Prospect Info: 2024-2025 Rangers Prospects Thread (Prospect Stats in Post #1; Updated 12/15/2024)

[NYR Viper]

That’s great to hear, definitely lines up with everything I’ve seen of him pre-draft. It’s especially impressive when you consider he was like a week from being eligible for this year’s draft.

The good news is the Rangers don’t seem to need the depth up front immediately, so he should have plenty of time to marinate in the AHL. I heard he played bottom-6 most of this year, do you expect his role to be expanded this year in Hartford?

Garland is an interesting comparable, Lehkonen is a high end comparison I like if everything goes right. Rags likely got a good one here.

I very much expect his role to expand this year, especially given the ascension of guys like Edstrom and Berard or Othmann being likely opening up some spots. The Rangers have good depth on the wing though so he may be on the 3rd line if he doesn’t prove deserving

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

I very much expect his role to expand this year, especially given the ascension of guys like Edstrom and Berard or Othmann being likely opening up some spots. The Rangers have good depth on the wing though so he may be on the 3rd line if he doesn’t prove deserving

You look at someone like Sykora vs. a Kravstov/Andersson and you can see the clear difference in personality and attitude. It was great to hear that Drury asked him/Othmann/Berard to come to rookie camp and none of them already booked a summer vacation.

 

[LaffyTaffy]

Did they not do a white v dark prospect scrimmage this year? I feel like they usually livestream that no?

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

Did they not do a white v dark prospect scrimmage this year? I feel like they usually livestream that no?

Othmann, Berard, Sykora, and Mancini all gave them wedgies, fat lips, and swirlies.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Former prospect Lias Andersson gives up on the NHL.

Former 2017 7th-overall pick Lias Andersson signs in Switzerland | TSN

Forward Lias Andersson, the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, has signed a two-year deal in Switzerland with EHC Biel-Bienne.

www.tsn.ca

I guess he took "Swiss army knife" to heart.

 

[eco's bones]

You look at someone like Sykora vs. a Kravstov/Andersson and you can see the clear difference in personality and attitude. It was great to hear that Drury asked him/Othmann/Berard to come to rookie camp and none of them already booked a summer vacation.

Sykora seems to have a happy, bubbly personality. Everything seems fun to him. Noticed though from his interview he's thickened out a bit. My take...he's kind of an energizer bunny kind of player like Carl Hagelin in that he's a great skater that harasses opponents up and down the ice but also like Hagelin there's a limit to his offense. He also does it without taking penalties and by that I mean so far hardly ever never. In the 68 AHL regular season games he has 4 total and in his 14 AHL playoff games it's 0. That's 82 games with 4 pm's for a guy that's sometimes all over the opposition like flypaper.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Sykora seems to have a happy, bubbly personality. Everything seems fun to him. Noticed though from his interview he's thickened out a bit. My take...he's kind of an energizer bunny kind of player like Carl Hagelin in that he's a great skater that harasses opponents up and down the ice but also like Hagelin there's a limit to his offense. He also does it without taking penalties and by that I mean so far hardly ever never. In the 68 AHL regular season games he has 4 total and in his 14 AHL playoff games it's 0. That's 82 games with 4 pm's for a guy that's sometimes all over the opposition like flypaper.

Apparently he's a gym rat, so I expect him to be a specimen when he's a bit older. Like you said, you can already see him filling out quickly, and he's not even 20 yet!

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Apparently he's a gym rat, so I expect him to be a specimen when he's a bit older. Like you said, you can already see him filling out quickly, and he's not even 20 yet!

If his dad's physique is any indication, I think he'll be fine.

 

[Barnaby]

If his dad's physique is any indication, I think he'll be fine.

View attachment 893684

Mom's physique ain't too shabby either.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Mom's physique ain't too shabby either.

Easy there Corey Perry.

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

Sykora seems to have a happy, bubbly personality. Everything seems fun to him. Noticed though from his interview he's thickened out a bit. My take...he's kind of an energizer bunny kind of player like Carl Hagelin in that he's a great skater that harasses opponents up and down the ice but also like Hagelin there's a limit to his offense. He also does it without taking penalties and by that I mean so far hardly ever never. In the 68 AHL regular season games he has 4 total and in his 14 AHL playoff games it's 0. That's 82 games with 4 pm's for a guy that's sometimes all over the opposition like flypaper.

If Sykora can become a Hagelin like player for the next decade, huge win. Hagelin's production was fine and his impact on the game was always noticeable. For someone who was supposed to be a Swedish John Madden, he was more. He also was part of many deep playoff runs for the Rangers and Penguins for all of the 2010s.

He just hated the West Coast for some reason

 

[eco's bones]

If Sykora can become a Hagelin like player for the next decade, huge win. Hagelin's production was fine and his impact on the game was always noticeable. For someone who was supposed to be a Swedish John Madden, he was more. He also was part of many deep playoff runs for the Rangers and Penguins for all of the 2010s.

He just hated the West Coast for some reason

I was a big fan of Hagelin's. He had speed and even better he had an engine. He could get stuck out on the ice for a long period of time and not get gassed and that and his stellar defensive game made him a great penalty killer and a guy you'd want on the ice closing out games in the last few minutes whenever we had a lead. Fast kind of replaced him but Fast was never quite as good IMO. Hagelin had a somewhat limited offensive game. Basically Sykora checks all the same boxes---about the same size and a great skater with an engine. His developing his defensive game more is his ticket and chip in offense when he can. Like Hagelin he's not going to be a big point getter. He's only 20 years old though. He'll be a bottom 6 forward but he should be a high functioning one.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I was a big fan of Hagelin's. He had speed and even better he had an engine. He could get stuck out on the ice for a long period of time and not get gassed and that and his stellar defensive game made him a great penalty killer and a guy you'd want on the ice closing out games in the last few minutes whenever we had a lead. Fast kind of replaced him but Fast was never quite as good IMO. Hagelin had a somewhat limited offensive game. Basically Sykora checks all the same boxes---about the same size and a great skater with an engine. His developing his defensive game more is his ticket and chip in offense when he can. Like Hagelin he's not going to be a big point getter. He's only 20 years old though. He'll be a bottom 6 forward but he should be a high functioning one.

Not even, still 19 for another almost 2 months.

Kid is also a tank, nobody is even going to realize he's 5'11 with the size he will have out there in a couple years.

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

Not even, still 19 for another almost 2 months.

Kid is also a tank, nobody is even going to realize he's 5'11 with the size he will have out there in a couple years.

Sykora to me screams "top 6er due to chemistry with top players" in the same way as Othmann.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Sykora is a unicorn. I've never heard a comparison for him and felt it did a good job of embodying the player that he will be.

And that isn't meant to be 100% complementary. His offensive game has some steps to take before it is at the level of pre-NHL Fast or Hagelin. But the player that Sykora is, the path that he is on, feels pretty unique to me.

He decided at an incredibly precocious age that being a water bug that blocked shots, forechecked, and killed penalties, was what he would be. He may literally have the most meaningful PK experience of any prospect his age, ever. Since he was 16, he's been doing it against men.

There's just no one-to-one comparison for that. He's the type of player that we will be using to compare other prospects to for decades; and we'll be wrong. This isn't a normal development arc.

Like, if he gets to the NHL and never develops any kind of scoring touch, I wouldn't be able to say exactly what that player will look like. And if he gets here and figures out how to leverage his cardio and tenacity into offense as he matures, I still wouldn't be able to say exactly what that player will look like.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Sykora is a unicorn. I've never heard a comparison for him and felt it did a good job of embodying the player that he will be.

And that isn't meant to be 100% complementary. His offensive game has some steps to take before it is at the level of pre-NHL Fast or Hagelin. But the player that Sykora is, the path that he is on, feels pretty unique to me.

He decided at an incredibly precocious age that being a water bug that blocked shots, forechecked, and killed penalties, was what he would be. He may literally have the most meaningful PK experience of any prospect his age, ever. Since he was 16, he's been doing it against men.

There's just no one-to-one comparison for that. He's the type of player that we will be using to compare other prospects to for decades; and we'll be wrong. This isn't a normal development arc.

Like, if he gets to the NHL and never develops any kind of scoring touch, I wouldn't be able to say exactly what that player will look like. And if he gets here and figures out how to leverage his cardio and tenacity into offense as he matures, I still wouldn't be able to say exactly what that player will look like.

Sometimes I think of a less offensive callahan at their ages.

 

[kovazub94]

Sykora is a unicorn. I've never heard a comparison for him and felt it did a good job of embodying the player that he will be.

And that isn't meant to be 100% complementary. His offensive game has some steps to take before it is at the level of pre-NHL Fast or Hagelin. But the player that Sykora is, the path that he is on, feels pretty unique to me.

He decided at an incredibly precocious age that being a water bug that blocked shots, forechecked, and killed penalties, was what he would be. He may literally have the most meaningful PK experience of any prospect his age, ever. Since he was 16, he's been doing it against men.

There's just no one-to-one comparison for that. He's the type of player that we will be using to compare other prospects to for decades; and we'll be wrong. This isn't a normal development arc.

Like, if he gets to the NHL and never develops any kind of scoring touch, I wouldn't be able to say exactly what that player will look like. And if he gets here and figures out how to leverage his cardio and tenacity into offense as he matures, I still wouldn't be able to say exactly what that player will look like.

I don’t see Sykora this way - as someone very special. There’ve been plenty of smaller players whose calling card has been around their tenacity (and IQ to proper it up, rather than a waste) and one or two other hockey tools. Heck (can’t believe I just used it lol), as of right now the Rangers have Berard who’s broadly fits the same mold. The issue is that where these players would ultimately wind up is not known and the spectrum is pretty wide. There’s been a few around the league who are bona fide top-6 forwards and even 1st liners, but most are (a very useful) depth.

 

[Harbour Dog]

I don’t see Sykora this way - as someone very special. There’ve been plenty of smaller players whose calling card has been around their tenacity (and IQ to proper it up, rather than a waste) and one or two other hockey tools. Heck (can’t believe I just used it lol), as of right now the Rangers have Berard who’s broadly fits the same mold. The issue is that where these players would ultimately wind up is not known and the spectrum is pretty wide. There’s been a few around the league who are bona fide top-6 forwards and even 1st liners, but most are (a very useful) depth.

First off, I was more than half cut when I got home and wrote that post last night haha; so I don't want to corner myself into defending the entire thing.

But at the same time, even though there have been and will continue to be energy guys like that, none of them have gotten to where Sykora is via this path. He's ahead of the vast majority of his peers in those specific traits (probably all of them when it comes to PK situations), but has a lot to prove offensively in relation to them.

Do Berard and him play a similar game? Sure. Save for Berard's offense. But if we lined a 19-20 year old Berard up next to a 19-20 year old Sykora, there'd be a marked difference in how effective Sykora is on the forecheck and how efficiently he gets around the ice.

Not to say he won't eventually fill a role at the NHL level that has a bunch of comparables, but the route he's taking to get there is pretty unique and polarized, and with that I always find myself slapping a bunch of caveats on any comparisons I see of him. More than any other prospect I can remember in the last 10-15 years.

 

[eco's bones]

I think that there's a pretty good chance that in the next couple/three years the Rangers are going to decide to keep one of Berard and Sykora and move the other. It could even happen faster than that. They're both destined for the bottom 6 and more hopefully the third line but I just don't see the Rangers having two undersized forwards like that in their bottom 6 and particularly playing together on the same line. Berard could possibly work his way into the top 6 because he has more offensive pop but I think that's a reach. He'd have to outplay Reilly Smith and Kakko to do that this year.

 

[GAGLine]

I think that there's a pretty good chance that in the next couple/three years the Rangers are going to decide to keep one of Berard and Sykora and move the other. It could even happen faster than that. They're both destined for the bottom 6 and more hopefully the third line but I just don't see the Rangers having two undersized forwards like that in their bottom 6 and particularly playing together on the same line. Berard could possibly work his way into the top 6 because he has more offensive pop but I think that's a reach. He'd have to outplay Reilly Smith and Kakko to do that this year.

Predicting the future is difficult. It's certainly possible that one of them is moved. It's possible both are. It's also possible that one or both fail to become regular NHL players, making moot any discussion about how both would fit on an NHL roster.

It's not something that we have to worry about until it actually becomes a problem. I'd rather have 2 NHL players and only 1 spot, rather than 2 prospects and risk trading the wrong one.

 

[kovazub94]

First off, I was more than half cut when I got home and wrote that post last night haha; so I don't want to corner myself into defending the entire thing.

But at the same time, even though there have been and will continue to be energy guys like that, none of them have gotten to where Sykora is via this path. He's ahead of the vast majority of his peers in those specific traits (probably all of them when it comes to PK situations), but has a lot to prove offensively in relation to them.

Do Berard and him play a similar game? Sure. Save for Berard's offense. But if we lined a 19-20 year old Berard up next to a 19-20 year old Sykora, there'd be a marked difference in how effective Sykora is on the forecheck and how efficiently he gets around the ice.

Not to say he won't eventually fill a role at the NHL level that has a bunch of comparables, but the route he's taking to get there is pretty unique and polarized, and with that I always find myself slapping a bunch of caveats on any comparisons I see of him. More than any other prospect I can remember in the last 10-15 years.

Hey I’m not here to corner you - just for a stimulating discussion (and good on you to be able to so clearly express yourself while under sauce lol).

Now the difference between Sykora and Berard in their respective 19-20 seasons is essentially why one was considered a potential 1st rounder in his draft year while the other was picked much much later. But that goes to my point - we cannot say if this difference will eventually manifest in how high they’ll be playing in the lineup, especially considering how well Berard has developed since getting drafted. Which one will show knack for goal scoring enough to be a solid top-6er like Callaghan and which more like Lettieri at the other end of a spectrum for smaller players who actually made it to the NHL. Both current prospects have equal chances of becoming either end or anywhere in between.

P.S. I also don’t see the Rangers keeping both of them even if they develop to a different degree - they are essentially each other’s hedging bet from the organizational standpoint.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Hey I’m not here to corner you - just for a stimulating discussion (and good on you to be able to so clearly express yourself while under sauce lol).

Now the difference between Sykora and Berard in their respective 19-20 seasons is essentially why one was considered a potential 1st rounder in his draft year while the other was picked much much later. But that goes to my point - we cannot say if this difference will eventually manifest in how high they’ll be playing in the lineup, especially considering how well Berard has developed since getting drafted. Which one will show knack for goal scoring enough to be a solid top-6er like Callaghan and which more like Lettieri at the other end of a spectrum for smaller players who actually made it to the NHL. Both current prospects have equal chances of becoming either end or anywhere in between.

P.S. I also don’t see the Rangers keeping both of them even if they develop to a different degree - they are essentially each other’s hedging bet from the organizational standpoint.

I agree with everything you're saying. I would actually bet on Berard being the more likely of the two to play up in the lineup.

What I'm getting at with Sykora is that he has been so singularly focused on becoming this specific type of player that the range for what he could become feels just as wide as it was when we drafted him. He's still outworking everybody on the ice, he's still producing about the same offensively, and he's still playing above his head age-wise.

Out-working everybody on the ice stops being an option at some point for 99% of players. He certainly looks like he belongs in the 1%, but it's not impossible that he has already peaked. At the same time, if his game translates and he also figures out how to contribute offensively as he puts on more muscle and stops being one of the youngest players in his leagues, then he could turn out to be a special type of player. The type that GMs would give their left arm to sign.

 

[kovazub94]

I agree with everything you're saying. I would actually bet on Berard being the more likely of the two to play up in the lineup.

What I'm getting at with Sykora is that he has been so singularly focused on becoming this specific type of player that the range for what he could become feels just as wide as it was when we drafted him. He's still outworking everybody on the ice, he's still producing about the same offensively, and he's still playing above his head age-wise.

Out-working everybody on the ice stops being an option at some point for 99% of players. He certainly looks like he belongs in the 1%, but it's not impossible that he has already peaked. At the same time, if his game translates and he also figures out how to contribute offensively as he puts on more muscle and stops being one of the youngest players in his leagues, then he could turn out to be a special type of player. The type that GMs would give their left arm to sign.

Again, I don’t see exceptional (is there a difference in definition?) So far Sykora hasn’t shown any other “exceptional” skills besides his motor and effort to differentiate from the rest. Combination with smaller build the best he could project without these - just continuing to develop all skills to the NHL averages - would be Dom Moore IF he could add ability to play center.

 

[bhamill]

I think that there's a pretty good chance that in the next couple/three years the Rangers are going to decide to keep one of Berard and Sykora and move the other. It could even happen faster than that. They're both destined for the bottom 6 and more hopefully the third line but I just don't see the Rangers having two undersized forwards like that in their bottom 6 and particularly playing together on the same line. Berard could possibly work his way into the top 6 because he has more offensive pop but I think that's a reach. He'd have to outplay Reilly Smith and Kakko to do that this year.

I think Berard will be a 2nd liner. Not this year, not next, but it’s where he will end up. Sykora, unless he develops offense, which since he is only 19 still isn’t a foregone conclusion, I see as a shutdown third liner and possibly elite penalty killer. I believe there is room for both of them, but we have so many candidates for the bottom 9, including Kakko, Cuylle, Othmann and Berard with real 2nd line potential, that not all of them will have their careers as NYRs.

 

[RangersFan1994]

I think Berard will be a 2nd liner. Not this year, not next, but it’s where he will end up. Sykora, unless he develops offense, which since he is only 19 still isn’t a foregone conclusion, I see as a shutdown third liner and possibly elite penalty killer. I believe there is room for both of them, but we have so many candidates for the bottom 9, including Kakko, Cuylle, Othmann and Berard with real 2nd line potential, that not all of them will have their careers as NYRs.

Cuylle I think played special teams in Hartford, I hope he gets that chance for the Rangers this year. Would take pressure off Mika, Kreider, Trocheck the vets. Would not mind having some younger players PK this year like Edstrom. Didnt Dom Moore PK his first season as a Ranger his rookie year? I think Cuylle and Edstrom should get a look on the PK at least. Edstrom or Cuylle id like to see in front on PP2 causing havoc and screening the goalie legally.