NY Rangers Need Prospect in Next Wave To Exceed Expectations

A New York Rangers prospect has to develop for this retool to be successful.

Sep 27, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Utah Hockey Club forward Cole Beaudoin (24) warms up before the start of a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers did a wonderful job of upgrading their talent this offseason, making them more competitive on the ice.

After finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference this past season, something had to be done with the roster. Credit needs to be given to team president and general manager Chris Drury for raising the floor and ceiling of the squad.

Retooling on the fly is never an easy thing to do, and there were certainly some risks taken. Trading away future first-round picks is never an easy thing to stomach, but if the Rangers are back in the playoffs next spring, it is a little easier to handle.

However, for those traded draft picks to truly not haunt the franchise, the young players in the organizational pipeline need to be developed. There is some intriguing talent in the next wave, but someone has to exceed expectations and turn themselves into a top-six option up front.

Rangers still lacking elite, top-six upside in organizational pipeline

Apr 9, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Michigan Wolverines forward Malcolm Spence (27) skates the ice before the game against the Denver Pioneers in the semifinals of the NCAA men's ice hockey Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“The next wave of forward prospects is led by Beaudoin, Malcolm Spence and Liam Greentree, another former first-round pick acquired as part of the Panarin trade in February. Scouts I’ve talked to see their upside as contributing middle-sixers, not top-of-the-line play drivers,” wrote Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required) in a recent mailbag, answering a question about the team’s prospects.

Middle-six contributors are something needed for a team to succeed on the ice. Unfortunately for New York, that seems to be what their roster is mostly made up of currently, especially when it comes to homegrown talent.

One weakness in recent years has been an inability to develop young players to become regulars in the NHL lineup. They are hoping that trend changes with Gabe Perreault, a 2023 first-round pick who has the look of a top-six contributor.

Beyond that, it has been a misfire after a misfire this decade. Bringing in Cole Beaudoin from the Utah Mammoth in the Vincent Trocheck deal and Liam Greentree from the Los Angeles Kings in the Artemi Panarin trade helped restock the system on paper.

Rangers need to do better job developing talent

Jan 2, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Slovakia forward Tomas Chrenko (29) shoots the puck against Canada during the third period in the quarterfinals of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship at 3M Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But the game isn’t played on paper. The coaching staff needs to develop them to their potential to make the returns in those deals worthwhile, and in turn, make this retool that Drury has embarked on a successful one.

Nathan Aspinall and 2026 third-round pick Tomas Chrenko are two more intriguing skill players who are in the system. If they can develop, it would greatly improve the team’s long-term outlook.

Alas, what was arguably the biggest shortcoming entering the summer, the lack of top-six upside, especially up the middle, persists.