Prospect Info: 2023-2024 Rangers Prospects Thread (Prospect Stats in Post #1; Updated 05.22.2024)

[Beer League Sniper]

Lafreniere
Kakko
Perreault
Schneider
Othmann
Cuylle
Chmelar
Robertson
McConnell-Barker
Jones
Ollas

He ranked them in that order. That's not close to how I'd rank them. The. He has a group of guys that aren't ranked under a "Chance to Play" header, listed alphabetically.

Boyko
Edstrom
Fortescue
Korczak
Laba
Larsson
Sykora
Vaisanen

Again, my list would be way different. But, he's the pro, so what do I know.

He left out Brett Berard entirely. I don't know how you can be even vaguely familiar with our pool and not list the kid. He's a top-10 prospect in our system.

 

[Ranger Ric]

He left out Brett Berard entirely. I don't know how you can be even vaguely familiar with our pool and not list the kid. He's a top-10 prospect in our system.

He left out Garand and Barbashev as well as Barard and my under the radar prospect, Mancini. Hard to explain the omissions.

OTOH of the 31 eligible prospects — Emberson, Scanlin and Travigno aged out — he listed 19. So a couple of high end guys and lots of depth. Will be interesting to see if some of the prospects break out.

 

[Ranger Ric]

I haven't wanted to start the conversation, lest he doesn't overachieve and then the board turns on him after a season, but Sykora is the kind of kid who could find his way to the NHL much quicker than we all anticipate.

I won't be shocked if he's one of the most important players for Hartford right out of the gate.

You could be right but he is going to need ice time. there’s lots of competition and in my opinion the coach has relied too heavily on vets.

 

[Ranger Ric]

Yeah, I agree with that. I'd expect that he has to hit his ceiling to be that Hagelin/Fast type, but even if he only gets three quarters of the way there, that's still a career NHLer skillset; and exactly the type of skillset that competing teams try to populate their bottom six with.

I also agree but I would like to see some development on his offense, which is why I would like to see him in the WHL and play top line minutes. I fear with all of the young players in Hartford his offense won’t develop.

 

[eco's bones]

Yeah, I agree with that. I'd expect that he has to hit his ceiling to be that Hagelin/Fast type, but even if he only gets three quarters of the way there, that's still a career NHLer skillset; and exactly the type of skillset that competing teams try to populate their bottom six with.

Oh I think he can get there. It's not that he doesn't have any offensive skill....it's just not what he does best. He's got speed and he buzzes all over the place and he doesn't tire easily. I absolutely think he can be a like a Hagelein or a Fast....maybe more like Hagelin. His game is easily projectable as an NHL bottom 6 checker/penalty killer.....someone maybe you use to shadow the other teams top players maybe. Might be a guy to harass the shit out of Jack Hughes in the future.

 

[2014nyr]

I haven't wanted to start the conversation, lest he doesn't overachieve and then the board turns on him after a season, but Sykora is the kind of kid who could find his way to the NHL much quicker than we all anticipate.

I won't be shocked if he's one of the most important players for Hartford right out of the gate.

been saying this. it's far from a sure thing, but he's got a real chance to crack the nhl lineup as soon as this year. he plays a game this team is severely lacking (a guy that actually plays fast...every shift is full speed being a menace in puck pursuit) and he brings a contagious energy with how he competes. i could see trivigno or berard also finding their way into that kinda role eventually, but sykora is the most intriguing because of the fearlessness he plays with.

long term also see him as a guy with more potential runway than most given how young he was at the draft and how far from being physically developed he was then / the strides he's made to this point there. he's an x factor in the prospect pool.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Does Robertson have to go through waivers this season? If so, I can see him getting dealt before regular season starts?

 

[cwede]

Does Robertson have to go through waivers this season? If so, I can see him getting dealt before regular season starts

No not yet. Only 2 seasons post-Juniors

You can always check CapFriendly
At the main team page, players who are Waiver Exempt will a green circle badge with a white arrow pointing down
The site also has a Waivers calculator that reviews the guidelines

 

[cwede]

Does Robertson have to go through waivers this season? If so, I can see him getting dealt before regular season starts?

But even if he was, like, Emberson, not sure there's a real claim risk
I dont have the history, but how often is guy claimed with Zero career NHL GP?

 

[nyr2k2]

But even if he was, like, Emberson, not sure there's a real claim risk
I dont have the history, but how often is guy claimed with Zero career NHL GP?

Yes it's very small. Not a zero chance, but small.

The only way one is claimed is if you find a team with poor defensive depth that is also lacking in prospects pushing for a spot. Maybe they want to take a gamble. Maybe someone in their front office was here when we selected Jones for example, and they are still very high on him. That's really the primary plausible scenario. You claim him, give him a shot, and if he doesn't work you may be lose him to waivers again.

For the Rangers they may have some additional risk since their defense is mainly set and you have several guys Fighting for a spot. Teams know our situation and will definitely be watching Jones, Emberson, you could even throw in someone like Mac Hollowell.

In any event, as @cwede said, it's really unlikely any of those guys I mentioned are claimed. Maybe Jones has the highest shot because of the perceived upside and everyone needs PMD, but otherwise, they should be fairly safe.

 

[GAGLine]

But even if he was, like, Emberson, not sure there's a real claim risk
I dont have the history, but how often is guy claimed with Zero career NHL GP?

I had to go back to Jan 11, 2022 to find a player who was claimed off waivers without ever having played in the NHL. Lucas Elvenes was claimed by Anaheim after being placed on waivers by Vegas, but he never played for Anaheim.

Connor Ingram (goalie) played 3 games before being claimed, and Johnathan Kovacevic (dman) played 4 games before being claimed. Ingram played 27 games for Arizona last year and Kovacevic played 77 games for Montreal.

This is the make or break year for Robertson. He was the 49th overall pick in 2019 and he's going into his D+5 season. He has been an early cut in the last 2 training camps and, despite reports that he has improved, he has yet to earn a callup and missed the end of last season and the playoffs with an injury. If he gets to next summer without having played any NHL games, waivers might not matter because we might not even offer him a QO.

 

[eco's bones]

Yes it's very small. Not a zero chance, but small.

The only way one is claimed is if you find a team with poor defensive depth that is also lacking in prospects pushing for a spot. Maybe they want to take a gamble. Maybe someone in their front office was here when we selected Jones for example, and they are still very high on him. That's really the primary plausible scenario. You claim him, give him a shot, and if he doesn't work you may be lose him to waivers again.

For the Rangers they may have some additional risk since their defense is mainly set and you have several guys Fighting for a spot. Teams know our situation and will definitely be watching Jones, Emberson, you could even throw in someone like Mac Hollowell.

In any event, as @cwede said, it's really unlikely any of those guys I mentioned are claimed. Maybe Jones has the highest shot because of the perceived upside and everyone needs PMD, but otherwise, they should be fairly safe.

Pretty sure if a team claims someone they have to keep them on their NHL roster or risk losing him back to waivers and quite often that player if he goes back on waivers ends up back with his original team. The question of whether Jones can nail down a third pairing job for the Rangers will be the same if he's claimed on waivers whether he can nail down that same 6D job for his new team. Forcing someone into the lineup just because otherwise you're going to lose him to waivers is not really a great idea or at least not for a team that's not really rebuilding. I'd rather other teams do that and us go with the 6 guys we think are the best now.

Right now that 6D spot I think is Erik Gustafsson's to lose. Jones is going to have to beat him out. It's not really good for him to be next year's Libor Hajek. Gustafsson is not very big, strong or defensively proficient but he's bigger, stronger, more experienced than Jones and coming off a 42 point NHL season compared to Jones putting up 31 in the AHL. Gustafsson has also played for Laviolette and his signing makes me think anyway that our new coach wanted him.

 

[GAGLine]

Pretty sure if a team claims someone they have to keep them on their NHL roster or risk losing him back to waivers and quite often that player if he goes back on waivers ends up back with his original team.

I think it depends on the circumstances.

After being claimed by Anaheim, Elvenes played 43 games for the San Diego Gulls. Anaheim never waived him. I think because he was on unconditional waivers instead of regular waivers, Anaheim didn't need to waive him to send him down.

Also, if a player is waived, claimed by another team, then waived again and claimed by his original team, that team doesn't need waivers to send him down.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I think it depends on the circumstances.

View attachment 738408

After being claimed by Anaheim, Elvenes played 43 games for the San Diego Gulls. Anaheim never waived him. I think because he was on unconditional waivers instead of regular waivers, Anaheim didn't need to waive him to send him down.

Also, if a player is waived, claimed by another team, then waived again and claimed by his original team, that team doesn't need waivers to send him down.

Correct. Unconditional waivers is different.

 

[cwede]

.. Right now that 6D spot I think is Erik Gustafsson's to lose. Jones is going to have to beat him out ....

re the waiver/NYR-D topic, been wondering if NYR might break camp w 8D

why:
- there's a chance Mackey (0 AHL games last year, but while not a NHL regular) could be claimed
- Some coaches like 8 D for practice purposes (IIRC AV did)

obvi, that would mean carrying 23(full) roster,
which can slow/decrease accruing Cap Space, lately a prevailing asset management strategy

NYR have been among the healthiest, least man-games-lost-to-injury in recent seasons, can't presume that continues

New coaching staff might find that approach useful esp during first few months

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

re the waiver/NYR-D topic, been wondering if NYR might break camp w 8D

why:
- there's a chance Mackey (0 AHL games last year, but while not a NHL regular) could be claimed
- Some coaches like 8 D for practice purposes (IIRC AV did)

obvi, that would mean carrying 23(full) roster,
which can slow/decrease accruing Cap Space, lately a prevailing asset management strategy

NYR have been among the healthiest, least man-games-lost-to-injury in recent seasons, can't presume that continues

New coaching staff might find that approach useful esp during first few months

The Hájek experience.

 

[eco's bones]

Robertson was pretty underwhelming in his first pro season. He was better last year but ended it injured and didn't return for the playoffs. Maybe he goes to camp and plays well but so far nothing that I've seen indicates he's ready to beat out any of Gustafsson, Harpur, Jones, Mackey on LD.

Jones I think would be helped out a lot getting up to 185/190 lbs. He's too light to play in traffic IMO. It hurts his defending. He has the best skating, puck moving skills, creativity of our D prospects but he's also the smallest, weakest guy and Fox kind of makes a lot of his skillset superfluous. He's had some chance but he still needs to prove he can make the jump with that skillset to the NHL and have some real impact. The Gustafsson signing threatens his chances more than anyone's.

Emberson was consistently good all season long last year pretty much from the first game of the regular season until the last game of the playoffs. The issue for him though is he's not going to supplant any of Fox, Trouba, Schneider on the right side. Unless there's an injury he's got no chance.

I thought Scanlin also had a good year. He's a big body and he defends pretty well but his skating isn't the greatest. If he's competing against someone like Harpur then fine but when the Rangers signed Gustafsson I think they settled their top 6 right there.

 

[Ranger Ric]

Pretty sure if a team claims someone they have to keep them on their NHL roster or risk losing him back to waivers and quite often that player if he goes back on waivers ends up back with his original team. The question of whether Jones can nail down a third pairing job for the Rangers will be the same if he's claimed on waivers whether he can nail down that same 6D job for his new team. Forcing someone into the lineup just because otherwise you're going to lose him to waivers is not really a great idea or at least not for a team that's not really rebuilding. I'd rather other teams do that and us go with the 6 guys we think are the best now.

Right now that 6D spot I think is Erik Gustafsson's to lose. Jones is going to have to beat him out. It's not really good for him to be next year's Libor Hajek. Gustafsson is not very big, strong or defensively proficient but he's bigger, stronger, more experienced than Jones and coming off a 42 point NHL season compared to Jones putting up 31 in the AHL. Gustafsson has also played for Laviolette and his signing makes me think anyway that our new coach wanted him.

And Gustafsson likely signed with the Rangers because of his experience with Laviolette in Washington.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Don't think we should have expected the Rangers to be where they were last season (#9). They had Miller and Chytil "graduate".

Hes not wrong about the skating thing though.

It’s Pronman. He’s shown consistently that he has absolutely zero clue of what fundamentally goes into being a good skater and how to discern the difference between pace and skating. His ability to project how those skills will improve as these kids grow is also terrible.

 

[Ranger Ric]

Jay O’Brien signs with Toronto Marlies.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Jay O’Brien signs with Toronto Marlies.

Shocked a former 1st round pick could not even get an NHL deal

 

[cwede]

Shocked a former 1st round pick could not even get an NHL deal

I am not that shocked.
I have only a limited confidence in the amateur scouting of teenagers, and ranking them amongst themselves.
The ratings are subjective projections based on patchy and early data.

This year's Hockey News Draft Preview called out a hundred names.
The only NYR draftee included was Gabe.
I believe my confidence is rationally objective, that Fortescue and Larsson can have as successful an NHL career as at least half of those guys.

Some future stars are obvious.
But i feel its not that surprising when 112OA or 132OA have stronger careers than 12OA.
That kid who was rated at 17 will be a different guy at 22 or 26

 

[eco's bones]

I am not that shocked.
I have only a limited confidence in the amateur scouting of teenagers, and ranking them amongst themselves.
The ratings are subjective projections based on patchy and early data.

This year's Hockey News Draft Preview called out a hundred names.
The only NYR draftee included was Gabe.
I believe my confidence is rationally objective, that Fortescue and Larsson can have as successful an NHL career as at least half of those guys.

Some future stars are obvious.
But i feel its not that surprising when 112OA or 132OA have stronger careers than 12OA.
That kid who was rated at 17 will be a different guy at 22 or 26

Jay O'Brien might have been a former 1st but he was hardly Kevin Hayes playing out his 4 years and hanging around until August to sign with whoever as a free agent. There wasn't much doubt Hayes was going to be an NHL player. O'Brien's drafting team had pretty much already given up on him. I'm sure Chicago would have liked to sign Hayes. It's not like the better free agents available this August aren't good players......the question is can they become good NHL players after somewhat average college careers for where they were taken in the draft. Draft pedigree doesn't always amount to a lot.

 

[nyr2k2]

Yeah the Flyers had said long ago that they weren't going to sign O'Brien. They preferred the second round compensatory pick they'll get. Should tell you a lot about what they thought of him as a prospect.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Yeah the Flyers had said long ago that they weren't going to sign O'Brien. They preferred the second round compensatory pick they'll get. Should tell you a lot about what they thought of him as a prospect.

So why they even draft him?