2 New York Rangers Prospects Who Could Get Called Up This Season

As the season gets underway, players will begin to suffer injuries as they sacrifice their bodies for the sake of their team, not to mention the ever-present concern of a positive Covid diagnosis. Eventually, there will be players who will need to miss games, and others will need to be called in to replace them in the lineup. Here are two such prospects who could see some playing time on the New York Rangers this season.

Morgan Barron

This is an easy choice given that Barron was already called up this season to fill in for injuries to Ryan Strome and Kaapo Kakko. A couple days ago he was re-assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, but he seems like the Rangers' first choice when it comes to potential call-ups. A former 6th-round pick from 2017, Barron saw his offensive production explode in the year following his draft, going from 18 points in 34 games to 34 points in 36 games. His reward for his strong play was being named captain of Cornell University's NCAA team the following season. After he finished college, Barron reported to the Wolf Pack last year for his first AHL season. He scored 10 goals and 21 points in 21 games and currently has 2 goals in 2 games this season. This kid looks to be a late-round steal for the Rangers, and there's little doubt he'll be back in the NHL before long.

Congratulations to Morgan Barron on scoring his first NHL goal in only his third game! Well done, Morgan! Many more to come! #ProRed #YellCornell pic.twitter.com/TXPB3ezBao

— Cornell M Hockey (@CornellMHockey) May 6, 2021

Lauri Pajuniemi

Another late-round selection by the Rangers, this one a 5th-rounder from 2018, Pajuniemi didn't take off until his draft+2 season. Playing in Liiga in Finland, Pajuniemi went from 13 points in 44 games in 2018-2019 to 40 points in 49 games the next season. He posted similar numbers last year (38 points in 48 games, and another 8 points in 13 playoff games) but the most noticeable change was Pajuniemi going from a -12 to a +12 in +/- on the season, which shows his game has developed in more ways than just his offensive scoring ability. There's nothing fans love more than a late-round selection turning into an NHL contributor, and Pajuniemi looks to be on that track in his development. He's already scored 1 goal and 2 points in his first 5 AHL games, also his first on North American ice. The Rangers would probably prefer to give the 22-year old time to get used to playing outside of Finland, but if his scoring pace keeps up they may have no choice but to give Pajuniemi a look in an NHL game.

Which prospects do you want to see called up to the Rangers this season?

Photo credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports