The New York Rangers are off to a 26-11-2 start to the season, and youth is playing no small part in that.
Winger Alexis Lafreniere, 22, appears to finally be living up to his pedigree as a No. 1 overall draft pick. Will Cuylle, the rookie 21-year-old power forward, is playing with confidence, scoring seven goals and providing a speed-and-physical element to the bottom six forward corps the Blueshirts need so desperately. Of course, there’s the young defense, with 20-somethings Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller, Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider forming what could be a stout blue line for years to come.
The club also finally made the move that’s evoked great anticipation amongst the fan base Jan. 3, calling up highly-regarded forward prospect Brennan Othmann for his NHL debut. The 16th overall pick in 2021 didn’t record a point in a three-game audition, but had six shots on goal and five hits in a generally impressive stint that included a brief spin on the top line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers returned Othmann to Hartford of the American Hockey League on Jan. 9, the organization determined to continue handling the hyped prospect with patience and not force him to take on major responsibilities after only 28 AHL games.
As impressive as some of the Rangers’ up-and-comers have been, it’s starkly obvious that there’s more on the way – a fact driven home by the performances of three draftees at the recently-concluded World Junior Championship. Here’s a look at some of the players the Blueshirts can look forward to joining them in the not-too-distant future:
Gabriel Perreault, RW
The club’s first-round draft pick in 2023, 23rd overall, already had the hype train rolling with his play for Boston College this season, recording 25 points in 17 games as a freshman. Then world juniors hit, and Gabriel Perreault took the excitement to a new level. The 18-year-old winger became the first Rangers draft pick since J.T. Miller in 2013 to record seven assists in tournament play, and his 10 points in seven games tied the franchise record set by Lafreniere in 2020. Team USA defeated Sweden 6-2 in the gold-medal game Jan. 4.
Perreault’s rising to the moment on the big stage had to be thrilling for Rangers general manager Chris Drury, who made it a priority to retain at least one of his two first-rounders in last year’s draft, considered one of the most talent-laden in years. Having moved what turned out to be his lower first-rounder (29th) to the St. Louis Blues for rental forward Vladimir Tarasenko, he refused to part with the other one in a trade for the Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane. Perreault now looks like a massive steal, a potential franchise winger who was available later in a deep talent pool.
Perreault’s play has led to some calls on social media for him to be brought up to the big club after BC’s season ends. Those are ridiculous, but Perreault’s timeline to make it to Madison Square Garden might not be a long one if he continues to play this way next season.
Drew Fortescue, D
Another bounty from the burgeoning U.S. National Team Development Program like Perreault, local kid Drew Fortescue was taken in the third round of the same draft, and the duo are college teammates, with Fortescue also playing for the U.S. team at world juniors. The pair’s connection could prove to be an eventual long-term one on Broadway. Fortescue, a defenseman, hardly garners the accolades Perreault does, but he recorded four assists and a plus-six rating in seven games at worlds and has three goals, an assist and a plus-8 mark in 17 contests for the Eagles.
Fortescue, whose pass to Isaac Howard in the gold-medal game sprung Howard for the go-ahead score on a breakaway, is likely farther away from the NHL than Perreault. However, the left-handed shot is a commodity in a Rangers system that isn’t overflowing with top defense prospects at the moment.
Adam Edstrom, C
The Rangers took a sixth-round flier on this giant (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) in 2019 and they’ve been rewarded with slow but steady development. Adam Edstrom has eight goals and two assists in 24 games with Hartford this season, and called up for insurance Dec. 15, made his NHL debut when veteran center Nick Bonino couldn’t play against the Anaheim Ducks. Edstrom made that game unforgettable, scoring with 3 seconds remaining in a 5-1 victory at MSG.
With good hands, size and strong skating ability for a player that big, the 23-year-old native of Karlstad, Sweden, might have what it takes to grab a spot in middle of the Rangers’ bottom six in the seasons to come.
Brett Berard, F
Another potential late-round gem, Brett Berard has impressed in his first full season with the Wolf Pack, recording 10 goals and seven assists in 31 games. Though his minus-10 rating is concerning, the Rangers’ fifth-rounder in 2020 is an effort-and-edge player who forechecks relentlessly and has a nonstop motor that could translate well as a penalty-killer and fourth-line irritant at the NHL level – perhaps not unlike undersized former Ranger Tyler Motte.
Berard is just 5-9 and 163 pounds, but the 21-year-old’s skating, aggressive style and understanding of his role should give him a chance to find his way to Broadway at some point. He had scored a goal in three straight games before going without a point against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 7.
Adam Sykora, LW
Drafted higher and more highly-regarded than Berard, Adam Sykora nonetheless plays a similar game. The Rangers’ second-round pick in 2022 is just 19 and likely several years away from the NHL. Like Berard, Sykora overcomes a lack of size (5-10, 172) with excellent skating ability and outstanding work ethic, excelling when it comes to cycling down low and getting to the dirty areas around the net. Sykora is also similar to Berard in his ability to generate turnovers with puck pressure.
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Not known for elite offensive skills, Sykora has nonetheless recorded three goals and 10 assists with a plus-7 mark in 27 games for Hartford this season. He also possesses good defensive instincts. With a well-rounded and straight-ahead game, the Rangers drafted him 63rd overall with the expectation that he would challenge for an NHL spot eventually.
With 1.7 seconds left on the clock, Slovakia might have found the back of the net! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/Cdd0WUZFAU
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 2, 2024
Sykora played in his third straight world juniors this season and served as Slovakia’s captain, scoring a memorable goal against Finland.
Rangers’ Rising Prospects Bring a More Physical Approach
In Perreault, the Rangers hope they have an elite scorer of the future. Yet with the recent promotions of Cuylle and Othmann, and the encouraging development of Sykora, Edstrom and Berard, the organization appears to be pivoting to a different kind of player: One that possesses a jagged edge to his game.
This group came in under two general managers. Former GM Jeff Gorton drafted Cuylle, Berard and Edstrom, while Perreault, Fortescue, Othmann and Sykora were the work of Drury. Regardless, the patient development efforts undertaken in the minors suggest the current regime is prioritizing a philosophical shift away from the approach the Rangers have often relied on in the past.
It seems like a sound approach for a club that is perennially stocked with skill but missing the kind of bite in the lineup that is needed, particularly in the playoffs. It gives fans hope that the club is committed to righting that balance through the draft – something that, based on the rising promise of this group of young players, might be happening sooner rather than later at the NHL level.
