Ranking top New York Rangers prospects for 2023-24 season
The New York Rangers prospect pool was given a boost this summer when dynamic offensive winger Gabriel Perreault fell to them at 23. Although the pipeline is not what it was during the early stages of the rebuild it still has plenty of promising young players.
As we watch Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere, K’ Andre Miller, and Braden Schneider emerge into prominent roles on the Blueshirts roster, let’s glimpse into the future.
Top New York Rangers prospects for 2023-24
Below are my top 10 prospect rankings for the New York Rangers organization.
In order to be considered for this list, the player must be 23 or younger and have played 40 games or less at the NHL level.
| Rank | Player | POS | AGE | DRAFT/OVERALL |
| 1 | Brennan Othmann | F | 20 | 2021 1ST RD (16) |
| 2 | Will Cuylle | F | 21 | 2020 2ND RD (60) |
| 3 | Gabriel Perreault | F | 18 | 2023 1ST RD (23) |
| 4 | Adam Sykora | F | 18 | 2022 2ND RD (63) |
| 5 | Bryce McConnell-Barker | C | 19 | 2022 3RD RD (97) |
| 6 | Zac Jones | D | 22 | 2019 3RD RD (68) |
| 7 | Dylan Garand | G | 21 | 2020 4TH RD (103) |
| 8 | Brett Berard | F | 20 | 2020 5TH RD (134) |
| 9 | Matthew Robertson | D | 22 | 2019 2ND RD (49) |
| 10 | Drew Fortescue | D | 18 | 2023 3RD RD (90) |
Analyzing the New York Rangers top prospects
Brennan Othmann: After achieving his goal of winning an OHL title this past season with the Peterborough Petes, Othmann now has his sights set on making the Rangers. He tops this list after a brilliant career in juniors that saw him develop into a complete player at both ends of the ice. The skilled and gritty winger also captured back-to-back WJC Gold Medals for Canada showing an ability to perform in the clutch. For his OHL career, Othmann finished with 96 goals and 101 assists for 197 points in 177 regular-season games. He also added 17 goals and 32 assists for 49 points in 42 OHL playoff games. Othmann is projected as a top-six player.
Will Cuylle: The big power forward was named an AHL All-Star in his rookie campaign with the Hartford Wolf Pack. New York rewarded him with four NHL games in January and he didn’t disappoint. Averaging just 6:58 per contest, Cuylle looked strong on the team’s fourth line using his formidable size and speed to his advantage. Although he didn’t register a point, he drew a penalty and won his first big league fight. Cuylle finished the 2022-23 AHL campaign with 25 goals and 45 points in 69 games. He’s projected to be a mid-six forward for the Blueshirts.
Gabriel Perreault: The new addition to the Rangers prospect pool scored 53 goals and 79 assists for 132 points in 63 games last season. Those numbers shattered the previous USNTDP mark of 117 set by Maple Leafs superstar Auston Mattews in 2014-15. Perreault’s hockeyIQ is considered elite which raises his offensive skillset to another level. He’s committed to play at Boston College this upcoming season and hopes to be in the NHL within three years. If his development goes as planned, he should be a top-six winger.
Adam Sykora: Taken with the Rangers’ first pick of the 2022 draft in the second-round, Sykora plays a fast and agitating style that should excel in the playoffs. Last season, he notched 8 goals and 21 points in 38 regular-season games for Nitra in Slovakia. After posting 4 points in 8 playoff matches, he suited up for a few games for Hartford’s Calder run. This will be Sykora’s first pro season and the hope is he’ll adjust to the North American style of hockey quickly. He’s projected to be a mid-six winger.
Bryce McConnell-Barker: The captain of the Soo Greyhounds had a great season with 30 goals and 47 assists for 77 points in 68 games. At 6-2′ and 196 pounds, he’s a big center that plays both ends of the ice extremely well. New York’s prospect pool remains very shallow at center and they hope McConnell-Barker is a home run pick. So far, so good.
Zac Jones: There’s nothing left for this young defender to prove in the AHL. In 54 games with the Pack this past season, Jones amassed up 8 goals and 23 assists for 31 points. Furthermore, he was a key cog for Hartford ending a long playoff drought and winning two rounds. He notched 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points in 9 postseason matches proving he can perform when it counts as well. This upcoming season, Jones is expected to be given a long look to see what the Rangers have in him.
Dylan Garand: Prior to him joining the Wolf Pack for the 2022-23 season, Garand was named CHL Goalie of the Year by posting a 34-9 record with 4 shutouts, a 2.16 GAA and .925 save percentage. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he followed it up with a Gold Medal for Canada at the 2022 World Junior Championship by going 6-0 with a 1.98 GAA and .925 save percentage. Despite an okay regular-season in the AHL, he absolutely found a new level in the playoffs. Garand went 5-3 with a 1.76 GAA and a .935 save percentage in postseason action putting a lot of focus on what he can do this season.
Brett Berard: This speedy prospect played three seasons at Providence College finishing with 33 goals, 39 assists, and 72 points in 91 career games. At 5-9 and 165 pounds, he can play an agitating style to get under opponents’ skin. Berard made a name for himself at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship winning Gold with Team USA. He recorded one goal and four helpers in seven tournament matches. Berard is expected to play the full season with the Wolf Pack.
Matthew Robertson: At 6-4 and 201 lbs, he has the size to play in the NHL but is falling down the prospect pipeline since being drafted in 2019. Last season, he had 23 points in 57 games with the Pack. Unfortunately, an injury cut his campaign short and he missed the entirety of the Pack’s Calder Cup playoff run. This is a pivotal season for Robertson with the Rangers organization, he’ll be an RFA next summer.
Drew Fortescue: The Rangers grabbed one of Perreault’s teammates in this left-handed defenseman. While he has good size, it’s his ability to breakout of his own zone that makes him an attractive pick. Last season, he registered 26 points in 62 games with the USNTDP. Fortescue will be joining Perreault at Boston College next fall.
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