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Rangers’ Liam Greentree among NHL’s top-50 prospects in TSN rankings
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- Rangers’ Liam Greentree among NHL’s top-50 prospects in TSN rankings
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Liam Greentree, the forward acquired by the New York Rangers in the trade that sent Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 4, is among the top-50 NHL prospects in TSN's rankings.
Greentree, the captain of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, is No. 47 in TSN's listing, which includes only players who are in juniors, the minor leagues and Europe.
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He is the only Ranger in the rankings, which is topped by Tij Iginla of the Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets — the Utah Mammoth selected the son of Hockey Hall of Famer with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, 20 picks before the Kings chose Greentree.
Credit: Tim Cornett – OHL Images
Jess Rubenstein from Prospect Park provided Forever Blueshirts the following scouting report on Greentree after the trade:
"Good size … going to remind people of Jamie Benn with his creativity. Solid playmaking ability, but skating needs improvement, and on the defensive side. Good news is he creates his own offense. Bad news is he is projected to be a middle-six forward, not a first-line player."
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The 6-foot-3, 216-pound forward was No. 134 (of 137) in The Athletic's mid-January ratings of all under-23 players, a list that includes players who are active in the NHL and is also expected to top out as a middle-six forward.
Rangers' Liam Greentree among TSN's top-50 NHL prospects
Greentree, who's in his third season as Windsor's captain, had 23 goals and 45 points in 34 games before the trade but has been on a heater since the deal. He has 13 goals and 23 points in his past 14 games and was the First Star in the Spitfires' 6-3 win over the Sarnia Sting on Friday night with two goals and an assist.
He was named the OHL Player of the Week on March 2 after scoring six goals in three games, and he recently became the 21st player in the past 20 years to record 300 points in the OHL.
The 20-year-old has 68 points (36 goals, 32 assists) and is plus-17 in 48 games this season; he leads Windsor in goals and points. The Spitfires are third in the OHL's Western Conference at 41-15-6-2 and have clinched a playoff berth with four games remaining in the regular season, which ends March 22. He also played three games for Canada at the World Junior Championship, finishing with one assist.
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The Kings selected Greentree in the first round (No. 26 overall) two years ago after he had 36 goals and 90 points for Windsor in 2023-24, then signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract on July 20, 2024. He led the Spitfires to a division title in 2024-25 with 119 points (49 goals, 70 assists) in 64 games, then had 14 goals and 24 points in 11 playoff games.
Because Greentree has already signed a pro contract, it's not impossible he could get a game or two with AHL Hartford or even with the Rangers if the Spitfires are eliminated from the OHL playoffs in the first round or two. The Rangers' regular season ends April 15, and the Wolf Pack wrap up their season three days later. Each team is last in its division; neither is likely to qualify for the playoffs.
The biggest areas where Greentree needs to improve are his skating and play in his own zone. His first step and acceleration must get better, and in the defensive zone, he gets beaten on plays he should be able to close out. Improving in those areas will be key as he moves into the pros.
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Aside from his on-ice skills, he brings a leadership background – Greentree was 18 when he was named captain in January 2024. He fits the Spitfires' lineage of leaders the Rangers know well, from Adam Graves to Will Cuylle. If Greentree can pair those leadership skills with quicker feet and more reliable defensive habits, he could become a solid regular for the Rangers in the not-too-distant future.
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