Ranking the New York Rangers' Top 10 Prospects
On August 20, the New York Rangers were the winners of the race to land unrestricted free agent Kevin Hayes, a forward who had previously been a first-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks but opted not to sign with the team.
Where does Hayes slot in the prospect pecking order for the Rangers?
The following slideshow ranks the team's 10 best Calder-eligible prospects (J.T. Miller, for example, doesn't qualify) and provides capsule scouting reports. Prospects are primarily ranked based on their potential NHL ceiling, but the amount of risk involved in that projection is also a significant factor in this list.
10. Adam Tambellini
1 of 10
Profile: Tambellini combines NHL size with excellent offensive instincts. He put up 48 points in 37 combined WHL regular season and playoff games after switching to that league from college at midseason. The pivot's willingness to engage in both zones is sometimes questioned by scouts.
Risk factor: We're early enough in Tambellini's development track that a lot could still go wrong, but there aren't any overly significant red flags.
NHL projection: Middle-six forward.
9. Dylan McIlrath
2 of 10
Profile: McIlrath is a throwback player, a vicious defensive defenceman who hits everything that moves and fights it too if the occasion arises. At 6'4, 212 pounds, he has the size for the role, but he's also reasonably mobile, which makes for an intriguing combination. The downside? He's never shown much comfort with the puck at any level.
Risk factor: The game is moving away from players who don't help with possession. McIlrath will probably still play, but his ultimate upside is open to question.
NHL projection: Second-pair defenceman.
8. Conor Allen
3 of 10
Profile: Allen is a two-way defenceman with a well-rounded skill set that includes both aggression in the defensive zone and the ability to jump up on the attack. He earned a three-game NHL recall in his first professional season.
Risk factor: Allen is knocking at the door.
NHL projection: Second-pair defenceman.
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7. Danny Kristo
4 of 10
Profile: Kristo had a pretty successful rookie pro season, scoring 25 goals at the AHL level. He needed to reach the professional ranks with a bang, though; he's already 24 years old thanks to a meandering route to the pro game that took him through the NAHL, USHL and college hockey.
Risk factor: Kristo's age means that he's on the clock. He needs to show immediate forward movement.
NHL projection: Second-line forward.
6. Jesper Fast
5 of 10
Profile: Fast's greatest attribute is (perhaps appropriately) his speed, which always makes him dangerous on the attack and allows him to recover defensively. He has posted great numbers overseas and showed some encouraging signs in his first season in North America, which included 11 games in the NHL. He is a little on the small side at 5'11", 165 pounds.
Risk factor: Fast would be less of a risk if he'd taken a jump in the last half of the season, but instead his scoring totals faltered.
NHL projection: Middle-six forward.
5. Pavel Buchnevich
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Profile: Buchnevich has serious offensive ability and showed it during a great 18-year-old season in the KHL in 2013-14. He's a natural centre with good size, speed and vision and an NHL frame, but his strength isn't all that good, and his defensive game still needs work.
Risk factor: He's a boom-or-bust prospect.
NHL projection: Top-six forward.
4. Anthony Duclair
7 of 10
Profile: Duclair, a lightning-fast winger, had a breakout season in the QMJHL, scoring 50 times and adding 49 assists in 59 games. It's a particularly impressive achievement because he's a late birthday (August 26) who missed being a 2014 draft pick by a matter of weeks. He does have a bit of a reputation as a one-dimensional forward.
Risk factor: The risk involved here was mitigated by the fantastic season Duclair just had.
NHL projection: Top-six forward.
3. Oscar Lindberg
8 of 10
Profile: Lindberg is a classic all-situations player, a centre who is diligent in his attention to detail and exerts the same effort on the defensive side of the puck as he does in making plays with it. He has pretty decent size at 6'0", 185 pounds, and he's a good skater too. Lindberg has a track record of big numbers in Sweden but only posted mediocre totals in his first year in the AHL.
Risk factor: As with Fast, it would be easier to feel confident in Lindberg if he'd had an especially strong second half in the AHL. Still, his range of skill makes him an easy guy to believe in.
NHL projection: Middle-six forward.
2. Kevin Hayes
9 of 10
Profile: Hayes was widely sought after this summer, and it isn't hard to figure why. Big forwards with real offensive talent are hard to find; every NHL team is looking for that kind of player. The question is to what degree he was driving the scoring, as he played alongside dynamo John Gaudreau. It's a particularly big concern because Hayes isn't known for his defensive game; he needs to score to survive.
Risk factor: Hayes should be NHL-ready or very close to it, though of course at this juncture we don't know how well he's going to adapt to the professional game.
NHL projection: Top-six forward.
1. Brady Skjei
10 of 10
Profile: Skjei's upside is as a high-end shutdown defender, and that's exactly the kind of player who is awfully difficult to follow from afar. He has size (6'2", 203 pounds), strength and speed; the only thing that's lacking in his game is offensive creativity.
Risk factor: Skjei's physical skills should ensure he plays, but his offensive ability may cap his ceiling.
NHL projection: Second-pair defenceman.
Statistics courtesy of EliteProspects.com, unless otherwise noted. The Hockey News, Red Line Report (subscription required) and HockeyProspectus.com were consulted in writing profiles.
Jonathan Willis covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for more of his work.
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