The Future of the New York Rangers Lives in Hartford

Photo Credit: Hartford Wolf Pack

It’s easy to look at the New York Rangers and notice some of their “big name” players; Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox are just a few. The team is in first place in the NHL at the moment, which makes sense when one looks at the amount of talent on this roster. However, this season the Rangers have seen new players become fan favorites, and they come from one specific place.

Where is that?

Hartford.

During the 2023-24 regular season, New York has looked towards their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, for players in which they can call up to join the Rangers. Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe, and Jonny Brodzinski, are just a few names that have left Hartford this season to come play in New York. Not to mention that all of those players have been great additions for the team this season. Will Cuylle leads all rookies in hits and has still scored 13 goals. Matt Rempe has taken the league by storm, instantly becoming a nationwide hockey celebrity with his continuous fighting and physical play. Jonny Brodzinski gets rotated in and out of the lineup at times, but he has proved to be a great depth player if the Rangers are ever short on skaters.

Those three guys are all a big reason as to why the Rangers are competing for a Stanley Cup this year. But what if there were other players down in Hartford that could also maybe help this team out at some point?

Two big names to look out for in the Rangers future are forwards Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard. Together, Berard and Othmann make the Wolf Pack a true playoff contending team. While the team is still out of contention, they are not far away from getting back into the mix, especially with 41 combined goals between the two forwards. Rangers fans might remember Othmann from early January, where he made his debut in New York, but was only a starter for three games. Berard on the other hand, has never been called up by the Rangers to play in a regular season game.

Photo Credit: Jess Starr / The Hockey Writers

Forwards are always in abundance for the Rangers, but defensemen and goaltenders aren’t in the same boat. While New York has dealt with injuries as they’ve come, many defensemenn down in Hartford haven’t received a call from the NHL team. The biggest name of those defensemen is Matthew Robertson, one of the most consistent skaters on the Wolf Pack at the moment. It should be exciting to see how he pans out once he gets to New York, because he has shown flashes of being an excellent player.

Moving to goaltending, the 21-year-old Dylan Garand, has proven to be a great young player for Hartford. While he is sharing starts with veteran Louis Domingue, he still has two shutouts on the season and is slowly improving his numbers every single year. Assuming that the current backup goaltender on the Rangers, Jonathan Quick, retires or leaves the team after next season, Garand should be the first option of who New York looks toward to fill that spot.

The truth is that the Rangers’ star players are getting up there in age. Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider are both 32, while Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck are 30. Within the next five years, many of the current players on the team won’t be here anymore. It is time for the Rangers to look towards the future, which just so happens to be in Hartford.