Ryan
McDonagh has been so good since being brought up to the Rangers in early
January that there are many points where you forget he is still a rookie and
technically even still a prospect. Today
is one of those reminders as the Hockey’s
Future countdown of the top 50 prospects in the game has started and
McDonagh comes in right at number 50.
McDonagh had been ranked by HF before when he came in at number 39 back
in Fall 2009.
The
heady McDonagh has impressed during his time with the Rangers this season, and
seems poised to move his career to another level.
There
were those who were concerned with McDonagh’s game last season with his lack of
offensive production at Wisconsin and then his slow start in the AHL at the
beginning of this year but he has more than erased those doubters since coming
to the NHL. From nearly day one he has
played with a tremendous amount of poise, intelligence and skill on the ice
that when you watch him you see a veteran on the ice not a player still
eligible for prospect lists. In 35 games
for the Rangers McDonagh has eight assists with an impressive plus 17 rating in
18:39 of ice time per game while combining with Michael Sauer to be arguably
the Rangers best defensive pair in the stretch drive. The sky is the limit for this young player
who might come in at number 50 on this list but will be much more valuable to
the Rangers than that for the next decade.
