Broadway Duke? Rangers prospect Anthony Duclair has made a bid to make the club.
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A week away from the start of the season, the Rangers have some tough decisions to make. Top prospect Anthony Duclair has given them something to think about. The 19-year old 2013 third round pick (80th overall) has impressed scoring a goal in each of the three preseason games he’s participated in. A skilled player who possesses great speed and finishing ability, Duclair’s coming off a big year where he tallied 50 goals and 99 points in 59 contests for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. A concussion cut his season short which meant no postseason. Generously listed at 5-11, 184 pounds, he hasn’t filled out yet. However, given his strong showing he’s made a case for staying.

The interesting dilemma for Rangers coach Alain Vigneault and general manager Glen Sather is that Duclair signed an entry level contract in January. With strong competition coming from Jesper Fast, Ryan Haggerty and Lee Stempniak, it won’t be an easy decision. The club will start the season without top center Derek Stepan. Former first round pick J.T. Miller has all but secured a spot while Chris Mueller has also opened some eyes. In other words, there’s no guarantee Duclair will play enough to warrant keeping him.

Don’t forget the Rangers are already at the 50-man contract limit. If they decide to give Duclair a look, they’d have to make a move. There’s also been some debate as to whether Duclair’s ELC would slide if he plays nine or fewer games. Under the current CBA, it states that a player can play in a maximum nine before the club decides whether to send them back to juniors or retain them. Is it worth burning a year off Duclair’s rookie contract? That largely depends upon what the organization decides over the next week. There are still 21 forwards in camp including Duclair, Fast, Haggerty, Stempniak, Mueller, Tanner Glass, Kevin Hayes, Matt Lombardi, Ryan Malone, Marek Hrivik and Oscar Lindberg. Injuries to Lombardi and Malone could factor in.

At this point, the locks are Chris Kreider, Derick Brassard, Martin St. Louis, Rick Nash, Carl Hagelin, Dominic Moore and Mats Zuccarello. Given that Stempniak and Glass are signed, I’d expect them to be on the roster. Unless Miller blows it, he should be centering one of the top three lines. That makes 10 leaving a glut to compete for the remaining three or four spots depending how many players the Rangers decide to keep due to the salary cap.

There are ten defensemen left including Matt Hunwick, Steve Kampfer, Michael Kostka and prospect Dylan McIlrath, who are competing for seventh D. Of the four, Hunwick is probably the safest bet. Neither Kampfer nor Kostka have distinguished themselves. McIlrath is a more interesting case because he’s a 22-year old former first round pick. Honestly, it’s probably best for his development to start at Hartford. You don’t want him wasting away in the press box while our top six of Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Dan Boyle, John Moore and Kevin Klein are set barring injury.

The two goalies are Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Talbot. Cedrick Desjardins is still in camp but is injured and eventually will get reassigned.

What would I do with Duclair? If he is eligible to play nine games, why not give him a taste? Obviously, there are concerns about his size. You don’t want him to get crushed. This is our most exciting offensive prospect since the late Alexei Cherepanov. When the season starts, he won’t be facing AHLers. You want to put him in a good situation. I wonder how much ice-time he’ll see. I’d love to see him make the roster because offensively, the Rangers should be challenged without Stepan. It’s not like Nash has blown anyone away. Kreider and Hagelin haven’t scored 20. St. Louis should be the leading scorer and Zuccarello must prove last year wasn’t a fluke.

Assuming Malone is ready for next Thursday’s opener at St. Louis, that’s 11 forwards with a couple up for grabs. I really believe Fast and Haggerty deserve to make it. Each has performed well enough. They’re both older and more mature. Mueller would give Vigneault another center which is important. Hayes has great size and offensive instincts but his skating needs some work. He’d be better off with the Wolf Pack. I haven’t seen enough of Lindberg to fully assess him. Unless he blows them away in the final two exhibition games this weekend, he’s not making it. Hrivik brings some nice size but likely will get sent down.

When it comes down to it, it’s hard to see some of our kids getting squeezed. Unless the Rangers do something uncharacteristic like waiving Glass or Stempniak, only one or two prospects should make it. From a development standpoint, there’s nothing wrong with that. But I also hate seeing vets take away spots from younger players with more talent. Whatever they decide on Duclair, the organization must be fruitful. Do what’s best for his development.