When we first started ranking teams' prospect pools, the New York Rangers were a veritable lock for the top-five in any given season. They started first, fell to second, and went to fifth overall, and then, the plan worked. They couldn't secure high picks, they stopped hoarding draft capital, and their system's standing fell.

That's how this is supposed to go. The goal isn't to have the best prospect pool and contend for the Calder Trophy; it's to build a contender out of your collection of futures so that you might compete for the Stanley Cup. The Rangers have done precisely that, and they've done it in a reasonably sustainable fashion without mortgaging that much of the future.

So even in year two or three of contention, they've got a prospect pool with credible depth at just about every position and some potential for star power at the top. They may not have a Stanley Cup-contending next wave of talent on the way, but with some of the top prospects in their system, they may be able to keep the window open for a few years longer.

Let's dive right in and look at some of the players trusted to make that possible.