Rangers’ 2022 draft class graduated four players to Wolf Pack this season

The New York Rangers made six selections in the 2022 NHL Draft. And while they didn’t have a first-round pick, this draft class is maturing quickly, with four members graduating to the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League this season. pass.

The Rangers were without a first-round pick in 2022 as a result of a trade on March 21, 2022, when they acquired Andrew Copp and a sixth-round pick in 2023 from the Winnipeg Jets for Morgan Barron, a conditional second-round pick. . pick in 2022, a fifth-round pick in 2023 and a conditional pick. The condition is that Winnipeg would receive New York’s first-round pick in 2022 if the Rangers advanced to the 2022 Eastern Conference final and Copp played 50 per cent of their playoff games.

Conditions met, the selection became after the Rangers lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the conference finals. The recruited Rangers Dylan Roobroeck No. 178 overall with the 2023 sixth-round pick they received in the trade.

Winnipeg selected Brad Lambert 30th overall and Elias Salomonsson 55th overall in the second round in 2022. The Jets selected Thomas Milic 151st overall in the fifth round of the 2023 draft.

Just two seasons after that 2022 draft, the Rangers saw four of their picks play in the AHL for all or part of the 2023-24 season: Adam Sykora, Bryce McConell-Barker, Victor Mancini and Maxim Barbashev. That’s a solid graduation rate, especially considering the lack of a first-round pick that year.

Related: Here’s what’s next for Kaapo Kakko and the Rangers after 1-year contract agreement

How the Rangers’ 2022 NHL Draft picks are progressing

With the 2024 NHL Draft taking place June 28-29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, let’s take a look at the Rangers’ 2022 draft picks and evaluate how each prospect is progressing.

Adam Sykora (No. 63 overall)

Selected Rangers Adam Sykora from HK Nitra No. 63 overall in the second round and signed the entry-level contract just over a week later on the final day of prospect camp. Sykora was loaned back to HK Nitra of the Slovak Extraliga, where he scored eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 38 regular season games in 2022-23. As a member of Slovakia at the World Youth Championship, Sykora scored one goal in five matches as the team finished sixth in the tournament. He scored one goal and three assists in eight playoff games for Nitra before joining the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he recorded his first AHL point (one assist) and skated in four games during the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. Wolf Pack last season, Sykora recorded eight goals and 15 assists in 68 regular seasons to finish. tied for ninth place on the team in scoring. The 19-year-old received just two minor penalties and four penalty minutes in 2023-24, and had three assists in 10 playoff games. He captained Slovakia at the 2024 WJC, scoring a goal and an assist in five games, as they once again finished sixth.

Bryce McConnell-Barker (No. 97)

In the third round, New York selected Bryce McConnell-Barker 97th overall with a pick they acquired from the Colorado Avalanche as a result of a July 7, 2022 trade that sent Alexandar Georgiev to Colorado in exchange for a third-round pick in 2023, a fifth-round pick in 2022 and this pick . The center joined Harford on May 1 and appeared in four playoff games for the Wolf Pack after the end of his junior season with Sault St. Marie. The 20-year-old scored 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points during the OHL regular season, with another five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 11 OHL playoff games. It was a solid season, although not at the level he played in 2022-23, when he scored 30 goals and 77 points in 68 OHL games. Next season will be a good test for McConnell-Barker, his first full season as a professional.

Noah Laba (No. 111)

With a pick obtained from Winnipeg via the Vegas Golden Knights as a result of a July 17, 2021 trade that sent Brett Howden to Las Vegas in exchange for Nick DeSimone, New York selected Noah Laba 111th overall. Laba is arguably the Rangers’ top center prospect after earning 2024 Second Team All American honors at Colorado College and being named NCHC Defensive Player of the Year and Three-Star Award winner. He led the Tigers with 20 goals and 37 points in 36 games, the best mark of his career. Laba led the nation with four overtime goals and finished tied for third in the country with three shorthanded goals and fourth with seven game-winning goals. At showdown point, Laba finished seventh in the NCHC with a 57.1 winning percentage and was named an NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and a member of the all-academic team for the second year in a row. Even though the Rangers attempted to sign Laba at the end of his sophomore season, the 20-year-old decided to stay in school. He was named as assistant captain for Colorado College for the 2024-25 season. Look for Laba to be hired once the Tigers’ season is complete and join Hartford in advancing to the 2025 playoffs.

Victor Mancini (no. 159)

defending Victor Mancini He was selected by the Rangers with the 159th overall pick in the fifth round. After completing his junior season with the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he scored four goals and 10 points in 40 games, Mancini agreed to terms on an initial two-year contract on April 2. as a veteran when he joined the Wolf Pack, as he racked up three assists in seven regular season games before adding another three assists in 10 playoff games.