The New York Rangers are back in Cup contention territory six years after their open letter to fans about the rebuild. Their NHL prospect pool has a nice blend of physicality and skill.

The New York Rangers are today's focus in the ongoing NHL prospect pool overview series.

Tony Ferrari examines the Rangers' strengths and weaknesses, gives a quick overview of their latest draft class, shows their positional depth chart and examines who could be next in line for an NHL chance.

A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for these exercises, except in very specific cases.

First Thoughts

The New York Rangers have come a long way since the famous rebuild letter they sent out to fans in 2018. 

They’ve drafted high, added NHL talent in trades and free agency and are now one of the NHL’s true contenders for the Stanley Cup, having reached the conference final in two of the last three years. 

On top of all that, they still have quite a solid prospect pool with NHL talent coming.

There is only one place that we can start, and that’s with the phenomenon that is Matt Rempe.

The 'Rempire State Building' came into the NHL on a mid-season call-up and was an immediate impact player because he was always willing to throw down. He didn’t win all of his fights and looked worse for wear afterward, but the 6-foot-8 winger was doing what he felt would keep him in the NHL. He must figure out what his actual role as a hockey player will be, though, because playing four minutes a night and getting into a fight every game isn’t a role that successful teams have anymore. If he can score more like he did in Game 1 of the playoffs, that would make him that much more effective.

Gabe Perreault was a monster in college last season, playing at Boston College with his former USA Hockey National Team Development Program linemates Ryan Leonard and Will Smith. The trio torched the competition in college. Perreault was the perfect play connector, gap filler and tactician for the line.

Perreault's ability to read and react allowed the line to find success against any style of defensive pressure. If the line needed him to fade into pockets and finish, he could. If it needed him to be a smooth one-touch passer, Perreault was capable.

In his first AHL season, Brennan Othmann showed up and was an impact player. His play even earned him three NHL games. The 21-year-old could be a high-level pest in the NHL, blending the ability to contribute as a dual-threat offensive player with the understanding of how to get under his opponent's skin.

Othmann is an attacker who loves to pressure his opponents by playing at a break-neck pace. He doesn’t want to give his opponents much time or space when he has the puck. He should see more NHL action this season and could be the first call-up if injuries strike.

Many expected Brett Berard to struggle in his first AHL season. The 5-foot-9 forward has always been able to play with the kind of motor and craftiness to get around his size, but the pro game would be a different animal. Instead, he hit the ground running in his first professional season. 

With 48 points in 71 games, Berard continued to show why he was one of the Rangers' best mid-round finds in recent drafts. Berard always looks to amp up the pace and find opportunities to contribute. His timing as a passer always seems to be on point, and when he gets the chance to shoot from a dangerous area, he takes it. He has to prove it at the NHL level eventually, but the forward seems to be able to find ways to contribute at every level.

Every time Adam Sykora steps on the ice, you know you’ll get a full effort. The Slovak forward is a menace at times, working harder than everyone on the ice. He gets in on the forecheck and wins pucks back all over the ice. The refinement of his offensive game is still a work in progress, but the base of a solid workhorse is already established. With the tools to play up and down the lineup, Sykora has a variety of outcomes at the NHL level, and it’s just going to be about whether he will find some level of consistency offensively.

Bryce McConnell-Barker joined the Hartford Wolfpack for a portion of the AHL playoffs after taking a statistical step back in the OHL on a good Soo Greyhounds team. McConnell-Barker hasn’t really taken a step as an offensive creator since being drafted, which is a concern, but he will have a new opportunity to get his game on the right track now that he is heading to the AHL this season.

After a rookie season full of ups and downs in the AHL, Ryder Korczak will look to get himself back on track as an offensive creator. Korczak is a slick passer who has the touch to float passes through traffic. With some comfort at the pro level and having a full season of experience, Korczak could pop off offensively.

At 6-foot-4 and solid mobility, Matthew Robertson has the potential to be a good all-around defender, but his time as a prospect is beginning to run out. At 23 years old, Robertson must establish himself as an impact player and earn some NHL time this season. He can throw his weight around and defend at a high level, but his consistency is the concern.

Drew Fortescue is a solid puck-mover who isn’t necessarily an offensive defenseman. He is a solid breakout passer who looks to move the puck up ice quickly. His defensive game is solid, but his pivots and small areas of agility can cause some issues. Fortescue is a player still figuring out exactly what he will be at the next level. It will be interesting to see what he does in his sophomore year at Boston College.

While Igor Shesterkin is the present and future of the goaltending position for the Rangers, Dylan Garand is a solid prospect to have. They will be able to let him take his time in the AHL, where he has two seasons of over 30 games each under his belt. He hasn’t quite figured out how to consistently play at a high level at the pro level, but thankfully, Shesterkin has things in control for the time being.

U-23 Players Likely To Be on the NHL Roster

Matt Rempe (RW), Will Cuylle (LW), Alexis Lafreniere (LW), Braden Schneider (RD), Kaapo Kakko (RW)

2024 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 30th overall - Eric 'EJ' Emery, RD, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

Round 4, 119th overall - Raoul Boilard, C/W, Baie Comeau (QMJHL)

Round 5, 159th overall - Nathan Aspinall, LW, Flint (OHL)

Round 6, 191st overall - Rico Gredig, LW, Davos (Swiss)

Although Rangers owner James Dolan heads up the ownership group of Sphere in Las Vegas, where the draft was held, his NHL club wasn’t particularly busy at the draft. With just one pick at the end of the first round and their next pick coming at 119th overall, the Blueshirts weren’t heavily featured in Vegas.

EJ Emery is a heavy hitter on the back end who isn’t shy about playing the defensive side of the puck. Emery is one of the best pure athletes in the draft class, finishing near the top of many of the tests at the combine. 

Emery looks to kill play in his own end by engaging physically in transition or along the boards, freeing up the puck and making simple passes out to a teammate. His puckhandling is a bit concerning, particularly when he holds on to it for more than a couple of beats. Emery is a defense-first blueliner, and the Rangers seem to love that, especially with the long runway of going to the University of North Dakota in the fall, where he will have a chance to round out his on-puck game.

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After quite the wait on Day 2 of the draft, the Rangers were back on the board with Raoul Boillard. The QMJHL forward was impressive at times this year and seemed to find some mainstream notoriety after the CHL Top Prospects game, where he had a pretty good showing. Boillard is a tactical and intelligent player who lacks pace at times. He isn’t the fastest or strongest, but he often finds a way to make the right play time after time. In the fourth round, he’s an excellent value.

In the fifth round, the Rangers drafted 6-foot-7 winger Nathan Aspinall. He isn’t much of a contributor in space or on the rush, but the hulking winger is a net-front nightmare at times. He takes away the vision of the netminder. His game is quite limited at this stage of his career, but he shows flashes of playmaking when away from the net, which could add a nice layer to his game. New York is hoping that as he matures into his body and gets more comfortable, he can bring more to the game as a passer and even a transitional presence.

To cap off their draft, the Rangers took a swing on Gredig, a Swiss overage player who spent half of his year in the Swiss National League. His world junior performance didn’t blow anyone away, but he didn't have much help around him. Gredig is an interesting swing late in the draft, and the Rangers brass must have seen something they liked while scouting the Swiss league.

Strengths

The talent on the wing is quite strong for the Rangers. 

They have players who can be impact players in the top six, such as Othmann and Perreault, or players who can provide some physicality and energy, such as Sykora and Rempe.

A player like Berard could be a versatile piece who can jump around the lineup and give the Rangers a bit of anything they need. Kalle Vaisanen and Brody Lamb are interesting long shots. Even the guys down the middle (we will get to them in a second) look like they could eventually be solid wingers. They have plenty of options on the wing.

Weaknesses

The right side of their defensive pipeline is certainly an issue, but the area that might be most concerning is at center. 

Almost every center prospect they have likely projects to the wing if they get to the NHL. McConnell-Barker is a smart player and likely has the best shot at sticking in the middle, but his upside is quite limited, and he would likely find a role in the bottom six if he hits his ceiling.

Korczak and Boilard are likely better along the wing, where they can use their passing to get the puck to the middle. Beyond that, there are long shots and not much else. The Rangers could use some centers in the system as both of their top six pivots are aging, and only Filip Chytil can fill in.

Next Man Up: Brennan Othmann, LW

The Rangers lineup is pretty locked in heading into the season, but if an injury occurs in the forward group, the obvious first call-up should be Othmann. He has the skill and offensive punch to play in the top six, but he also has the jam and motor to play lower in the lineup.

Othmann could bring a nice blend of skill and a badgering nature to the Rangers lineup. He isn’t necessarily going to fight, but he will mix it up and give an extra shot after the whistle. Brad Marchand has been the gold standard for the skilled pest over the last decade and Othmann could provide the Blueshirts with a player who plays that brand of hockey.

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard, Adam Sykora, Kalle Vaisanen

C: Bryce McConnell-Barker, Ryder Korczak, Raoul Boilard, Karl Henriksson

RW: Gabe Perreault, Matt Rempe, Jaroslav Chmelar, Brody Lamb

LD: Matthew Robertson, Drew Fortescue, Rasmus Larsson

RD: EJ Emery, Victor Mancini

G: Dylan Garand, Talyn Boyko, Hugo Ollas

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