home first defenseman but — unlike Fortescue and Emery — Kempf has had to work hard at improving his overall game.
Standing at 6'2" and weighing 203 pounds, Kempf struggled his first couple of years at Cornell because his skating was very unconventional. But after attending two straight Ranger rookie camps, one could clearly see a visible improvement in Kempf and his overall game.
He has worked his way up from a bottom pair to top pair defenseman. And, his offensive game has improved some and he has been one of the top shot blockers in the NCAA.
Given the Rangers lack of depth among defensive prospects, Kempf at this rate will earn at the very least an AHL contract and time in the ECHL to continue his growth.
Rasmus Larsson is the last of the defensive prospects, but also the one in the worst current-playing situation. Northern Michigan is one of the worst teams in the NCAA. New coach Dave Shyiak had to put together a totally new roster that has 15 freshman on it. The result has been a record at the break of 1-16-1 with a winless streak that has reached 15 games (1-14-1-0).
Larsson, like his fellow prospects, has shown no offense and to be fair to him it is almost impossible to tell what the Rangers may have here. Last year, most scouting reports said that Larsson was an offensive weapon but his time with the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) proved that not to be true.
Larsson is still looking for his first NCAA point, but he does lead Northern Michigan with 34 blocked shots. Though, he has proven himself to be a hard worker.