New York Rangers feature skilled group of forwards in newest Top 20 ranking

[HF Article]

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The upport portion of the New York Rangers Top 20 has not changed for several cycles. Chris Kreider remains the premier player among a very talented, while Danny Kristo, obtained in a July 2013 trade with Montreal, now occupies the number two position.



There is a drop-off in talent toward the bottom of the list, and with seven of the top 10 playing professionally in North America, it is likely that there will be several graduations in the coming season. The professional heavy aspect of the list is at least in part due to the Rangers recent tendency to draft college bound players who sign professional contracts early, as well as a willingness to sign high-end free agents, who graduate quickly.… read more



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[eco's bones]

A very good article though I would have had Lindberg higher.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Nice write up per usual.

Interesting how high you have Buchnevich.

 

[Leslie Treff]

A very good article though I would have had Lindberg higher.

After hearing about what he did in Traverse City I might have moved him up too. It was written before the tournament. I would have him above Skjei.

 

[eco's bones]

After hearing about what he did in Traverse City I might have moved him up too. It was written before the tournament. I would have him above Skjei.

I like Skjei a lot too. To me the first 9 guys on your list are really solid players--after that it's a bit more iffy. Both Hrivik and Yogan could be good ones though. Fogarty didn't have a great first year but I'm thinking he might move up a little in the next one. How St. Croix and Allen adjust to the pros will be worth watching as well.

 

[nyr2k2]

I still think you're way too high on Jean. But we've been through that before.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

Agreed on our top 10 prospects, I think it's an impressive top group, especially the forwards.

Not sure I agree with the rating or description of St. Croix though.

 

[Blue Blooded]

Nice article!

Found an error though: Lindberg had 42 points in 55 games, not 35.

 

[eco's bones]

Jean--the Rangers drafted a guy named Daniel Goneau a while ago. He'd originally been a Bruins 1st round pick but hadn't signed and the Rangers redrafted him a couple years later in the 3rd round. After they drafted him he made the Rangers out of his first training camp and for the first two-three weeks he was scoring goals and points enough that he looked like he was going to be a serious candidate for the Calder trophy--and then he just stopped. After a while he went to the AHL and he scored some but nothing to great. The next year he was up and down and after that pretty much an AHL'er for a few years before he disappeared. Last year's season by Jean reminds me of Goneau. It's not that there's no tools but there is something missing.

 

[nyr2k2]

Jean--the Rangers drafted a guy named Daniel Goneau a while ago. He'd originally been a Bruins 1st round pick but hadn't signed and the Rangers redrafted him a couple years later in the 3rd round. After they drafted him he made the Rangers out of his first training camp and for the first two-three weeks he was scoring goals and points enough that he looked like he was going to be a serious candidate for the Calder trophy--and then he just stopped. After a while he went to the AHL and he scored some but nothing to great. The next year he was up and down and after that pretty much an AHL'er for a few years before he disappeared. Last year's season by Jean reminds me of Goneau. It's not that there's no tools but there is something missing.

Leslie says he only lasted as many games as he was accustomed to playing in college/NAHL--and that's not even correct, really. He had 13 points in his first 15 games, and then basically fell off a cliff. Under no circumstance should a 22-year old professional hockey player wear down after 20 games. 10 points over his last 58 games? He was invisible on the score sheet, and worse, on the ice. Had he been effective for at least half a season or something I might be higher on him, but he was completely ineffective after the first few weeks of the season. I just saw very, very little in him last year.

 

[eco's bones]

Leslie says he only lasted as many games as he was accustomed to playing in college/NAHL--and that's not even correct, really. He had 13 points in his first 15 games, and then basically fell off a cliff. Under no circumstance should a 22-year old professional hockey player wear down after 20 games. 10 points over his last 58 games? He was invisible on the score sheet, and worse, on the ice. Had he been effective for at least half a season or something I might be higher on him, but he was completely ineffective after the first few weeks of the season. I just saw very, very little in him last year.

I guess if he were playing with an injury--a hernia? or something. I don't know. Jean had been playing like gangbusters in the development camp etc. (that's how he got his contract) and then preseason. I don't remember if he actually got into a Rangers preseason game but Connecticut played two or three of them. Anyway it was like the faucet was going full blast and out of nowhere turned off and after that the best you could get was a trickle. He's not going to be an NHL'er unless he can figure out how to have it going all the time.

 

[Mikos87]

Jean--the Rangers drafted a guy named Daniel Goneau a while ago. He'd originally been a Bruins 1st round pick but hadn't signed and the Rangers redrafted him a couple years later in the 3rd round. After they drafted him he made the Rangers out of his first training camp and for the first two-three weeks he was scoring goals and points enough that he looked like he was going to be a serious candidate for the Calder trophy--and then he just stopped. After a while he went to the AHL and he scored some but nothing to great. The next year he was up and down and after that pretty much an AHL'er for a few years before he disappeared. Last year's season by Jean reminds me of Goneau. It's not that there's no tools but there is something missing.

I remember spending a quite a bit of money for a pre-teen on a Daniel Goneau rookie card after his debut. Needless to say it was not worth it.

I saw quite a bit of Jean during the lockout, and in the first few games he looked to be an amazing find. Looked and played like a 4A version of Eric Staal. I don't know if it is effort, confidence, or luck, but Jean did fall of the map entirely. He just may be a talented kid that just doesn't that internal drive that a pro athlete needs to have.