NY Rangers 2024 prospect rankings: Part 1, Nos. 6-10

A serene summer is about to give way to frenzied fall for sports fans.

Football is already underway, with hockey not too far behind. NHL training camps will open next week, with rookies reporting even sooner than that. Before you know it, it'll be opening night − which, for the Rangers, will take place in Pittsburgh on Oct. 9.

The coming days will bring lots of chatter and excitement for the new season. We'll dive deep on all the questions, roster decisions and storylines facing the 2024-25 Blueshirts, who remain one of the Eastern Conference's top teams despite a relatively quiet offseason, while looking ahead to another run at the elusive Stanley Cup. But we're going to start with what has become an annual exercise at lohud.com − a thorough examination of the Rangers' prospect pool.

This will mark my fifth year of ranking the top 10 prospects in the organization, with the latest version taking on a slightly different presentation. Rather than publishing 10 separate profiles on each player, we're packing our analysis into two meaty stories. It'll start today with five prospects who occupy spot Nos. 6-10 in the rankings, followed by Nos. 1-5 in Part 2 of this year's series.

This will likely be a one-time adaptation before returning to our regular format again next year. Admittedly, it was born of necessity. My family welcomed our second son, Xavier, into the world in August, which lessened the time I had to pour into this project. That didn't prevent me from checking in with several sources − namely scouts, executives and coaches at various levels − to gather opinions on the development of each prospect and how they should be ordered. Many of them are quoted here, either directly or discreetly, but there simply weren't enough remaining hours in the summer to stretch that research into 10 full-length features.

Alas, there's plenty for you to chew on within each capsule, which aim to pull back the curtain on how these young talents have progressed in the past 12 months. Only one player from last year's top 10 graduated to the NHL − forward Will Cuylle − with the rest still champing at the bit. There are seven holdovers in total, plus three newcomers to the rankings.

Eligibility for the list is pretty straightforward. We only rank players who will maintain rookie status heading into the new season − meaning no more than 25 NHL games played in any preceding season, nor six or more games each in any two preceding seasons − and are still on their entry-level contract. The latter criteria explains why defenseman Matthew Robertson, for example, is no longer under consideration. But there are a couple you'll read about who already debuted but have yet to play enough games to shed their rookie label. (Including No. 10.)

We'll discuss the overall state of the prospect pool at the top of our story detailing Nos. 1-5 (while also mentioning some who just missed the cut), but the Rangers' pipeline is generally considered middle of the pack compared to the rest of the league. There are a few at the top who seem destined for NHL prominence, but there's a much larger group of players teetering on the edge.

Whether they hit and become lineup regulars will depend on finding the right roles that suit their specific skill sets. The following prospects firmly fall into that category.

10. Matt Rempe

Position: Right wing/center

Size: 6-foot-8 ½, 241 pounds

Draft spot: 2020 sixth round (165th overall)

2023-24 teams: Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) and New York Rangers (NHL)

2023-24 stats: 2 points (1G and 1A) with a plus-one rating in 17 NHL games; 12 points (8G and 4A) with a minus-nine rating in 43 AHL games

Analysis – After receiving very little support for a top 10 spot last year, the newest MSG cult hero was a near unanimous choice this time around. Most scouts and experts admitted their underestimation of the towering forward who took the league by storm, saying, “I couldn't have foreseen he'd be in the NHL.” Yet, there he was.

Questions linger about how effective Rempe will be in a regular role, with offensive limitations, a penchant for costly penalties and fluidity for a man of his size (although multiple scouts noted being impressed with his skating once the big fella got out of first gear) topping the list of potential drawbacks. Those concerns were evident on the Rangers’ playoff run, when head coach Peter Laviolette sheltered the raw prospect late in games (or benched him entirely) and made him a healthy scratch in five of the final 10 contests.

Still, the fact that Rempe made it into the lineup for any playoff games at all spoke to his surprising ascension. And that taste only made him hungrier heading into 2024-25 , with the longshot prospect spending much of his summer training with NHL teammates in the New York area. That should only bolster his case to make the roster in the coming weeks.

“A little Calgary kid comes up from Hartford, and suddenly seven games in, they’re chanting my name,” he said at breakup day on June 4. “It's pretty unbelievable. I love (the fans) so much, and I want them to know I’m nowhere at all satisfied in any aspect of my game. I know how far I still have to go, and that is going to be done. I'm going to go to work every single day. I’m excited to showcase big steps next year.”

Rempe captured fans’ attention with four haymaking fights in his first seven games and a refreshing happy-to-be-here attitude that never wavered, bringing undeniable energy on every shift. He led all NHL players who appeared in at least 10 games with an average of 31.36 hits per 60 minutes and provided an obvious intimidation factor in forechecking situations, but harnessing that zest into reliable, consistent play is the next step.

Improving his situational awareness and defensive play while maintaining his bruising presence will be keys to locking down a fourth-line spot, but the consensus is he has the best chance of making the opening-night roster among the prospects on this list. Team president Chris Drury hinted as much when he noted having “good internal candidates” to help the Rangers become a “a heavier, more physical team.” That was a not-so-subtle piece of motivation directed at Rempe, who has defied the odds with an intriguing blend of size, vigor and second-to-none toughness.

9. Raoul Boilard

Position: Center

Size: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds

Draft spot: 2024 fourth round (119th overall)

2023-24 team: Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)

2023-24 stats: 62 points (22 goals and 40 assists) with a plus-27 rating in 68 games

Analysis – The Rangers’ second selection in this year’s draft is somewhat of a wild card, considered raw after waiting until he was 17 to join Canada’s top level junior league, but there enough tools to think he was worth a low-risk flyer in the fourth round.

In a prospect pool that’s extremely thin on centers, the Sherbrooke, Quebec native has a chance to make some headway. The Rangers valued his potential enough to trade up eight spots to secure him at a point in the draft when many teams are content to sit tight.

He’s got plenty of natural skill, with one scout noting soft hands, faceoff efficiency and good offensive instincts as strengths that showed up in his first season with one of the QMJHL’s top teams. Baie-Comeau finished with the league’s highest win total (53-12-2-1) and made it to the championship finals, with Boilard ranking third on the team in points as a rookie.

“He’s stepping forward pretty quickly,” said Baie-Comeau assistant coach Patrice Bosch. “He’s an outstanding playmaker. Whenever he’s on the ice, he makes the other players better offensively.”

Boilard sees the ice well and tends to be a pass-first center, but he’s flashed enough goal-scoring ability with his left-handed shot to believe there’s upside there, as well. He’s got a sturdy frame, as well, with room to add even more strength. One source noted a drastic difference in his fitness from last summer to this year, a sign of a young player who’s maturing and learning to take care of his body.

Skating is an area where he’ll need to improve to create enough separation to make plays at the pro level, but defending and understanding coverages are considered the primary areas where the 18-year-old must make strides to advance up the ladder. Those who know him well believe he has the acumen to develop with experience.

“I’m not really worried about the defensive game, because that's going to come,” Bosch said. “He just needs to be on the ice, put in position to defend and play on some PK once in a while, too.”

The plan is for him to take on more responsibility as a go-to player for Baie-Comeau this coming season. The 2023-24 team’s top center, Islanders prospect Justin Gill, has aged out and will shift to the AHL, leaving the 1C job for Boilard to potentially seize. How he responds to that challenge in a pivotal development year will determine how much his stock rises in a needy center pool.

8. Bryce McConnell-Barker

Position: Center

Size: 6-foot-2, 194 pounds

Draft spot: 2022 third round (97th overall)

2023-24 team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)

2023-24 stats: 51 points (22 goals and 29 assists) with a minus-two rating in 52 games played

Analysis – Despite McConnell-Barker’s drop in production last season (he posted 51 points after collecting 77 in 68 games played the year prior), Soo head coach John Dean was adamant in defense of his captain’s development trajectory.

“Bryce had a fantastic year for us,” he said. “His focus this past season was winning a championship, which we unfortunately fell short. But in the coaching staff's eyes, a big part of that was him being a very complete, 200-foot player. When analyzing his point total, I don't think it does his game justice.”

The Greyhounds benefitted from that all-around commitment, going from last place in the OHL’s West Division in 2022-23 to a second-place finish with a 45-18-3-2 record this past season. McConnell-Barker was at the center of that effort, which often involved doing a lot of heavy, unheralded lifting. That included a shutdown defensive role, with Dean indicating he made strides toward becoming "elite” penalty killer, while also using his big body to dig out loose pucks and get into the high-danger areas.

There’s an understanding that McConnell-Barker will have to excel in those areas if he’s going to earn an eventual NHL opportunity. He’s not considered a high-end playmaker by most scouts, who believe he lacks the vision and offensive upside to project as a top-six center, although he is viewed as a smart player with a left-handed shot that can be effective when he gets it off. Whether his hands are quick enough to unload it before those fleeting windows close is a lingering question.

“He needs to work on being a little more deceptive with the shot,” Dean said. “He has a heavy, hard shot, but I think the quickness and deception of it can get better.”

McConnell-Barker missed 16 games due to an upper-body injury, which one person familiar with the situation indicated was a concussion and may have contributed to the dip from 1.13 points per game to 0.98. But he turned it up in the playoffs, where he registered 15 points (five goals and 10 assists) in 11 games before Soo was eliminated in the second round.

As the 20-year-old prepares to turn pro this fall, where he’s expected to begin with AHL Hartford, the path forward is contingent on establishing himself as a dependable, third-line center with size, defensive/PK prowess and strong leadership qualities. Observers noted improved skating and conditioning last season, but taking additional steps to prepare for a grinding role will be critical.

“He needs to strive to be consistent and needs to strive to be really, really conditioned so that he can play a really fast brand of hockey for 60 full minutes,” Dean said. “I think those two things are going to be deciding factors for him.”

Expect the grooming process to include at least one full year in the AHL, with a chance to see his ranking go either way based on how that transition plays out.

7. Dylan Garand

Position: Goalie

Size: 6-foot-1, 176 pounds

Draft spot: 2020 fourth round (103rd overall)

2023-24 team: Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)

2023-24 stats: 16-17-5, 3.03 GAA, .898 SV%

Analysis – The regular-season stats leave something to be desired, but the evaluation process isn’t quite that simple. The organization’s top goalie prospect has gone through hot and cold streaks since turning pro in 2022, including a month-long slump late last season that plummeted his numbers. But for the second consecutive year, he caught fire in the playoffs.

Garand posted a .922 SV% and 2.59 GAA across nine postseason appearances, one year after grabbing everyone’s attention with a .935 SV%, 1.76 GAA and a pair of shutouts in eight playoff starts. He seems to be at his best when the pressure is on, which speaks to the elite preparation and laser focus that those who have worked with him rave about.

“He’s a really cerebral kid,” Hartford’s interim coach Steve Smith told me last November. “He’s a hard-working kid. I’m not sure there’s another guy in the locker room that preps for games as much as he does, even at a young age. He’s fully prepped and ready to go, each and every night. He loves to stay extra, he loves to be on the ice, and we clearly believe in him. … His future is very bright.”

How bright depends on who you ask. Most believe Garand will get an NHL shot one day soon, with an opportunity to take over as Igor Shesterkin’s backup whenever Jonathan Quick retires. He’s not a big body, but the Rangers and director of goaltending Benoit Allaire have had ample success with modestly sized netminders. Garand has the technical skills and high work rate to overcome it, and he’s spoken openly about adjusting to stay sharp with less frequent ice time in a No. 2 role. He knows that’s the path forward if he stays with the Blueshirts.

Whether he’ll develop into an NHL starter is another story. Some believe he has a chance, but goalies are notoriously the trickiest position to project.

6. Drew Fortescue

Position: Left-handed defenseman

Size: 6-foot-2, 176 pounds

Draft spot: 2023 third round (90th overall)

2023-24 team: Boston College (NCAA)

2023-24 stats: 8 points (4G and 4A) with a plus-13 rating in 40 games

Analysis – The Pearl River, NY native stepped right in as a freshman at BC and was as advertised – a reliable, if unspectacular, stay-at-home defenseman who can handle tough matchups without being overwhelmed. The offense remains a work in progress and may never reach the level required to earn a top-four NHL spot, but scouts project Fortescue as a stable bottom-pair D who can provide a safety blanket for a more aggressive partner.

There is work to be done in the weight room, but the 19-year-old has some snarl to his game and should up the physicality as he gets stronger. His length helps him poke check pucks away with an active stick, and while his skating isn’t considered a great strength, he moves well enough to keep pace with most forwards. He was trusted as the U.S. National Team Development Program’s shutdown defenseman prior to being drafted and is well on his way to assuming the same role with the Eagles.

Finding ways to get more pucks through from the blue line (he averaged 0.75 shots on goal per game as a freshman) is another area for growth, although the upside there may be somewhat limited by a shot that doesn’t draw rave reviews. But observers say he can be an effective puck-mover when it comes to breakouts and making “smart, simple plays,” as one scout put it.

Steady is another descriptor that comes up frequently in conversations about Fortescue, who currently represents the lefty shot D prospect most likely to breakthrough with the Rangers. It’ll be some time before he’s a feasible option, though, with the expectation he’ll play at least another year or two for BC.

Part 2 of our 2024 prospect rankings will be published online Thursday morning...

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano .

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY Rangers 2024 prospect rankings: Part 1, Nos. 6-10