The Ranger's have a dearth of organizational depth in their system. The Ranger's have had quite the ability to pump out quality NHL talent for the last few seasons. Gone are the days of the Blueshirts patching a team together with aging stars that are on the back 9 of their career. Enter the days where most of the team is assembled from within, surrounded by superstars that fit the system the team is building.
Take a look at all the talented NHL players the Rangers have produced which made contributions to the team last year: Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov, Marc Staal, Derek Stepan, Dan Girardi, Henrik Lundqvist, and so forth.
All of these players fit the bill of the team they are trying to build--an in your face, grind it out, work-for-your goals type of team. The Rangers keep using the draft to build on to the list of talented young players. What's especially impressive is that the Rangers use later rounds in the draft to pick prospects that really have boom-or-bust potential.
The Ranger's strong suit is producing quality NHL caliber defensemen. That won't be changing since there are still a few solid young defensemen scheduled to make an impact for the big club in a couple of years. However, the one thing that the system is arguably missing is that gamebreaking top line NHL star. While Chris Kreider may one day fit the bill of an elite, top line left winger, that still remains to be seen. Another weakness of the Ranger's system is goaltending. Their farm is barren in that regards with no real NHL level goalies behind Henrik Lundqvist.
So without further ado, I present to you the Rangers Top 10 prospects for the upcoming season.
Analysis: Standing 6'3, 205 pounds, Yogan has a great passing game. His shot is average at best, but he has showed signs of improvement with it. Skating also appears to be an issue with Yogan, although like his shot he has worked to improve it. Yogan explain his game in a nutshell as such, "I definitely have size to my advantage, so I like to use my size and I like to be a little physical. But I love to score. That’s why I play the game, and that’s what I do. I put the puck in the back of the net." Yogan likes to use his long reach and puckhandling skills to get by defenders and crash the net to get his goals. Yogan likes to work down low and he uses his size as a tool to protect the puck. He has been compared to a Jason Spezza type player.
9. Michael St. Croix, C
Analysis: The Rangers took a chance on St. Croix when they drafted him with the 106th pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. The diminutive center is extremely talented offensively. Much off his game revolves around his vision, his playmaking, and his goal scoring. St. Croix is a solid skater, with a very fluid and effective stride who has the agility, size, and edge control to be extremely elusive. St. Croix also possesses above average puckhandling with a very good shot. This gives him the ability to dangle around defenders, or if they step back he can unload a shot from above the circles. Due to his size, St. Croix struggles with the physicality that is used against him at times. He is also not a very physical player who drives the net but really isn't effective at that area of the game. St. Croix is better off staying on the outside in order to be effective. His defense is also average at best, although it has shown signs of improvements. In the long run St. Croix may be better off playing wing as opposed to center.
8. Jesper Fasth, RW
Analysis: Yet another diminutive player, Fasth was selected in the 6th round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Fasth was extremely impressive in the 2011 World Junior Championships for Team Sweden, really opening eyes with his speed, aggressiveness, and work ethic. Fasth is described as an above average skater with nice acceleration and top speed. He also loves to forecheck with impressive intensity and can create a lot of his offense from his speed and agility. His hockey sense, offensive ability, and technical skills are good to average and he can create offense usually by himself. The downside to Fasth's game is his size. He can easily be knocked off the puck by bigger defenders and that sometimes makes it difficult to drive to the net. If Fasth can develop his strength, then he could project to an offensive-minded, grinding 3rd line winger.
7. Oscar Lindberg, C
Analysis: The Rangers acquired Lindberg on May 8th, 2011 in a trade that sent Ethan Werek to Phoenix. Lindberg is your prototypical two-way center. He is incredible at winning faceoffs, and has a very solid defensive game. He is continuing to improve on the offensive side of the puck however. Lindberg describes his game as such, "I would say I’m a two-way center who likes to play in the offensive zone, but I have also developed my defensive game. "Hopefully, I will have a bigger role on the Skelleftea team this year and hope to play on the power play and stuff like that. I would like to be more of an offensive player, but right now I’d call myself a two-way center." Besides his faceoff abilities, Lindberg doesn't really do any one thing extremely well. He is very solid on both sides of the puck, and continued development could project him to a 3rd or 4th line checking center who could provide some offense every now and again. Linberg has also been complimented for having good hands.
6. J.T. Miller, LW
Analysis: Miller is the Ranger's prototypical two-way forward. He has strong offensive skills, likes to use his size to protect the puck, but he also enjoys the defensive aspects of the game. Miller is a very strong and powerful skater that likes to use his speed to help him on both ends of the ice. He works extremely hard and can use his speed to get to loose pucks as well as separate the puck from the carrier. When Miller has the puck, he likes to use his good balance to stay strong on the puck. Without the puck, he loves to battle hard to try to get, or maintain, possession. He’s good along the boards and gets out of battles with the puck. Miller handles the puck well and uses his balance and strength to protect the puck until he makes a play. Miller likes to rely on his hard work to create offense, but while he's not the most creative player on the ice he has the ability to make the easy plays. Miller's passing and shooting abilities are solid and consistent, but he also has the ability to show flashes of high-end ability in these areas at times. One of the knocks on Miller is that only recently has his production really matched his skill. Miller’s decision making with the puck has also been in question and caused some to question his hockey sense and offensive awareness. A good hockey comparable is Ryan Kesler.
5. Carl Hagelin, LW
Analysis: The Swedish-born winger is praised for his incredible speed. Hagelin is yet another prototypical two-way forward who can play both on the powerplay and on the penalty kill. Hagelin describes his game as such, "I’m a two-way player with good speed, and a strong PK guy...That’s standard for me now to always work hard and to backcheck and win battles. Speed is my game, and if I don’t use my speed, I’m not going to have any success no matter what level I play on." Hagelin also has a strong penchant for blocking shots. He fits the mold of a Ryan Callahan-esque player with a little more speed, and possibly a slightly better shot. Hagelin has a chance to win a roster spot out of camp this year, but more than likely will need a year of AHL seasoning before he is ready for the big club.
4. Dylan McIlrath, D
Analysis: Nicknamed "The Undertaker," the young defense towers over his foes at an astounding 6'4, 212 pound frame. McIlrath is a physical defensemen that loves to hit people, and will never back down from a fight. McIlrath fits the bill of an old-school, physical, stay-at-home defensemen. McIlrath will need to work on his hands and his skating ability to keep up in the NHL; and Ranger's brass hopes he can continue to develop his offensive game to possibly resemble a Shea Weber-lite type defensemen. McIlrath loves to use his long reach to keep attackers away from the net, and is also a very good crease clearer due to his size and strength. McIlrath has said of his game, "I want to really round out all my game because that’s what it takes to get to the next level." Although he understands the main part of his game is his defensive abilities. Ranger's scout Gordie Clark explains some of McIlrath's talents as such, "The overall confidence of his game, his handling of the puck, the moving of the puck and his body, the way he’s built muscles. He knows he has to put on weight, but he doesn’t want to do it just pumping iron. He wants to do it naturally and he has a great build on him. He’s really developing well." McIlrath will probably take a few more years to develop, but if he pans out he may be well worth the wait.
3. Christian Thomas, RW
Analysis: Son of former NHL'er Steve Thomas, Christian is quite possible one of the crown jewels of the Ranger's farm system. Standing only a minuscule 5'9, Thomas is the definition of a boom-bust prospect in the sense that there are so many diminutive players who can't quite make it in the NHL, but then there are some that can really thrive at such a small stature. Thomas is an absolute sniper in every sense of the word. He tallied 54 and 41 goals in two consecutive years for the OHL's Oshawa Generals. Adam Graves talked about Thomas' shot in high regards. "I used to say that when Brendan Shanahan would do his one-timer, he had about a 14-inch backswing. I used to call it the ‘wow’ shot, because when it comes off the stick, you just have to say wow,” says Graves. “Christian’s shot is more of a drag-snapper, but it’s still one of those ‘wow’ shots, where the puck just rockets off his stick. I couldn’t advise him on shooting any better than he already shoots. His shot is as good a shot as I have seen in a long, long time,” said Graves. “Inside the top of the circles, he has a special shot. He knows where it’s going and he can move it and he can change the angle on a goalie in a hurry." Oshawa Generals head coach/GM Chris DePiero said Thomas is fast, and his quickness allows his to get to the loose pucks and release his incredible shot. He also said Thomas just has a knack for scoring, scoring in any way really. Thomas loves to use his speed and acceleration to drive hard to the net, coupled with his incredible shot and his high hockey IQ, Thomas has all the tools to be an offensive force in the OHL. Thomas does have a chippy edge to his game, he does like to throw his weight around, and protect the puck down low. He has a knack for getting open and does the simple things really well. The knock on Thomas is clearly his size. At only 5'9, Thomas has the potential to be knocked around in the NHL by some of the bigger defenders. If Thomas can develop his strength to win battles along the board, he can use his speed to blow by bigger defenders. Thomas has the potential to be a Brian Gionta-esque player, but for every one Brian Gionta, there's 5 Nigel Dawes. Thomas will compete in the Traverse City Prospect Tournament in a couple of weeks. He really needs to impress there before going to camp where he hopes to win a roster spot. More than likely he will go back to the OHL this year.
2. Chris Kreider, LW
Analysis: Kreider's game can mainly be described in one word--speed. Kreider has the ability to dangle around defenders while maintaining a high rate of speed, making him difficult to stop. Consistency has really plagued Kreider's game. He has shown all world talent in the two previous World Junior Championships, but those abilities really hasn't translated into his collegiate play. Kreider talked about what he wanted to work on recently, "What I really want to focus on now is my consistency. I think that’s the most important thing and with that just kind of improve on everything that I have been improving on. I almost sounded like a broken record whenever I said that I've got to do the ‘little things’. But I think I’ve figured out what those were and I think I've improved on them a lot.” Kreider is a typical power forward with scoring abilities. He has extremely soft hands and great vision. He is a threat to score or set up a goal every time he touches the puck. Kreider likes to use his size to battle for, or get, the puck. He works hard on both ends of the ice and isn't afraid to work in the dirty areas or drive to the net to create a chance. Kreider has an NHL-level shot that only figures to get better, and his soft hands allow him to have a quick release on his shot to keep goalies guessing. One of the negatives of his game is his need to continue to improve defensively. He is solid in the defensive zone but still may need some improvement. If Kreider can become a consistent threat, once he matures he could potentially develop into a top 6 left winger.
1. Tim Erixon, D
Analysis: The Ranger's acquired Tim Erixon this past offseason after the young Swedish defensemen failed to reach a contract agreement with the Calgary Flames. Son of former Ranger fan favorite Jan Erixon, Tim is a very smart defensemen that plas a solid two-way game. He is not very spectacular and isn't overly physical, but plays a very effective, simple game. He has good size, and is very mobile. His offensive potential is still untapped, but he is very good at quarterbacking the powerplay and can put up a decent point total. Erixon is very good at leading the rush when he needs to, and he also has a very good first pass. Most feel that Erixon is ready to make the Rangers now, and should he impress in both the Traverse Cirt Tournament and training camp, he should have no problem cracking the NHL roster as a 5th or 6th defensemen. Many compare parts of his game to both Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh. Both players are not spectacularly flashy, but get the job done. Erixon may have more offensive potential then those two however.
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