NY Rangers Need Liam Greentree To Improve on These Skills

Improvement is needed in these areas by New York Rangers prospect Liam Greenwood.

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Liam Greentree is selected by the Los Angeles Kings with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 NHL regular season has been a major disappointment for the New York Rangers, who are in a transitional period.

Currently, they are the worst team in the Eastern Conference with only 73 points after beating the Detroit Red Wings. The next closest are the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers, who both have 77 points. But, only the Rangers and Maple Leafs, at the time of this writing, were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

Focus has been turned to the offseason for a while, with the Rangers’ front office having some pressure to make some moves to improve the roster. The 2026 NHL Draft will provide them a chance to add a high-upside youngster to the mix to improve the future outlook.

Right now, the best prospect the team has is forward Liam Greentree. He has a very solid floor, but there are some parts of his skill set that need improvement for him to get close to reaching his ceiling.

Liam Greentree needs to improve his skating skills

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Liam Greentree is selected by the Los Angeles Kings with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

“His skating is the legitimate concern; his first step and acceleration need meaningful improvement to project as more than a middle-six contributor at the NHL level,” wrote Rachel Kryshak of ESPN.

Greentree was acquired by New York from the Los Angeles Kings in the Artemi Panarin blockbuster ahead of the deadline. Panarin was set to be a free agent at the end of the season, but signed a two-year extension upon the trade being completed.

Along with Greentree, the Rangers received two draft picks: a conditional 2026 third-round pick and a conditional 2028 fourth-round pick.

Having some more draft ammunition down the road is certainly nice, but Greentree is the crown jewel of the return. While there are some concerns about his skating and attributes, there are some tools that he possesses that will help raise his floor and help reach his ceiling.

#NYR prospect Liam Greentree (trade, 2026) with an unreal move!

No Ranger has ever worn number 66 in an official game. Could he be the first?pic.twitter.com/TDWKzj0vSb

— Stat Boy Steven 🇳🇱🇮🇪 (@StatBoy_Steven) March 27, 2026

“The offensive intelligence, size and production profile suggest a player who will find ways to score even if the footspeed never becomes a strength. New York got a prospect with middle-six tools and a frame built for playoff hockey,” Kryshak added.

There is a lot to like about what the Windsor Spitfires forward can bring to New York in the future. He has been on fire, recording 25 points since the trade, including 14 goals.

A first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, No. 26 overall, Greentree has 74 points in 52 games this season after recording 119 in 64 last year. The potential is certainly there for him to become a major contributor at the highest level.