oscar lindberg

Lindberg is the latest rookie to make the team (Photo: Newsday)

The strength of the farm system for the Rangers has been called into question numerous times in the past few years. In fact, I can’t remember the last time the Rangers were ranked –by a reputable source– in the top-half of the league. My guess is that it’s close to 2010, when the Rangers had Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh ready to make an NHL impact.

But yet here we are in 2015, and the Rangers have two more prospects ready to contribute at the NHL level. Oscar Lindberg is starting as the team’s third line center, while Dylan McIlrath will be starting as the extra defenseman. Both had impressive preseasons, and while McIlrath is going to open the season as a scratch, all signs point to him making an impact this year.

In fact, this is the third year in a row that the Rangers have introduced at least one youngster to the lineup on a regular basis that has made an impact. There are five players currently on the club that made their statements as rookies either this year or last. Over the past six seasons, the Rangers have introduced 11 rookies (draft years in parentheses) into key roles that season. These players stuck –jury is out on Lindberg/McIlrath, but let’s assume they stick– and are (or in the case of Sauer/Hagelin, would be) contributing today.

  • 2015-2016: Lindberg (trade – 2009), McIlrath (2010)
  • 2014-2015: J.T. Miller (2011), Jesper Fast (2010), Kevin Hayes (2010, unsigned UFA)
  • 2013-2014: Chris Kreider (2009)
  • 2012-2013: None, but you can make the argument that both Kreider and Miller belong in this year, as they each played half the season. Neither made a significant impact though, which is why they are listed in different years.
  • 2011-2012: Carl Hagelin (2007)
  • 2010-2011: Stepan (2008), McDonagh (trade – 2007), Mats Zuccarello (undrafted), Mike Sauer (2005, career ending injury)

If we use the 2010 season as the cutoff for the last time the Rangers had a highly ranked system, then they have certainly taken those rankings and thrown them back at the pundits’ faces. The rankings are fair, as the Rangers haven’t introduced truly elite talent, but they keep churning out NHL players.

Let’s not forget that Brady Skjei (2012), who had a very strong camp, is in Hartford at the moment. Pavel Buchnevich (2013) is having a season in the KHL that is comparable to only Vladimir Tarasenko and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Perhaps you’ve heard of them?

A common complaint among Ranger fans is that the team “trades all their picks for aging veterans” and “always sign the aging superstar in lieu of playing the kids.” It’s a tired narrative that can finally be put to bed.

If you include Skjei and Buchnevich as “sure things,” then the Rangers will have at least one NHLer from every single draft as of 2007. If you expand this to include traded players, then you can extend that streak all the way to 2004 (Artem Anisimov – 2006, Marc Staal – 2005, Brandon Dubinsky/Ryan Callahan – 2004). That’s high quality drafting.

You know what else can be put to bed? The notion that the Rangers don’t draft well.

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