Rangers Prospects Rising After World Juniors & Red Wings Prospects That Are NHL-Ready
The 2024 World Junior Championship have concluded, leaving us with some new insights into the NHL's top prospects.
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In today’s edition, we have a look at how some of the top prospects did at the World Juniors, questions surrounding the Montreal Canadians’ goaltending situation, and much more!
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Rangers Prospects on the Rise After World Juniors
January 10, 2024 by Tom Castro
The New York Rangers are off to a 26-11-2 start to the season, and youth is playing no small part in that. Winger Alexis Lafreniere, 22, appears to finally be living up to his pedigree as a No. 1 overall draft pick. Will Cuylle, the rookie 21-year-old power forward, is playing with confidence, scoring seven goals and providing a speed-and-physical element to the bottom six forward corps the Blueshirts need so desperately. Of course, there’s the young defense, with 20-somethings Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller, Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider forming what could be a stout blue line for years to come.
As impressive as some of the Rangers’ up-and-comers have been, it’s starkly obvious that there’s more on the way – a fact driven home by the performances of three draftees at the recently-concluded World Junior Championship. Here’s a look at some of the players the Blueshirts can look forward to joining them in the not-too-distant future…
Canadiens Goalie Prospects Won’t Be NHL-Ready When Needed
January 9, 2024 by Trege Wilson
The Montreal Canadiens have been around .500 for most of the season, and that is partly thanks to some outstanding play from the team’s goaltenders. Even with injuries to significant players like Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, the Canadiens have managed to play winning hockey, inconsistent at times but relatively good. With two top-six players out of the lineup, strong goaltending is needed to win, and the Habs have succeeded with a three-goalie system.
The issue isn’t now, but two seasons from now, when the team should be at least a playoff contender; the Canadiens’ goaltenders are all on short-term contracts, and their goalies in the system will need more time before they are NHL-ready.
Canucks Prospects Help Sweden Win Silver At 2024 WJC
January 5, 2024 by Matthew Zator
The 2024 World Junior Championship (WJC) has come to an end and Team Sweden has fallen short of the gold medal yet again. They made a valiant effort on their way to the gold medal game but ultimately lost to a powerhouse American team that housed a crazy amount of first-rounders and elite prospects.
The Vancouver Canucks had three of their top prospects representing the Tre Kronor at the 2024 WJC in Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Tom Willander and Elias Pettersson. They all had solid tournaments with Lekkerimaki being named to the All-Star team and winning the tournament MVP award. Willander and Pettersson had their moments as well, but they couldn’t push Team Sweden to their first gold medal since 2012.
Red Wings: 3 Prospects That Are NHL-Ready
January 5, 2024 by Devin Little
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a developmental league. Everyone – from the team presidents to the fans to the players themselves – knows it. It’s why fans and media pundits alike are always looking for the next AHL player that is ready to make the jump to the NHL.
The Grand Rapids Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, are no exception to this. Since Steve Yzerman took over as general manager (GM) of the Red Wings back in 2019, he and his scouting team have done well to stock the cupboards full of exciting prospects with various levels of potential. That wave of youth has really begun to come to the forefront this season in Grand Rapids, especially after the Red Wings brought in more than a handful of veterans to fill out their roster and keep the kids down in the AHL.
But the best kids can’t be kept down for too long. Sooner or later, they force the issue and make their way onto the NHL roster. These are three Griffins that are looking to do just that.
Ducks Prospects Have Disappointing 2024 World Juniors
January 5, 2024 by Corey Abbott
The Anaheim Ducks witnessed the tremendous upside of cornerstone talents like Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish star on the World Junior Championship stage in recent years. Zegras was outstanding at the tournament in 2021, topping all skaters with 11 assists and 18 points in seven games. He helped lead the United States to a gold-medal triumph and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
The Ducks’ 2024 WJC class didn’t come close to making the same impact. The players chosen to compete in the tournament had largely forgettable showings because of injury, illness, struggles on the ice, and some disappointing team results.
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