The New York Rangers selected 17 players in the past two NHL Drafts and made several trades as part of the retool to restock their prospects pool with quality talent. The jury remains out on how much better this group is, but there’s no doubt Chris Drury and Co. made it a priority to create more options within the organizational prospect pipeline.
As such, our annual summer ranking of the Rangers top-10 prospects continues to shift and evolve. This year’s list includes four players from our top-10 prospects rankings from 2025, including three who were also in our top-10 rankings in 2024.
Of the six new players on this year’s list, five are completely new to the organization. One, forward Nathan Aspinall, was a 2024 draft pick by the Rangers who failed to crack our top-10 the previous two years.
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We chose specific criteria to decide which players are prospects and which no longer fit that category. If a player appeared in at least 25 NHL games or will be at least 24 years old this upcoming season, he’s not considered a prospect for this list.
That’s why you will not see Gabe Perreault (54 NHL games), Dylan Garand (24 years old), Scott Morrow (45 NHL games), Jaroslav Chmelar (28 NHL games) or Vincent Iorio (36 NHL games) on this list.
1. Alberts Smits (D)
There’s a new No. 1 prospect in the Rangers organization — 2026 first-round draft pick Alberts Smits. The No. 5 overall selection this year is already ranked as the ninth-best prospect in the NHL per The Athletic, and he replaces Perreault, who topped this list in each of the previous two years. The mature 18-year-old defenseman more than held his own against grown men in two European professional leagues last season, as well as when he represented Latvia at the Milan-Cortina Olympics and IIHF World Championship. He’s big (6-foot-3, 205 pounds), physical, skates well, makes good reads and has all the makings of a shutdown top-four defenseman in the NHL — and one who has a developing offensive upside as well. Smits already signed his entry-level contract and could win a spot on New York’s Opening-Night roster, though no one will be upset if he begins his career with Hartford of the American Hockey League. He’s on the fast track — but the Rangers shouldn’t rush him because Smits is clearly a cornerstone player for their future.
2. Liam Greentree (F)
Credit: OHL Images
Photo: OHL Images
Liam Greentree was the key return in the package received from the Los Angeles Kings in the Artemi Panarin trade this past February and lands at No. 2 on our list. The 20-year-old forward was L.A.’s top prospect at the time of the trade, a first-round pick (No. 26 overall) in the 2024 draft who was a fairly prolific scorer during his four seasons with Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League. Greentree, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 207 pounds, finished with 328 points in 241 games during his junior career, including 119 points (49 goals, 70 assists) in 2024-25, when he skated on the same line as Washington Capitals stud prospect Ilya Protas. He turns pro this season and projects by most to be a middle-six wing in the NHL, largely because he’s considered an average (at best) skater. Greentree does have decent intangibles, though, including the fact that he was Windsor’s captain for three seasons.
3. Malcolm Spence (F)
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Malcolm Spence is the third-ranked prospect on our list for the second straight year. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward was New York’s top draft pick in 2025, No. 43 overall in the second round. He’s coming off a solid freshman season at the University of Michigan, when he scored 10 goals and finished eighth on the Wolverines with 25 points in 40 games. What stands out is that he came up big in the most important games of the season, scoring a clutch goal and adding an assist to help Michigan rally past Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. Spence, who turns 20 in September, also had two assists in the NCAA Tournament, including one in a 4-3 double-overtime loss to eventual champion Denver in the Frozen Four. A big sophomore season could lead to Spence turning pro in 2027.
4. Cole Beaudoin (C)
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The Rangers acquired Cole Beaudoin from the Utah Mammoth on July 1 as part of the return in the Vincent Trocheck trade. The 20-year-old center is a tenacious two-way player who excels at the face-off dot and on the penalty kill, as well as being a strong net-front presence offensively. He was selected two picks before Greentree (No. 24 overall) in the 2024 draft and oozes intangibles, including leadership. It can be argued Beaudoin has more will than skill, though he’s coming off a career year with Barrie of the OHL, finishing with 33 goals and 88 points as their captain. He also had seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven games to help Canada capture the bronze medal at the 2026 World Junior Championship. Skating is a concern for the 6-foot-2, 209-pounder. But he is a force on the ice, and most experts agree that he’ll be an important NHL player, even if it’s in a third-line role.
5. Drew Fortescue (D)
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This is Drew Fortescue’s third straight year on our top-10 list, and the second straight ranked No. 5. This time, though, the 21-year-old from Pearl River, New York, has some NHL experience under his belt. Fortescue didn’t look out of place when he played nine games with the Rangers after finishing his junior season at Boston College. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound defenseman had two assists, was plus-4 and averaged nearly 15 minutes TOI with the Rangers, though his underlying numbers show that there’s plenty of room for improvement. He impressed coach Mike Sullivan with his decision-making and ability to get the puck out of his end efficiently. Fortescue needs to get bigger and stronger, and he should benefit from time in the AHL with Hartford to grow his all-around game. It’s not difficult to picture the Rangers deploying Vladislav Gavrikov, Smits, and Fortescue as their left-side defensemen not too far down the road.
6. E.J. Emery (D)
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This is also E.J Emery’s third straight year on our annual list after the Rangers selected the 6-foot-4, 185-pound defenseman in the first round (No. 30 overall) in 2024. At the time, the Rangers tempered immediate expectations on the defensive-minded right-shot defenseman and focused on his development. Results have been mixed since. Though Emery hasn’t popped as a prospect yet, the 20-year-old hasn’t flopped either. He enters his junior season playing for a stacked North Dakota team, after helping them reach the Frozen Four this past season. The big-game experience is important, especially since he was an extra for Team USA to begin the 2026 WJC. After not scoring a goal and picking up one assist as a freshman at North Dakota, Emery had three goals, 10 assists, and 13 points last season, so his all-around game is growing. This coming season is massively important for him — and for the Rangers to understand where he fits as a pro.
7. Adam Sykora (F)
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Like Fortescue and Emery, this is the third straight year that Adam Sykora lands on this list, moving up from No. 10 a year ago to No. 7 this summer. Sykora, who turns 22 in September, heads to training camp this fall seeking a spot on the Opening Night roster. He broke through to the NHL late last season, instantly becoming a fan favorite with his breakneck style of play, ever-present smile and surprisingly strong production (three goals, one assist in 11 games). The 5-foot-11, 193-pound forward isn’t going to be a star, but does have the makings of a player a winning team finds a spot for in its lineup. For Sykora, that’s likely a bottom-six role as an energy guy. However, it wouldn’t be a shock if he again starts the season in Hartford, considering the competition to play on New York’s third and fourth lines.
8. Nathan Aspinall (F)
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Though drafted by the Rangers in 2024 (fifth round, No. 159 overall), Nathan Aspinall cracks the top-10 list for the first time this year. That’s because the towering (6-foot-6) forward had a breakout season in the OHL after two good-but-not-spectacular seasons with Flint. Aspinall finished second in the OHL with 94 points (33 goals, 61 assists) in 2025-26, displaying serious offensive skills that were not as noticeable earlier in his junior career. The 20-year-old turns pro this coming season and is expected to start with Hartford, where he played five games on an ATO to close out the 2024-25 season. If he carries that OHL production into the AHL, the Rangers could have a serious late-round steal here. A strong showing in his first pro season would shoot Aspinall up these rankings next year, as well. But let’s see what how he plays in 2026-27 first before rushing to any judgement. Remember, he’s considered a bottom-six forward prospect in the NHL right now.
9. Jacob Battaglia (F)
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The Rangers acquired Jacob Battaglia in a trade with the Calgary Flames this past March for former first-round pick Brennan Othmann. Battaglia was a second-round selection (No. 62 overall) in the 2024 draft by the Flames, and did score 40 goals to go along with 90 points for Kingston of the OHL in 2024-25. He plays a solid two-way game — and even shifted to center this past season after Kingston traded him to Flint, where he became teammates with Aspinall and 2026 Rangers draft pick Darian Anderson. His ability to play center makes Battaglia a more valuable prospect considering New York’s pipeline isn’t overflowing at the position. Like Greentree and Beaudoin, the 6-foot-1 forward isn’t considered a great skater and projects as a middle- or bottom-six player in the NHL.
10. Tomas Chrenko (F)
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Tomas Chrenko gets the nod for the final top-10 spot because he has high-end skill and is a naturally gifted offensive player. The Rangers don’t have a lot of those type prospects. However, the 2026 third-round pick (No. 81 overall) must prove doubters wrong, considering his small physical stature (5-foot-11, 172 pounds). The 18-year-old forward played in a pro league in Slovakia last season and had 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in 44 games. He scored the Game 7 overtime goal to lift Nitra to the league championship. Chrenko was a highlight machine for Slovakia at the 2026 World Junior Championship, scoring five goals, including a hat trick against Germany, and finishing with eight points in five games. This is a big year for Chrenko, who’s coming to North America to play for Muskegon of the USHL.
Jim Cerny is Executive Editor at Forever Blueshirts and Managing Editor at Sportsnaut, with more than 30 years of … More about Jim Cerny
