Today we continue with the 8th Annual NY Rangers Top 25 Under 25. To recap, 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.
Reviewing who we’ve covered already:
Aged Out (1): Pavel Buchnevich
No longer with the Rangers (5): Sean Day, Joey Keane, Lias Andersson, Vinni Lettieri, Ville Meskanen
2020 Rankings: Honorable mentions, 25-21
2019 Rankings: Honorable mentions, 25-20, 19-15, 14-11, 10-6, 5-1
20. Tyler Wall – Goalie, 2016 6th round pick (LY: 25)
Goalies are voodoo, but Tyler Wall appears to be the clear #3 prospect in the system right now, behind Alex Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin. Wall had a great senior season at UMass-Lowell, and is now on the inside track for the starting job in Hartford. He will have to beat out Adam Huska. Again, goalies are voodoo, but Wall has the numbers to justify being ahead of Huska.
19. Braden Schneider – Defense, 2020 1st round pick (LY: NR)
Evaluating Braden Schneider is difficult for some because there were other players available at that point in the draft that people liked more. But Schneider himself is a solid pick and prospect. He’s an excellent skater, something needed in the NHL. He looks to be a true three zone player, but is at least a few years away. Schneider’s projections range based on what you read, but he should be able to move up this chart quickly.
18. Karl Henriksson – Forward, 2019 2nd round pick (LY: 19)
Karl Henriksson stays around the high-teens in this year’s ranking, but he has seen significant improvement. Henriksson is now a regular in the SHL, where he was a brief call up last season. He’s centering the top line with Joel Lundqvist. He took the next step in his development, which is what you need to see. He’s shown he can produce without Lucas Raymond, which was a concern. A lot of eyes will be on Henriksson this season.
17. Alex Georgiev – Goalie, undrafted free agent (LY: 11)
Alex Georgiev dropped six spots this year by no fault of his own. That’s a common theme this year. There were only two rankings that I thought would bring criticism, Brendan Lemieux at 22 and this Georgiev ranking. Georgiev is the #2 goalie on the list, but is #17 overall. He’s the Plan B in case Igor Shesterkin fizzles out. Calm in net, his movements are fluid and smooth. He’s not perfect, but Benoit Allaire is a wizard. There’s a reason why the organization wanted to keep him around.
16. Ryan Lindgren – Defense, trade with Boston (LY: Honorable Mention)
What a surprise Ryan Lindgren has been. Initially an after thought because of skating and limited offensive upside, Lindgren was a pleasant surprise as a midseason call up last season. Lindgren’s skating improved significantly, and his offensive instincts with it. He’s not going to light up the score sheet, but he’s not going to be a liability with the puck. He’s able to make that first pass and deliver a big hit. Lindgren represents the biggest jump in the rankings for all prospects.
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