Rangers Prospect Poll (Summer 2018): #28 Prospect

[NYR Viper]

Fontaine, add Wall.

Starting to hit the dregs as far as who to add. Nanne is an interesting kid. He hadn't played in 3 years due to myocarditis and transferring to U of Minnesota. Didn't put up terrible numbers for someone who sat idle that long (4G-6A-37GP). Doesn't seem to have raised too many eyebrows at development camp, but it seems like he's physically pretty developed at 5'10" and 192 lbs. Maybe he takes a leap forward this season.

Bernhardt is a non-prospect at this point.
Crawley was an overager when we took him. He had a disappointing season with the pack.
Fogarty has stagnated.
Halverson has been pretty bad at all levels of pro hockey.
Hughes is a complete unknown, coming out of prep school. I guess that's better than most on this list.
Kjellberg's numbers have been mediocre at every single level of hockey he's played.
Lakatos was an overage pick and has seemed to stagnate. Purported attitude problems.
Leedahl is already 22 and an ECHL/AHL tweener.
Nell doesn't appear to be a legitimate goaltending prospect.
Pedrie is another non-prospect.
Reunanen I had hope for prior to last season, but he seemed unable to earn ice time and was a healthy scratch in Liiga most of the time.
Wall struggled last season, and wasn't really given a chance to work through his funk, but he at least showed something the prior season.

Crawley had anything but a disappointing season with the Wolfpack. He was a very solid contributor as a defensive defenseman who held his own physically in his first season. He's never going to be a points producer but he can turn into a nice bottom-pairing defensive d-man who can move the puck effectively and support someone like ADA or Pionk who moves the puck.

 

[nyr2k2]

Fontaine, add Wall.

Starting to hit the dregs as far as who to add. Nanne is an interesting kid. He hadn't played in 3 years due to myocarditis and transferring to U of Minnesota. Didn't put up terrible numbers for someone who sat idle that long (4G-6A-37GP). Doesn't seem to have raised too many eyebrows at development camp, but it seems like he's physically pretty developed at 5'10" and 192 lbs. Maybe he takes a leap forward this season.

Bernhardt is a non-prospect at this point.
Crawley was an overager when we took him. He had a disappointing season with the pack.
Fogarty has stagnated.
Halverson has been pretty bad at all levels of pro hockey.
Hughes is a complete unknown, coming out of prep school. I guess that's better than most on this list.
Kjellberg's numbers have been mediocre at every single level of hockey he's played.
Lakatos was an overage pick and has seemed to stagnate. Purported attitude problems.
Leedahl is already 22 and an ECHL/AHL tweener.
Nell doesn't appear to be a legitimate goaltending prospect.
Pedrie is another non-prospect.
Reunanen I had hope for prior to last season, but he seemed unable to earn ice time and was a healthy scratch in Liiga most of the time.
Wall struggled last season, and wasn't really given a chance to work through his funk, but he at least showed something the prior season.

I don't disagree with any of this.

Did want to point out that Nanne only missed two years. He missed his Freshman year at OSU with the myocarditis and then sat out the next year as he transferred to Minnesota and wasn't granted an exemption by the NCAA. Also, his numbers are somewhat distorted in that he split time at forward and defense last year; so if you look at him as just a defenseman, that's interesting production for a guy out of hockey for a couple years, but when you consider he also played a lot of forward, it's less interesting. He's still a great story, though. Hard to see him getting a contract unless he explodes over the next two years.

 

[nyr2k2]

Crawley had anything but a disappointing season with the Wolfpack. He was a very solid contributor as a defensive defenseman who held his own physically in his first season. He's never going to be a points producer but he can turn into a nice bottom-pairing defensive d-man who can move the puck effectively and support someone like ADA or Pionk who moves the puck.

Ehh, IDK about this. He was usually on the third pair, and IIRC he was scratched a number of times. Hartford was a train wreck on defense and really could have used a steady defensive-defenseman, but he wasn't the guy. He was just mediocre. Now that's not to say the rookie should be the guy, but I don't know if he improved his standing as a prospect at all. He was kind of a "blah" pick and is still a "blah" prospect, IMO.

 

[NYR Viper]

Ehh, IDK about this. He was usually on the third pair, and IIRC he was scratched a number of times. Hartford was a train wreck on defense and really could have used a steady defensive-defenseman, but he wasn't the guy. He was just mediocre. Now that's not to say the rookie should be the guy, but I don't know if he improved his standing as a prospect at all. He was kind of a "blah" pick and is still a "blah" prospect, IMO.

1 year after being drafted, being a regular in the AHL is a good step. Yes, I realize he was an overager but he is pretty obviously behind the developmental curve of others. If he comes in and plays as a solid #4 this season, which he very well may, he will be an under the radar guy. He skates pretty well and plays a nice physical game.

By no means am I choosing this hill to die on, but I think a couple of these guys like Crawley and Ledahl who can fill roles on a team are slightly undervalued here just because they aren't the 'sexy' picks.

 

[nyr2k2]

1 year after being drafted, being a regular in the AHL is a good step. Yes, I realize he was an overager but he is pretty obviously behind the developmental curve of others. If he comes in and plays as a solid #4 this season, which he very well may, he will be an under the radar guy. He skates pretty well and plays a nice physical game.

By no means am I choosing this hill to die on, but I think a couple of these guys like Crawley and Ledahl who can fill roles on a team are slightly undervalued here just because they aren't the 'sexy' picks.

Hey, you're talking to a guy with a Jed Ortmeyer jersey. Believe me, I understand the need for these type of role players.

One thing working against both Leedahl and Crawley is the influx of prospects into the pro ranks this year. I could see both of those guys starting in Maine this year even though I think both definitely can play in the AHL. We just have a lot of other guys that I think the organization values more highly, and those other two might get squeezed out.

 

[NYR Viper]

Hey, you're talking to a guy with a Jed Ortmeyer jersey. Believe me, I understand the need for these type of role players.

One thing working against both Leedahl and Crawley is the influx of prospects into the pro ranks this year. I could see both of those guys starting in Maine this year even though I think both definitely can play in the AHL. We just have a lot of other guys that I think the organization values more highly, and those other two might get squeezed out.

This is possible. It's part of the reason I am hoping Gorton can find a way to move a few players (from somewhere) to open up some space. Just looking at the defense:

Skjei-Pionk
Smith-Shattenkirk
Staal-ADA
O'Gara-Gilmour

Kampfer
Bigras
Hajek
Lindgren
Crawley
Claessen
Pedrie
Day

That's 8 defensemen in both the AHL and NHL

Perhaps they send down someone like Pedrie or Crawley. IMO, they should find a new home for someone like Gilmour or Kampfer if possible. A better solution would be moving Staal (but tat's a pipe-dream).


At forward:
Kreider-Zib-Buch
Spooner-Hayes-Namestnikov
Vesey-Andersson-Fast
Lindqvist-Nieves-Lettieri
McLeod, Beleskey

That leaves:
Fogarty
Meskanen
Chytil
Holland
Howden
Gropp
Ronning
Fontaine
Leedahl
Gettinger
Schneider

That's (11) forwards, assuming they keep (14) forwards at the NHL level. Again, I'd prefer they trade someone like Spooner prior to the season to open up another spot but injuries will happen.