THN Prospect Rankings - 15 Years of Rangers Organizational Rankings

[Good Intentions]

Our July 2018 HF Top 10 Prospects list will shake something close to the following:

1 Chytil, F
2 Shestyorkin, G
3 Kravtsov, F
4 Andersson, F
5 Hajek, D
6 Howden, F
7 K. Miller, D
8 Pionk, D
9 Lindgren, D
10 Lundkvist, D

This side of "elite talent," the range of skill and depth is undeniably as high as ever in recent memory.

Looking back at 15 years of THN rankings, I took a trip down memory lane. It's a sober reminder of how arbitrary rankings can be, but also reinforces that this is in many respects a numbers game. 07-08 was a big wave for us, and even bigger in 2010 and 2012. What sticks out to you? Have a look:

***All rankings are #1-10***

17-18: *ANDERSSON, *Shesterkin, *DEANGELO, Huska, *CHYTIL, *Day, Graves, Gropp, Wall, Gettinger
16-17: BUCHNEVICH, SKJEI, Halverson, Gropp, Day, *Shesterkin, Graves, Huska, Kovacs, Tambellini
15-16: BUCHNEVICH, SKJEI, Gropp, Halverson, *Shesterkin, LINDBERG, Kovacs, Skapski, Graves, Tambellini
14-15: JT MILLER, SKJEI, FAST, C. Allen, McIlrath, Duclair, Kristo, Halverson, Graves, LINDBERG
13-14: JT MILLER, FAST, McIlrath, SKJEI, Nieves, Kristo, C. TALBOT, Jean, St. Croix, Duclair
12-13: KREIDER, JT MILLER, SKJEI, McIlrath, C. Thomas, FAST, Fogarty, Nieves, St. Croix, Stajcer
11-12: Erixon, KREIDER, McIlrath, C. Thomas, JT MILLER, Fogerty, St. Croix, WEISE, FAST, Bourque
10-11: STEPAN, Grachev, KREIDER, McIlrath, McDONAGH, C. Johnson, Werek, C. Thomas, Stajcer, SAUER
09-10: Grachev, DEL ZOTTO, McDONAGH, Gilroy, ANISIMOV, Sanguinetti, KREIDER, STEPAN, Werek, Baranka
08-09: Cherepanov, Sanguinetti, DEL ZOTTO, Baranka, ANISIMOV, KORPIKOSKI, STEPAN, G. Moore, Byers, SAUER
07-08: STAAL, Cherepanov, Sanguinetti, Montoya, CALLAHAN, ANISIMOV, KORPIKOSKI, DUBINSKY, Dawes, Pyatt
06-07: STAAL, Montoya, KORPIKOSKI, Baranka, Immonen, SAUER, Dawes, Jessiman, B. Graham, Pyatt
05-06: TYUTIN, Montoya, KORPIKOSKI, LUNDQVIST, Jessiman, Kondratiev, Dawes, B. Graham, Baranka, Bahensky
04-05: TYUTIN, Jessiman, LUNDQVIST, Kondratiev, Balej, Baranka, Immonen, Liffiton, DOM MOORE, G. Murray
03-04: TYUTIN, G. Murray, Falardeau, Lampman, LUNDQVIST, DOM MOORE, Guenin, Taylor, Jonasen, Labarbera

Click to read more...

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Man that superstar Tyutin...

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Man that superstar Tyutin...

Played almost 900 games in the NHL and was a pretty decent defenseman in his prime seasons. He was rightfully ranked 1 when you look at that competition he had those years.


Edit - is that even the ranking order? I dont know what the hell i’m even looking at

 

[Good Intentions]

Hard to believe we got nothing from Kondratiev, Baranka, Sanguinetti, Gilroy, Erixon...

Sauer’s career ending injury was very sad, and possibly the most underrated lost in recent history. People forgot about him.

DeAngelo was ranked 3rd last year. Not sure he would make Top 6 among D prospect rankings.

Huska ranked ahead of Chytil. Incredible.

 

[Alluckks]

14-15 and 15-16 looks like they need to be switched, seems like a very obvious misprint but makes it very confused

And please link the article when you cite to something

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

What kind of world were we living in that Garth Murray was the #2 prospect?

 

[mike14]

In hindsight it's hilarious that going into the 05-06 season Hank was considered our 4th best prospect and 2nd best goalie prospect behind Montoya

Grachev being top 2 for 2 seasons..... the hype for that guy was incredible

 

[Good Intentions]

14-15 and 15-16 looks like they need to be switched, seems like a very obvious misprint but makes it very confused

And please link the article when you cite to something

Correct, flipped 14-15 and 15-16. And there's no article. These are THN yearbooks.

 

[eco's bones]

A guy like Grachev it seems to me was a very good prospect....and then basically his progress completely stalled. It happens. Looking at your number 3 in 03-04 Lee Falardeau. That guy wasn't even a very good ECHL player.

 

[nyr2k2]

A guy like Grachev it seems to me was a very good prospect....and then basically his progress completely stalled. It happens. Looking at your number 3 in 03-04 Lee Falardeau. That guy wasn't even a very good ECHL player.

Yeah Falardeau sucked, but he fit the mold of big, strong, power forward types that were en vogue at the time. His ranking was based on his scouting report and him being the 30-whatever pick in the draft.

It's a cautionary tale, in our own prospect rankings for example, why sometimes it's better to emphasize actual performance than simply where a guy was picked and all the nice things said about him. It's why I vote the way I do in these polls (Andersson above Kravtsov, Pionk thereafter ahead of other, more heralded draft picks, etc.).

Always important to remember how many draft picks fail. Outside of round one, it's the vast majority. I'm not saying we should assume everyone else will fail, but I think it's prudent to be a little more skeptical about the new guys relative to the guys that we've had for a year or two that have really performed well. Just me though...I understand there are different perspectives.

 

[Good Intentions]

I suppose I’m one for comp’s...

We need Buchnevich to exceed Anisimov.

Deangelo’s career (and life) probably closest mimics Del Zotto. A lot of parallel there.

Cam Talbot was an unknown 26-year-old ‘prospect’ in Hartford in 13-14. Chad Johnson didn’t fair too badly himself. Pretty solid track record of goalie depth.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

A guy like Grachev it seems to me was a very good prospect....and then basically his progress completely stalled. It happens. Looking at your number 3 in 03-04 Lee Falardeau. That guy wasn't even a very good ECHL player.

I remember not knowing much about hockey at the time he was drafted but I read his scouting report and he sounded like a garbage player in the 2nd round whose only asset was his size. I remember being pissed off and someone on the Ranger.com board telling me I should give him a chance. I guess I was right. I'm so so glad the league has changed direction from one that incentivizes picks like that. There's no room for big skill-less players in any sport, unless it's baseball where everyone is skill-less (had to take a shot).

 

[ElLeetch]

1 Chytil, F
2 Shestyorkin, G
3 Kravtsov, F
4 Andersson, F
5 Hajek, D
6 Howden, F
7 K. Miller, D
8 Pionk, D
9 Lindgren, D
10 Lundkvist, D



17-18: *ANDERSSON, *Shesterkin, *DEANGELO, Huska, *CHYTIL, *Day, Graves, Gropp, Wall, Gettinger

we've replaced 7 of our top 10 in just the last year. impressive.

 

[ElLeetch]

Hard to believe we got nothing from Kondratiev, Baranka, Sanguinetti, Gilroy, Erixon...

Sauer’s career ending injury was very sad, and possibly the most underrated lost in recent history. People forgot about him.

We basically have *nothing* to show for the 2004 purge. Four assets for Leetch alone, and all we got was a few months of Sauer.

 

[NYRFAN218]

Those THN rankings are horrendous lol. Buchnevich went from not being top 10 to #1 prospect over the course of one season.