EP Rinkside Prospect Pool Rankings: No. 1 Ranked New York Rangers

I’m sure the excitement of most New York Rangers fans at seeing their team’s top spot in the EP Rinkside Prospect Pool Rankings is met with equal parts bewilderment.

We’re not that far removed from the Rangers’ contention window and all the sacrifices that then-general manager Glen Sather made to maintain it. They had their scouts on retainer for nearly half a decade, in which the team skipped the first-round entirely four years in a row.

There’s a new sheriff in town, and a different mandate, too. One that the Blue Shirts’ faithful hope will return them to another era of annual cup prominence.

This spot in the EP rankings is a testament to the resolve with which Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton has attacked this rebuild. Gorton and the Rangers sent a letter out to their fan base, outli