Not long ago, the New York Rangers announced a rebuild through a letter to the fanbase. Yet, in the short while that has since transpired, the Blueshirts have abandoned a complete rebuild and signed prized free agents, re-opening their competitive window almost instantaneously. The result has been a competitive yet incomplete roster and a prospect pool that never deepened as envisioned.
Nonetheless, the Rangers have some exciting prospects nearing their NHL debuts or solidifying their NHL careers. Some of the names we have seen before, while others we have discussed for some time now. The 2023-24 season brings Stanley Cup aspirations and will allow us to witness multiple prospects try to solidify themselves on the Rangers’ roster.
With cap constraints throughout the league, the premise of young, cheap skaters taking roster spots and alleviating cap concerns has become widespread. The best teams may have high-priced skill players, but the rosters are always rounded out by cheap entry-level contracts that make all the difference.
It feels like yesterday we were discussing Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, K’Andre Miller, and others in that same light. Now, those players have established themselves on the Rangers, despite the expectations seemingly eluding their performances through the early stages of their careers.
In 2023-24, we will see the next group of prospects get a chance to win roster spots out of camp or run with a midseason call-up. So let’s see which prospects have the best chance at playing in the NHL this upcoming season.
4. Ty Emberson, Right Defense, 2022-23 Team: Hartford Wolf Pack
Ty Emberson may not be a name that appears on most of the Rangers’ top prospect lists, but he was arguably the most impressive defenseman for the Hartford Wolf Pack last season. He had 27 points in 69 games and displayed his two-way prowess as a defenseman.
Emberson accumulated five more points in nine playoff games during Hartford’s run, capping off a fine year in the American Hockey League (AHL). Largely considered a throw-in in the trade which sent Patrik Nemeth to the Arizona Coyotes, Emberson has proven to be quite the pick-up for general manager Chris Drury.
Now, you may be asking how I am putting Emberson here as opposed to other defensive prospects, mainly Matthew Robertson. The answer is that unlike the vast majority of top-flight defensive prospects in the Rangers’ organization, the former Wisconsin Badger plays the right side, giving him the cleanest path to NHL action this season.
If deemed ready for a chance, the Rangers are one injury on the right side away from giving him a look, especially when you consider Ben Harpur, Zac Jones, Erik Gustafsson, Connor Mackey, and Robertson are all left-handed. A solid training camp and start to the AHL season should put Emberson an injury away from his first shot at an NHL lineup.
3. Will Cuylle, Left Wing, 2022-23 Team: Hartford Wolf Pack
Will Cuylle was introduced to life as an NHL player last season, playing four games with the Rangers. He had no points and two fights during his brief stint with the big club, but his size and shot look like they are NHL-ready. The former second-round selection stands at 6-foot-3, 212-pounds, and has no qualms with throwing his body around.
His physical style will allow him to fill roles in the Rangers’ bottom six as the wear and tear of the season starts to show through. Cuylle had a tremendous season for the Wolf Pack in 2022-23, finishing with 25 goals and 45 points in 69 games. He showcased his offensive ability without jeopardizing his defensive game.
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Although Cuylle’s brief stint didn’t demonstrate much of his ability to impact a game at the NHL level, he should be in line for a call-up this season. Prior to the Rangers’ offseason signings, which saw Nick Bonino and Tyler Pitlick get acquired for fourth-line roles, there was a chance he could have earned a spot on the opening night roster.
Despite that opportunity closing with those free-agent moves, it still remains likely that Cuylle will see NHL games in 2023-24. It is less a matter of if and when and more so how many games he will get with the Rangers this season. His game is ready for the next step in his career, and it is only a matter of time before the Rangers give him a consistent look.
2. Brennan Othmann, Left Wing, 2022-23 Team: Peterborough Petes
Prior to the selection of Gabe Perreault during Round 1 of the 2023 NHL Draft, Brennan Othmann was widely regarded as the Rangers’ number-one prospect. His tenure in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Flint Firebirds and Peterborough Petes was terrific, scoring 24 points in 16 games with Flint before being traded to Peterborough.
Once in Peterborough, Othmann’s production rate slightly dropped, but he still registered 43 points in 40 games. More impressively, he helped the Petes win the OHL championship, registering 25 points in 23 games. The former 16th overall draft pick showed his game didn’t change once the lights got brighter, a great thing to see if you’re a Rangers fan.
He has always had a terrific release and a shoot-first mentality, two components that would greatly benefit a pass-first-heavy offense like the Blueshirts. Whether you are looking at his international play or his OHL play, the points find a way to come for Othmann year after year.
As a left-wing, there is a log jam of talent ahead of Othmann, which may limit his playing time this season. If he could switch to the right side, something Lafreniere has struggled to do, the Ontario native would have his best chance at cracking the NHL roster.
A trip down to Hartford to start the season wouldn’t be the worst-case scenario, allowing him to develop and acclimate before jumping to the NHL. Either way, when Othmann becomes an NHL regular, he will fall into the boat with the rest of the young players. Production from them is required in 2023-24 for the Rangers to take that next step.
Is Othmann ready to produce at the NHL level? I think yes, and with a good training camp as well as some potential time in Hartford, he should be playing in NHL games at some point during the 2023-24 season.
1. Zac Jones, Left Defense, 2022-23 Team: Hartford Wolf Pack
Prior to the 2022-23 season, Zac Jones was preparing for a training camp battle for the sixth and final defensive spot on the opening night roster for the Rangers. He won the battle but played only 16 games in the NHL, spending the majority of the season in Hartford.
Nearly one year later, Jones will find himself in a similar battle once again as he and offseason signing Gustafsson battle for the sixth spot. The difference is Jones, now on a new two-year contract, has a one-way deal, meaning he has to clear waivers to be sent down to Hartford.
This is Jones’s opportunity to become an NHL regular, and unlike the other players on this list, he is the only player with a straightforward path onto the roster next season. He should have no problem playing games for the Rangers this season, but the bigger question is will this be the year he sticks?
Jones has talent, and his two-way game improved in Hartford last season. His competition, Gustafsson, is the same style player as the 22-year-old defenseman, and has had NHL-level success doing it, something Jones cannot hang his hat on just yet.
It will be interesting to see how it plays out during training camp, but Jones has the best chance to not only play for the Rangers this season but be an NHL regular.
The Rangers have talent left in their prospect pool. It may not be top-flight, but players like Perreault and Drew Fortescue (taken this year), Adam Sykora, Brett Berard, Bryce McConnell-Barker, and Bobby Trivigno all remain in the system. Sometimes the best NHL players can be found from a group of picks that might not have blown anyone away initially.
It happens all the time, and for the Rangers, they hope those diamonds are in their prospect pool right now and possibly playing for them this season.
