Quinnipiac Bobcats Offer Intriguing Prospects For Rangers To Sign, Draft, Acquire

Sam Lipkin (2021 223rd Overall, Arizona Coyotes)

The right wing on the " York Hill Boys" line is a valued piece of the Arizona Coyote's management. A trade for Lipkin would require a combination of valuable draft capital and a prospect.

A club can never have enough wingers, and like the other players on this list, Lipkin's ceiling at the NHL level could smash where he was initially recruited and drafted.

The Bobcats wanted Lipkin to return since they lost six veteran forwards to professional contracts. The Philadelphia native saw another year of development as beneficial rather than heading into the AHL.

The Coyotes drafted Lipkin out of the USHL Chicago Steel after his Clark Cup Championship season in 2021. That was before he finished 13th in NCAA point scoring last season, racking up 43 points en route to Quinnipiac's first NCAA championship in school history. He also skated in the 2022 IIHF WJC earning a bronze medal for Team USA.

A recruit of his caliber would likely be drafted higher than the seventh round with his current resume.

"Sam made a great, educated decision. He wanted to be a year away from pro hockey and use that year to get stronger, bigger, and faster so that when he came in he had a better chance. I’m not going to disagree with him," said Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports.

"He’s going back to a great school in Quinnipiac. They do a great job and he’s going to be one of the leaders. He’s going to have a bigger role, but he’s someone that we’re extremely excited about. He reminds me a little bit of Michael Bunting in the way he plays and complements the skill, but he can make the play when it’s there.”

The Rangers have a drop off in their winger prospects after Brennan Othmann, Gabriel Perreault, and Brett Berard. For a more complete player, the Rangers could look to acquire Lipkin in a deal.