Why Development of Liam Greentree is Extremely Important for NY Rangers

Will the New York Rangers be able to develop Liam Greentree into a solid NHL player?

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. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers have had a very busy offseason, and as the team now starts to prepare for the upcoming season, they will be hoping that the moves they made will be enough. 

Due to the team getting off to a terrible start to the campaign last year and ending up finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference, there was undoubtedly some concern about the direction that New York was heading in. 

The Rangers have been aggressive over the years in trying to win a Stanley Cup, but have ultimately come up short. Due to the team trying to make moves to win now, it left the organization a bit dry in terms of draft capital and young players. 

Furthermore, it also hasn’t helped that the team didn’t draft or develop players properly either when they did have their first-round selections. Now, Chris Drury has been trying to retool the team, getting some young players in while also now trying to be a playoff contender. 

By all accounts, this offseason was a strong one for the Rangers. The team was able to not only get younger, but they addressed a lot of needs as well. However, one of the major moves for the franchise happened at the trade deadline, and how that deal works out will be important for the team going forward. 

One of the young players that the Rangers will be hoping to see some strong play from is Liam Greentree, who will be entering his first full season with the organization. 

Greentree’s Development is Important

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. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

As the top prize in the trade that sent Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings, the pressure will be on for Greentree to be a key piece for the organization going forward. 

Panarin was a very good player for New York, and with him helping the Kings quite a bit, there is certainly some concern that the team didn’t get enough in return for him. 

The former first-round pick was an impressive player in the OHL last year, totaling 74 points on 36 goals and 38 assists. Now, as he comes over to the AHL with the Rangers, it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop. 

As a winger, he certainly filled an organizational need for the Rangers, but now the pressure will be on for the team to develop him. He certainly has the potential to be a top-six player in the league, and New York will be hoping that comes to fruition in the next few years.