The New York Ranger's top under-23 players share the same weakness according to a comprehensive ranking featured in The Athletic's Corey Pronman.
On August 28th, 2023, “The Athletic” released “Ranking the best NHL players and prospects under 23:Conor Bedard tops the list” by Corey Pronman.
The comprehensive ranking has player cards that feature tiers and are given “tool grades” with six different levels: poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end, and elite.
What sticks out the most among the Rangers prospects:
- They are sliding down the list-
Tier 6-“Top of the lineup player”: Alexis Lafreniere (29th), Kaapo Kakko (37th)
Tier 7 -“Bubble top and middle of the lineup player”: Gabe Perrault (52nd), Braden Schneider (75th)
Tier 8 - “Middle of the lineup player”: Brennan Othmann (107th), Will Cullye (130th)
2. The ignoble ranking of their skating ability (according to Corey Pronman)-
Lafreniere: Below Average
Kakko: Below Average
Perrault: Below Average
Schneider: Average
Othmann: Below Average
Cullye: Below Average
The Rangers hired new employees in their hockey operations department who may be able to turn the tide in this category.
Chris Hmura will be taking the position of skills and development coach, and the focus will certainly have to be on the young players' stride.
It may never be an asset for Kakko, but it seems to fit his patient cycle game. As for Lafreniere, his stride is a point of concern at the NHL level. Pronman claimed, “In too many games, you can barely notice him, and his footspeed doesn’t do him any favors.”
The issue with youth development in New York isn’t just about their age, a lack of patience from coaches, or how the assets are managed. It’s about the salary capacity.
Elliot Friedman of the “32 Thoughts Podcast” claimed, “I think if it’s another year like last season, they’ll have to move on. “To me, this is a two-year deal but it’s a one-year deal in New York and then we’ll see.”
The Rangers continued this trend in 2023 drafting Gabriel Perrault (who slid further down the draft than many anticipated).
TV networks covering the draft didn’t even need to edit the Rangers first-round pick graphic from prior drafts.
Despite the organization's ability to draft highly competitive and uber-skilled juniors, the collective's glaring vulnerability is unanimous. The upcoming season presents a major opportunity to see the metamorphosis of the NHL's premier adolescents.
Check out more about the development of New York’s young talent here:
