NY Rangers the top organization in this year’s rankings

Corey Pronman wrapped up his annual organization rankings, in which the NY Rangers are the top team this year. Yesterday the Rangers were confirmed to be in the top-two, and now they officially beat out the Devils for this year’s top spot. They were the top team last year as well.

This is what Pronman had to say about the Rangers:

The Rangers have a built a very impressive collection of young talent, a group of players who I project can play important roles on a good team. And yes, I’m aware I’m writing this before the Rangers will have the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. With the current state of the roster, farm, and draft capital, it’s clear to me the Rangers have a contending window that is starting to open. That doesn’t mean any guarantees about next season, but in the short-term I think this is a group that can make some noise and become a top team in the NHL.

That’s a very strong statement for a team that started its rebuild just a few years ago. Strong drafting, some good trades, and a clear direction have led to the strong system the Rangers have today.

The article requires a subscription, so I’m not going to share the full details (please don’t copy/paste in the comments either). However, some key tidbits:

• Obviously Kaapo Kakko was the top ranked player, with Adam Fox coming in at number 2.
• Brett Howden made the top-five on Pronman’s list, which was surprising.
• Morgan Barron made the top-ten.
• Lias Andersson made the honorable mentions, and his speed was specifically called out.
• That speed concern is why Lauri Pajuniemi likely didn’t make the ranked list either.
• Don’t sleep on Patrick Khodorenko.

One thing to note, Pronman mentions size a lot. Size is becoming less and less important nowadays, so that’s something to note. Strength, balance, and agility have become more important than size. Notable examples are Martin St. Louis and Mats Zuccarello.

It’s nice to see the NY Rangers atop the organization rankings for the second year in a row. They might get there next year as well, since Alexis Lafreniere was not included in this list. Now it’s a matter of turning that potential into results.