With names like Jimmy Vesey, Brady Skjei, and Pavel Buchnevich, the New York Rangers feel as though they’re set for the future.
With an average age of 26.723, the New York Rangers have become one of the NHL’s youngest teams. They have players aging from 21 all the way to 30-plus and have grown their minor league teams with a plethora of international players in the sprinkled in the system.While we know the Rangers have one of the oldest goalies in the league in Henrik Lundqvist, they have some outstanding goalie prospects. Over the past few months, Rangers fans have caught wind of Russian goalie prospect Igor Shestyorkin. The young netminder, 20, has been playing for SKA of the KHL and has played some outstanding hockey. He was named KHL player of the month in October through recording 13 wins, six shutouts while boasting a 950 save percentage. With college goalie prospects Tyler Wall (UMass-Howell) and Adam Huska (UConn), the Rangers will be okay with the goaltender position in the future.
Youth isn’t just limited to what’s between the pipes, though. This past offseason the Rangers signed two young studs to their NHL squad. Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich aren’t just two young studs in the system, they’re each paying dividends on Broadway, already.
Vesey is the reigning Hobey Baker award winner with Harvard and Buchnevich was a top KHL player. These two kids love the Big Apple and should be here for a long time.
The Rangers AHL team, the Hartford Wolfpack, haven’t been terrific so far this season, but it hasn’t stopped their players from producing. Marek Hrivik, Nicklas Jensen, and Ryan Graves are three of these Wolfpack players who’ve showcased their talents combining for 34 points in 17 games. All could see the ice with a Ranger jersey on at some point this season. (Hrivik has already made it to the big boy club, recently already playing against the Isles on Tuesday.)
Perhaps the most exciting youth injection is what’s supporting captain Ryan McDonagh along the blueline. Brady Skjei is quickly developing here in New York. He ranks top five in the NHL in assists for defensemen. Those Keith Yandle lovers who thought the Blueshirts would take a major step back in this area can no longer sing the same tune thanks to young Skjei.
The most exciting part about it is in any fashion you, personally, would like to shake it down and measure it up, it appears that these Rangers will be amazing moving forward, and this is just the depth part of it. The Rangers can will undoubtedly make trades and sign free agents to boost that future.
Buckle up fans, this team isn’t just good, it’s young.
