Pronman: Ranking the best NHL players under 23

Ranking based on how he projects their careers to pan out, not how good they are right now.

Relevant for the Rangers:

4. Alexis Lafreniere

Lafreniere is a unique prospect who projects to become a foundational player in the NHL. He dominated the QMJHL, scoring more than two points per game last season. He was the MVP of the world juniors and was great at other international events. He has truly elite skill and some of the best hands I?ve ever seen. Lafreniere has made some of the most creative plays I?ve seen in the past few years, and with his skill, he?s always a second away from a scoring chance. He beats defenders in unique ways and catches them off guard with the moves he makes. He?s also a very good passer who makes quick, crisp passes, and his elite creativity translates to his playmaking. He has a great shot, too, with the ability to score from mid-distance. On the power play he?s a menace because he can beat defenders one-on-one, find seams or pick corners. Lafreniere is a highly competitive player who plays well in the hard areas of the ice, is solid defensively and plays physical. He sometimes pulls up a bit too much to use his skill and playmaking, but he shows no fear driving the net. His skating and pace is the area to point out if you were to pick a weakness. I debated between a 50 or 55 for his skating. I see good flashes from him, but I see a lot of shifts where his game lacks speed and pace. He doesn?t seem to have truly explosive quickness, but he is quick enough and, when he wants to go, he has enough speed to look like he can be an average NHL skater.

 

9. Kaapo Kakko

Kakko?s rookie NHL season went through some bumps, and while he didn?t put up huge numbers, I still see a lot to be optimistic about. Inside the offensive zone, Kakko showed he could impact a game. He?s a very skilled and intelligent forward with size and power. Off the flank he?s able to find seams at a high rate and create a lot of offense with his playmaking. He has the stick skills to beat defenders one-on-one and make tough plays in small areas. He will run a top power-play unit very effectively at his peak. Kakko?s foot speed is average, and versus NHL forwards he wasn?t able to drive the net to create offense or dangle past defenders. But he was only 18 and with physical maturity, that aspect of his game should come even if he may never be the quickest. He also played on a very deep Rangers offense (fifth in the league in goals) so I?m not overly concerned about the lack of offense, but his speed will need to come. I still see a player who can grow into a true star.

28. Adam Fox

44. Filip Chytil

77. Nils Lundkvist

90. Kravtsov

93. Broadway Brett Howden

106. Julien Gauthier

138. Braden Schneider

Top 15:

1. Matthews

2. Dahlin

3. Petterson

4. Lafreniere

5. M Tkachuk

6. Svechnikov

7. Laine

8. J Hughes

9. Kakko

10. Byfield

11. Q Hughes

12. B Tkachuk

13. Makar

14. Heiskanen

15. Stutzle

https://theathletic.com/2132927/2020/10/22/ranking-the-best-nhl-players-under-23-corey-pronmans-top-155/

Make of it what you will. He really doesn't love K'Andre, who fails to make his top 155.

He clearly isn?t sold on K?andre and we (team, fans) tend to over estimate how good our prospects are. I think it?s important for him to play a season in the AHL and ease his way to the NHL. Made me anxious hearing how good they thought he was in the post COVID camp- really hoping they don?t rush him.

Never the less... This must be easily the best ?prospect? pool the rangers have ever had.

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I think we've said it a lot in these sorts of threads, but when Pronman ranks, he puts a premium on hockey IQ. So you're going to see the Howdens and the Schneiders of the world here, not because they're freakishly good at hockey, but because their decisionmaking is excellent.

It's unreal to see us with two of the top 9 though. That's just...wow. The last time we had a prospect pool this deep was probably after the '06 draft, when we started graduating the spoils of the pre-lockout blow-up (the Dubinsky/Callahan/Girardi/Korpikoski/Staal/Sauer/Anisimov/Sanguinetti/Dawes/Baranka group), but the last time we had a prospect group this talented might have been before most of us were fans - perhaps the early 90s where we had Weight/Amonte/Kovalev leading the pack

I think we've said it a lot in these sorts of threads, but when Pronman ranks, he puts a premium on hockey IQ. So you're going to see the Howdens and the Schneiders of the world here, not because they're freakishly good at hockey, but because their decisionmaking is excellent.

 

It's unreal to see us with two of the top 9 though. That's just...wow. The last time we had a prospect pool this deep was probably after the '06 draft, when we started graduating the spoils of the pre-lockout blow-up (the Dubinsky/Callahan/Girardi/Korpikoski/Staal/Sauer/Anisimov/Sanguinetti/Dawes/Baranka group), but the last time we had a prospect group this talented might have been before most of us were fans - perhaps the early 90s where we had Weight/Amonte/Kovalev leading the pack

If you go back a little further G-man, we had some talent leading into that 1979 year when we went to the Finals against the Habs

We had young guys like Don Murdoch, Mike McEwen, Dave Farrish, Pat Hickey, Ron Duguay, Lucien Deblois, Andres Hedberg and also Ulf Nilsson...I was actually at the game Potvin slammed Ulfie into the boards from behind and basically ended his career.

He clearly isn’t sold on K’andre and we (team, fans) tend to over estimate how good our prospects are. I think it’s important for him to play a season in the AHL and ease his way to the NHL. Made me anxious hearing how good they thought he was in the post COVID camp- really hoping they don’t rush him.

 

Never the less... This must be easily the best “prospect” pool the rangers have ever had.

 

 

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They'll rush him.

I'd make his ass go back to college for another season after that horse shit effort he gave this past season.

Quinn loves his college hockey guys. Make mistakes faster! Miller is so raw, but he has the physical tools. I imagine Quinn will try to get him on the team, and that will quickly cap his ceiling potential. I still think Miller is years away from being a contributor in the NHL.

Although, if there is no AHL season, and they get expanded rosters, I'd imagine he'd be practicing with them, like the bubble boys.

 

 

Top 15:

1. Matthews

2. Dahlin

3. Petterson

4. Lafreniere

5. M Tkachuk

6. Svechnikov

7. Laine

8. J Hughes

9. Kakko

10. Byfield

11. Q Hughes

12. B Tkachuk

13. Makar

14. Heiskanen

15. Stutzle

This is SO fucking exciting.

If you go back a little further G-man, we had some talent leading into that 1979 year when we went to the Finals against the Habs

 

We had young guys like Don Murdoch, Mike McEwen, Dave Farrish, Pat Hickey, Ron Duguay, Lucien Deblois, Andres Hedberg and also Ulf Nilsson...I was actually at the game Potvin slammed Ulfie into the boards from behind and basically ended his career.

That's before my time, unfortunately, but, you can probably add the Maloneys and Greschner there too.

Regardless, this is by far the most exciting collection of young talent the Rangers have had in my lifetime.

That's before my time, unfortunately, but, you can probably add the Maloneys and Greschner there too.

 

Regardless, this is by far the most exciting collection of young talent the Rangers have had in my lifetime.

I'm so pumped they decided to go this way, G-Man....and at this time. We actually had some seriously great luck getting Kakko and especially Lafreniere!!! I have such a good feeling about this franchise moving forward, and I've learned to be patient with staying the course. I was always one of those "instant gratification" type Ranger fans, but I think I'm starting to see how this thing is supposed to work correctly!

The future seems so bright for this team! :thumbs: