Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2008-09: Jason Wilson skated in 52 games for the London Knights in the OHL as a rookie and was second on the team with 104 PMs. Wilson scored 12 goals with 5 assists and was +7 playing on a talented Knights team that won the Midwest Division and featured future NHLers like John Tavares, John Carlson, and Nazim Kadri (TOR). Wilson skated in all 14 OHL playoff games as London reached the semifinals and had 2 assists with a +2 plus/minus and 8 PMs.

2009-10: Wilson was obtained by Owen Sound in a trade for defenseman Michael D'Orazio and skated in 46 games for the Attack. Wilson missed time in February with a leg injury and finished with 17 goals with 18 assists. He had a -11 plus/minus on a team that finished last in the Midwest Division and missed the playoffs. Wilson was selected by the Rangers as a 20-year-old in the fifth round (130th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft.

2010-11: Wilson was sent back to the OHL for an over-age season after attending camp with the Rangers. He was traded from Owen Sound to Niagara and spent his final junior season with the Ice Dogs. Wilson led Niagara with 94 PMs in 64 games and scored 18 goals with 25 assists. Playing on a team that had the OHL's third-best record in the regular season he was +20. Wilson skated in all 14 OHL playoff games as the Ice Dogs reached the semifinals and scored 5 goals with 7 assists and was -1 with 19 PMs. Two of his five goals were scored on the power play.

2011-12: Signed to an entry-level contract by the Rangers in May, 2011, Wilson spent his first pro season with the ECHL's Greenville Road Warriors. He scored 4 goals with 10 assists and was minus-nine in 56 games. Wilson finished third on Greenville with 102 penalty minutes. He played in one of three playoff games during the Road Warriors' first round series with Florida and had no points nor penalty minutes.

2012-13: Wilson played in 17 AHL games with Rangers affiliate Connecticut in his second pro season – spending time with ECHL Greenville after missing 17-games early in the year due to injury. Wilson started the year with the Whale but had yet to appear in an AHL game when he was sent to Greenville in November. He returned to Connecticut in January and scored 1 goal and was +1 with 30 penalty minutes for the Whale, which missed the AHL playoffs by two points. Wilson scored 1 goal with 4 assists and was -6 with 75 penalty minutes in 23 games with the Road Warriors. He skated for Greenville in the first round series with Kelly Cup champion Reading and was -1 with 1 goal and 6 penalty minutes.

Talent Analysis

A good skater, Wilson has an excellent work ethic and is a competent forechecker. He is very responsible in both ends of the ice.

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Photo: Dylan McIlrath has gradually developed into a dependable and physical defensive defenseman. The New York Rangers selected McIlrath 10th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. (courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

It seems like a distant memory now, but just six or seven years ago, the New York Rangers had few homegrown players on their NHL roster. Big name free agents were the norm for this original six team, with few of the team's prospects ever appearing in more than one or two games on Broadway.

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Photo: Forward Kyle Jean is one of many Rangers prospects who brings a lot of size and toughness to the organization. (Photo courtesy of Fred Kfoury/Icon SMI)

There are 11 "home grown" players currently on the New York Rangers' roster, including former first round selection Chris Kreider, who played with the AHL Connecticut Whale as recently as January. Of the Rangers prospects currently on the Connecticut Whale roster, there are two former first round picks (Dylan McIlrath and J.T. Miller), one second round selection (Christian Thomas), and seven rookies overall.

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Photo: Drafted 10th overall in 2010, Dylan McIlrath brings size and toughness to the Rangers blue line. McIlrath has yet to suit up this season due to a knee injury suffered this past summer. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The New York Rangers have become one of the NHL teams that rely most on good player development. As the result of a rebuild that lasted at least half of the last decade, close to half of the players on the 2011-12 roster had either been drafted or signed as free agents out of junior hockey.