NY Rangers 2023 prospect rankings: Successful year forces No. 10 onto the list

Beginning Aug. 28, lohud.com and the USA TODAY Network will release our fifth annual ranking of the top 10 prospects in the New York Rangers' organization.

These prospect profiles, with one set to be revealed each weekday through Sept. 8, are based on conversations with over 20 sources in total. They include coaches, trainers and executives who have worked closely with these young players, pro and amateur scouts from around the world and many of the prospects themselves. Any players who are eligible for the Calder Trophy − 25 or younger and have not played more than 25 NHL games in a season, nor six or more games in any two preceding seasons − are up for consideration.

No. 10: LW/RW Jaroslav Chmelař

In his 20 years of coaching college hockey, Nate Leaman has earned the reputation as a straight shooter.

Ask the Providence head coach about one of his players and you'll usually hear a blunt assessment. That made his response to a question about the development path of rising sophomore Jaroslav Chmelař stand out.

"If I were the Rangers, I'd be pretty high on this kid, because I do think there's a lot there," Leaman said via phone earlier this month. "I do think he has a real chance of playing in the NHL."

For a former fifth-round draft pick − Chmelař was selected No. 144 overall by the Blueshirts in 2021 − becoming an impact player at the highest level would be close to a best-case scenario.

The 20-year-old forward has a long way to go to accomplish that goal, but there's growing belief that he's heading in that direction. He's coming off a jam-packed year in which he played two World Junior Championship tournaments in a span of five months − including helping Czechia earn its first medal in 18 years when it took silver this past January − and made his NCAA debut with the Friars.

Eyes were opened in the process.

"He’s adjusted pretty well to the North American game and was impressive in the games I saw Providence play," said one Northeast scout. "You can’t move him out there. He looks like a man amongst boys. He’s trying new things and those things are working."

Those new things revolve around finding more efficient ways to use his 6-foot-5, 202-pound frame.

That's been a focus since Chmelař decided to leave Europe and play under Leaman at Providence, with the hope being that the early transition to the U.S. will prepare him for pro-style hockey.

"The Euros grow up on a big sheet (of ice), so the more time he can spend in the North American game, the better it’s going to benefit him," Leaman said. "He's got a really good first step for a big guy. Usually when you see big guys like this, that first step (is slower). He can really get up and get going, which, I think, separates him from other guys his size. He’s got pretty good hockey IQ (and) good hands. The big thing he's got to continue to work on is using his size and his abilities – using his assets. Sometimes he kind of plays a small man's game, meaning he'll try to put pucks through guys. Where, he's 6-5 and he's strong as an ox, so it’s about learning to use your size to your advantage."

There were notable improvements in that area this past year, earning Chmelař notice on both the international and collegiate stages.

He posted 13 points (seven goals and six assists) in 33 games during a solid a freshman season with the Friars, but made an even bigger impression with eight points (four goals and four assists) in nine games for the Czech under-20 team.

"I think I showed what I can do over there," Chmelař said at Rangers development camp last month. "I just want to keep it up."

Using his size and strength effectively will be an ongoing theme, which most scouts believe will be the determining factor in whether he has an NHL future. But Leaman is also challenging him in other ways.

"His puck skills, they're pretty good right now," he said. "I just think he's got another level with developing him and holding onto pucks. I'd like to see him hold onto pucks more – both on the rush, and in his offensive zone play. Because there were games, especially towards the second half, where he just didn't have the puck enough and impact the game enough for his skillset and what he is."

Leaman plans to make Chmelař a central figure in the Providence lineup this coming season, likely as a winger who plays substantial minutes in the top six. His point production should continue to rise, but one scout pointed to a below average right-handed shot as one reason that his scoring upside may be capped.

Most of his goals will come from gaining position and leverage in the high-danger areas of the ice, which Chmelař seems keenly aware of.

"(My coaches) tell me all the time, ‘Use your size to get to the net,'" he said. "The game is hard, so I think if you have a big frame, it helps. I want to embrace it in my game."

While his offensive ceiling is limited, his skating, long reach and awareness are proving beneficial on the other end of the ice. Leaman noted being pleased with Chmelař's progress as a defender − so much so that he'll be deployed as a penalty killer this coming season.

Despite being a go-to player for Providence already, scouts widely project a bottom-six role once he turns pro. Adding PK to his résumé will undoubtedly add value and bolster his chances.

"For him to develop to the next level, he has to have that part to his game," Leaman said. "That’s definitely something we’ll be working in this year."

There are other elements he'll need to incorporate to crack an NHL lineup, including more of a hounding presence in pursuit of the puck. As one European scout put it, "He’s big, he can skate and he works hard, but he’s not scary on the forecheck."

But multiple sources polled for this year's organizational prospect rankings gave him a better chance of eventually playing for the Rangers than higher skilled forwards such as Maxim Barbashev, Ryder Korczak and Noah Laba.

Chmelař possesses tools that other fringe top-10 prospects can't match, giving him a clearer path to carve out the type of role they'll all be vying for.

"He's developing his game into more of a well-rounded, offensive, defensive and special teams player for Leaman – and Leaman is a great coach for him to have for process and systems and teaching and discipline," added the Northeast scout. "It's a good spot for him to learn North American style hockey and prepare for a bottom-six role in the NHL."

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Jaroslav Chmelař: We rank NY Rangers prospect No. 10 in system