I know it has been quiet from my end the last few weeks regarding our European prospects because life got in the way and I wasn’t able to dedicate a lot of time to writing but last week I had a chance to talk to one of our very own European prospects. In a year where the focus is mostly on Nils Lundkvist (Luleå) and Lauri Pajuniemi (TPS), another prospect made the news for different reasons. 2017 fifth round pick Calle Själin moved from Leksands IF to Västerås IK.

It was an amazing feeling of course. Rangers wasn´t the club I thought it could be, but I was very happy because it´s my favourite team in NHL.

Själin on being drafted by the New York Rangers

Hockey as a teenager

After an individually successful 2016-17 season with Östersunds IK in HockeyEttan, the 3rd tier of Swedish hockey, registering 15 points in 34 games, the then 18-year old defenseman tuned in from his family’s cottage to watch the draft. Unlike many others, Själin did not make the trip to Chicago to attend the draft but on day 2 when he found out he was drafted, he couldn’t be happier. Surrounded by family, they celebrated as he saw his name appear on screen with the iconic Rangers logo next to it.

The following season he moved to Leksands and was playing at a higher level, HockeyAllsvenskan, the 2nd tier of hockey in Sweden. Splitting time between the senior team and the under20 team in SuperElit, the young defenseman had a relatively good season and he handled the step up quite well. Playing for both the u19 and u20 team during the season, there was a small chance the young defenseman would be included in the World Juniors team traveling to Buffalo but he unfortunately wasn’t named on the final roster.

The 2018-19 season started with an unfortunate injury during practice which sidelined him for the remainder of 2018. When he finally joined the team he was on the 2nd pairing, playing a bigger role than expected, in a 3-2 win over Almtuna, against fellow Rangers prospect Jakob Ragnarsson. He would end up playing a total of 24 games until he was sidelined again with a concussion late in the season. His team won promotion to the SHL, meaning that for the 2nd season in a row, Själin would jump to a higher level. The promotion gained against their biggest rival Mora IK was an experience to remember for the young defenseman.

That was a really nice experience. The biggest in my career so far. I think Leksand belongs to SHL, it´s a big club in Sweden.

Själin on winning promotion to the SHL last season with Leksands IF

Västerås and the Rangers

This season he played a large portion of the games early on, but the team felt he could benefit from a loan to Västerås and last week he was sent to the team best known for producing arguably the best Swedish defenseman of all time, and childhood hero of Själin, Nicklas Lindström. When he made his debut for the club last week, it was against Mora. Not only his old team’s biggest rival as mentioned earlier but also the team where Olof Lindbom was in net.

I had several favourite players, one of them was Nicklas Lidström who is from Västerås IK where I play now.

Playing for the team of his childhood favorite, Nicklas Lidström, is special to Själin

It brought up an interesting topic which I always am curious about.” How often do NHL affiliated prospects talk to each other?”. Do they even follow the draft to an extent where they are aware of it? So I asked the question and I really liked the answer. Själin told me he talks to some of the Swedish Ranger prospects regularly. The connection with Nils Lundkvist goes beyond the fact that both were drafted by the same team. Själin’s older brother Pontus plays for Luleå and is Lundkvist’s teammate. With the way the Rangers are currently trying to improve their communication with prospects, and be more involved in their development, it was good to hear the prospects themselves talk to each other. It’s also good to know that the Rangers organization stays in touch with everyone. They really are invested in the development of everyone of their prospects and they offer their expertise and assistance wherever it’s needed.

I talk to them monthly. Sometimes every week.

On his communication with the Rangers

The future

When asked who he compares himself to as a player, the answer is quick. “OIiver Ekman-Larsson”, he said. That by no means points to Själin thinking he will be at that level but the comparison is mostly based on the style of hockey they play. With the vacanies on the left side of the Rangers blueline in the near future, Själin could be part of the solution. His rights expire in 2021 and that may push the Rangers to make a decision as early as 2020 whether or not they deem Själin a legitimate prospect and offer him an entry level contract. The pipeline in terms of defensive prospects has, in my opinion, never been this promising, with K’Andre Miller, Zac Jones, Matthew Robertson, Yegor Rykov, Ryan Lindgren, Libor Hajek, Jakob Ragnarsson, Nico Gross and Själin on the left. The competition will be fierce.

For now, he will focus on Västerås and helping the team win promotion to the SHL. The team last played in the SHL in the 1999-2000 season but was demoted 3 levels due to bankrupcy. They found their way up to Allsvenskan in 2002 but since then they have not been able to get over that final hurdle. After 30 games, they are in 5th place in a year where both Mora (relegated last year from SHL) and AIK (regular season winner last year) are occupying the bottom spots in the league. It has been a weird season but with a bit of luck, Calle Själin may find himself celebrating promotion to SHL 2 years in a row.

My final question is always related to a player’s number. Number 51 is the number he prefers and the number he has used when playing with Östersund before he was drafted. After using number 5 for 2 years with Leksands IF, he was given his old number by his new team.

I would like to thank both Calle Själin and the Västerås organization for making this possible.

Hockey season has started in Europe with the first regular season games this past weekend. Unlike previous seasons, all the Ranger prospects are playing up North in Sweden and Finland. Here’s a recap of how they performed.

Nils Lundkvist – Luleå (SHL): 2 assists

The 19-year old defenseman earned his spot on the top pair in the SHL with some great performances in the Champions Hockey League over the last few weeks. With 2 assists in the season opener, Lundkvist was a big reason his team managed to beat Växjo Lakers 3-1. With almost 19 minutes of ice-time, the 2018 first round pick finished with a +2 rating and was picked as player of the game by his teammates.

Calle Själin – Leksand (SHL): +1 rating

An often forgotten prospect, the younger brother of Lundkvist’s teammate Pontus Själin, Calle has had a tumultuous 12 months. While his team won promotion to SHL last season, Själin was sidelined with a concussion near the end of the season. In the team’s return to the highest level, he played 14 minutes on the 3rd pairing in a 5-2 win, thanks to former Ranger Marek Hrivik adding a goal and assist. Själin finished with a +1 rating but did not add any points to his otherwise solid performance. If he can stay healthy, he’s a prospect to keep an eye on.

Adam Edström – Rögle BK (SHL): 11:27 TOI

The 6th round pick in the 2019 draft made his SHL debut for Rögle BK on the 3rd line but had a rather uneventful performance in a 4-0 win over HV71. Playing center at junior level, the 6’6″ prospect played on the wing. Patience is key with Edström but him playing more than 10 minutes this early in his D+1 season is a good sign.

Karl Henriksson – Frölunda Indians J20 (SuperElit): 3 SOG

In his first game back from North America, Karl Henriksson played with the under-20 team in SuperElit for his club. In a 6-2 win over HV71, Henriksson centered the 2nd line but failed to register any points. With 3 shots on goal he had some offense to his game, but his bad numbers on the dot, winning only 6 of 17 face offs, were unfortunately more telling. It’s just 1 game, and Henriksson missed most of pre-season due to his involvement in the Traverse City Tournament. Expect a better performance in the following weeks.

Leevi Aaltonen – KalPa (Liiga): 4 SOG

Aaltonen played one game on the 3rd line, getting 11:25 of ice time in a 3-2 win over Jukurit, in my opinion the team with the best logo in hockey. His 3 shots in limited ice time showed glimpses of what he can do. The following day, he was on the 4th line in a 2-1 loss to HIFK.

Olof Lindbom – Mora IK (Allsvenskan): 47-save shutout

Although the regular season has not yet started, Olof Lindbom did play a game this week that is worth mentioning. In a pre-season encounter with AIK from Stockholm, the 19-year old goaltender made a case for him being the starter with a 47-save shutout. Mora won the game 2-0 but everyone was talking about the great performance of the teenager between the pipes.

The following players did not play

Jakob Ragnarsson – Rögle BK (SHL): Healthy scratch
Lauri Pajuniemi – HC TPS (Liiga): Injury

While hockey in North America is still a few weeks away, pre-season has started in Europe. This season, the New York Rangers have a total of eight prospects in Europe: two in Finland and six in Sweden.

Nils Lundkvist – Luleå HF (SHL)

The 19-year old right-handed defenseman is off to a good start with two solid performances against Björklöven (Assist) and Finnish Liiga team Kärpät (PPG). The young defenseman, who attended Rangers prospect development camp earlier this summer, suffered a freak injury during the subsequent World Junior Summer Showcase and the first reports were that he would be ready for pre-season. His performance so far is promising.

Earlier this summer, I spoke to my contact in Luleå and he told me they project Lundkvist to play on the top pair with Eric Gustafsson this season. Ranger fans should be thrilled by this development as it again confirms what some of us already knew: Nils Lundkvist is an amazing talent. Luleå plays one more pre-season game against Skellefteå on Thursday, August 22nd, before the group stages of the CHL take place starting at the end of August with home games against German team Augsburger Panther and Czech team Bílí Tygři Liberec.

Karl Henriksson – Frölunda Indians (SHL)

When the Rangers selected Karl Henriksson in the second round, he was named as a potential steal. The young center, who plays for Swedish champions Frölunda, will get his chance to win a spot on the team in the 2019-20 season. During the second pre-season game against Växjo Lakers, he was given first-line duties, centering Joel Mustonen and Max Friberg. Henriksson, together with 2020 top-prospect Lucas Raymond, is expected to make a push for SHL minutes this season but it won’t be easy. The team from Göteborg also plays in the CHL and like Luleå, they start with two home games, against Austrian side Graz 99ers and the Czech team Mountfield.

Calle Själin – Leksands IF (SHL)

2017 draft pick Själin, whose brother plays with fellow Rangers prospect Lundkvist in Luleå, was part of a team that successfully battled for promotion last year. Beating their fierce rivals Mora, they moved up from Allsvenskan to the SHL where Själin will now play against Sweden’s best teams. Paired on the second pair for most of last season, Själin battled injuries early on but is now back in the line-up anchoring the second pair on the right side. After losing to Brynäs, the next opponent is Karl Henriksson’s Frölunda on August 22nd.

Jakob Ragnarsson and Adam Edström – Rögle BK (SHL)

Two Ranger prospects are better than one. After the Rangers drafted Adam Edström in the sixth round in 2019, the Blueshirts knew they’d have two prospects playing together, as Rögle acquired 2018 draft pick Jakob Ragnarsson earlier this year from Almtuna. Both prospects were part of the team in the friendly tournament in Köln, Germany. Ragnarsson on the third pairing and Edström on the fourth line for two of the three games, both had a share in the unbeaten run to the Cup.

Olof Lindbom – Mora IK (Allsvenskan)

The controversial second-round pick in 2018 moved from Djurgården to Mora IK this off-season to get playing time for the men’s team after spending most of last season with the U20 side in SuperElit. Mora traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland for two exhibition games. Lindbom started one, and made 30 saves on 33 shots, in a 4-1 loss to the Belfast Giants.

Lauri Pajuniemi – TPS (Liiga)

Kaapo Kakko’s departure from Turku is a tough pill to swallow, but it may open some doors for the other Rangers prospect on that team, Lauri Pajuniemi. The 2018 draft pick was moved up to the top line to replace Kakko in the first pre-season games. With four points (G, 3A) in two games against Lahti Pelicans and KooKoo, Pajuniemi is off to a good start. The regular season starts on September 14th and TPS has a handful of games still planned, including two against Danish clubs Herning Blue Fox and Rødovre Mighty Bulls.

Leevi Aaltonen – KalPa (Liiga)

My personal favorite selection by the Rangers of the 2019 draft, Leevi Aaltonen barely missed the cut for the Summer Showcase. The speedy winger started pre-season with his team KalPa in a bottom-six role. The first game he was on the fourth line, but a solid performance saw him being bumped up to the third line where he played alongside Montreal Canadiens prospect Joni Ikonen. KalPa has two pre-season games left before they start the regular season on Friday the 13th of September.

When the Rangers used a second-round pick in 2018 to select Swedish goaltender Olof Lindbom, there was a lot of criticism. Why did the Rangers pick a goalie? And why Lindbom, who was ranked below other goaltenders? A year later, Olof Lindbom is on the verge of taking the next big step in his career by moving to a new team and signing a pro contract with Mora. I sat down with Olof Lindbom to discuss his experience being in the Rangers organization and more.   

Lindbom, born and raised in the Swedish capital of Stockholm, has played for local team Djurgården since he was 14. His younger brother, Carl Lindbom, also a goalie and draft-eligible in 2021, is moving up to the U18 team at age 16 for this upcoming season. But for Olof, who will be moving to Mora after spending the last four years playing for his hometown team, doesn’t think moving away from his family is going to be a challenge. 

“I don’t think it will be hard to leave Djurgården. To play in Mora is something I’m really excited about and it is the next step in my development of becoming a Rangers goalie.” 

Lindbom’s desire to occupy the crease at 4 Penn Plaza is clearly driving him to reach the next level.

Hearing his name called on day two of last year’s draft was a great feeling for the goalie who was only 17 at the time. The draft is a unique experience for prospects and one they will never forget. Our European correspondent, Steven Voogel, attended the draft last year in Dallas and noted how much the event reminds him of a high school graduation. Prospects dressed in a suit, mom, dad, and siblings walking with them as they navigate their way through a huge arena in – for the Europeans – a strange country. Lindbom’s experience was no different. 

But not only was the draft experience something that prospects, will never forget; getting drafted by an Original Six team like the Rangers has its own special significance.

“It was a great feeling, getting drafted. [It] is something you dream about as a little kid. I knew beforehand that Rangers is a great organization with a lot of history, so when they picked me I felt really honored!”

When Lindbom was selected in Dallas in 2018, he joined a group of Swedish prospects including Nils Lundkvist, Calle Själin, and Jakob Ragnarsson. They regularly discuss things and are quite close, knowing each other from playing together at different youth levels.

“We are all friends so we talk about a lot more than just hockey. But we all think we are very blessed to be a part of the New York Rangers.” 

In the past season, Lindbom struggled with injuries in the first half of the season. But, after getting healthy in the second half of the season, he fought his way back into the U20 SuperElit team. Goalies are always a long-term project and the Rangers and its fanbase should be familiar with that by now. It took both Henrik Lundqvist and Igor Shesterkin five full years after being drafted to make the jump to North America. Lindbom, who was called up to the men’s team in the SHL near the end of the season, has a good understanding of where his focus should lie in the near future. 

“To get to the NHL, I have improve the small things in my game and probably the most important thing for me is to raise my lowest level of play. Play less bad games over the course of the season and play more consistent.”

Lindbom, who is currently in North America for the upcoming World Juniors Summer Showcase, attended Rangers prospect development camp earlier this month. 

“This year, the development camp was really good for me personally. I think I showed the staff what I can do. And most importantly I got a lot of great feedback from Benoit Allaire, so I was happy with my camp.” 

Mentioning Allaire and the positive feedback he got from the goaltending guru shows that Lindbom is on the right track. As mentioned before, it will be a few more years before he is ready, but working with Allaire in the offseason will impact Lindbom’s development greatly. 

It should come as no surprise who Lindbom’s favorite player was as a kid. 

“My favorite player growing up was Henrik Lundqvist, and that made it even more special to me when I got drafted by the Rangers.”

The comparisons between Lundqvist and Lindbom will be made for a long time, since both goalies are Swedish, and drafted by the Blueshirts. Lindbom played with number 60 in the prospect development camp, but that isn’t his favorite number.

“My number has always been 30. From when I started playing hockey until now. I picked it as a kid because Lundqvist had it.”

The final six months of 2019 will be interesting for Lindbom. He has a pretty good chance to make his professional debut with his team Mora in the Allsvenskan and is one of the candidates to protect the net between the pipes for the Swedish national team at the World Juniors this winter in the Czech Republic. With Karl Henriksson added to the Rangers organization, there’s a good chance the Blueshirts have a large contingent representing Tre Kronor at the most prestigious junior tournament in the world.

“It’s always an honor to wear the Swedish jersey and the group of guys who I have been a part in is a very tight and fun group to be around!”

Playing with Nils Lundkvist and Karl Henriksson in the Summer Showcase this week, the young goalie will build on the relationships he already has with his fellow Rangers. Because that is what they are. Lundkvist, Henriksson, Ragnarsson, Aaltonen, Själin, Pajuniemi, Jones, Skinner, Robertson. Whether they play in New York, Hartford or Europe, each and every one of these kids is a New York Ranger.

Jacob Ragnarsson and his team Almtuna IS have not been able to avoid finishing in the bottom-two this season. With just seconds left in their game against AIK, Almtuna had a 4-3 lead which would have put them above Tinsgryd and be safe. AIK equalized and sent the game into overtime, and with that, it meant they would finish 13th. Had they won in regulation, they would have gotten three points instead of two and would’ve finished 12th. Almtuna now faces a promotion-relegation playoff with a team from Hockeyettan, the third level in Sweden.

Calle Själin’s team Leksands qualified for the Slutspelsserien (playoffs to determine who wins promotion to SHL). Teams 3–8 from the regular season will play a single round-robin tournament. Leksands finished third in the regular season, and they will start with games on Tuesday (Västerås) and Thursday (Karlskoga).

Nils Lundkvist is still recovering from an ankle injury. I met him on Saturday, and he was walking with some discomfort but told me he expects to be back on the ice in two weeks. His team, Luleå, won all three of their games this past week, defeating HV71 and Linköping (home and away). Luleå also set an SHL record for wins in a row in away games with 11. This week, they lost to Färjestad in a game that would decide who finished atop the league in the regular season, which comes with a 1 million SEK bonus. Luleå is now likely to finish in second place.

The other Rangers prospect currently in the SHL, Patrik Virta, added an assist which was his 10th point (5G, 5A) in 14 games for Örebro. With a win this week over Mora, and Brynäs losing to Linköping, Virta’s team is now in a playoff spot for the first time this season. With just one game to go in their season as they head to Malmö, and Brynäs in Göteborg against Frölunda, they have a good chance of finishing in 12th place and being the last team to qualify for the preliminary rounds of the playoffs.

The other Rangers prospect in the SHL, Patrik Virta, has been rewarded lately for his play with eight points in his last 11 games for Örebro HK. This past week, his team played three games, beating Linköping (4-2) Brynäs (3-1), and HV71 (2-1). Patrik Virta had two assists and was +1 with five shots on goal and averaged 14:47 TOI. His team is five points out of tenth place, which would mean qualification for the round of 16. It’s a longshot, but with Örebro’s recent performance, a late surge could definitely result in some postseason action.

In the second tier of Swedish hockey (Allsvenskan), we take a look at two defensemen. Jacob Ragnarsson played 20+ minutes in all three games this week and was -3 while his team was 2-1-0. The win against Tyngsryd was important for his team Almtuna in the battle against relegation. They are now two points behind Tyngsryd for 12th in Allsvenskan, which would avoid relegation.

Higher up in the standings, we find Calle Själin and Leksands in fourth place. Losing to Västerås and AIK saw them drop to fifth place, but a win over Vita Hästen gave them enough points to stay ahead of MODO. Själin had three SOG, but was pointless with an average TOI of 19:29

The last Rangers prospect in Sweden did not play this week, but that was not for a bad performance, on the contrary. Olof Lindbom was called up to the big club on Wednesday and was the backup to Robin Jensen in Djurgården’s win over Malmö and a loss to Växjö. While he did not play, it is a great experience for such a young goalie to be part of the team in the SHL.

First off, Sweden. The Rangers have five players in Sweden.

Nils Lundkvist played in all three games for Luleå HF this week. He did not record any points, but had 14:59 TOI and was a +5 while his team went 1-2-0. Luleå HF is second in the SHL with ten games to go. Despite not scoring, the 18-year old Lundkvist is still leading all U20 defensemen in scoring and has the highest point-per-game average among all defensemen under 21.

2017 seventh-round draft pick Patrik Virta seems to have found his place in Örebro, after starting the season in the KHL with Slovan Bratislava. After walking away from his contract in the KHL due to financial mismanagement by his team, Patrik Virta moved to Sweden. This past week, Virta appeared in three games, notching a goal and an assist, finishing -1 with three shots on goal.

In the second tier of Swedish hockey, we find two defensemen. First, Calle Själin, the fifth-round pick in 2017. Playing on the first pair with Filip Johansson, he had six shots on goal in two games, finishing with one point, an assist against Karlskrona, and an average TOI of 17:36, as his team went 1-1-0, and are currently in third place with a 12-point lead on the ninth place team. The teams ranked third through eighth battle in the playoffs for promotion.

Also active in HockeyAllsvenskan is Jacob Ragnarsson, who the Rangers picked in the third round last summer. The son of former NHL defenseman Marcus Ragnarsson, Jacob is on one of the worst teams in the second tier of Swedish hockey. Almtuna is four points out of the 12th spot, which would keep them in the HA. Ragnarsson had no points and was -1 with two shots on goal as his team went 1-1 this week.

The fifth and final player we look at is goalie Olof Lindbom. After struggling with injury earlier in the season, he joined his team Djurgårdens IF in SuperElit for the Top-10. In SuperElit, the top five teams of the North and South play each other in a round-robin, which is followed by an eight-team playoff season to determine the champion. Lindbom played one game this week, sharing duties with the other goalie, Oscar Walldén. The second game of the week for Djurgårdens IF was Lindbom’s and he had a .968 SV%, saving 30 out of 31 shots against Leksands in a 3-1 win.

Former Rangers draft pick Daniel Bernhardt retired from professional hockey this week.

Next up: Finland, where we look at Tarmo Reunanen and Lauri Pajuniemi.

In fourth place, we find Tarmo Reunanen’s team, Lukko. With a goal and an assist in three games, the 20-year old had a good week. His team went 2-1-0 with the only loss coming against Pajuniemi’s team, TPS. Reunanen had six shots on goal this week, logging an average TOI of 21:41. Not only does Reunanen lead all U20 defensemen in points, he also leads all Lukko defensemen in points. Only seven U20 blue liners have recorded more points in a single Liiga season since 2000.

Lauri Pajuniemi is having a very up-and-down season, but has picked up the pace recently with five points (2G, 3A) in his last seven games. He played twice this past week and scored a goal against last year’s CHL champions, JYP. His team, TPS, has all but wrapped up second place in the regular season, having a nine-point lead on third ranked Tappara.

From Finland, we fly south to the Czech Republic where an often forgotten Rangers prospect just moved back to his own team, after a stint on loan. Dominik Lakatoš spent part of the season at Filip Chytil’s old team in Zlin, registering 13 points in 22 games but is now back up North with Bili Tygri in Liberec. Lakatoš had three shots on goal and averaged 25:32 of ice time, but failed to add any points in his team’s three contests this week.

Last but certainly not least, we head to Russia to look at the organization’s best goalie and forward prospects.

With the news of former Rangers goalie Magnus Hellberg signing a contract extension with SKA St. Petersburg, it seems to be a matter of time before Igor Shestyorkin goes over to North America. Shestyorkin played only one game this week, when SKA beat Severstal Cherepovets – Pavel Buchnevich’s old team – making 28 saves on 29 shots for a .965 SV%. The win brought his stat line to bringing his season total to 22-4 with a .949 SV% and a 1.19 GAA. With 97 points, SKA is three points behind CSKA for the lead in both the conference and the league.

Vitali Kravtsov’s team, Traktor Chelyabinsk, had a week they would rather forget, going 0-2-1 in their last three games. But, with Sibir also going 0-2-1, they failed to take advantage of Traktor’s misstep. Only two points separate the two for the final playoff spot in the East, with Traktor having a game in hand. Traktor Chelyabinsk was the last team to reach the 100-goal mark this season; and with a goals-per-game average of just 1.69, they would be the worst offensive team to ever make the KHL playoffs.

That being said, it hasn’t stopped Kravtsov from contributing with a goal this week, bringing his total to eight goals and 13 assists in 47 games. While that may not look like much, when you account for the team’s lack of offense, he is contributing on over 25% of Traktor’s goals when he is playing.

The final prospect we’ll look at is Yegor Rykov. Having grown into a top-pair defenseman in Sochi this season, he adds value on both sides of the puck. He scored in Sochi’s overtime win over Vityaz last Monday, and now has nine points in 44 games; the most by any defenseman 21 or younger. Sochi has a four-point lead on Dinamo Riga for the last spot in the East. Sochi won all three games this week with Rykov getting the goal and recording a +2 rating.

I cannot remember the last time any NHL team had four prospects leading their age-groups in scoring in some of the top professional leagues in the world, but here we are. The future looks bright.

The dog days of summer are almost over (finally!) and training camp is just around the corner. While the current Rangers are finishing up their offseason, there is still plenty of action in the Blueshirts organization. Here is the latest in this edition of Rangers Roundup.

Zuccarello and Lundqvist Team Up For Charity Game

Rangers winger Mats Zuccarello has teamed up with his goaltender Henrik Lundqvist for a charity game next summer to benefit Right to Play. The game will feature teams from Norway and Sweden competing at Norway’s national soccer stadium, Ullevaal. The hope is for the game to sell out, which would mean 25,000 spectators.

Aug 11th 2018, mark it;) Henke&Zucca Summer Classic at Ulevaal stadium in Oslo. Hope to see ALL of you there! @HLundqvistFDN @RightToPlayNO pic.twitter.com/tWJhq5fwn0

— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist30) August 24, 2017

For the last four years, Zuccarello has hosted his charity game in Stavanger. This year, he teamed up with teammates Kevin Hayes, Mika Zibanejad, and Brady Skjei, as well as former Rangers Carl Hagelin and Oscar Lindberg.

Rangers Prospects Starting In Europe

While the NHL season has yet to begin, the Blueshirts in the making have already begun their 2017-18 campaigns. The Champions Hockey League, which pulls all of the best teams in Europe into a year long competition, features several Rangers prospects, including Lias Andersson, Dominik Lakatoš, and Tarmo Reunanen. 

Dominik Lakatoš (#NYR) makes up for 14 first-period penalty minutes w/ the go-ahead goal as Liberec lead Växjö. pic.twitter.com/VWszDcr3sh

— Alex Nunn (@aj_ranger) August 24, 2017

At the U20 Four Nations Tournament, Rangers prospects Filip Chytil and Calle Själin are representing the Czech Republic and Sweden, respectively. Chytil has already scored a goal for his country, at the time of this post, and has looked good all summer long.

Filip Chytil scored a goal in the 1st period in CZE’s first game of the U20 Four Nations Tournament. CZE leads FIN 2-0 after 1 period. #NYR

— NYR Stats & Info (@NYRStatsInfo) August 24, 2017

Training camp will be here before you know it, so make sure to keep on following us @FullTiltNYRBlog on Twitter for all of the latest Rangers news throughout the year.

The off-season and free agency have been off to a strong start for the organization. Jeff Gorton is restocking and rebuilding the prospect pool while improving the Rangers themselves. The upcoming season looks promising in Hartford with two strong signings for the American Hockey League club. The addition of Kevin Shattenkirk provided more depth in the organization as well.

The Kevin Shattenkirk Impact

Kevin Shattenkirk returns home to New York on the first day of free agency. He should provide phenomenal defense for the Rangers, but what is unknown is his impact on the blue line regarding the young defensemen in the Rangers system.

Currently, the organization has Sergey Zborovskiy, Calle Sjalin, Anthony DeAngelo, Tarmo Reunanen, Vince Pedrie, Tyler Nanne, Ryan Graves, John Gilmour, Sean Day, Brandon Crawley, and Alexei Bereglazov with the minor league clubs. And a few of the guys in this list will compete for a potential spot in Hartford.

But since Kevin Shattenkirk joined the team, there probably won’t be any available spots for the defensive prospects in New York. But, this does allow their prospects to develop for a year down in the minors, and then if ready, can make the jump next season.

From a developmental standpoint, friendly competition is great to develop prospects.  The bar would rise and each player will have to up their game. The blue line would become packed in the system, especially in Hartford. None of these guys want to be sent packing from Hartford, so the battles on the back end should be intense during training camp.

New York Signs Two Impressive Forwards

On the first day of free agency, Jeff Gorton wasted no time in helping his team in Hartford. He signed forwards Paul Carey (No relation to Matt Carey of Hartford or Greg Carey of Lehigh Valley) and Cole Schneider to one year, two-way deals. Both players last season provided a strong offensive punch to their respective AHL clubs. Hartford now has two experienced veteran players. These signings Nicklas Jensen will have help to produce offense as well.

Paul Carey (24 goals, 31 assists for 55 points in 55 games with the Hershey Bears in the 2016-17 season)

Paul Carey is a 28-year-old forward with strong experience in the American Hockey League. He joins Hartford after spending two seasons in Hershey and joined the Washington Capitals for brief stints in the NHL for a total of eleven games with the club.  Last season, Carey made some strides offensively. He impressed me on March 18th, 2017 as he recorded four goals against Hartford. He was noticeable in each game in the series between Hershey and Hartford. Carey is not afraid to make plays, especially on the power play. He is a well rounded player who can score and assist. His veteran presence will guide the prospects in situations throughout the season on how to successfully tackle problems.

Cole Schneider (24 goals, 39 assists for 63 points in 71 games with the Rochester Americans in the 2016-17 season)

Cole Schneider joins Hartford after completing a one man show on offense for the struggling Rochester Americans last season. The 26-year-old forward is another veteran who has produced quality numbers in the past few seasons. He has proven that he can dominate in the American Hockey League. Schneider is more of a playmaker than a scorer. He will certainly help on the power play and compliment Nicklas Jensen.

Jensen is the sniper of the club and having players who feed him the puck will boost his numbers. Schneider can score when needed if the opportunity rises. He has a quick release and is not afraid to get in the dirty areas. I look forward to another season where he produces healthy offensive numbers. He can show prospects a few tips on converting their opportunities.

What’s Next?

Jeff Gorton still needs to sign players for Hartford and New York as his work is not done. From the standpoint of Hartford, the club is off to a strong start. He addressed the presence of quality veterans along with an offensive punch. I believe he will sign a few more proven American Hockey League players to pitch in on offense. He still needs to address the defense. Despite the depth on the blue line, we need another veteran to help the young prospects. Steven Kampfer returns but he cannot do it all himself.  Having another veteran on defense will give prospects two examples on how to play defense in specific situations. As for goalies, we need him to sign a proven goalie for Hartford. The goalies in the system are not ready for the AHL. Brandon Halverson should be in Hartford next season, but he needs the guidance of a quality starting goalie, similar to Magnus Hellberg.

I am looking forward to the next moves by Jeff Gorton.  In Jeff we trust.