The Rangers are tied with four other NHL organizations for the second most prospects playing at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships. The two-week tournament — being played in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Moncton, New Brunswick — will begin Monday.
The Rangers have five prospects — each competing for a different country. The Devils, Blackhawks, Wild and Coyotes also have five prospects each; The only NHL team that will have more prospects featured on the international stage is the Canadiens with six.
Many of the Rangers’ top prospects, since their rebuilding began, have already made the professional jump and are playing for either the NHL club or their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, so the World Junior Championship, with all games on the NHL Network. is the perfect event to get a glimpse of the franchise’s next wave of talent.
The highest Rangers’ draft pick who will be showcased is Brennan Othmann, whom the organization took 16th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old wing from outside Toronto will be skating for Canada. After he was snubbed for the originally scheduled 2022 World Junior Championships, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Othmann was selected for the rescheduled tournament in August and posted two goals and four assists to help propel Canada to gold.
Other Rangers prospects to look out for include their 2022 fourth-round pick, US forward Noah Laba; Slovakian forward Adam Sykora, the 63rd-overall selection in 2022; Czechia winger Jaroslav Chmelar, a fifth-round pick in 2021; and Finnish winger Kalle Vaisanen, the No. 106 picks last year.
There are a few other Rangers prospects who won’t be part of the international showcase, but are still worth keeping up with this season. Here’s an update on the top five:
F Brennan Othmann, 2021 16th-overall pick (Peterborough, OHL)
Othmann could not be recalled by the Rangers in the middle of his OHL season and he was not eligible to be assigned to AHL Hartford. He will turn 20 on Jan. 5, which means he missed the cutoff for AHL eligibility by five days, as per the NHL-CHL agreement. So no matter what, Othmann will get another full season of juniors to continue his development.
The Flint Firebirds traded Othmann to the Petes in mid-November in exchange for Sharks prospect Artem Guyev and three priority selection picks. After totaling 11 goals and 13 assists in 16 games for the Firebirds, Othmann has two goals and nine assists in 10 games for Peterborough. Othmann went from being left off Team Canada’s original 2022 roster to making it the second time around when the event was rescheduled before he was a no-brainer for the World Junior Championships this year.
F Will Cuylle, 2020 60th-overall pick (Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL)
During training camp, the Rangers had to decide if they wanted Cuylle to get fourth-line minutes in the NHL or top-six minutes in the AHL. The organization made the mistake of rushing certain prospects, but it was a pretty easy decision to let the 6-foot-3, 211-pound wing continue marinating in the minors. Cuylle has already more than doubled his point total from his first season in Hartford, with seven goals and five assists in 27 games so far this season. The Rangers would probably rather Cuylle stay with the Wolf Pack until there is no question he is ready for an NHL role.
F Adam Sykora, 2022 63rd-overall pick (HK Nitra, Slovak Extraliga)
On the last day of prospect camp this summer, the Rangers awarded Sykora an entry-level contract after the energetic forward proved to be a standout player every day. In his third season playing for Nitra, Sykora has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 20 games, which is already encroaching on his career-high 17 points in 46 games last season.
D Matthew Robertson, 2019 49th-overall pick (Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL)
Zac Jones, who skated in 16 games for the Rangers before he was sent back to the AHL, and now Ben Harpur, who has played in the last five games for the Rangers, are both clearly ahead of Robertson on the club’s depth chart. He has two goals and seven assists in 24 games for the Wolf Pack this season.
G Dylan Garand, 2020 103rd-overall pick (Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL)
Louis Domingue, whom the Rangers added in the offseason, has played 17 games compared to Garand’s 12. Garand has compiled a record of 3-6-2 with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage as the Wolf Pack have largely struggled this season (10-12-1).
.