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

[McRanger92]

Beginning to think we might need to assess where Perreault's at at the end of the year. It's almost like if Adam Fox was a forward. He's kind of giving me Brian Leetch vibes in the way that when Brian was drafted he was thought by a lot of people to be too small and weak to become an NHL defenseman and that he'd probably end up converting to a center/forward......and then he went to BC and literally in his freshman year became the best player in his conference. After that no one talked about him being a forward anymore. He didn't play a second year at BC because the next year was the Olympic year and back then North American pros weren't really eligible. Those players chosen then were for the most part the best American college players but played all together a schedule against minor league and college teams until the Olympics started and that was a pretty stacked US Olympic team and he was easily the best player on it and when the Olympics ended he signed with the Rangers.

Can he shift to Center?

 

[Clark Kellogg]

I’m with you. That would be best.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Beginning to think we might need to assess where Perreault's at at the end of the year. It's almost like if Adam Fox was a forward. He's kind of giving me Brian Leetch vibes in the way that when Brian was drafted he was thought by a lot of people to be too small and weak to become an NHL defenseman and that he'd probably end up converting to a center/forward......and then he went to BC and literally in his freshman year became the best player in his conference. After that no one talked about him being a forward anymore. He didn't play a second year at BC because the next year was the Olympic year and back then North American pros weren't really eligible. Those players chosen then were for the most part the best American college players but played all together a schedule against minor league and college teams until the Olympics started and that was a pretty stacked US Olympic team and he was easily the best player on it and when the Olympics ended he signed with the Rangers.

I've thought since the minute he was drafted he could be a one and done and be a Ranger to start 2024, but I still think he should do a second year and focus on his fitness and skating a bit more. From a talent standpoint he was NHL ready from the get go, but there are things I want him to work on before coming to the show. He's a plug in and play on the 2nd or 3rd line RW once he gets here.

BMB had 1+1 giving him 5-4-9 on his last 6 and finally getting him back to a point per game for the season (12-18-30 in 30). Hopefully he continues to produce. Looks good when I check on on him.

His Soo team is wayyyyy better this year than they were last year and they don't rely on him as their only source of offense.

Good news, still have hope that he's the 3rd line center on the big club in 3 or 4 years.

 

[NYR Viper]

I think the best thing for Perrault is to finish out his season and then play in the World Championships, even if it's just practicing/traveling with the team. Get him back to Boston for his Sophomore season and then when it's done, sign him up and let him finish the season in the AHL.

 

[kovazub94]

I think the best thing for Perrault is to finish out his season and then play in the World Championships, even if it's just practicing/traveling with the team. Get him back to Boston for his Sophomore season and then when it's done, sign him up and let him finish the season in the AHL.

This is the baseline and I'd continue to advocate for it at this point, though I get why folks are starting to entertain the idea that GP might be leaving BC and joining NYR organization either the varsity or Hartford as early as next year.

The thing is there's no need to do so from the organizational perspective. There are a slew of forwards who are in line to earn a spot with the Rangers or alternatively continue to makeup Hartford's roster.

 

[cwede]

This is the baseline and I'd continue to advocate for it at this point, though I get why folks are starting to entertain the idea that GP might be leaving BC and joining NYR organization either the varsity or Hartford as early as next year.

The thing is there's no need to do so from the organizational perspective. There are a slew of forwards who are in line to earn a spot with the Rangers or alternatively continue to makeup Hartford's roster.

no downside to returning to BC, he'd assume a bit of a leadership role,
and face the worthwhile challenge to "do it again"
Like Othmann returning to OHL after his breakout season, a very good development challenge

 

[Ranger Ric]

BMB had 1+1 giving him 5-4-9 on his last 6 and finally getting him back to a point per game for the season (12-18-30 in 30). Hopefully he continues to produce. Looks good when I check on on him.

His Soo team is wayyyyy better this year than they were last year and they don't rely on him as their only source of offense.

I looked at the league statistics before last weekend’s games and although the scoring was not what you would want to see he was 8th in the OHL in shots on goal. So he’s been active and maybe his shot percentage will increase.

 

[kovazub94]

I looked at the league statistics before last weekend’s games and although the scoring was not what you would want to see he was 8th in the OHL in shots on goal. So he’s been active and maybe his shot percentage will increase.

Yup, SOG is probably the main stat available that I look for in evaluation / comparison of prospects development.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Yup, SOG is probably the main stat available that I look for in evaluation / comparison of prospects development.

Really? Seems like an odd stat to use since it favors shooters over playmakers.

 

[nyr2k2]

The SOG thing is part of it but Soo is also no longer completely reliant on him for offense. Everything doesn't funnel through him in every situation.

They have Jack Beck now who is an OA prospect drafted by Calgary and is leading them in scoring. Owen Allard busted up his shoulder last year and only played 14 games; this year he has 30 points in 29 games. They added Arttu Karki who is a talented Finnish defender drafted in the third round of the most recent draft by Vegas and he has 30 in 30. Other guys like Cloutier and Mignosa are a year older and look set to double their production. They have a lot more options.

Last season they finished 18th out of 20 teams in the OHL and were 17th in scoring. This season has been a huge turnaround: 2nd overall in the OHL and 2nd in scoring.

 

[kovazub94]

Really? Seems like an odd stat to use since it favors shooters over playmakers.

You have to remember that at this level even future NHL bottom liners must look like offensive dynamos or playmakers like volume shooters (if a prospect worth anything). There’s obviously always room for exception but between SOG or just PPG stat - the former is more reliable IMO.

 

[pld459666]

Even nicer when you consider Smith actually slowed him down.

 

[2014nyr]

no downside to returning to BC, he'd assume a bit of a leadership role,
and face the worthwhile challenge to "do it again"
Like Othmann returning to OHL after his breakout season, a very good development challenge

yea there's absolutely zero reason to accelerate his move to pro hockey. it's always better to let a kid overcook. he should stay at bc until he's clearly nhl ready as a player. a short stint in the ahl is fine, but only as an nhl caliber player getting some seasoning.

players coming from junior can be more complicated given the age of their competition, so think it's more case by case with them than a rule of thumb. for ncaa or european kids though, encourage them to stay until it's more than obvious they're ready for the next level.

 

[2014nyr]

You have to remember that at this level even future NHL bottom liners must look like offensive dynamos or playmakers like volume shooters (if a prospect worth anything). There’s obviously always room for exception but between SOG or just PPG stat - the former is more reliable IMO.

never considered this, but it's a great thought. obviously nothing is perfect, but it's definitely a pretty good indicator of the type of impact a guy is making over a 60 min game and can at least be indicative of how much/little the puck is on their stick. obviously there are gonna be some players this isn't a great indicator for, but i'd imagine in most cases it's pretty informative.

makes me wonder what kinda shots he's taking though. like if he's creating the shots by carrying the puck and challenging/backing off defenders, if he's just shooting every time he has a chance, if he's finding space and being set up etc...but i suppose those things are what help project more of where in a lineup a player fits. the fact that he's getting that many shots, regardless of quality/how they're created, tells you he's at least quite involved in play and finding the puck.

 

[eco's bones]

SOG aren't a be all for whether a prospect will make the NHL but it's a good indicator when you have hopes that a specific player can or will become a significant offensive contributor. For a first year player like Othmann with 83 shots in 23 games (among AHL leaders) it's significant in showing that he's made the significant jump from the CHL to the AHL pretty seamlessly which bodes well for him reaching the NHL and making an impact when he does.

 

[egelband]

Right. No star is a be-all-end-all but SOG is a nice way to see who’s prominent withun an offense. Or maybe even more of an indicator of a guy who is just getting lucky. Like a 20 goal scorer who has 100 shots. I’d probably prefer to see that guy has like 150-200 shots.

 

[eco's bones]

Can he shift to Center?

Not sure what the obsession is with players shifting to center. Do you think that Chytil's career is over because right now we have three scoring centers as it is and they're all signed years out with Filip's deal the shortest but with 3 more after this. Also McConnelll-Barker looks to me like he has a really good chance to top out as a pretty good 3C as well as if the Rangers hang on to future 1st rounders the chances are they will use high picks on C's.

My concerns for Perreault becoming a center anyway would be 1) his skating....Stepan not the greatest skater pulled it off but he was never really an ideal top center because of lack of footspeed and his career as a productive player flamed out rather quickly and 2) face-offs and other defensive away from the puck issues that almost have to be learned from scratch. A center has to cover ground and more often than the wings he's the defensive conscience of his line.

 

[2014nyr]

Not sure what the obsession is with players shifting to center. Do you think that Chytil's career is over because right now we have three scoring centers as it is and they're all signed years out with Filip's deal the shortest but with 3 more after this. Also McConnelll-Barker looks to me like he has a really good chance to top out as a pretty good 3C as well as if the Rangers hang on to future 1st rounders the chances are they will use high picks on C's.

My concerns for Perreault becoming a center anyway would be 1) his skating....Stepan not the greatest skater pulled it off but he was never really an ideal top center because of lack of footspeed and his career as a productive player flamed out rather quickly and 2) face-offs and other defensive away from the puck issues that almost have to be learned from scratch. A center has to cover ground and more often than the wings he's the defensive conscience of his line.

i do think there's a very real chance chytil's career is over. he's apparently afraid to get back to playing, and there may well be very real concerns about the effects of another head injury if he did. even if he were to return, from an organizational perspective, you can't build a roster that assumes he'll remain in the lineup at this point. you have to think upon any return he would almost definitely be done if he did get conc'd again, and given his propensity for getting crumpled you can't like the odds of that not happening. maybe he finds a way to play out a career like crosby, hopefully he does, but he's not crosby. he's not a guy you put your franchise on hold for hoping he can return.

as far as perrault, the skating concerns are wildly overstated. he's not a poor skater at all. it's one of those things someone said that snowballed into a narrative. he'll add some jump as he develops physically, but his technique, balance, and edges are all fine. he does also take faceoffs for smith sometimes, so it's not something he's unfamiliar with.

i'm not suggesting he should be moved to center, but i would say that if he wanted to make that move there's nothing about his game that would prevent him from doing so. multiple times per game you'll see him playing the center role in the d zone and he supports effectively/typically makes fantastic breakout passes. again, i'm not advocating the move, but physically and hockey iq wise, there's no reason he couldn't. just comes down to which one he helps the team most in and where he wants to play.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

i do think there's a very real chance chytil's career is over. he's apparently afraid to get back to playing, and there may well be very real concerns about the effects of another head injury if he did. even if he were to return, from an organizational perspective, you can't build a roster that assumes he'll remain in the lineup at this point. you have to think upon any return he would almost definitely be done if he did get conc'd again, and given his propensity for getting crumpled you can't like the odds of that not happening. maybe he finds a way to play out a career like crosby, hopefully he does, but he's not crosby. he's not a guy you put your franchise on hold for hoping he can return.

as far as perrault, the skating concerns are wildly overstated. he's not a poor skater at all. it's one of those things someone said that snowballed into a narrative. he'll add some jump as he develops physically, but his technique, balance, and edges are all fine. he does also take faceoffs for smith sometimes, so it's not something he's unfamiliar with.

i'm not suggesting he should be moved to center, but i would say that if he wanted to make that move there's nothing about his game that would prevent him from doing so. multiple times per game you'll see him playing the center role in the d zone and he supports effectively/typically makes fantastic breakout passes. again, i'm not advocating the move, but physically and hockey iq wise, there's no reason he couldn't. just comes down to which one he helps the team most in and where he wants to play.

Source?

 

[eco's bones]

i do think there's a very real chance chytil's career is over. he's apparently afraid to get back to playing, and there may well be very real concerns about the effects of another head injury if he did. even if he were to return, from an organizational perspective, you can't build a roster that assumes he'll remain in the lineup at this point. you have to think upon any return he would almost definitely be done if he did get conc'd again, and given his propensity for getting crumpled you can't like the odds of that not happening. maybe he finds a way to play out a career like crosby, hopefully he does, but he's not crosby. he's not a guy you put your franchise on hold for hoping he can return.

as far as perrault, the skating concerns are wildly overstated. he's not a poor skater at all. it's one of those things someone said that snowballed into a narrative. he'll add some jump as he develops physically, but his technique, balance, and edges are all fine. he does also take faceoffs for smith sometimes, so it's not something he's unfamiliar with.

i'm not suggesting he should be moved to center, but i would say that if he wanted to make that move there's nothing about his game that would prevent him from doing so. multiple times per game you'll see him playing the center role in the d zone and he supports effectively/typically makes fantastic breakout passes. again, i'm not advocating the move, but physically and hockey iq wise, there's no reason he couldn't. just comes down to which one he helps the team most in and where he wants to play.

When you're concussed there are protocols you have to pass to be allowed to play again. There are almost no standards to how a concussion will affect a player as far as how long the symptoms last.....when he'll be able to play again. You want to be sure he's healthy when he does come back because if he's not he can easily be concussed again and multiplying them in a short period of time is not good. It's a patience game.

 

[leetch99]

Do they keep track of rebound retrievals / shot attempts from the whacked -hacked-cracked-attacked areas ? That is what Ranger scouts should be looking for in a young guy . We could use a couple of them .

 

[GAGLine]

2024 World Juniors: Team USA Roster Beginning To Take Shape In Camp Day 2 - FloHockey

Team USA offered a small glimpse into what they may be thinking about roster decisions based on the second day of WJC camp including who's on the bubble.

www.flohockey.tv

I also don't really get the sense that Drew Fortescue is on the bubble as I believe he's more likely to be Team USA's third defenseman on the left side and will play in a penalty killing role. I don't think it's safe to call Fortescue a lock, but I would be surprised if he is not on the roster.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

There’s a Centre, Owen Allard who plays on the Soo with BMB that made Team Canada.
Undrafted. Anyone have a read?

 

[nyr2k2]

There’s a Centre, Owen Allard who plays on the Soo with BMB that made Team Canada.
Undrafted. Anyone have a read?

I really don't remember him from the Soo team last season when he was injured for most of it. This season I've seen him a few times, he has decent skill but is more of a sparkplug, energy guy than anything. Plays in all situations and all over the ice. I like him. Maybe a decent late round flyer.

 

[nyr2k2]

BMB was scoreless.

Roobroeck had an assist.

Henricks had 2 goals, giving him 5 in the last 2 games. He's still only at 9-4-13 in 23 games.

Barbashev had a goal. He's picked it up a bit with Rimouski but is still at just 6-3-9 in 10 games with them which is uninspiring for an over-age player, particularly in the Q.