Prospect Info: Hartford Wolf Pack/Bloomington Bison Thread: Part XV

[Ranger Ric]

After following the Pack all season including the first two rounds of the playoffs I missed the last round because of a previously scheduled trip to Europe with my wife. Thanks for Rodolfo for posting the game highlights and to those of you who watched and provided commentary on the boards so I could follow from overseas.

While I was away Arthur Staple of the Athletic had a three part Q&A on the Rangers focusing mostly on coaching. In one of the questions, Staple delved into the Pack. I thought his comments were worth bringing to your attention.

The first comment dealt with the coach. I don't think Staple has written one article this year on the Pack and any information he is getting is very likely very team sources. So Staple's comments may be an opening into the Rangers team management on the coach.

During the Pack's winning streak someone suggested Knoblauch as a potential Rangers coach. nyr2k2 responded that Knoblauch's record was pretty mediocre. I seconded nyr2k2's comments by showing the lack of success the team has had in four years prior to the hot streak at the end of the season.

Staple's comments were to discourage the Knoblauch talk. He called this season "mostly blah" except for the playoff run and he seemed to attribute the run to the veterans that Drury and Martin brought in at the trade deadline. He also was negative to the development of Rangers' prospects with the exception of Garand who he said was "having a breakout year."

Mediocre success and lack of prospect development sounds more like an indictment of the coach that a serious Ranger coaching prospect.

He briefly addressed the prospects but I want to focus on his comments on Zac Jones. As I started to think about how the prospects did this year in Hartford including Jones, Eco's Bones did a tremendous writeup on Jones in his May 12 post # 3010. It was like he was in my mind. Hopefully I am summarizing his thoughts accurately. He called Jones a very good offensive defenseman but not a great one. While he runs the PP well Hartford's PP was dismal. He also noted his defensive liabilities and his physical limitations. I would add that I didn't really see Jones improve this season. What we got was pretty much what we have seen.

Staple pointed out that Jones "hasn’t progressed... to being a regular NHLer." I believe Staple is representing the views he is hearing from team sources. I think he is an NHL player but I have my doubts it will be with the Rangers. When I watch the playoffs and see the physical play I don't see Zac Jones. He's never going to run the Rangers PP1 barring an injury to Fox. I doubt Jones wants another year in Hartford and I wouldn't be surprised at seeing a trade for a young cost controlled right winger or a draft pick before the draft.

Staple also was not complimentary to the forward prospects saying "pickings are slim." I'll have some thoughts about the other prospects down the road.

 

[nyr2k2]

I'm not looking to dump on Knoblauch. I know a lot of people really like him, liked him in Juniors, and think he's an up-and-coming guy. I just personally have not been impressed. Hartford too often has looked like a team without a real identity under him. He did better recently with mixing in the young guys and the vets but overall has leaned on the vets very heavily. I see the way he handled Bobby Trivigno for example and it was awful. The reality is if Hartford had another bad weekend down the stretch, they'd be out of the playoffs again and Knoblauch might not have a job with us, and definitely wouldn't be discussed as a HC candidate.

 

[eco's bones]

In a lot of ways I think Knoblauch's been fine but as far as becoming the next Rangers coach I would like to see more success from the Pack first before considering him more seriously. To be fair though the Pack in 21-22 were doing great until injuries and call ups derailed their season. This year though they went on the that huge run at the end to barely squeak in but then did knock off two good teams.

As far as Garand I thought he picked it up a bit at the end of what until then was a so so regular season. He was stellar in the playoffs. The Pack's best player and I didn't understand at all why Knoblauch would play Domingue (who had the better regular season)in the final game after Garand had been awesome to that point when Domingue hadn't played in pretty much a month.

As for prospects Cuylle had a really good season. Starting in February by the way when the Pack had 29 games left he put up 12 goals 13 assists 25 points almost a point a game clip down the stretch. For a first year player that's what you want to see. He has size, strength, good hands and a good release but a lot of his goals come from his net front presence which apart from Kreider is probably as good as any other forward in our organization. He also had 7 fights this year....2 with the Rangers so he isn't shy.

As far as Jones 31 points in 54 games is good but not really amazing. He's going to need more than just an offensive game to make another step up. It's not like I don't think he can play in the NHL but what Nils did in Dallas this year is what I would kind of expect from Zac if he made our roster next year. 15/20 points--scratched now and again and maybe not a good playoff option.

I actually think Emberson was the Pack's best defenseman and he played consistently well from the start of the season to the end of the playoffs and consistency is a big deal when looking at any player but especially goalies and defensemen. Scanlin is another defenseman I thought had a good season but he's not ready for the NHL.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Any views on Edstrom and his ability to transition to an NHL 4th line? Thanks

 

[nyr2k2]

Any views on Edstrom and his ability to transition to an NHL 4th line? Thanks

I'm very bullish. He's only 22 but has already spent 4+ years playing regular minutes in the SHL. He's coming off his best season and I think there's room for growth. Huge, aggressive, skates pretty well (not just "for a big guy), decent hands, and versatile--he can play basically all three forward positions and just came off a year where he basically played every role for Rogle and at every level of the lineup, from the first line to the fourth.

I think he has a chance to be an excellent fourth line player or even a guy you can plug in on the third line who will be able to contribute by taking up space and wreaking havoc in the corners and on front of the net.

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

I'm very bullish. He's only 22 but has already spent 4+ years playing regular minutes in the SHL. He's coming off his best season and I think there's room for growth. Huge, aggressive, skates pretty well (not just "for a big guy), decent hands, and versatile--he can play basically all three forward positions and just came off a year where he basically played every role for Rogle and at every level of the lineup, from the first line to the fourth.

I think he has a chance to be an excellent fourth line player or even a guy you can plug in on the third line who will be able to contribute by taking up space and wreaking havoc in the corners and on front of the net.

Another theme we've all riffed on.

Let him train his ass off this summer and work on his explosiveness. His man strength and slight improvement in already very good skating might just let him force his way onto the roster.

 

[Ranger Ric]

With Peterborough's loss Friday all Rangers and prospects have had their seasons end. With the draft and upcoming free agency period coming up I wanted to take at look at how our prospects did this season in Hartford and what the team might look like next year.

In this first post I am taking a look at Hartford's AHL contracts. Hartford signs players to fill in gaps in the team's lineup and to provide players who can move up to Hartford when necessary. It's not impossible but unlikely that any of these players will be signed to a contract with the Rangers.

Hartford traditionally has signed 10 or so players to contracts; one goalie, three or four defensemen and six forwards. Last year the team signed 11 players but by the trade deadline the team was down to 9 players.

Parker Gehagen was the goalie on a Hartford contract. He is a veteran and was called up for a few games to serve as a backup goalie. He never got into a game with the team. Hartford likely will resign Gehagen or another veteran who can be called up in an emergency.

Hartford originally signed four defensemen. Two, Zach Giuttari and Blake Hillman, were on the Hartford roster while Luke Martin and Lauka Henault played in Jacksonville. Giutarri and Martin were traded and Adam Clendening came at the trade deadline. Hillman played regularly in the second half of the season and formed an effective pair with Brian Scanlin. We've seen Clendening with the Rangers, he's got some offense but he is not good on defense. I did not follow Jacksonville and can't comment on Henault other noting that he scored 13 points and was a plus 10. I think he might have been injured during the season. If someone has more information please weigh in.

Hillman already has been signed by Hartford for next year and I expect he will be with the team for the season. If Zac Jones is not back with the Pack, the team needs someone to run the powerplay. That could be Clendening or another veteran. The Pack may also sign a veteran like Luke Martin and either resign Henault or sign another young player for Jacksonville.

Up front the Pack signed six players. Two of the six, Alex Whelan and Zack Jordan, were traded with Ben Tardif being picked up during the season. Tardiff was on the Hartford roster for several games but often was a healthy scratch. He has signed a contract to play in Liiga next year. Tanner Fritz was one of the Pack's top forwards. He may have been the team's best creator and he led the team in assists. I think I remember that Fritz has a young family and is looking for stability. I would not be surprised if the Pack sign him. Cristiano DiGiacinto played 36 games for the Pack before going down to Jacksonville around the trade deadline. He is a very hard worker and physical player. I can see him being resigned for a third year. The other two players were Ryan Lohin and Easton Brodzinski. Lohin had 19 points in 36 games for Jacksonville and got into 2 games with the Pack. Brodzinski had 22 points in 45 games with Jacksonville. He never played for the Pack. I've heard that name Brodzinski before. Both will be 27 this summer and really are nothing more than helping to fill out the Jacksonville roster. I can see the Pack moving on from them.

I think we'll see Hartford sign Gehagen or another veteran goalie, and Clendening or another puck moving defenseman to go along with Hillman and then one or two players likely targeted for Jacksonville. possibly Fritz and DiGiacinto, and 3 or 4 other forwards including some more experience players and some first year players for jacksonville.

 

[cwede]

...can't comment on Henault other noting that he scored 13 points and was a plus 10. I think he might have been injured during the season. If someone has more information please weigh in.
...

i wish ECHL site had the 'Game Log' feature, which theAHL.com provides for each player, then detail of each game he was active for would be easier to just view
Henault missed most of Jax last 2 months,
i find him in the boxscore\lineup for the Feb 8 game, but not various games shortly or weeks later
Feb 8 was Jax 43rd game and Henault season stats include 41GP

he was a rookie out of OHL Windsor, the youngest of the Pack's AHL contracts

 

[nyr2k2]

i wish ECHL site had the 'Game Log' feature, which theAHL.com provides for each player, then detail of each game he was active for would be easier to just view
Henault missed most of Jax last 2 months,
i find him in the boxscore\lineup for the Feb 8 game, but not various games shortly or weeks later
Feb 8 was Jax 43rd game and Henault season stats include 41GP

he was a rookie out of OHL Windsor, the youngest of the Pack's AHL contracts

There's a legacy mobile website for the ECHL that still gets updated. It may provide some backbone to the current horrible offering. Anyway go here and you can click on him and see the game log: ECHL App

EDIT: I guess that's just the back end of the app which just shows mobile-optimized pages.

 

[cwede]

There's a legacy mobile website for the ECHL that still gets updated. It may provide some backbone to the current horrible offering. Anyway go here and you can click on him and see the game log: ECHL App

EDIT: I guess that's just the back end of the app which just shows mobile-optimized pages.

great thanks thats exactly what i can see at AHL site
Henault was a full-time regular, from October up to Feb 8
Louka Henault Jacksonville 2022-23

 

[Ranger Ric]

Goalies

The Rangers usually have five goalies signed to NHL contracts, the two goalies in NY, the two in Hartford, and a younger goalie in Jacksonville. This year might be different because the team already has five goalies under contract with the backup position in NY open.

I thought that the Hartford goalies were one of the strengths of the team. Domingue was solid for most of the year and if the Rangers can't resign Halak or find another backup it's not inconceivable that Domingue is the cheap backup and save roughly $1 million for the cap strapped Rangers over Halak's current salary.

From a prospect perspective Dylan Garand is the story. I thought even before he took over the net after Domingue was recalled he had a good rookie season. A 20 year old playing in his first pro year was not overwhelmed and had some very good moments. There were some hick-ups, some of which weren't helped by poor play in front of him, but he had many very good games and I was impressed by his performance. But when Domingue was recalled Garand started every game until the last one and was excellent. It's true that in a couple of games he had to make less than 20 saves and there were several blow outs that made it easier for him. But he was rock solid in net. At 6' he is a smaller goalie but very quick. He needs to take the next step and be the lead goalie in Hartford next year. This year he would split games with Domingue when there were two games a week but in a three game week Domingue got two games. That was fine for Garand's rookie season but he needs to be the lead goalie next year.

Olaf Lindbom spent the year in Jacksonville. He started the year slowly and looked like a bust. But his play picked up around December and he became a solid performer. I heard Lindbom on a podcast and he said he had trouble adjusting to North America and the style of game but he began to feel comfortable in December and his play seemed to show it. But Jacksonville carried 3 goalies, veterans Parker Gehagen and Charles Williams, in addition to Lindbom. As a result Lindbom only played 28 games. Jacksonville's emphasis is on winning games and putting fans in the seats. It would seam logical for Lindbom's next step to be Hartford but with Domingue and Garand already there it doesn't appear there is a place for him.

The Rangers also have Talyn Boyko signed. He was in Hartford at the end of the season but didn't see any ice time and was only a backup for a game or two. Maybe he's targeted for Jacksonville. If I understand the junior hockey eligibility rules I think he can go back to the WHL for another year. Given the potential log jam that seems like a likely spot for him.

All four of these goalies are signed to Rangers' contracts for next year. It doesn't seem like there is room for the Rangers to sign a prospect goalie to an NHL contract. And it seems like an AHL contract is likely to go to a veteran for Jacksonville.

There is only one goalie left on the reserve list, Hugo Ollas. It's possible the Rangers select a goalie in the upcoming draft who can marinate in college or overseas for a few years.

The continued development of Dylan Garand in Hartford will be a key story for the next season.

 

[Leetch3]

 

[eco's bones]

Goalies

The Rangers usually have five goalies signed to NHL contracts, the two goalies in NY, the two in Hartford, and a younger goalie in Jacksonville. This year might be different because the team already has five goalies under contract with the backup position in NY open.

I thought that the Hartford goalies were one of the strengths of the team. Domingue was solid for most of the year and if the Rangers can't resign Halak or find another backup it's not inconceivable that Domingue is the cheap backup and save roughly $1 million for the cap strapped Rangers over Halak's current salary.

From a prospect perspective Dylan Garand is the story. I thought even before he took over the net after Domingue was recalled he had a good rookie season. A 20 year old playing in his first pro year was not overwhelmed and had some very good moments. There were some hick-ups, some of which weren't helped by poor play in front of him, but he had many very good games and I was impressed by his performance. But when Domingue was recalled Garand started every game until the last one and was excellent. It's true that in a couple of games he had to make less than 20 saves and there were several blow outs that made it easier for him. But he was rock solid in net. At 6' he is a smaller goalie but very quick. He needs to take the next step and be the lead goalie in Hartford next year. This year he would split games with Domingue when there were two games a week but in a three game week Domingue got two games. That was fine for Garand's rookie season but he needs to be the lead goalie next year.

Olaf Lindbom spent the year in Jacksonville. He started the year slowly and looked like a bust. But his play picked up around December and he became a solid performer. I heard Lindbom on a podcast and he said he had trouble adjusting to North America and the style of game but he began to feel comfortable in December and his play seemed to show it. But Jacksonville carried 3 goalies, veterans Parker Gehagen and Charles Williams, in addition to Lindbom. As a result Lindbom only played 28 games. Jacksonville's emphasis is on winning games and putting fans in the seats. It would seam logical for Lindbom's next step to be Hartford but with Domingue and Garand already there it doesn't appear there is a place for him.

The Rangers also have Talyn Boyko signed. He was in Hartford at the end of the season but didn't see any ice time and was only a backup for a game or two. Maybe he's targeted for Jacksonville. If I understand the junior hockey eligibility rules I think he can go back to the WHL for another year. Given the potential log jam that seems like a likely spot for him.

All four of these goalies are signed to Rangers' contracts for next year. It doesn't seem like there is room for the Rangers to sign a prospect goalie to an NHL contract. And it seems like an AHL contract is likely to go to a veteran for Jacksonville.

There is only one goalie left on the reserve list, Hugo Ollas. It's possible the Rangers select a goalie in the upcoming draft who can marinate in college or overseas for a few years.

The continued development of Dylan Garand in Hartford will be a key story for the next season.

Garand's season to me was up and down until towards the end of the regular season when he seemed to find more consistency. He was outstanding when given the keys to the position in the playoffs.

The Rangers could go with Domingue as a backup and Garand as the No. 1 in Hartford and if he runs with it and Domingue struggles we could bring him up for the second half. Even if Domingue doesn't struggle if Garand plays like he did towards the end in the playoffs he's very likely to force himself into the picture. The thing with him going back to Hartford for the start of the year is to get him games something he's not likely to get a lot of if he's backing up Igor all year.

If the Rangers sign another vet they should give Dylan more games in Hartford anyway than he got last year.

Lindbom did okay in Jacksonville though he never broke out of the backup spot there. Hard to say where Boyko is---last year he played for a weak Kelowna team. He's huge. Expect him to be a Jacksonville goalie next year. Honestly I like Hugo Ollas more. He's a very big goalie too and Merrimack is hardly a great team but he seemed to handle it better than Boyko did.

 

[cwede]

The #NYR re-signed pending UFA 28 y/o F Anton Blidh to a 2-year contract extension:

glad they re-signed him, would be good with keeping Kalynuk and Lockwood too
AHL teams roll a lot of players across their seasons

 

[Ranger Ric]

Hartford Defense

The Ranger's top four defensive prospects all played at Hartford this year. One of these cost controlled players could wind up on the cap strapped Rangers to fill 3rd pairing slot with Braden Schneider. These are my thoughts on the four in alphabetical order.

Ty Emberson -- Emberson was a pleasant surprise to me not knowing much about him and assuming he was just a throw in as part of the Nemeth deal. Emberson had 27 points in 69 games and showed some offensive ability. He was steady on defense and I believe his play is part of the reason that Matthew Robertson was able to turn around his season. He is a restricted free agent who is certain to be qualified by the Rangers.

I see two issues with him. The first, as many have pointed out, is that he is a right handed defenseman and barring an injury or an unlikely trade, the Rangers have three established right handed defensemen with no opening available until Trouba's no trade clause expires. Emberson already is 23 and he may be gone by the time there is an opening for him with the Rangers.

The second issue I have is that while he has shown he is a good AHL defenseman, I'm not sure I see a skill that says he is a full-time NHL defenseman. On offense he doesn't run the power play and he is not going to stick handle the puck down the ice. To his credit he showed himself to be opportunistic on offense. I'm not sure I see NHL offensive skills. He still could make it just on defense. And while his defense was steady and effective he is not a shut down defenseman and he's not the first defenseman out on the PK. I think he has a shot to play at the NHL level but I'm not convinced of it. Emberson has received may deserved positive reviews in this thread and I thought I should check to see what Scott Wheeler and Cory Pronman had to say to see if my thoughts were too negative.

Pronman wrote that Emberson plays hard, defends well and is mobile but questioned whether he moves the puck well enough to play at the NHL and concluded he has a chance to play in the NHL. Wheeler ranked Emberson as the 13th best Rangers defensive prospect saying he is a hard working stay at home defenseman and thought he would be 7-8 defenseman in the NHL who could play 12 minutes a game a few times a year to fill in. He says Emberson understands his role, plays within the structure and might be captain material as he was at Wisconsin.

These comments seem to be consistent with mine. He is a very good player in the AHL who likely will see time in the NHL. The issue is whether he is just a fill in or can he nail down a 6-7 spot for an NHL team.

Zac Jones

We had a lengthy discussion about Jones a week or two ago. I would refer anyone to the comprehensive review of Jones by eco bones. Jones has good NHL level offensive schools (31 points in 54 games during the regular season) but at the same time we're not talking about Adam Fox, or Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar. I have seen him make bad pinches and get caught out of position more than once. He also is not strong defensively. He's small and not physical. He's started the last two seasons with the Rangers and was sent down after 12 and 16 games respectively. What I saw with Jones this season was pretty much what we have seen with Jones. I think he is an NHL player but I'm not sure he is an NHL player with the Rangers because of his defense and lack of physicality. I doubt Jones wants to return to Hartford again next year and I think it's possible that the Rangers trade him this off season if they have concluded he is not the guy for the 6th defensive position and they get an acceptable return. Jones is an RFA who will be qualified. If Jones is not back Hartford will need two defensemen to run the PP.

Matthew Robertson

Robertson had a disappointing first half of the season. I think there were two reasons for his play. First, I think someone told him he needed to up his offensive game. And his offensive game is not his strength. He tried to hard and was often caught out of position and rarely made a successful play. He was given a chance to run the second PP and it was not a think of beauty. Several of us who saw him play talked about him needing to simplify his game and play to his strength of being a big, good skater. His second problem was that he was paired with Andy Wilinski who was brought in to be the veteran defenseman. Unfortunately he played poorly with a -17 rating at one point in the year. And he failed to stabilize Robertson. Ultimately Wilinski was traded. Robertson was moved to play with Emberson who was the steadying force that helped Robertson's game. And his play improved significantly. If he keeps his game simply he could be on the third pair defense. If he tries to do more he will fail. Robertson was injured about 2/3 of the way through the season and while his injury was listed as week to week he wound up missing 6-8 weeks and 18 or so games in the regular season and all nine games of the playoffs. Robertson is under contract for the upcoming season.

Brandon Scanlin

Scanlin was signed as an NCAA free agent from Nebraska-Omaha two seasons ago. Chris Peters had rated him his fourth best NCAA free agent (Bobby Trivigno was 2nd) and Scanlin played 15 games. Although he is a left handed shot he played right defense for those 15 games. And while the Pack tanked at the end of that season missing the playoffs Scanlin was -1 over those 15 games. He showed that he was a solid defensive forward without much offensive ability.

This past year Scanlin played left defense and had an excellent first half of the season. Not only was he solid and physical on defense but he was moving the puck quickly and even started joining the rush in a few games. I remember at one point one the posters asked if Scanlin had moved ahead of Robertson. I had been asking myself the same question. But in the second half of the season I thought his game and defense declined so it was not surprising that over a ten game stretch he was a healthy scratch for eight of those games. It's possible he hit the rookie wall playing more games than he had in college. There may have been some injuries and he was inserted back into the lineup playing right defense and the time off clearly helped as the strong defensive play returned. He also moved the puck well out of his zone but played a more conservative game. There was one game when the Pack were making the mad dash to get into the finals and the Pack desperately needed a win. The Pack is up 4-3 with one minute left and the other team calls a timeout. So Knoblauch can put any defensive pair he wanted. He put out Scanlin and Hajak. Scanlin has a clunky skating style and I have seen him beaten with speed once or twice but for the most part he is physical and solid on defense. He has the added advantage of being comfortable playing on the right side. I can see him as a bottom pair defenseman in the NHL. Scanlin is an RFA who will be qualified.

That leaves the defense as of this moment as follows: Robertson signed, Jones, Emberson and Scanlin will be qualified and Blake Hillman signed to an AHL contract who is very likely to play this year with Hartford after showing a strong performance last season when given a chance. Walt Kalynuk is a UFA and Adam Clendening was on an AHL contract and is UFA. That leaves Libor Hajak. I'm surprised we haven't seen him signing a Euopean contract. He's now 25 and he passed through waivers with no team willing to claim him for free. He is an RFA and the Rangers could qualify him. Hajak played well in the AHL but it doesn't look like he is going to pan out in the NHL. Kalynuk was fine but at 26 he's seems to be a good AHL defenseman with little offensive upside. I can see Clendening being offered an AHL contract as the team needs at least one if not two defensemen to run the PP. The Rangers traded for Cooper Zech but he never got into a game and is a small, left handed defenseman whose played in the AHL and ECHL in the last few years and doesn't seem to be in the team's plans.

The Pack generally keep 7-8 defensemen and assuming one of the four players I singled out is with the Rangers that leaves the other 3 and Hillman. The Rangers/Pack are going to have to add several players and/or resign Kalynuk, Hajak and/or Clendening.

The Rangers reportedly are inviting at least three NCAA free agent right handed defensemen to the summer development camp. The most impressive is Luke Krys, 6' 2" 185 pounds. He was rated by Corey Pronman as the 11th best free agent from all leagues. Pronman said he can skate, compete well and play defense with the concern about being how well he can move the puck consistently. He went into the transfer portal and signed with Providence for his graduate season. He could off course change his mind but if I'm not sure why he would sign with the Rangers looking at the teams right handed defensemen when he probably will have several suitors after his final season next year. The other two players, Matt Bagsdal of Michigan State and Zach Bookman of Merrimac are younger, small, offensive mined players who have each completed only one year of college.

The one unsigned prospect who interests me is Victor Mancini. Mancini played with the Frulanda junior team before moving to the USHL and then the last two years at Nebraska-Omaha. There's not a lot of offense but he is a big kid, 6' 3" and 216 pounds according Elite Prospects. For the 2020 draft EP said that he had decent north-south speed for his size and makes excellent reads and "plays a very alert game defensively. He was one of the three finalists for the NCHC defensive player of the year. I would keep my eye on him.

The Rangers have several defensive prospects who have the potential to play bottom pairing roles in the NHL but the team needs to freshen up its defensive pool. We'll see if the Rangers sign a prospect to fill in one of the gaps in Hartford.

 

[nyr2k2]

Hartford Defense

The Ranger's top four defensive prospects all played at Hartford this year. One of these cost controlled players could wind up on the cap strapped Rangers to fill 3rd pairing slot with Braden Schneider. These are my thoughts on the four in alphabetical order.

Ty Emberson -- Emberson was a pleasant surprise to me not knowing much about him and assuming he was just a throw in as part of the Nemeth deal. Emberson had 27 points in 69 games and showed some offensive ability. He was steady on defense and I believe his play is part of the reason that Matthew Robertson was able to turn around his season. He is a restricted free agent who is certain to be qualified by the Rangers.

I see two issues with him. The first, as many have pointed out, is that he is a right handed defenseman and barring an injury or an unlikely trade, the Rangers have three established right handed defensemen with no opening available until Trouba's no trade clause expires. Emberson already is 23 and he may be gone by the time there is an opening for him with the Rangers.

The second issue I have is that while he has shown he is a good AHL defenseman, I'm not sure I see a skill that says he is a full-time NHL defenseman. On offense he doesn't run the power play and he is not going to stick handle the puck down the ice. To his credit he showed himself to be opportunistic on offense. I'm not sure I see NHL offensive skills. He still could make it just on defense. And while his defense was steady and effective he is not a shut down defenseman and he's not the first defenseman out on the PK. I think he has a shot to play at the NHL level but I'm not convinced of it. Emberson has received may deserved positive reviews in this thread and I thought I should check to see what Scott Wheeler and Cory Pronman had to say to see if my thoughts were too negative.

Pronman wrote that Emberson plays hard, defends well and is mobile but questioned whether he moves the puck well enough to play at the NHL and concluded he has a chance to play in the NHL. Wheeler ranked Emberson as the 13th best Rangers defensive prospect saying he is a hard working stay at home defenseman and thought he would be 7-8 defenseman in the NHL who could play 12 minutes a game a few times a year to fill in. He says Emberson understands his role, plays within the structure and might be captain material as he was at Wisconsin.

These comments seem to be consistent with mine. He is a very good player in the AHL who likely will see time in the NHL. The issue is whether he is just a fill in or can he nail down a 6-7 spot for an NHL team.

Zac Jones

We had a lengthy discussion about Jones a week or two ago. I would refer anyone to the comprehensive review of Jones by eco bones. Jones has good NHL level offensive schools (31 points in 54 games during the regular season) but at the same time we're not talking about Adam Fox, or Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar. I have seen him make bad pinches and get caught out of position more than once. He also is not strong defensively. He's small and not physical. He's started the last two seasons with the Rangers and was sent down after 12 and 16 games respectively. What I saw with Jones this season was pretty much what we have seen with Jones. I think he is an NHL player but I'm not sure he is an NHL player with the Rangers because of his defense and lack of physicality. I doubt Jones wants to return to Hartford again next year and I think it's possible that the Rangers trade him this off season if they have concluded he is not the guy for the 6th defensive position and they get an acceptable return. Jones is an RFA who will be qualified. If Jones is not back Hartford will need two defensemen to run the PP.

Matthew Robertson

Robertson had a disappointing first half of the season. I think there were two reasons for his play. First, I think someone told him he needed to up his offensive game. And his offensive game is not his strength. He tried to hard and was often caught out of position and rarely made a successful play. He was given a chance to run the second PP and it was not a think of beauty. Several of us who saw him play talked about him needing to simplify his game and play to his strength of being a big, good skater. His second problem was that he was paired with Andy Wilinski who was brought in to be the veteran defenseman. Unfortunately he played poorly with a -17 rating at one point in the year. And he failed to stabilize Robertson. Ultimately Wilinski was traded. Robertson was moved to play with Emberson who was the steadying force that helped Robertson's game. And his play improved significantly. If he keeps his game simply he could be on the third pair defense. If he tries to do more he will fail. Robertson was injured about 2/3 of the way through the season and while his injury was listed as week to week he wound up missing 6-8 weeks and 18 or so games in the regular season and all nine games of the playoffs. Robertson is under contract for the upcoming season.

Brandon Scanlin

Scanlin was signed as an NCAA free agent from Nebraska-Omaha two seasons ago. Chris Peters had rated him his fourth best NCAA free agent (Bobby Trivigno was 2nd) and Scanlin played 15 games. Although he is a left handed shot he played right defense for those 15 games. And while the Pack tanked at the end of that season missing the playoffs Scanlin was -1 over those 15 games. He showed that he was a solid defensive forward without much offensive ability.

This past year Scanlin played left defense and had an excellent first half of the season. Not only was he solid and physical on defense but he was moving the puck quickly and even started joining the rush in a few games. I remember at one point one the posters asked if Scanlin had moved ahead of Robertson. I had been asking myself the same question. But in the second half of the season I thought his game and defense declined so it was not surprising that over a ten game stretch he was a healthy scratch for eight of those games. It's possible he hit the rookie wall playing more games than he had in college. There may have been some injuries and he was inserted back into the lineup playing right defense and the time off clearly helped as the strong defensive play returned. He also moved the puck well out of his zone but played a more conservative game. There was one game when the Pack were making the mad dash to get into the finals and the Pack desperately needed a win. The Pack is up 4-3 with one minute left and the other team calls a timeout. So Knoblauch can put any defensive pair he wanted. He put out Scanlin and Hajak. Scanlin has a clunky skating style and I have seen him beaten with speed once or twice but for the most part he is physical and solid on defense. He has the added advantage of being comfortable playing on the right side. I can see him as a bottom pair defenseman in the NHL. Scanlin is an RFA who will be qualified.

That leaves the defense as of this moment as follows: Robertson signed, Jones, Emberson and Scanlin will be qualified and Blake Hillman signed to an AHL contract who is very likely to play this year with Hartford after showing a strong performance last season when given a chance. Walt Kalynuk is a UFA and Adam Clendening was on an AHL contract and is UFA. That leaves Libor Hajak. I'm surprised we haven't seen him signing a Euopean contract. He's now 25 and he passed through waivers with no team willing to claim him for free. He is an RFA and the Rangers could qualify him. Hajak played well in the AHL but it doesn't look like he is going to pan out in the NHL. Kalynuk was fine but at 26 he's seems to be a good AHL defenseman with little offensive upside. I can see Clendening being offered an AHL contract as the team needs at least one if not two defensemen to run the PP. The Rangers traded for Cooper Zech but he never got into a game and is a small, left handed defenseman whose played in the AHL and ECHL in the last few years and doesn't seem to be in the team's plans.

The Pack generally keep 7-8 defensemen and assuming one of the four players I singled out is with the Rangers that leaves the other 3 and Hillman. The Rangers/Pack are going to have to add several players and/or resign Kalynuk, Hajak and/or Clendening.

The Rangers reportedly are inviting at least three NCAA free agent right handed defensemen to the summer development camp. The most impressive is Luke Krys, 6' 2" 185 pounds. He was rated by Corey Pronman as the 11th best free agent from all leagues. Pronman said he can skate, compete well and play defense with the concern about being how well he can move the puck consistently. He went into the transfer portal and signed with Providence for his graduate season. He could off course change his mind but if I'm not sure why he would sign with the Rangers looking at the teams right handed defensemen when he probably will have several suitors after his final season next year. The other two players, Matt Bagsdal of Michigan State and Zach Bookman of Merrimac are younger, small, offensive mined players who have each completed only one year of college.

The one unsigned prospect who interests me is Victor Mancini. Mancini played with the Frulanda junior team before moving to the USHL and then the last two years at Nebraska-Omaha. There's not a lot of offense but he is a big kid, 6' 3" and 216 pounds according Elite Prospects. For the 2020 draft EP said that he had decent north-south speed for his size and makes excellent reads and "plays a very alert game defensively. He was one of the three finalists for the NCHC defensive player of the year. I would keep my eye on him.

The Rangers have several defensive prospects who have the potential to play bottom pairing roles in the NHL but the team needs to freshen up its defensive pool. We'll see if the Rangers sign a prospect to fill in one of the gaps in Hartford.

This is a great writeup.

I said regarding Emberson, he gives me Girardi vibes. Girardi was a guy I undersold because he didn't really standout at anything. But given a structured system he was able to excel. Not saying Emberson will be Girardi, just it's that same kind of thing. He's not great at any one thing but he might be solid at enough things to make it.

I also liked Vic Mancini. I had limited viewings but my takeaways were that he was solid defensively, had good size, and could skate well. Those guys will always have a shot. I know the selection was not a popular one but it may end up being very good.

 

[Ranger Ric]

Hartford Forwards

Hartford has not done a particularly good job at developing forwards over the last four years. In fairness to Hartford, Kakko and Lafreniere started directly in the NHL. And the talent hasn't been great. But Hartford needs to develop more forwards for the Rangers.

In this past season the team used four prospects, all of whom are under contract for next season. I'll give my thoughts on these four, i alphabetical order, and then discuss forwards for Hartford next season.

Will Cuylle

Cuylle had a very good rookie season in the AHL. He finished 13th in rookie scoring with 45 points and 5th in rookie goals with 25 goals. I saw a player who seemed to gain confidence in handling the puck. He was given top line and first power play responsibilities and responded to these opportunities. Although he has been described as a physical player I didn't see as much physical play as I expected. But even with this good rookie season I think he needs more time to develop. He finished 91st in scoring and tied for 23rd in goals in the league. His shooting percentage was 14.1%. That's not likely to continue at the NHL. Although he played almost the full season in Hartford and played in the first line he only had 20 assists. He only plays left wing. As the Rangers currently are constructed if he made the Rangers he would be on the 4th line and get 12 minutes a night. I think he and the Rangers would better served in the long run by letting him work on his game at Hartford.

Karl Henriksson

At first glance it would appear Henriksson did not have a good rookie season scoring 17 points in 70 games. But Henriksson played fourth line almost the whole season with no power play time. Every game I saw the player he showed that he was crafty and created scoring chances. He wasn't afraid to battle along the boards. He also had regular PK responsibility. I would like to have seen him given a chance to play higher up the lineup. I still take the under on his making the NHL but I think he has much more to give by playing with stronger players who can finish the plays he creates.

Matt Rempe

He's strictly a fourth line right winger. He showed some skill with 6 goals and 10 points in 53 games. But if he is going to make the NHL it's going to be as a fourth line banger and fighter. He is a really good fighter. After the Rangers brought in the veterans at the deadline Rempe went to the bench. Let's see if in his second season he can show some offensive growth.

Bobby Trivigno

In the games I saw Trivigno created more chances than anyone else except Tanner Fritz. But for reasons I never understood, the coaching staff did not give him much of a chance. 3rd and mostly 4th line play with powerplay time coming only towards the end of the season. I believe he was a healthy scratch for 15 games, over 20% of the season. Trivigno is a buzz saw on the puck and sees the ice well and is a good passer. He looks to me like he could be a third line player in the NHL. But he has to be given more opportunity at Hartford.

End of Season Additions

At the end of the season the Wolfpack added four players, three of whom will start their pro careers next year with a question about the fourth Adam Sykora. Brett Berard only got into 3 regular season games with none in the players. Ryder Korczak played five games early in the season before going back to the WHL and no games in the playoffs. Adam Sykora played in 2 regular season games and four playoff games scoring one assist in the playoffs. Adam Edstrom played in 3 regular season games scoring one highlight reel goal and one assist in five playoff games. Brennan Othmann also will start his NHL career next year.

The sample size on these players in the AHL is too small to make much comment. With regard to Sykora he is a buzz saw type player but didn't show much offensively. I think he would be best of playing next year in the WHL where he will have a chance to learn the American game and work on his offense. I fear that if he plays in Hartford he won't be given much of a chance and the league may be too much for him. I saw Edstrom play in one of the European championship games earlier this year and I was very pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Although he is big he is a pretty good skater and although he didn't score he generated several scoring chances and wasn't afraid to go to the net. I would like to see him play regularly in one of the top three lines next year.

Hartford Forwards Next Season

Potentially Hartford could have as many as 9 forward prospects next season although it is more likely that there will be 6 on the team with Sykora likely going to the WHL or a European team, one of the players such as Korczak starting in Jacksonville and Cuylle and/or Othmann with the Rangers.

Hartford already had four veterans signed for next year; Brodzinski, Elson, Blidh and Leschyshyn. I think there is a reasonable chance the team will bring back Tanner Fritz as he brings some creativity to a vanilla team. That would be roughly 11 of the 14 forward spots filled. Khodorenko is RFA but I can't see him being qualified and Lajuniemi might be qualified but has signed in Europe for next year. Carpenter, Gettinger, Lockwood and Smith all are UFAs. Maybe 1-2 of these are resigned or the Rangers sign 1-2 other veterans. But the priority for any veteran signing should be to fill in an opening rather that take time from a prospect. And the team needs some offensive creativity.

So there is room for a prospect signing. Here are some names the team might consider. The top free agents already have signed elsewhere and all of these guys will have some warts but might be worth a shot. I haven't scouted any of these guys and am going by others' assessments.

NCAA Free Agents:

Jay O'Brien -- He's considered a first round bust and will not be signed by Philadelphia who instead will take a compensatory second round pick. But the problem is not so much with the player as Philadelphia made a poor choice. I remember extensive comment at the time of the draft that O'Brien was a reach. And then he had some injury issues. But he wound up having a pretty good career at BU scoring at a point per game for three seasons. He may not be an NHL talent but he has some offense and creativity that could be useful for a team lacking in those characteristics.

John Farinacci -- He's a third round pick of Arizona who has announced he will not sign with the team and become a free agent on August 15. The 21 year old center from Harvard played on the US team at the workd junior championships with Brett Barard scoring 7 points in 7 games. He was the captain on Harvard's team and averaged a point a game. Scott Wheeler ranked Farinacci as Arizona's 10th best prospect. Farinacci is from Red Bank New Jersey and his family members are Rangers fans although he rooted for the Penguins.

Canadian Juniors

Avery Hughes -- Although Hughes got attention because of Peterborough's playoff run and his scoring at a slightly better than point per game he is small and not a great skater.

Theo Rochette, Quebec Ramparts -- Another big time scorer who is small and lacks high end speed.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Hartford Forwards

Hartford has not done a particularly good job at developing forwards over the last four years. In fairness to Hartford, Kakko and Lafreniere started directly in the NHL. And the talent hasn't been great. But Hartford needs to develop more forwards for the Rangers.

In this past season the team used four prospects, all of whom are under contract for next season. I'll give my thoughts on these four, i alphabetical order, and then discuss forwards for Hartford next season.

Will Cuylle

Cuylle had a very good rookie season in the AHL. He finished 13th in rookie scoring with 45 points and 5th in rookie goals with 25 goals. I saw a player who seemed to gain confidence in handling the puck. He was given top line and first power play responsibilities and responded to these opportunities. Although he has been described as a physical player I didn't see as much physical play as I expected. But even with this good rookie season I think he needs more time to develop. He finished 91st in scoring and tied for 23rd in goals in the league. His shooting percentage was 14.1%. That's not likely to continue at the NHL. Although he played almost the full season in Hartford and played in the first line he only had 20 assists. He only plays left wing. As the Rangers currently are constructed if he made the Rangers he would be on the 4th line and get 12 minutes a night. I think he and the Rangers would better served in the long run by letting him work on his game at Hartford.

Karl Henriksson

At first glance it would appear Henriksson did not have a good rookie season scoring 17 points in 70 games. But Henriksson played fourth line almost the whole season with no power play time. Every game I saw the player he showed that he was crafty and created scoring chances. He wasn't afraid to battle along the boards. He also had regular PK responsibility. I would like to have seen him given a chance to play higher up the lineup. I still take the under on his making the NHL but I think he has much more to give by playing with stronger players who can finish the plays he creates.

Matt Rempe

He's strictly a fourth line right winger. He showed some skill with 6 goals and 10 points in 53 games. But if he is going to make the NHL it's going to be as a fourth line banger and fighter. He is a really good fighter. After the Rangers brought in the veterans at the deadline Rempe went to the bench. Let's see if in his second season he can show some offensive growth.

Bobby Trivigno

In the games I saw Trivigno created more chances than anyone else except Tanner Fritz. But for reasons I never understood, the coaching staff did not give him much of a chance. 3rd and mostly 4th line play with powerplay time coming only towards the end of the season. I believe he was a healthy scratch for 15 games, over 20% of the season. Trivigno is a buzz saw on the puck and sees the ice well and is a good passer. He looks to me like he could be a third line player in the NHL. But he has to be given more opportunity at Hartford.

End of Season Additions

At the end of the season the Wolfpack added four players, three of whom will start their pro careers next year with a question about the fourth Adam Sykora. Brett Berard only got into 3 regular season games with none in the players. Ryder Korczak played five games early in the season before going back to the WHL and no games in the playoffs. Adam Sykora played in 2 regular season games and four playoff games scoring one assist in the playoffs. Adam Edstrom played in 3 regular season games scoring one highlight reel goal and one assist in five playoff games. Brennan Othmann also will start his NHL career next year.

The sample size on these players in the AHL is too small to make much comment. With regard to Sykora he is a buzz saw type player but didn't show much offensively. I think he would be best of playing next year in the WHL where he will have a chance to learn the American game and work on his offense. I fear that if he plays in Hartford he won't be given much of a chance and the league may be too much for him. I saw Edstrom play in one of the European championship games earlier this year and I was very pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Although he is big he is a pretty good skater and although he didn't score he generated several scoring chances and wasn't afraid to go to the net. I would like to see him play regularly in one of the top three lines next year.

Hartford Forwards Next Season

Potentially Hartford could have as many as 9 forward prospects next season although it is more likely that there will be 6 on the team with Sykora likely going to the WHL or a European team, one of the players such as Korczak starting in Jacksonville and Cuylle and/or Othmann with the Rangers.

Hartford already had four veterans signed for next year; Brodzinski, Elson, Blidh and Leschyshyn. I think there is a reasonable chance the team will bring back Tanner Fritz as he brings some creativity to a vanilla team. That would be roughly 11 of the 14 forward spots filled. Khodorenko is RFA but I can't see him being qualified and Lajuniemi might be qualified but has signed in Europe for next year. Carpenter, Gettinger, Lockwood and Smith all are UFAs. Maybe 1-2 of these are resigned or the Rangers sign 1-2 other veterans. But the priority for any veteran signing should be to fill in an opening rather that take time from a prospect. And the team needs some offensive creativity.

So there is room for a prospect signing. Here are some names the team might consider. The top free agents already have signed elsewhere and all of these guys will have some warts but might be worth a shot. I haven't scouted any of these guys and am going by others' assessments.

NCAA Free Agents:

Jay O'Brien -- He's considered a first round bust and will not be signed by Philadelphia who instead will take a compensatory second round pick. But the problem is not so much with the player as Philadelphia made a poor choice. I remember extensive comment at the time of the draft that O'Brien was a reach. And then he had some injury issues. But he wound up having a pretty good career at BU scoring at a point per game for three seasons. He may not be an NHL talent but he has some offense and creativity that could be useful for a team lacking in those characteristics.

John Farinacci -- He's a third round pick of Arizona who has announced he will not sign with the team and become a free agent on August 15. The 21 year old center from Harvard played on the US team at the workd junior championships with Brett Barard scoring 7 points in 7 games. He was the captain on Harvard's team and averaged a point a game. Scott Wheeler ranked Farinacci as Arizona's 10th best prospect. Farinacci is from Red Bank New Jersey and his family members are Rangers fans although he rooted for the Penguins.

Canadian Juniors

Avery Hughes -- Although Hughes got attention because of Peterborough's playoff run and his scoring at a slightly better than point per game he is small and not a great skater.

Theo Rochette, Quebec Ramparts -- Another big time scorer who is small and lacks high end speed.

You mean Avery Hayes not Avery Hughes. Jack has another brother we don’t know about lol great write up dude

 

[eco's bones]

Hartford Forwards

Hartford has not done a particularly good job at developing forwards over the last four years. In fairness to Hartford, Kakko and Lafreniere started directly in the NHL. And the talent hasn't been great. But Hartford needs to develop more forwards for the Rangers.

In this past season the team used four prospects, all of whom are under contract for next season. I'll give my thoughts on these four, i alphabetical order, and then discuss forwards for Hartford next season.

Will Cuylle

Cuylle had a very good rookie season in the AHL. He finished 13th in rookie scoring with 45 points and 5th in rookie goals with 25 goals. I saw a player who seemed to gain confidence in handling the puck. He was given top line and first power play responsibilities and responded to these opportunities. Although he has been described as a physical player I didn't see as much physical play as I expected. But even with this good rookie season I think he needs more time to develop. He finished 91st in scoring and tied for 23rd in goals in the league. His shooting percentage was 14.1%. That's not likely to continue at the NHL. Although he played almost the full season in Hartford and played in the first line he only had 20 assists. He only plays left wing. As the Rangers currently are constructed if he made the Rangers he would be on the 4th line and get 12 minutes a night. I think he and the Rangers would better served in the long run by letting him work on his game at Hartford.

Karl Henriksson

At first glance it would appear Henriksson did not have a good rookie season scoring 17 points in 70 games. But Henriksson played fourth line almost the whole season with no power play time. Every game I saw the player he showed that he was crafty and created scoring chances. He wasn't afraid to battle along the boards. He also had regular PK responsibility. I would like to have seen him given a chance to play higher up the lineup. I still take the under on his making the NHL but I think he has much more to give by playing with stronger players who can finish the plays he creates.

Matt Rempe

He's strictly a fourth line right winger. He showed some skill with 6 goals and 10 points in 53 games. But if he is going to make the NHL it's going to be as a fourth line banger and fighter. He is a really good fighter. After the Rangers brought in the veterans at the deadline Rempe went to the bench. Let's see if in his second season he can show some offensive growth.

Bobby Trivigno

In the games I saw Trivigno created more chances than anyone else except Tanner Fritz. But for reasons I never understood, the coaching staff did not give him much of a chance. 3rd and mostly 4th line play with powerplay time coming only towards the end of the season. I believe he was a healthy scratch for 15 games, over 20% of the season. Trivigno is a buzz saw on the puck and sees the ice well and is a good passer. He looks to me like he could be a third line player in the NHL. But he has to be given more opportunity at Hartford.

End of Season Additions

At the end of the season the Wolfpack added four players, three of whom will start their pro careers next year with a question about the fourth Adam Sykora. Brett Berard only got into 3 regular season games with none in the players. Ryder Korczak played five games early in the season before going back to the WHL and no games in the playoffs. Adam Sykora played in 2 regular season games and four playoff games scoring one assist in the playoffs. Adam Edstrom played in 3 regular season games scoring one highlight reel goal and one assist in five playoff games. Brennan Othmann also will start his NHL career next year.

The sample size on these players in the AHL is too small to make much comment. With regard to Sykora he is a buzz saw type player but didn't show much offensively. I think he would be best of playing next year in the WHL where he will have a chance to learn the American game and work on his offense. I fear that if he plays in Hartford he won't be given much of a chance and the league may be too much for him. I saw Edstrom play in one of the European championship games earlier this year and I was very pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Although he is big he is a pretty good skater and although he didn't score he generated several scoring chances and wasn't afraid to go to the net. I would like to see him play regularly in one of the top three lines next year.

Hartford Forwards Next Season

Potentially Hartford could have as many as 9 forward prospects next season although it is more likely that there will be 6 on the team with Sykora likely going to the WHL or a European team, one of the players such as Korczak starting in Jacksonville and Cuylle and/or Othmann with the Rangers.

Hartford already had four veterans signed for next year; Brodzinski, Elson, Blidh and Leschyshyn. I think there is a reasonable chance the team will bring back Tanner Fritz as he brings some creativity to a vanilla team. That would be roughly 11 of the 14 forward spots filled. Khodorenko is RFA but I can't see him being qualified and Lajuniemi might be qualified but has signed in Europe for next year. Carpenter, Gettinger, Lockwood and Smith all are UFAs. Maybe 1-2 of these are resigned or the Rangers sign 1-2 other veterans. But the priority for any veteran signing should be to fill in an opening rather that take time from a prospect. And the team needs some offensive creativity.

So there is room for a prospect signing. Here are some names the team might consider. The top free agents already have signed elsewhere and all of these guys will have some warts but might be worth a shot. I haven't scouted any of these guys and am going by others' assessments.

NCAA Free Agents:

Jay O'Brien -- He's considered a first round bust and will not be signed by Philadelphia who instead will take a compensatory second round pick. But the problem is not so much with the player as Philadelphia made a poor choice. I remember extensive comment at the time of the draft that O'Brien was a reach. And then he had some injury issues. But he wound up having a pretty good career at BU scoring at a point per game for three seasons. He may not be an NHL talent but he has some offense and creativity that could be useful for a team lacking in those characteristics.

John Farinacci -- He's a third round pick of Arizona who has announced he will not sign with the team and become a free agent on August 15. The 21 year old center from Harvard played on the US team at the workd junior championships with Brett Barard scoring 7 points in 7 games. He was the captain on Harvard's team and averaged a point a game. Scott Wheeler ranked Farinacci as Arizona's 10th best prospect. Farinacci is from Red Bank New Jersey and his family members are Rangers fans although he rooted for the Penguins.

Canadian Juniors

Avery Hughes -- Although Hughes got attention because of Peterborough's playoff run and his scoring at a slightly better than point per game he is small and not a great skater.

Theo Rochette, Quebec Ramparts -- Another big time scorer who is small and lacks high end speed.

One thing with Cuylle as far as physical play and shot %'s. I think a lot of people boil physical play down into throwing hits at opposition players. It is that but it's also taking hits, going into the hard to get to areas and staying there. It's even about dropping the gloves sometimes. The willingness to take physical space away from the opposition to be pro-actively (hopefully not too often stupidly) aggressive. As far as shot %'s Cuylle's numbers reflect a lot where he's shooting from. He seems to score a lot of his goals from near the net. He also has good hands....a good release.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Hartford Forwards

Hartford has not done a particularly good job at developing forwards over the last four years. In fairness to Hartford, Kakko and Lafreniere started directly in the NHL. And the talent hasn't been great. But Hartford needs to develop more forwards for the Rangers.

In this past season the team used four prospects, all of whom are under contract for next season. I'll give my thoughts on these four, i alphabetical order, and then discuss forwards for Hartford next season.

Will Cuylle

Cuylle had a very good rookie season in the AHL. He finished 13th in rookie scoring with 45 points and 5th in rookie goals with 25 goals. I saw a player who seemed to gain confidence in handling the puck. He was given top line and first power play responsibilities and responded to these opportunities. Although he has been described as a physical player I didn't see as much physical play as I expected. But even with this good rookie season I think he needs more time to develop. He finished 91st in scoring and tied for 23rd in goals in the league. His shooting percentage was 14.1%. That's not likely to continue at the NHL. Although he played almost the full season in Hartford and played in the first line he only had 20 assists. He only plays left wing. As the Rangers currently are constructed if he made the Rangers he would be on the 4th line and get 12 minutes a night. I think he and the Rangers would better served in the long run by letting him work on his game at Hartford.

Karl Henriksson

At first glance it would appear Henriksson did not have a good rookie season scoring 17 points in 70 games. But Henriksson played fourth line almost the whole season with no power play time. Every game I saw the player he showed that he was crafty and created scoring chances. He wasn't afraid to battle along the boards. He also had regular PK responsibility. I would like to have seen him given a chance to play higher up the lineup. I still take the under on his making the NHL but I think he has much more to give by playing with stronger players who can finish the plays he creates.

Matt Rempe

He's strictly a fourth line right winger. He showed some skill with 6 goals and 10 points in 53 games. But if he is going to make the NHL it's going to be as a fourth line banger and fighter. He is a really good fighter. After the Rangers brought in the veterans at the deadline Rempe went to the bench. Let's see if in his second season he can show some offensive growth.

Bobby Trivigno

In the games I saw Trivigno created more chances than anyone else except Tanner Fritz. But for reasons I never understood, the coaching staff did not give him much of a chance. 3rd and mostly 4th line play with powerplay time coming only towards the end of the season. I believe he was a healthy scratch for 15 games, over 20% of the season. Trivigno is a buzz saw on the puck and sees the ice well and is a good passer. He looks to me like he could be a third line player in the NHL. But he has to be given more opportunity at Hartford.

End of Season Additions

At the end of the season the Wolfpack added four players, three of whom will start their pro careers next year with a question about the fourth Adam Sykora. Brett Berard only got into 3 regular season games with none in the players. Ryder Korczak played five games early in the season before going back to the WHL and no games in the playoffs. Adam Sykora played in 2 regular season games and four playoff games scoring one assist in the playoffs. Adam Edstrom played in 3 regular season games scoring one highlight reel goal and one assist in five playoff games. Brennan Othmann also will start his NHL career next year.

The sample size on these players in the AHL is too small to make much comment. With regard to Sykora he is a buzz saw type player but didn't show much offensively. I think he would be best of playing next year in the WHL where he will have a chance to learn the American game and work on his offense. I fear that if he plays in Hartford he won't be given much of a chance and the league may be too much for him. I saw Edstrom play in one of the European championship games earlier this year and I was very pleasantly surprised by what I saw. Although he is big he is a pretty good skater and although he didn't score he generated several scoring chances and wasn't afraid to go to the net. I would like to see him play regularly in one of the top three lines next year.

Hartford Forwards Next Season

Potentially Hartford could have as many as 9 forward prospects next season although it is more likely that there will be 6 on the team with Sykora likely going to the WHL or a European team, one of the players such as Korczak starting in Jacksonville and Cuylle and/or Othmann with the Rangers.

Hartford already had four veterans signed for next year; Brodzinski, Elson, Blidh and Leschyshyn. I think there is a reasonable chance the team will bring back Tanner Fritz as he brings some creativity to a vanilla team. That would be roughly 11 of the 14 forward spots filled. Khodorenko is RFA but I can't see him being qualified and Lajuniemi might be qualified but has signed in Europe for next year. Carpenter, Gettinger, Lockwood and Smith all are UFAs. Maybe 1-2 of these are resigned or the Rangers sign 1-2 other veterans. But the priority for any veteran signing should be to fill in an opening rather that take time from a prospect. And the team needs some offensive creativity.

So there is room for a prospect signing. Here are some names the team might consider. The top free agents already have signed elsewhere and all of these guys will have some warts but might be worth a shot. I haven't scouted any of these guys and am going by others' assessments.

NCAA Free Agents:

Jay O'Brien -- He's considered a first round bust and will not be signed by Philadelphia who instead will take a compensatory second round pick. But the problem is not so much with the player as Philadelphia made a poor choice. I remember extensive comment at the time of the draft that O'Brien was a reach. And then he had some injury issues. But he wound up having a pretty good career at BU scoring at a point per game for three seasons. He may not be an NHL talent but he has some offense and creativity that could be useful for a team lacking in those characteristics.

John Farinacci -- He's a third round pick of Arizona who has announced he will not sign with the team and become a free agent on August 15. The 21 year old center from Harvard played on the US team at the workd junior championships with Brett Barard scoring 7 points in 7 games. He was the captain on Harvard's team and averaged a point a game. Scott Wheeler ranked Farinacci as Arizona's 10th best prospect. Farinacci is from Red Bank New Jersey and his family members are Rangers fans although he rooted for the Penguins.

Canadian Juniors

Avery Hughes -- Although Hughes got attention because of Peterborough's playoff run and his scoring at a slightly better than point per game he is small and not a great skater.

Theo Rochette, Quebec Ramparts -- Another big time scorer who is small and lacks high end speed.

Do the Rangers have interest in signing those free agents? Jay O’Brien is intriguing former 1st round pick. Center depth is a need here as far as future top 6 centers. Rangers do not have much depth.

 

[cwede]

the Cooper Zech (Kane deal throw-in) era ends before it begins

 

[Ranger Ric]

Hartford Defense

The Ranger's top four defensive prospects all played at Hartford this year. One of these cost controlled players could wind up on the cap strapped Rangers to fill 3rd pairing slot with Braden Schneider. These are my thoughts on the four in alphabetical order.

Ty Emberson -- Emberson was a pleasant surprise to me not knowing much about him and assuming he was just a throw in as part of the Nemeth deal. Emberson had 27 points in 69 games and showed some offensive ability. He was steady on defense and I believe his play is part of the reason that Matthew Robertson was able to turn around his season. He is a restricted free agent who is certain to be qualified by the Rangers.

I see two issues with him. The first, as many have pointed out, is that he is a right handed defenseman and barring an injury or an unlikely trade, the Rangers have three established right handed defensemen with no opening available until Trouba's no trade clause expires. Emberson already is 23 and he may be gone by the time there is an opening for him with the Rangers.

The second issue I have is that while he has shown he is a good AHL defenseman, I'm not sure I see a skill that says he is a full-time NHL defenseman. On offense he doesn't run the power play and he is not going to stick handle the puck down the ice. To his credit he showed himself to be opportunistic on offense. I'm not sure I see NHL offensive skills. He still could make it just on defense. And while his defense was steady and effective he is not a shut down defenseman and he's not the first defenseman out on the PK. I think he has a shot to play at the NHL level but I'm not convinced of it. Emberson has received may deserved positive reviews in this thread and I thought I should check to see what Scott Wheeler and Cory Pronman had to say to see if my thoughts were too negative.

Pronman wrote that Emberson plays hard, defends well and is mobile but questioned whether he moves the puck well enough to play at the NHL and concluded he has a chance to play in the NHL. Wheeler ranked Emberson as the 13th best Rangers defensive prospect saying he is a hard working stay at home defenseman and thought he would be 7-8 defenseman in the NHL who could play 12 minutes a game a few times a year to fill in. He says Emberson understands his role, plays within the structure and might be captain material as he was at Wisconsin.

These comments seem to be consistent with mine. He is a very good player in the AHL who likely will see time in the NHL. The issue is whether he is just a fill in or can he nail down a 6-7 spot for an NHL team.

Zac Jones

We had a lengthy discussion about Jones a week or two ago. I would refer anyone to the comprehensive review of Jones by eco bones. Jones has good NHL level offensive schools (31 points in 54 games during the regular season) but at the same time we're not talking about Adam Fox, or Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar. I have seen him make bad pinches and get caught out of position more than once. He also is not strong defensively. He's small and not physical. He's started the last two seasons with the Rangers and was sent down after 12 and 16 games respectively. What I saw with Jones this season was pretty much what we have seen with Jones. I think he is an NHL player but I'm not sure he is an NHL player with the Rangers because of his defense and lack of physicality. I doubt Jones wants to return to Hartford again next year and I think it's possible that the Rangers trade him this off season if they have concluded he is not the guy for the 6th defensive position and they get an acceptable return. Jones is an RFA who will be qualified. If Jones is not back Hartford will need two defensemen to run the PP.

Matthew Robertson

Robertson had a disappointing first half of the season. I think there were two reasons for his play. First, I think someone told him he needed to up his offensive game. And his offensive game is not his strength. He tried to hard and was often caught out of position and rarely made a successful play. He was given a chance to run the second PP and it was not a think of beauty. Several of us who saw him play talked about him needing to simplify his game and play to his strength of being a big, good skater. His second problem was that he was paired with Andy Wilinski who was brought in to be the veteran defenseman. Unfortunately he played poorly with a -17 rating at one point in the year. And he failed to stabilize Robertson. Ultimately Wilinski was traded. Robertson was moved to play with Emberson who was the steadying force that helped Robertson's game. And his play improved significantly. If he keeps his game simply he could be on the third pair defense. If he tries to do more he will fail. Robertson was injured about 2/3 of the way through the season and while his injury was listed as week to week he wound up missing 6-8 weeks and 18 or so games in the regular season and all nine games of the playoffs. Robertson is under contract for the upcoming season.

Brandon Scanlin

Scanlin was signed as an NCAA free agent from Nebraska-Omaha two seasons ago. Chris Peters had rated him his fourth best NCAA free agent (Bobby Trivigno was 2nd) and Scanlin played 15 games. Although he is a left handed shot he played right defense for those 15 games. And while the Pack tanked at the end of that season missing the playoffs Scanlin was -1 over those 15 games. He showed that he was a solid defensive forward without much offensive ability.

This past year Scanlin played left defense and had an excellent first half of the season. Not only was he solid and physical on defense but he was moving the puck quickly and even started joining the rush in a few games. I remember at one point one the posters asked if Scanlin had moved ahead of Robertson. I had been asking myself the same question. But in the second half of the season I thought his game and defense declined so it was not surprising that over a ten game stretch he was a healthy scratch for eight of those games. It's possible he hit the rookie wall playing more games than he had in college. There may have been some injuries and he was inserted back into the lineup playing right defense and the time off clearly helped as the strong defensive play returned. He also moved the puck well out of his zone but played a more conservative game. There was one game when the Pack were making the mad dash to get into the finals and the Pack desperately needed a win. The Pack is up 4-3 with one minute left and the other team calls a timeout. So Knoblauch can put any defensive pair he wanted. He put out Scanlin and Hajak. Scanlin has a clunky skating style and I have seen him beaten with speed once or twice but for the most part he is physical and solid on defense. He has the added advantage of being comfortable playing on the right side. I can see him as a bottom pair defenseman in the NHL. Scanlin is an RFA who will be qualified.

That leaves the defense as of this moment as follows: Robertson signed, Jones, Emberson and Scanlin will be qualified and Blake Hillman signed to an AHL contract who is very likely to play this year with Hartford after showing a strong performance last season when given a chance. Walt Kalynuk is a UFA and Adam Clendening was on an AHL contract and is UFA. That leaves Libor Hajak. I'm surprised we haven't seen him signing a Euopean contract. He's now 25 and he passed through waivers with no team willing to claim him for free. He is an RFA and the Rangers could qualify him. Hajak played well in the AHL but it doesn't look like he is going to pan out in the NHL. Kalynuk was fine but at 26 he's seems to be a good AHL defenseman with little offensive upside. I can see Clendening being offered an AHL contract as the team needs at least one if not two defensemen to run the PP. The Rangers traded for Cooper Zech but he never got into a game and is a small, left handed defenseman whose played in the AHL and ECHL in the last few years and doesn't seem to be in the team's plans.

The Pack generally keep 7-8 defensemen and assuming one of the four players I singled out is with the Rangers that leaves the other 3 and Hillman. The Rangers/Pack are going to have to add several players and/or resign Kalynuk, Hajak and/or Clendening.

The Rangers reportedly are inviting at least three NCAA free agent right handed defensemen to the summer development camp. The most impressive is Luke Krys, 6' 2" 185 pounds. He was rated by Corey Pronman as the 11th best free agent from all leagues. Pronman said he can skate, compete well and play defense with the concern about being how well he can move the puck consistently. He went into the transfer portal and signed with Providence for his graduate season. He could off course change his mind but if I'm not sure why he would sign with the Rangers looking at the teams right handed defensemen when he probably will have several suitors after his final season next year. The other two players, Matt Bagsdal of Michigan State and Zach Bookman of Merrimac are younger, small, offensive mined players who have each completed only one year of college.

The one unsigned prospect who interests me is Victor Mancini. Mancini played with the Frulanda junior team before moving to the USHL and then the last two years at Nebraska-Omaha. There's not a lot of offense but he is a big kid, 6' 3" and 216 pounds according Elite Prospects. For the 2020 draft EP said that he had decent north-south speed for his size and makes excellent reads and "plays a very alert game defensively. He was one of the three finalists for the NCHC defensive player of the year. I would keep my eye on him.

The Rangers have several defensive prospects who have the potential to play bottom pairing roles in the NHL but the team needs to freshen up its defensive pool. We'll see if the Rangers sign a prospect to fill in one of the gaps in Hartford.

A couple of notes on Zac Jones.

In her June 16 article on the Zac Jones signing Mollie Walker noted that because Jones signed his entry level contract in 2020 and now has played 3 pro years, he would have to pass through waivers if he doesn't make the Rangers. That makes it extremely unlikely he plays again for Hartford except for a conditioning stint.

Zac Jones’ two-year deal lights path to full-time spot on Rangers lineup

For Zac Jones, the path to a full-time spot in the Rangers’ lineup has never been clearer.

nypost.com

In the Athletic's Prospect Podcast and summarized in a June 20 article in the Athletic, Max Bultman, Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman had a discussion about small defenseman Snadin Pellikka. Bultman noted that there aren't a lot of top four defensemen in the NHL under 6 feet although noting that there are few exceptions with dynamic qualities. Wheeler noted that 28% of NHL defensemen are 6 feet or under and 14% are 5 feet 11 inches our under. So while not impossible for smaller defensemen to make it in the NHL the odds are not in their favor. Elite Prospects lists Jones at 5 feet 10 inches. This issue for Jones is does he have the dynamic qualities that make up for his size.

Finally, in today's press conference all of the reporters quoted Peter Laviolette as emphasizing "...battle level, competitive level and grit." These are not Jones' strong points. He is going to have to up his physical play to satisfy Laviolette.

 

[RangersFan1994]

A couple of notes on Zac Jones.

In her June 16 article on the Zac Jones signing Mollie Walker noted that because Jones signed his entry level contract in 2020 and now has played 3 pro years, he would have to pass through waivers if he doesn't make the Rangers. That makes it extremely unlikely he plays again for Hartford except for a conditioning stint.

Zac Jones’ two-year deal lights path to full-time spot on Rangers lineup

For Zac Jones, the path to a full-time spot in the Rangers’ lineup has never been clearer.

nypost.com

In the Athletic's Prospect Podcast and summarized in a June 20 article in the Athletic, Max Bultman, Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman had a discussion about small defenseman Snadin Pellikka. Bultman noted that there aren't a lot of top four defensemen in the NHL under 6 feet although noting that there are few exceptions with dynamic qualities. Wheeler noted that 28% of NHL defensemen are 6 feet or under and 14% are 5 feet 11 inches our under. So while not impossible for smaller defensemen to make it in the NHL the odds are not in their favor. Elite Prospects lists Jones at 5 feet 10 inches. This issue for Jones is does he have the dynamic qualities that make up for his size.

Finally, in today's press conference all of the reporters quoted Peter Laviolette as emphasizing "...battle level, competitive level and grit." These are not Jones' strong points. He is going to have to up his physical play to satisfy Laviolette.

Not true. If he score consistently and not give up much, he'll be fine. If he can get the puck out of the zone quickly and not by turning it over, he will be fine

 

[Ranger Ric]

Not true. If he score consistently and not give up much, he'll be fine. If he can get the puck out of the zone quickly and not by turning it over, he will be fine

I hope you are right but your response includes lots of ifs. Those are the issues.

 

[RangersFan1994]

I hope you are right but your response includes lots of ifs. Those are the issues.

Maybe the stint in the AHL recently will make him a big surprise at camp. One can hope. Anything is possible