New York Rangers are No. 19 in 2024 NHL prospect pool rankings

Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2024 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and insight from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 30 to Feb. 29.

Though the New York Rangers made just five picks in the 2023 draft and just two in its first four rounds, the value of Gabe Perreault with the No. 23 pick gives their pool a needed injection of high-end skill to complement the pesky nature of their other forward prospects.

The fatal flaw of their pool, though, is that both their NHL club and their pool are deepest at the same position: left-handed wingers (their top-five ranked prospects here are all left-shot wingers). Now that Zac Jones has aged out, they’ve got very little coming on the back end.

2023 prospect pool rank: No. 22 (change: +3)

1. Gabe Perreault, LW, 18 (Boston College)

I stuck my neck out on Perreault last year and I remain bullish on him as one of the most talented and offensively intelligent prospects in the game. Eventually, when the points pile up like they have, and they happen while making the kinds of plays that he does, you can’t ignore them. You can say what you will about his skinny frame (though he has added substantial muscle, at least relatively speaking, in recent years). You can say what you will about perceived questions of skating (which I think lost the plot last year). You can say what you will about his linemates at the NTDP and BC, but it’s Perreault who holds the program’s single-season points record and it’s Perreault who leads the Eagles in scoring as a freshman.

I see a clever-beyond-belief facilitator and playmaker who plays the game with a light touch and a heady spatial awareness of not only where his teammates are, but where he is in the flow of play (and relative to defenders). The son of longtime NHLer Yanic Perreault and brother of Ducks prospect Jacob Perreault, Gabe doesn’t have his dad’s defensive acumen or his brother’s build (Gabe is now listed at 165 pounds, Jacob at 192), but he’s a highly intuitive player who sees the play develop offensively at a more advanced level than his two family members did/do — and comparable to any prospect in the sport.

He’s got extremely quick hands to complement that mind for the game offensively and allow him to execute the plays he sees. He problem-solves his way out of trouble as well as just about anyone on this list, too. He’s got dexterous tools catching, tipping and redirecting pucks. He arrives into space at exactly the right times to make himself available and finish plays. His ability to bait defenders and open them up so that he can slide passes through their feet is so impressive. He gets shots off extremely fast and without bobbles in catch-and-release sequences. He plans things out on the ice at speed and then finds ways to make his desired play.

He’s a slick one-on-one player but will also wait that extra split-second and then just sling a pass tape-to-tape across the grain. He has become a bit of a puck thief, consistently tracking back hard to empty the tank and make effort plays on lifts. There are times when he waits too long to make his plays, but you live with that given his unique ability to find guys in open space with real craft and puck skill in possession.

And he’s a better skater than he gets credit for, with above-average speed for my money and room to add power and pick up another step as he gets stronger. Because of his genetics, he should be able to add the necessary weight and strength eventually, too. With the proper patience, I expect he’ll become a skilled, top-six playmaking winger with clear PP1 upside.

2. Brennan Othmann, LW, 21 (Hartford Wolf Pack)

After posting 59 goals and 121 points in 85 combined regular-season and playoff games in his post-draft season, Othmann’s production dipped last year in his final junior season, in particular after a move from his Firebirds to the contending Petes (though he did still lead them in playoff and Memorial Cup scoring in the end). In between, he also looked the part of the top prospect that he is at both of the world juniors in Edmonton and Halifax, especially in the games that mattered (he’s a gamer).

This season, at the pro level, he has been a consistent shot-generator and offensive contributor while continuing to play his thorny, pest style against men (there are always questions as to whether players who play that way in junior will continue to against bigger, stronger competition).

He’s got a lethal, masked release that he can get off of his blade at multiple points while still maintaining pinpoint accuracy. He’s got a silky first touch into quick hands. He’s got that sixth sense as a scorer, to where he just finds holes in coverage and in goalies to finish plays at a higher rate than most (I expect his shooting percentage, which has hovered below 10 per cent in the AHL, for example, to rise). He’s got a heady spatial awareness inside the offensive zone and a good feel for where his teammates are on the ice, regularly executing blind and clever passes. He plays a determined off-puck game that engages in battles.

He’s a physical presence when he’s on the ice, a constant threat to lay a big hit, and scrappy and mouthy between whistles (there’s a bit of a chip on his shoulder on and off the ice, honestly). He’s got great hands around the net and on tips. He plays a direct, attacking game with the puck and he has worked hard to get stronger and a step quicker so that he can make the most out of his natural gifts on the ice. He has gotten better and better at reading the play and breaking up passes defensively, and at moving his feet off the puck not just to chase hits but to get up and under sticks and stay on pucks. He’s got the ability to become a second-line, power-play scoring winger with some snarl.

3. Brett Berard, LW, 21 (Hartford Wolf Pack) 

Berard has become a really nice story in the Rangers system these last few seasons (three at Providence and now as an immediate contributor as a rookie at the AHL level). Instead of changing his game to find his points or taking some giant leap, he just leaned so far into what he does best to try to maximize it. If Berard makes it, he’s going to become a fan favorite for his fearless, determined style as a feisty competitor who attacks the net, gets up and under bigger players to win lanes and retrievals, and plays with skill and pace in attacking bursts between battles.

He’s not a dynamic offensive player for a 5-foot-9 winger, but he plays bigger than he is, his September birthday gives him continued runway, coaches love him, he can play with any kind of linemate, and he’s on a good path toward a career as an effective bottom-sixer who is oddly effective on the cycle and makes things happen shift-to-shift.

Berard is a testament to a smaller player’s advantage (with the right mindset and teaching) getting inside-body positioning. I love the way he gets loose with the puck (or off of it so someone could spring him), and it’s impossible not to love how competitive he is in getting to the front of the net or making plays off the cycle. He’s impressively evasive in traffic and he has continued to get faster so that he can split through holes in bursts more consistently. He’s the kind of player who finds his way out of some situations that he shouldn’t with the puck and gets involved in situations he shouldn’t without it. He and Adam Sýkora are similar in a lot of ways. If one of them can become an up-and-down the lineup go-getter, that’ll be a success out of a pair of second- and fifth-round picks.

Adam Sýkora looks to pass against the Boston Bruins during the 2023 preseason. (Eric Canha / USA Today)

4. Adam Sýkora, LW, 19 (Hartford Wolf Pack)

Sýkora is a unique case study in that he just turned 19 in September and already has more than 150 professional games under his belt. He was a relied-upon player on a good team in his league (albeit a weak one).

Last season, he played in all situations for Nitra in Slovakia, regularly logging between 18 to 23 minutes (this, after not looking out of place at men’s worlds the previous spring). And while the production didn’t pop (a little more than half a point per game), a review of the tape suggested he was owed more than he got on the stat sheet in Slovakia. Despite registering just one point at the 2023 world juniors (following, it should be noted, getting injured in pre-tournament) he was also a go-to forward in all situations for the Slovaks and finished as their ice-time leader at forward (averaged 21 minutes, 24 seconds). This season, as Slovakia’s captain at the 2024 world juniors, he again played a leading role without the results to show for it. He has also looked, as a teenager, like he can hang in the AHL (his high-effort, small-area game was always going to fit on North American ice).

Sýkora is an easy player to like and for opposing teams not to like. He’s a pest who likes to get under guys’ skins and stick around in battles. He skates and works. He plays a determined game with a knack for getting to loose pucks and making the most of his opportunities. I’ve seen him cut into a couple of his own looks on one shift and work to play catch-up off the puck to get to a hole in coverage or pounce on a rebound on the next. Despite being smallish (he’s actually really well-built and strong for his size), his sticktoitiveness and overall skill level quickly endear themselves to coaches and linemates.

He changes directions to cut past defenders and attack on uncomfortable angles, he’s got great dexterity catching and finding pucks in his feet, he keeps his feet moving, and he’s totally fearless with the puck going to congested areas. You can never fault his work ethic, he’s got great hands and handles pucks deftly laterally, he processes and reads the game quickly, and he executes with intention and pace.

Sýkora’s just one of those kids who leaves it all out there, stays around it, fights through contact, and wills plays into existence. The more I watch him, the more I like him, though he will need to show a little more offence/production eventually and has at times been outshined by linemates in his young career. It’s not hard to imagine him becoming a third-liner with some jump, though.

5. William Cuylle, LW, 22 (Hartford Wolf Pack)

A year ago, Cuylle was the Wolf Pack’s only 25-goal scorer. This season, though he has played exclusively in the NHL, he’s one of a small group of prospects that I’ve included one last time (in part because he just turned 22).

Cuylle has been consistent and effective since making the jump to the pro game while continuing to play his brand of hockey. He’s never going to be a particularly impactful offensive player in the NHL, but Cuylle is a physical presence who plays an at-times menacing game that is complemented by a heavy wrister that can cleanly beat goalies. He’s a push-and-pop player in the offensive zone who can muscle his way around the wall. He’s big (6-4), he’s heavy (well over 200 pounds), he’s hard to knock off the puck, and he gives a team a different element.

He’s most noticeable on the cycle and has developed more and more comfort with the puck so that he can hang onto it and push off the wall to use his size advantage and invite players to try to take him on. His skating has also smoothed out nicely so that he’s less sluggish out there from a standstill. Add in a commitment to supporting the play off the puck, and Cuylle has a way of being in the mix when positive things happen.

His small-area skills lack a little, there can be some sloppiness to his execution with the puck, and he can lack awareness and vision with the puck, but his effort, size, shot and presence mitigate against that. He’s a bottom-sixer all day and I considered ranking him as high as No. 3 here — and would have if he were just a little quicker.

6. Dylan Garand, G, 21 (Hartford Wolf Pack)

After a rookie season a year ago in which Garand was fine but not great, the Wolf Pack reaped the rewards of sticking with him. Garand was outstanding in the 2023 AHL playoffs, looking more like the reigning CHL Goaltender of the Year and helping the Wolf Pack to a first-round upset over the Providence Bruins. He has followed that up with a strong season so far this year as well, playing to a winning record and a save percentage that has hovered around .910.

Garand is small by today’s goalie standards at 6-1 and 176 pounds, but he also has most of the tools you look for in a smaller goalie, led by his quickness in the net (which helps him make acrobatic saves when he needs to), great hands (especially on the glove side), and a studious understanding of the game, his positioning, and how he sees the way plays develop in front of him.

He plays on his toes and is active in the net, but he does it without spinning and swimming by holding his outside edges when he settles into his stance before a shot, playing sharp angles, and tracking pucks into his body. He also rarely looks panicked in the net, and his post-to-post movement is meticulous so he never seems to pull past his parallels and always seems to find and hold his short side on bad-angle shots (his skate and shoulder are always in the right spot, even off of switches when some goalies lose some of those habits, like sealing posts). That technical skill is present in the rest of his game, too.

He’s got work to do given his size and occasionally he will get frozen by hard shots, but he’s got the time and by all accounts a great attitude (I know his teammates like to play in front of him because of how talkative and engaged he is). I could see him becoming a No. 2/1B in time.

7. Noah Laba, C, 20 (Colorado College)

Colorado College’s leading scorer as a sophomore this season, Laba plies his trade as a physical, hard-working forward (he can play both center and the wing, but plays down the middle in NCAA) with size (6-2, 192 pounds) and decent skating. The Tigers don’t have a history of producing NHL players, and he’s one of only three drafted prospects on the team. He stepped right in and found a role from the jump last year and has found a way to create offense (especially around the net). He knows his identity, doesn’t back down from anything in a game, and has C-plus skill to go with B-plus offensive instincts and a knack for being around it. That’s not usually enough, but some role players in the NHL had a similar makeup.

He’s most noticeable driving pucks to the net, forechecking and getting to second and third looks. He seems to have found another level in the last couple of months, too. If he can be patient and continue to build on the positive momentum and progress he has made in college, I like him to get signed and give the NHL a go.

8. Drew Fortescue, LHD, 18 (Boston College)

Fortescue really grew on me as his two seasons at the program progressed and he looked the part of a top-six defenceman on one of the best teams in college hockey as an 18-year-old freshman, which isn’t nothing. He didn’t score his first (and only) goal of his draft year until the year-end U18 Worlds, but he became a really solid player for that American team both ways. I thought he struggled at times with the level of the world juniors on a USA defense that lacked depth, but I’ll be interested to see what he looks like as a returnee in Ottawa for the 2025 tournament at 19.

His game is mostly about efficiency and simplicity, but he has slowly come out of his shell as time has gone on to begin to establish himself as a reliable player who is also willing to try to expand his ambitions, even if that has come in baby steps.

He supports a busier partner well, and with time and more confidence at the collegiate level, I believe his role will expand and he’ll become a very good two-way defensemen as an upperclassman. I think there’s room for him to be more physical and involve himself in the offense when opportunities present themselves — again, which he did as time went on at the program.

There are smaller areas in which his game needs some work (he needs to develop a little more touch off of his backhand, where he is prone to mishandle pucks, for example). And while he probably tops out as a depth defenseman at his ceiling, some believe he’ll play four years, give himself a good chance to get signed, and then maybe work his way through the AHL to become an efficient No. 6/7.

9. Bryce McConnell-Barker, C, 19 (Soo Greyhounds)

McConnell-Barker looked better in his draft year whenever I watched the Soo than his 54 points in 78 combined regular-season and playoff games might suggest at a glance, and that was borne out in his strong post-draft season as a rebuilding Greyhounds team’s captain. But he hasn’t taken another step forward this year to find another level offensively or to force his way into the world junior mix like some hoped and expected he would.

He was a top prospect in the 2004 age group growing up and can look the part, with a dangerous, natural wrist shot, above-average hands and processing, and the right instincts and habits all over the ice. He’s also a June birthday. He’s got pro size at 6-2 and 194 pounds, he plays a detail-oriented pro-style game, and there’s some skill there. He’s a bit of a longer shot, but if the Rangers develop him properly, he might become a nice complementary bottom-six piece somewhere down the line. There’s more there than meets the eye, though you can’t wait forever for him to go from good, likable junior player to dominant, top-of-the-league one.

10. Hugo Ollas, G, 21 (Merrimack College)

Through three seasons in college, Ollas has outperformed the Warriors’ more veteran goaltender, Zachary Borgiel, in a tandem on the whole without fully grabbing hold of the starting job. And while his numbers have taken a dip this season, so have Borgiel’s, and it’s largely driven by a poorer Merrimack team in front of them.

Ollas is interesting as, to my knowledge, the biggest (6-8), heaviest (253 pounds) goalie in the sport. That comes with some drawbacks (he has to stay on his knees in scrambles because his recoveries and movement aren’t quick enough to bounce back into his stance or shuffle around the crease, and his five-hole can occasionally get exposed), but it also comes with some absolutely fascinating advantages as a goalie who gives shooters nothing on the first shot simply by staying compact and keeping his elbows close to his hips (where most goalies have to raise their glove and blockers to fill holes in the corners and thus leave holes around their hips exposed, he doesn’t even have to).

I have no idea if it’ll work at NHL pace, or against NHL shooters, because we’ve really never seen anything quite like him (certainly, goalies such as Robin Lehner and Frederik Andersen have played around or close to 240 pounds, but never at that height).

I hope he makes it simply as a fascinating case study. He does a great job staying controlled and compact and holding his lines given his size. That may be enough. If I’m the Rangers’ goalie coach, I’d like to sign him out to college and just see what I can do with him, at the very least.

11. Matthew Robertson, LHD, 22 (Hartford Wolf Pack)

Robertson obviously has a lot of depth to contend with if he’s going to make it, but I don’t hate the idea of giving him extended time into his mid-20s in the AHL if need be, to continue to refine his game and make sure he’s ready to make the jump when it’s there. Not every team uses that kind of patience, though, and his entry-level deal expires at the end of this season, so there is a decision looming. With the right development, he’s got some upside as a depth NHLer, and I’d extend him as an RFA and see if they can get him to where he needs to be.

Robertson is intriguing as a 6-4 defenseman who skates well. His feet allow him to cover a lot of ground, gap up, and defend with his stick. They also allow him to occasionally roam off the blue line deep into the offensive zone, or lead a rush. And while his hands and playmaking aren’t at the same level, he’s got a useful shot, he transitions from his heels to his toes smoothly, and his skill grades out just high enough across the board to involve himself in plays.

If he can become a No. 6/7 D as a complement to the more talented defenders ahead of him, that’s a win. He doesn’t have many of the drawbacks that typically come with his size. There is still work to do, but he’s a 22-minute-a-night AHL defenseman at 22 years old, and every team needs a No. 8, even if he doesn’t get beyond that.

12. Ryder Korczak, C, 21 (Hartford Wolf Pack)

After struggling to find himself in the AHL to start last year, Korczak was one of the better forwards in the WHL after returning, playing to a 40-goal, 98-point 68-game pace. Now he’s back in the AHL again, and while he looked more ready for it in my viewings for this series, there are still some practical challenges in his makeup and style at the pro level.

Korczak is a hardworking puck transporter and distributor who leads his linemates into the offensive zone and gives them the puck in their wheelhouse with perfect timing and weight. He plays a fast, on-the-puck game, is capable of running a power play, and thrives under pressure inside the offensive zone at making slick small-area plays through layers. He’s also a good faceoff guy (which has held up against pros). And while he’s always going to be more of a pass-first guy, I actually like him better when he tries to take charge as more of a shooter and play with a more selfish, aggressive approach.

In the AHL, though, I think he defaults into bad habits. And as a 5-11 center, when he drifts to the outside he can mute his game and limit his upside (the reality is, he’s got to find ways to get to the middle and score more if he wants to play up levels because his game isn’t likely going to be a natural fourth-line fit, even if he plays hard and is good in the dot).

He’s the kind of player who I think projects as a good AHL producer in time, and maybe that puts him in the conversation at some point. But he’s a long shot.

13. Jaroslav Chmelař, 20, LW/RW (Providence College)

Chmelař’s statistical profile hasn’t traditionally been there, but it’s coming (he was playing close to a point per game as a sophomore at Providence this year before undergoing wrist surgery in December) and he’s a player I’ve liked more when I’ve watched him at Providence or the world juniors in Edmonton and Halifax. I’ve come around a little on him as a result.

He was a big part of what might have been Czechia’s most important line in his second world juniors, spending most of his shifts inside the offensive zone with Jakub Brabenec and Gabriel Szturc. And he has been effective at both ends for the Friars from Day 1, too. He’s a big, strong kid who reads the game quickly, skates well for his size (6-5, 220 pounds), always seems to be at the net or working the wall, plays to the middle when he’s not, and does a good job extending sequences by either winning retrievals or pushing through contact.

I like him in give-and-goes, he plays a heavy game down low effectively, and while I’m not quite sure if he has enough skill to become an NHLer, it’s not hard to imagine him becoming a fourth-line winger if he can continue to develop his game with the puck.

14. Dylan Roobroeck, 19, C (Oshawa Generals)

Another towering forward, Roobroeck, who is listed at 6-7 and already over 200 pounds as a teenager, sits third on the Gens in scoring at about a point per game this season. He protects pucks well and takes them to the net off the wall effectively. He sees the offensive zone fairly well and will play set-up man from below the goal line. He has learned to impose himself more physically, whether that’s finishing checks or staying on pucks on the cycle to keep his line’s offensive zone time high.

The execution, stand-still skating and finishing have never quite been there, but he has made slow progress on them. With continued reps, work to move a little better, and a return to the OHL next year to be a part of a Generals team with contending aspirations as a 20-year-old, you hope he puts himself in the conversation to get signed, and you go from there. He’s a project, but one worth at least keeping an eye on for now.

The Tiers

As always, each of my prospect pool rankings is broken down into team-specific tiers in order to give you a better sense of the talent proximity from one player to the next (a gap that is sometimes minute and in other cases quite pronounced).

The Rangers’ pool breaks down into four tiers. They are: 1, 2, 3-6, 7-14.

Big TPS forward Kalle Vaisanen and University of Minnesota sophomore Brody Lamb were also considered.

(Top photo of Gabe Perreault: Adam Ihse / Getty Images)