The Rangers made a lot of moves this offseason to bolster not just their NHL roster, but their farm system. And because of that, they have the best farm system in the entire league, per The Athletic's rankings.
Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick by New York back in June, is a main reason why their ranking jumped from No. 11 last season to the top dog now. The Finnish forward was highly touted as an NHL-ready prospect that should make an immediate impact for the Rangers this season. Playing in TPS-Liiga, Finland's top league, he dominated at age 17.
But there's also Vitaly Kravtsov, the Rangers' first-rounder in 2018, that experts rave about as well. The Athletic has him pegged as a "High-end NHL prospect," after his season playing in the KHL.
"His numbers weren't amazing, but he didn't play on a strong team and was a driver for that team as a 19-year-old," wrote Corey Pronman. "Kravtsov has game-breaking skill. He will have the ability to beat even some of the best NHL defensemen with his 1-on-1 moves. He's also a great playmaker who this past season more than I've seen before really got his teammates involved at a high-end level."
Defenseman Adam Fox was also a big pickup for the Rangers, who are looking for solid players at the position. The Harvard grad was traded from the Hurricanes to the Rangers, and he should make the team out of camp this season. He's a good offensive defenseman, having totaled 48 points (nine goals, 39 assists) for Harvard last season.
Others like Igor Shesterkin, who is already one of the best goalies in the KHL, C Brett Howden, and D K'Andre Miller fill out this stacked farm system. The Rangers are breeding great, young talent that can help immediately as well as in the near future.
Add that into the mix of their veterans and the Rangers are definitely setting themselves up to return to a competitive playoff contender for years to come.