Holy Shit, The New York Rangers Have The Best Prospect Pool In The NHL
Look how far they've come. It was just three years ago, that the New York Rangers had Ryan Graves and Ryan Gropp on their top five prospect list. Brady Skjei was their number one prospect and I don't even think he was in the NHL's top 50. In 2019, The New York Rangers have FIVE prospects in the top 50. FIVE. I can't remember the last time I've seen that. For a majority of my life the Rangers were known as the team to get great players that were past their prime. Now, it's a different story. Jeff Gorton turned this ship around so fucking fast and even if you hate the Rangers, you have to admire it. It came with a little bit of luck, but he traded a bunch of older, mid-level players, for picks and prospects. The Rangers finally became sellers and they did it in the best way possible.
Now, we dive into the pipeline. These players have all proven themselves in their respected leagues and it is now time for them to do it on the national stage. Here is where they rank on the 2019 NHL's top 50 prospects list.
#35 Igor Shestyorkin | G
Prince Igor is signed and in New York City. The hope is that he could potentially be the next Henrik Lundqvist. He wore Henrik's number and plays a very similar style to the king, so he's off to a very good start. Although his KHL team, SKA Saint Petersburg is basically a cheat code in Russia, his stats are god-like.
The 4th round draft pick in 2014 posted a 1.11 GAA and a .953 SV% in 28 GP with SKA. It was his best season to date, but every year he's played in the KHL he has put up insane numbers. I'm only nervous about this one because his expectations are so high and while they should be, he also has some HUGE shoes to fill. It will be very interesting to see where he ends up playing this season with Georgiev still in the mix.
#28 K'Andre Miller | D
I'm really excited about this pick and it's safe to say everyone within the Rangers organization is too. This was a no brainer move. Jeff Gorton knew he couldn't let K'Andre Miller fall into the wrong hands at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, so he traded up to pick 22, to select the 19-year-old defensemen from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Standing at 6'4" and weighing 207 lbs, Miller is an 18-wheeler on the ice with unbelievable skating ability. He put up 22 points in 26 games in his freshman year at the University of Wisconsin. Remember, he's a defenseman. The hope is that he continues to put up big numbers in his sophomore year and make his way to MSG dawning red, white, and blue for the 2020-21 season.
#14 Adam Fox | D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dYa3BzBgWw
Everyone and their mother knew Adam Fox was Broadway bound, it was really only a matter of when. Was Jeff Gorton willing to wait to sign him in free agency the following year? Or was a trade going to happen? Trading for the Harvard defenseman was certainly the right move. When you have a prospect on the table like Fox, it isn't worth taking the risk of waiting that extra year.
I've had the opportunity of getting to see him play against Quinnipiac for the past three years and let me tell you, he's the real deal. The Hobey Baker finalist had a career total of 116 points in 97 regular season games with the Crimson, making him one of the best defenseman in college hockey. Look out, Adam Fox will be a top-pairing defenseman in the coming years for the New York Rangers.
#11 Vitali Kravtsov | RW
The "Russian Rangers" added an absolute stud in Vitali Kravtsov at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, a draft that could be one of the best in New York Rangers history. Everyone was disappointed to learn that they passed on Oliver Wahlstrom for Kravtsov, but soon found out that he might have been one of the best players in the draft.
The potential gem winger put up 21 points in 50 games for Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL. While that might seem underwhelming, stats like that for a 19-year-old in a league full of grown men don't come by that much, making Vitali a high ranking prospect. The 6'4" forward is a threat on offense, as he has shown his ability to slice up defenses left and right. I have no doubt in my mind that Vitali Kravtsov will be competing for the Calder Trophy this season.
#2 Kaapo Kakko | RW
No bias, I seriously think Kaapo Kakko should've went 1st overall. I know nobody will believe me on that, but Kakko put on an absolute show in World Juniors against NHL competition and had 38 points in 45 games for TPS of Liiga. Once again, another young phenom lighting up a league full of grown men. It's also WAY too early to make these assumptions, but I'll keep it in my back pocket for the long run.
Kaapo Kakko puts another highly skilled winger into the Rangers depth chart. This is the guy that will get a lot of the spotlight in New York. The Rangers haven't had a 2nd overall pick since they drafted Brad Park (played from 1968-1985), so you better believe the expectations for the Finnish winger will be sky-high. The excitement is real though. Kaapo Kakko is a New York Ranger. Something tells me we will be remembering our card flipping to Buffalo's logo at the NHL Draft Lottery for the rest of our lives.
Skip to 2:45 for the card
The future is bright in New York. Whether you like it or not, the Rangers have the potential to surprise everyone this season if their prospects do some damage. Now all we have left to do is wait. 52 days. LGR.
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