The New York Rangers’ prospect pool features some exciting young talent, giving the Rangers both a bright future and a group of reserves who could play impactful roles during the upcoming 2024-25 season. The majority of the Blueshirts’ top prospects will continue to develop this season in the AHL as they await an eventual opportunity to skate in the NHL. But some of the top prospects could earn their opportunities to skate with the Rangers this season.
Of the Rangers’ top prospects, who could receive the most NHL ice-time in 2024-25?
The Rangers’ 1RW solution could be currently playing in Hartford
The Rangers have a group of exciting young forwards in their prospect pool. Chief among them is last year’s first-round draft pick Gabe Perreault, however, he is confirmed to be returning to Boston College this season for his sophomore campaign, so he won’t be skating with the Rangers at any point this season.
The next-best prospect in the pool is 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann. The 6-foot, 180-pound winger has been on an incredible trajectory over the past few seasons. In 2023, Othmann lit up the AHL, totaling 49 points (21 goals and 28 assists) across 67 games played with the Rangers’ affiliate the Hartford Wolf Pack.
The Canadian-born prospect is an elite playmaker whose time in the NHL should be coming soon. He received a bit of NHL playing time last season, skating in three games for the Rangers, averaging 9:05 but failing to record a point.
This offseason, the Rangers did not achieve much to patch their hole up on the first-line right wing. They traded for veteran winger Reilly Smith, but that was hardly the blockbuster move that Blueshirts fans were waiting for. Perhaps Othmann could be the unlikely solution on the first line.
The Rangers will want to avoid making the same mistakes they made with Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere, and Filip Chytil. “The Kids” were stuck in the bottom six to start their career, stunting the growth of the three young forwards. Thankfully, Lafreniere has had a late breakout, but that breakout only came after he was given a top-six role.
The Rangers should be careful not to trap Othmann down in the bottom six to begin his NHL career. They have a weakness on the first line and that is where Othmann should get his opportunity. He skates with speed and he passes with precision. If one of the team’s top forwards goes down with an injury this season, Othmann could get his opportunity in the big league. If he plays well, the Blueshirts might have no choice but to make him a regular skater.
The Rangers’ prospect pool should give them solid bottom-six depth
The bottom-six grinders play with physicality and aggression. As a result, they expose their bodies to more hits and endure more wear and tear than those in the top six. Having depth in the bottom six is crucial for an 82-game NHL season, plus a postseason.
2019 sixth-round pick Adam Edström fits the bill for a bottom-six skater. He is a bruising, 6-foot-7, 234-pound center who has been grinding in the AHL for the past couple of years. In 40 games last season, Edström totaled 16 points (11 goals and five assists) for the Hartford Wolf Pack. He also received a bit of NHL playing time, skating in 11 games and netting two goals for the Rangers during the 2023-24 regular season.
If injuries arise in the bottom six this season, Edström could see some more NHL ice time. He brings a level of physicality that has been missing from New York’s offensive lineup in recent years. With continued development, Edström could eventually become a permanent fixture in the Blueshirts’ bottom six.
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Defensemen prospects could see more opportunities for playing time
Last season, the prospect who received the most NHL ice time was defenseman Zac Jones. He filled in for the team captain Jacob Trouba when he was forced to miss time with an ankle injury during the regular season. Jones stepped in and skated in 31 games for the Blueshirts, totaling nine points (two goals and seven assists) with a +1 rating.
Perhaps this year’s Jones could be Matthew Robertson. The Rangers announced that they had re-signed the defenseman prospect to a one-year contract earlier this week. Robertson is a 6-foot-4, 193-pound left-handed defenseman who appeared in 68 games for the Wolf Pack last season, totaling four goals and 17 assists for 21 points and recording a -11 rating.
The Rangers seem to like what they have in Robertson. He has developed well in Hartford with the Wolf Pack. If injuries arise in the defensive corps, Jones will be the first substitute as he spent the 2023-24 postseason on the Rangers’ roster as a healthy scratch. However, if injuries really begin to pile up, Robertson could get his chance to skate the NHL ice.
