New York Rangers | CollegeHockeyPlayers

22Mar

Ryan Bourque(9) Hartford Wolf Pack

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New York Rangers‘ 3rd round pick in the 2009 draft (#80 overall) left wing Ryan Bourque(9) has taken his AHL scoring onto a whole new level.

In his third year with minor league affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack he’s more than doubled his goals scored and is equal in points from his first two campaigns with the team. He’s also closely behind his 2-year assist total.

All good to see from an under-sized 5’9″ 178 lbs. forward who is in the final season of his entry level contract.

He started with a couple seasons of US junior hockey before moving on for another pair of years in the QMJHL with Quebec Remparts, where he proved in both developmental leagues that he could put up numbers.

The 23-year may be small but he’s a speedy skater and plays a tenacious, in-your-face style.

He’s set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the current campaign and is likely to be given a qualifying offer to stay in the Blueshirts‘ prospect system.

See related: 12/1-11

16Feb

Michael St. Croix(37) Greenville Road Warriors

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New York Rangers‘ 4th round pick in the 2011 draft (#106 overall) rookie right wing Michael St. Croix(37) has been a point-per-game guy at every level of hockey heading into a pair of recalls from where he is scoring 10 goals and a team leading 25 assists in 33 ECHL games with affiliate Greenville Road Warriors up to the AHL.

He has yet to mark in 9 appearances with direct farm club Hartford Wolf Pack playing limited minutes ice time.

The seemingly sort of small-looking 5’11” 183 lbs. forward won a WHL Championship with Edmonton Oil Kings and averaged 1.14 points per game and concluded four seasons with a +78 rating. He is also the team’s all-time leading scorer in their less than ten-year existence.

He’s signed through 2016 on a 3-year entry level deal and he’s pretty much a lock to find himself playing full-time in Connecticut but the 20-year old definitely still has some work to do before that NHL recall happens.

12Feb

Jesper Fast(27) Hartford Wolf Pack

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New York Rangers‘ 6th round pick in the 2010 draft (#157 overall) fourth year, Swedish-born right wing Jesper Fast(27) had a career campaign in 2012/2013 on loan from the parent club back to HV71 of the SHL. He scored 18 goals and 17 assists in 46 games and added another tally and 4 helpers in the playoffs, while skating a combined +17 rating. It was his third year playing in the league.

The smart, speedy 6′ 185 lbs. forward started his rookie season in the NHL but was reassigned after 8 games with no points and a -5 plus/minus on a squad that was very slow out of the gate.

Reassigned to minor league affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack he’s contributing in a big way in all situations on another team that has been struggling to win.

In 24 AHL games he has 9 goals and 9 assists with a +5.

The recently turned 22-year old is signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2015 and will no doubt get another opportunity to show his stuff in the show.

30Dec

Conor Allen(4) New York Rangers

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New York Rangers‘ undrafted rookie defenseman Conor Allen(4) had an impressive run in prospect then training camp and was one of the final blue liner cuts to be reassigned to minor league affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack.

Starting his pro career in the AHL he was there to continue the learning curve and develop. He did appear in one game with the team at the end of last season after concluding his third year of college hockey at UMass (Amherst) and signing a deal as an unrestricted free agent.

He’s been in the farm club’s lineup for all 29 games scoring 5 goals and 8 assists.

Hampered by injuries the Blueshirts rewarded him with his first recall and in his NHL debut the 6’2″ 210 lbs. d-man skated 22 shifts for 15:47 of total ice time, had two shots on net and ended the evening’s 4-3 win a -1 rating.

The 23-year old may get reassigned down again soon as the parent club’s roster gets healthy but no doubt this is just a brief look and there will be more to come.

He has a two-year entry level contract through 2015.

26Dec

Kyle Beach (14)

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Chicago Blackhawks‘ 1st round pick in the 2008 draft (#11 overall), 4th year right wing Kyle Beach(14) finally saw his time expire in the team’s prospect system.

Unable to secure an NHL recall while playing with minor league affiliate Rockford IceHogs, he was still qualified for another season after his three-year entry deal was up.

The fairly big 6’3″ 210 lbs. player definitely has power forward size but seems to have a bit of unwillingness to use it where he is for anything more than getting it skirmishes with opponents.

In 175 AHL games he has 41 goals and 36 assists with 4 of those tallies coming in 7 contests in the current campaign.

He was a point-per-game guy though four WHL seasons, while always putting up close to 200 penalty minutes each year. He also concluded his junior hockey career with a +51 rating.

Traded to New York Rangers‘ organization and reassigned to their farm club, Hartford Wolf Pack, he has only notched one assist in 7 contests.

The still super-young 23-year old is only under contract through the end of the season and it’s possible his game will pick up to where it needs to be with the change of scenery, but he’s going to have to connect soon or his ice time may dry up.

21Dec

Arron Asham(45) Hartford Wolf Pack

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16-year veteran right wing Arron Asham(45) last spent time in the AHL with teams that are long-defunct: Quebec Citadelles and earlier Fredericton Canadiens. This occurred more than 10 seasons ago, when he was signed to the team that chose him in the 3rd round of the 1996 draft (#71 overall), Montreal Canadiens.

He spent four seasons with the team and in their prospect system until he was traded to New York Islanders and would play the next 10 years exclusively in the NHL.

The 5’11” 210 lbs. forward has played in a staggering 789 big league games scoring 94 goals and 114 assists with a -42 rating, which isn’t great and makes us wonder how he managed to sign so many one-way contracts throughout his pro career.

Signed to a two-year deal with New York Rangers that ends at the conclusion of 2013/2014, the 35-year old has been up and down with minor league affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack but will likely see his career make it to 800 big league games.

Where he ends up next (possible retirement) is a crap shoot.

10Nov

Oscar Lindberg (16)

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New York Rangers‘ Swedish-born rookie center Oscar Lindberg(16) has come to this side of the pond and wasted no time establishing himself as a scoring presence with AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack.

In 13 games he has 3 goals and 6 assists.

The 22-year old forward has already skated in 178 games through four years of pro play in his home country SHL with Skellefteå AIK and managed to light it up last season scoring 17 goals and 25 assists, win the league championship and was even named the playoffs MVP.

Originally a Phoenix Coyotes‘ 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft (#57 overall), he was traded to the Blueshirts before ever skating a game.

The 6’1″ 195 lbs. forward is signed to a three-year entry level deal through 2015, was a spark plug in preseason and looks to be making a statement that he belongs in the NHL sooner than later.

31Oct

Danny Kristo(29) Hartford Wolf Pack

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Rookie right wing Danny Kristo(29) is off to a hot start with his pro career.

In 9 AHL games with Hartford Wolf Pack he already has 6 goals and 3 assists, which basically picks up where he left off at University Of North Dakota.

Through four years, he put up 68 goals and 93 assists in 157 games, good for just over a point-per-game.

He also was a part of three straight NCAA Championship teams, won a gold medal with USA at the World Juniors and on a personal level was a Hobey Baker Award finalist.

The 5’11” 185 lbs. forward was originally a Montreal Canadiens‘ 2nd round draft pick and played 9 games signed to an ato with their minor league affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs at the end of last season. He tallied three helpers in the stint.

He inked to a two-year entry level deal but at the start of free agency he found himself switching jerseys and headed to New York Rangers.

The 23-year old definitely has smooth hands for scoring and play-making and also possesses a bit of a grinder mentality to his game despite his smaller size.

He should realize his first NHL recall sooner than later and will probably stick as soon as he gets a chance.

14Oct

Darroll Powe(17) Hartford Wolf Pack

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7th year, undrafted center Darroll Powe(17) finds himself back in the minors for the first time since he played 8 games at this level in early 2008/2009.

He was initially signed to an AHL contract with Philadelphia Phantoms in his rookie season but quickly signed a two-year entry level deal with parent club Philadelphia Flyers for his sophomore campaign.

For the last five seasons the 5’11” 209 lbs. forward has played exclusively in the show with the Flyers, Minnesota Wild for a full slate and 8 games after the lockout before being traded to New York Rangers.

With limited spots available with the Blueshirts, he was reassigned to affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack to start 2013/2014 but could find himself recalled if the winning situation doesn’t improve in Manhattan.

The 28-year old has played in 328 NHL games scoring 28 goals and 28 assists.

He may just be headed overseas next.

11Oct

Aaron Johnson(44) New York Rangers

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11th year defenseman Aaron Johnson(44) signs a 1-year, 1-way contract with New York Rangers, his 7th NHL team.

He was made their affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack team captain to start the season and there could be similar thoughts like what Nashville Predators did when signing him to a one-year deal, ship him to their minor league affiliate, Milwaukee Admirals for the season. But the parent club’s slow out of the gate and may need to switch things up even further, which would open the door for the 30-year defenseman to get some more games in the show on his stat sheet.

He’s played 297 big league games scoring 17 times with 45 assists and a nifty little +1 rating.

In the AHL his numbers are sort of phantomly similar with 26 goals and 86 helpers but he has a -5 plus/minus.

The former Columbus Blue Jackets‘ 3rd round pick in the 2001 draft (#85 overall) still has some left in the tank.

A couple of seasons ago, back with the team that drafted him, he put up a career tying 3 goals and a high mark 13 assists.

We think it’s likely he gets to the 300 NHL game club this season.