With the NHL Entry Draft concluded on Friday, the Rangers today announced their development camp roster which will start tomorrow in the team’s practive facility at Greenburgh, NY. In all, 37 players were invited to camp, including 27 draft picks, 2 undrafted players signed out of college, and AHL contractee and seven invitees.
The draft picks span selections over the last four NHL Entry Drafts, and with COVID no longer an issue, we’ll see a few more Europeans, as well as several players from the NCAA who are yet to sign pro contracts.
The big names to watch are of course be forwards Brennan Othmann and Will Cuylle, along with goaltender Dylan Garand. All three had standout seasons last year, and will almost certainly be invited to training camp in September.
Understandably there’ll also be interest in the 2022 draftees, including Adam Sykora and Bryce McConnell-Barker, who have a quick turn around from their selection parties just last Thursday. A couple of other names worth keeping an eye out for will be forward Brett Berard, who has impressed since being selected two years ago, as well as Ryder Korczak, who earned himself a pro contract after a strong season in the WHL. The 2021 3rd round pick is the best center prospect in the system, an area that remains an open question despite a number of forwards who could play center being drafted last week.
Potential surpises could include Talyn Boyko, the 6-7 goalie drafted in 2021, who got his game going folllowing a mid-season trade last year to Kelowna. Oliver Tarnstrom, a center out of Sweden who also signed a pro contract this past season, is also a potential future bottom six center man, though he remains a work in progress after having worked his way up to the top tier in Sweden last season.
College signees Brandon Scanlin – defense, and Bobby Trivigno – forward, will both look to impress after playing for Hartford last season (Scanlin as a regular), after modest starts to their pro careers.
Unsurprisingly, the defense features five of the seven invitees, with the Rangers recently having graduated K’Andre Miller and Braden Schneider, as well as having Nils Lundkvist and Zac Jones in the mix. Matthew Robertson, who will start his second pro season in Hartford along with Hunter Skinner are the biggest names on defense, with maybe former sixth round pick Simon Kjellberg being worth keeping half an eye on. Kjellberg will be shifting from R.P.I. to Northern Michigan this Fall.
Of the invitees, Brady Berard is the 18 year old younger brother of Brett, while Sam Malinski plays with Hank Kempf at Cornell.
Notably absent in Karl Henriksson who reportedly had issues getting to the US in time.