ryan lindgren

It’s my favorite time of the year. Over the past three years, I’ve gone through the Rangers organization and ranked the top 25 players under the age of 25 years old (201320142015 part one2015 part two 2016 part one2016 part two, 2017 part one, 2017 part two). The ground rules for this list are simple: To qualify for this list, a player must be under 25 years old. It doesn’t matter if this player is in the NHL, AHL, or in any of the leagues around the world. If they are Ranger property and under 25, they were considered.

First, let’s go through the players from last year’s list that no longer qualify and honorable mentions who missed the cut (over HALF of last year’s list!):

Aged Out: Mika Zibanejad, Jimmy Vesey, John Gilmour
No longer with the organization: JT Miller, Ryan Graves, Robin Kovacs, Malte Stromwall, Adam Tambellini, Alexei Bereglazov
Honorable mentions: Tarmo Reunanen (LY: 23), Brandon Halverson (LY: 19), Dominik Lakatos (LY: 24), Gabriel Fontaine (LY: 25), Ryan Gropp (LY: 16), Calle Sjalin (LY: 22)

A note about the honorable mentions, there are some that are no longer on the list because they had poor seasons and/or haven’t progressed anymore (Gropp, Halverson). However the reason why there is so much turnover on this list is because the Rangers have had five first round picks in the past two seasons and have restocked the farm.

25. Boo Nieves – Forward, 2012 2nd round pick (LY: 21)

Nieves slides again for the second straight year, but by no fault of his own. He finally earned his first true cuppa with the Rangers last season, putting up 1-8-9 in 28 games while providing a stabilizing presence on the fourth line. His metrics aren’t overly impressive on the surface, but he was one of the better possession players in his short stint, ahead of some kids who rank very high on this list. What keeps Nieves sliding is his potential. He tops out as a 4C. That’s not bad, the Rangers need cheap depth players and it looks like Nieves should be able to fill that role.

24. Tyler Wall – Goalie, 2016 6th round pick (LY: 17)
23. Olof Lindbom – Goalie, 2018 2nd round pick (LY: NR)

I’m lumping these two together because goalies are voodoo, and they are clearly the third tier of goalies behind Igor Shestyorkin and Adam Huska. Wall has a great last name, but had a rough sophomore season with UMass-Lowell. His SV% dipped from .918 to .868. He dropped because of that, and because of the sheer volume of high end prospects the Rangers got over the past two seasons.

As for Lindbom, the Rangers have had luck with Swedish goalies in the past, and there is clearly something the Rangers see in him. He’s built like Henrik Lundqvist, but that’s really where the similarities end. Lindbom is a good prospect, but he’s a project. I’m unsure what the future holds for the 18 year old, but you know my philosophies: Always trust a Swede, and trust Benoit Allaire.

22. Michael Lindqvist – Forward, Undrafted free agent (LY: NR)
21. Morgan Barron – Forward, 2017 6th round pick (LY: NR)

Lindqvist is an intriguing prospect. He put up good numbers in the SHL last year, with a line of 20-14-24 in 33 games. The SHL is notoriously low scoring, and Lindqvist did this as a 22 year old. Now at 23 years old, Lindqvist is admittedly on the outside looking in, but again, never doubt a Swede.

Barron is an interesting player and a project. He put up 5-13-18 in 31 games with Cornell in his freshman year. At just 19 years old, he has a long way to go before we really know what he is. I am lumping these two together because they appear to be on the right track for potential bottom-six roles, however they could top out a little higher.

20. Joey Keane – Defense, 2018 3rd round pick (LY: NR)
19. Patrik Virta – Forward, 2017 7th round pick (LY: NR)

I really like the Keane selection. Corey Pronman had him as a sleeper when the Rangers took him in the third round. He’s a solid skater and a well rounded prospect. His skating ability makes him a level up on some of the other defensemen in the system, and he does a lot of the little things well. Think Anton Stralman, but with his point totals as a Ranger.

Virta was an overager when the Rangers took him in the 7th round last year, and he continues to meet all expectations. Josh was very excited about his progress this year, and he could be one of those sleepers we hear so much about. Virta is someone to keep an eye on.

18. Sean Day – Defense, 2016 3rd round pick (LY: 10)

Day is sliding fast on this list. I was considering ranking Keane ahead of him, but I can’t get past that “exceptional status” Day had in juniors. Day just hasn’t progressed the way most had hoped, scoring just five goals in the OHL this past season. This is a big year for the 20 year old as he transitions to the AHL. His time could be running out.

17. Ryan Lindgren – Defense, trade with Bruins (LY: NR)

Lindgren was the big acquisition in the Rick Nash trade. A second round pick in 2016, Lindgren had Brady Skjei like deployment in Minnesota. He was tasked with big minutes in a defensive role. He hits like a truck and plays a shutdown role, but that doesn’t mean he is a traffic cone. He’s a solid skater and can likely keep up with some of the better NHL forwards. That said, he’s likely purely defense and has limited offensive potential. It limits his ceiling, and limits how high he can get on lists like this.

16. Tim Gettinger – Forward, 2016 5th round pick (LY: 14)

Gettinger is another one of my top prospects to watch in Hartford next season. He improved each year in the OHL, topping out this past season at 33-36-69 in 66 games. Gettinger is a big boy at 6’6″, 220 lbs, but don’t let his size fool you. He is another well rounded player who skates well and does the little things with and without the puck well. He also uses his size pretty well on the forecheck and in the corners. He tops out as a bottom-six forward with some offensive flair.

15. Adam Huska – Goalie, 2015 7th round pick (LY: 15)

Huska stays put on this list, but he again if not for some of the guys ahead of him, he’d be higher. Huska put up solid numbers in his second year at UConn, with a .912 SV% and 2.59 GAA. UConn isn’t all that good, so those are impressive given the circumstances. Huska, to me, is the third best goalie in the system, which shows you what the rest of the goalie pipe looks like.

14. Neal Pionk – Defense, Undrafted free agent (LY: 10.5)

Last year I completely forgot about Pionk and had to add him at the last second at rank 10 1/2. It looks like he took that personally. Pionk had a solid year, playing a very well rounded game. Pionk is a smooth skater who does the little things right both with and without the puck. His gap control is good, as is his first pass. Pionk likely tops out as a bottom-four defenseman, but he is probably on the upper end of that spectrum. He did rack up 13 assists in 28 games during his stint last year. I’m hoping Pionk takes the next step and solidifies his spot on the club. He’s in direct competition with Tony DeAngelo for that.

13. Ty Ronning – Forward, 2016 7th round pick (LY: 12)

Ronning slides a spot because the Rangers did well in the first round of the draft this season. Don’t let that fool you, I love Ronning as a prospect. Despite his size, Ronning is fast, goes to the firty areas, and has great hands. He’s quick on his feet and very shifty. He put up 61 goals in the WHL last season as well, an impressive feat. He’s a dark horse to make the club this year as a bottom-six forward, but I expect him to get a year in the AHL first.

Share: 

More About: