Intriguing prospects to watch at Rangers development camp, including Malcolm Spence

Yahoo

01-07-2025

Though the New York Rangers are focused this week on possible trades and the start of NHL free agency Tuesday with an eye toward the 2025-26 season, they'll also have a chance to get a glimpse into the future when their annual development camp for prospects takes place at the MSG Training Center.
Thirty-two prospects will take part in tis year's development camp, including seven of the eight players selected by the Rangers in the NHL Draft this past weekend. The only member of the Rangers 2025 Draft Class not attending is defenseman Artyom Gonchar, a third-round pick (No. 89 overall) who is in Russia.
There are 20 forwards, nine defensemen, and three goalies in camp, most drafted, acquired in trades, or signed as free agents by the Rangers. Eight of the attendees are not part of the organization, but invited to take part by the Rangers.
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Monday is an orientation day of sorts for the players, and there will be on-ice sessions Tuesday and Wednesday.
Let's check out who are some of the more intriguing prospects to watch at Rangers development camp this week.
Related: Reason for Rangers optimism after NHL Draft, but let's not rush to judgement
Malcolm Spence
The 18-year-old forward was New York's top pick in the 2025 draft, scooped up in the second round, No. 43 overall. Hockey experts believe the Rangers got a steal here, a first-round talent that dropped into their lap later on. The University of Michigan commit made a positive impression as a thoughtful, intelligent kid in his initial post-draft interviews. Now let's see how Spence looks on the ice, especially next to older, more seasoned prospects. It'll be curious to see if his leadership skills — one of his best traits — emerge, and in what fashion, this week.
Gabe Perreault
Perreault is the Rangers top prospect, one who will compete for a spot on their opening-night roster in training camp this fall. The 20-year-old forward, who had 108 points (35 goals, 73 assists) in 73 games over two years at Boston College, played five games with the Rangers after his NCAA season ended this past spring, and showed flashes of his elite skill set and high Hockey IQ, though he didn't land on the score sheet. With a new coaching staff in place, Perreault wants to separate himself from everyone at this development camp, so that he enters training camp having already delivered a positive first impression.
EJ Emery
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
New York's first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft (No. 30 overall) is preparing for his sophomore season at the University of North Dakota. Emery's freshman year was a mixed bag. The stay-at-home defenseman averaged nearly 20 minutes TOI per game and finished sixth on the Fighting Hawks with 29 blocked shots and tied for seventh with a plus-3 rating. However, he recorded one point (assist in season opener) in 31 games, the lowest point total by any first-round NHL draft pick in NCAA history. At the time of his selection, the Rangers said there'd be no rushing Emery's development. But this week will provide a glimpse of how far he's come and still needs to go.
Carey Terrance
Spence's linemate with Erie of the OHL makes his debut at Rangers dev camp, after they acquired the 20-year-old center in the Chris Kreider trade with the Anaheim Ducks. Like his buddy Spence, Terrance is a leader — he was Erie's captain — and a high-character person and player. He scored 29 goals two seasons ago and had 20 goals and 39 points this past season when he focused on improving his two-way game. Terrance, who was on the gold medal-winning United States team at the 2025 World Junior Championship with Rangers prospects Perreault and Drew Fortescue, has a chance at this camp to size himself up against Noah Laba and Dylan Roobroeck, as they jockey for position on the organizational depth chart at the center position.
Callum Tung
Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack
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The Rangers signed Tung this past spring as an undrafted free agent after he played one season at UCONN (10-4-1 with a 2.01 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in 15 games). Tung is the most intriguing of the three goalies at dev camp and is expected to battle Dylan Garand, who's an RFA entering his fourth pro season, for playing time with Hartford of the American Hockey League. There are many who saw Tung play collegiately who believe the 21-year-old is a legit prospect. He appeared in two games with Hartford after his NCAA season ended, and this is an excellent chance for him to make a solid first impression on the new coaching staff.
Drew Fortescue
As the Rangers search for a long-term answer in their top four on the left side of the defense corps, the future likely is in front of them this week with Fortescue. The 20-year-old is a mature, shut-down, left-shot d-man, who played a major role helping the U.S. win consecutive World Junior Championships in 2024 and 2025. He's going to back to Boston College for his junior year and likely will turn pro next spring. This dev camp will help give the Rangers a better idea of where Fortescue is at physically, and how close he is to being NHL ready.
T.J. Hughes
Hughes is here on an invite after the 23-year-old forward led the University of Michigan with 15 goals and 38 points last season. He's planning on heading back to Ann Arbor for his senior year, where he'd be Spence's teammate, but this camp is a big deal for him. Many thought he'd sign with an NHL team as an undrafted free agent this past spring, but didn't. At his age, time isn't exactly on his side to land a pro contract. But, he's got skill (19 goal, 48 points in 2023-24) and the Rangers clearly think enough of Hughes to give him this opportunity.
Will Beanie Richter
You caught that last name, right? Yup, Richter. As in Mike Richter's son. The Yale forward is getting a look as an invitee to development camp. It's the least the Rangers could do for their 1994 Stanley Cup winning goalie. Now it's up to his son to make the most of this opportunity. Richter scored five goal and finished with 11 points, playing all 31 games for Yale last season. He's set to return for his junior year in the Ivy League this fall.
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