The New York Rangers made their biggest move of their retool thus far, trading winger Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings. The Rangers didn't get a huge return for Panarin, considering he had a full no-trade clause and had the choice of where he wanted to get traded to. That was the Kings, and the Rangers got back a 2026 conditional third-round pick and prospect Liam Greentree.
Rangers fans aren't too thrilled about the return, considering they moved on from a superstar and one of their consistent scorers. The one thing they are banking on is that Greentree truly develops into a franchise cornerstone. It appears that Rangers fans may see Greentree sooner than they expected.
Windsor Spitfires General Manager Bill Bowler revealed, via The Athletic's Peter Baugh, that he expects that Greentree will sign with the Rangers once the OHL season ends and that he doesn't expect him to return.
Liam Greentree expected to sign with Rangers once OHL season ends
For those curious as to when the OHL season ends, that would be sometime in May. The Spitfires have already clinched their spot in the playoffs, so he will be playing after the OHL regular season. Once there, the Rangers are likely to sign Greentree to a contract.
Rangers General Manager Chris Drury has already spoken glowingly of Greentree during a conference call with reporters after the Panarin trade to the Kings was finalized. So much so, that he said that Greentree was more valuable than the team's first round picks in 2026 and 2027. That, and Drury says he feels Greentree is ready to go pro. Drury says he expects Greentree to report to development camp, which takes place in the summer before the preseason.
If Greentree really does impress this summer, it wouldn't be entirely shocking if he does crack the Rangers roster. Whether that's in training camp or in the middle of the 2026-27 season remains to be seen. But given the state of the Rangers, there are going to be spots available for younger players on the roster. The Rangers need to give their prospects some pro reps at some point, as it will only make them better.
Greentree has shown with Windsor that he is an incredible scorer. In the 2024-25 season, Greentree recorded 49 goals and 70 assists in 64 games. This season, Greentree has 24 goals and 24 assists to his credit through 37 games. While he can score, there are concerns about his skating ability, so that is something he needs to improve upon before he can officially crack the pro roster.
The Rangers obviously have high hopes for Greentree to develop into one of their top players. If he makes a great early impression, don't be shocked if he does make his Rangers debut at some point in the 2026-27 season.