GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The knowledge he gained by playing three months of professional hockey in 2021 carried Will Cuylle through one more successful run in junior hockey last season.
The New York Rangers prospect is hoping the entire experience of the past two seasons, with Hartford in the American Hockey League in 2020-21 and as captain of Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League last season, will be enough to carry him into the NHL this year. season.
“I want to play on the Rangers,” the 20-year-old forward said during New York’s development camp in July. “That’s my goal. That was my goal last year. This year is another opportunity to make the team. I’m definitely looking to make the team.”
Cuylle, the No. 60 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, has a good chance to be with the Rangers on opening night, Oct. 11 against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden, if the gifted scorer in the OHL — he had 80 points (43 goals, 37 assists) in 59 games last season — can showcase himself as an effective bottom-six forward in the NHL.
The Rangers appear set in their top six Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and, in all likelihood, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere.
They also have Filip Chytil and possibly Vitaly Kravtsov, who could jump into the top six too. Veteran forwards Sammy Blais, Barclay Goodrow and Dryden Hunt are also in the mix.
But the Rangers could have room for Cuylle in a depth role if he has a strong training camp.
“I think so, I hope so,” Rangers director of player development Jed Ortmeyer said when asked if Cuylle is capable of playing a third- or fourth-line role. “Obviously, he played a little bit in Hartford and they were able to move him up and down the lineup there. Now he knows what it’s like and what to look forward to. We’ll see how he does at camp.”
Cuylle was able to play as a 19-year-old in Hartford because of the exemption that allowed players drafted to NHL teams from the Canadian Hockey League (OHL, QMJHL, WHL) who were under the age of 20 to play in the AHL. the 2020-21 season.
Normally, players drafted out of the CHL are ineligible to play in the AHL until they turn 20. But with most junior leagues unable to play in 2020-21 because of the coronavirus, the exemption was put into place.
Cuylle was one of 25 underage OHL players on an AHL roster in 2020-21 who played in the OHL the previous season. He had five points (two goals, three assists) in 18 games with Hartford.
“It was a big jump, lots of speed,” Cuylle said of the AHL. “It was a quick time, only three months, so lots of learning and it was a big learning curve. Going back to junior last year, it was just a year to build confidence and sort of fine tune my skills and get prepared for this year.”
Cuylle was successful in making the rare reverse transition.
He was Windsor’s captain. He was second on the team in goals behind Dallas Stars prospect Wyatt Johnston, a forward who was the No. 23 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. He was third in points.
Windsor got to Game 7 of the OHL Championship Series, losing 4-3 to Hamilton, which lost in the Memorial Cup championship game to Saint John. Cuylle was second in the OHL playoffs in goals (15) and fourth in points (31).
Cuylle said the experience, particularly the long playoff run, was good for his development and hopefully bodes well for what comes next in his hockey career.
“He went back and he showed some leadership skills, captain of the team, another long playoff run, great experience for him,” Ortmeyer said. “He wanted to go back and start to gain that confidence of filling the net and he did that. We’re excited to see what he can do.”
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