The New York Rangers certainly aren’t viewed as the NHL standard when it comes to drafting and developing young players. However, their recent strategy of taking fliers on giant forwards in the late rounds of the NHL Draft is yielding promise that future contributors might emerge from that group.
The latest to get a shot at sticking on Broadway is rookie forward Jaroslav Chmelar, New York’s fifth-round selection (No. 144 overall) in 2021. Manning the right wing on the fourth line and averaging 8:03 of ice time, the Czechia native and Providence College product is doing enough in that limited audition to make an impression on coach Mike Sullivan.