How Should Rangers Fans Feel About Liam Greentree?

Just moments before the NHL roster freeze for the 2026 Milan Olympics, the New York Rangers finalized a trade to send Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings.

Artemi Panarin was one of the best free agent signings in Rangers history, and a consistent offensive performer who posted 1.26 points per game during his Rangers tenure. His six-plus seasons included many memorable moments that Rangers fan will remember for years to come.

The debate over the return for Panarin is already underway and being analyzed from every angle. But we're here to focus solely on the centerpiece of the package the Rangers received from the Kings: forward prospect Liam Greentree.

Greentree is a right winger and currently captains the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL. The Kings' 2024 first-round pick, Greentree's prospect value soared after a dominant 2024-25 season in which he scored 49 goals and 119 points. Despite that success, his scoring has cooled off this season with 45 points in 34 games. He's a big kid who projects to be an NHL player, but for the Blueshirt Banter staff, his ceiling and his place in the Rangers' future timeline are still up for debate.

So, how should Rangers fan feel about the Liam Greentree? Thumbs up or thumbs down? Here's what we think.

Joe Fortunato

I'll start by shamelessly plugging the podcast. I was in the DR for a wedding last week so Eric and Chip covered for me. I will have extensive thoughts on all aspects of the trade this week, so make sure to listen.

I think there are two sides to the coin here with Greentree (and the Panarin trade in general).

Side One: Greentree is an electric scorer, with an NHL-ready shot, is a born leader who was given the C in his draft eligible year, and has that damn dog in him. Last year he scored 143 points in 75 OHL games, which included him scoring a total of 63 goals in those 75 regular season and playoff games. Oh, he also posted a 14-10-24 line in 11 playoff games. He's exactly the type of prospect the Rangers no longer have in their system if you think Gabe Perreault is a graduate (which, at this point he sort of is), and you should be really excited the Rangers acquired him.

Side Two: The biggest knock on Greentree is his skating—which he's actively working on. He's also essentially the exact type of prospect (skilled, with some skating issues) that the Rangers have screwed up developing for decades.

My TL;DR: This is exactly the type of move I thought Chris Drury was going to prioritize (more NHL-ready player than draft pick return), and I am really happy with Greentree as a prospect. He's the best of all the different prospects I heard in rumors being offered from the other suitors (draft picks notwithstanding).

Friend of the site/show Scott Wheeler has a great review of him here (paywall), but if you can, you should read it.

Eric Kohn

As I've stated repeatedly on the podcast, I am not a prospect guy. Thankfully we have plenty of good guys here at the Banter who can tell you more about him than I could. So, I'll just say this: Some of what I've heard about him had my curiosity. But after seeing this video, he has my attention.

Chip23

Thumb's neither up or down. I was neither underwhelmed or overwhelmed by the trade. I'm perfectly and completely whelmed.

I think people were fed visions of this being a true bidding war and so everyone got their hopes up for a Michael Misa or Connor Geekie and, in the end, that was never realistic. Greentree is a legit prospect with top-six talent and potential.

Based on his size and skillset, if things go well, you could be looking at a guy who plays like Anthony Mantha—and yes, I mean that as a compliment. Mantha, at his best, is an efficient scorer with decent—not great—skating, who finishes play but doesn't drive it. He gets dinged because for a guy his size he's not as physical as fans want him to be. Greentree will never have Connor McDavid-esque speed out there, but reports are that Greentree has been working hard on improving his skating and hopefully that continues. If it does, maybe you're talking less Mantha and more a player like Valeri Nichushkin.

Of course, if things don't go well, if the speed doesn't come, then you could be looking at Jesse Puljujärvi. There are no guarantees in prospects my friends; just death, taxes, and that I'm going to use a lot of words.

Chris Feldman

Thumbs up. Look, I know everyone is underwhelmed, upset, and, angry with this being the return for Artemi Panarin. But it's important to recognize that Liam Greentree is a valuable asset to the Rangers future. I'll be honest, when I first wrote the piece about the Panarin trade I was frustrated with the return. But a 119 point season (2024-25) is nothing to scoff about. Not to mention the fact that he registered 24 points in 11 playoff games with the Windsor Spitfires that season.

Greentree was far and away LA's best prospect, and Drury definitely got the caliber of young player he wanted. My only qualm is this doesn't help the Rangers down the middle or on the back end, two areas they desperately need to address in order for this retool to be a success.

As far as Greentree himself goes, I am very intrigued to see how his game translates to professional hockey. This is a kid that can easily make the NHL and be on the Rangers' opening night roster next season. And if that goal scoring and puck possession can translate, it's going to be a massive addition to the Rangers team. My concern is just not believing it until I see it, and the Rangers—specifically the lack of success their own prospects have had—are largely to blame for that pessimism.

Best case scenario, the Rangers just got the next Rick Nash. Worst case, they got another Brennan Othmann. Realistic case, they cloned Will Cuylle who plays the right side more comfortably.

Roberto Solis-Byxbee

Two thumbs up. I think Liam Greentree is a monster prospect to bring into the Rangers' organization. The only reason this feels underwhelming for some is that Panarin status was expected to reel in a big fish, but the team's limited leverage put them in a tough position. Bringing in Liam Greentree despite that is underrated work by Chris Drury.

The only flaw noted in Greentree's skill set was his skating. But according to a piece by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, he worked hard to improve it last summer, doing power-skating training throughout the offseason. Greentree is now the team's top prospect not in the NHL. The Rangers can expect a power forward in the mold of Will Cuylle, Matthew Knies, or Matt Boldy, with Greentree saying he models his game after the latter.

Tom Dianora

Thumbs...level. Meh. Whatever, etc. It's good to get the Kings' consensus top-ranked prospect, but from what I understand about their system, that isn't saying much. I won't pretend to be a prospect expert, but based on what I've read and come to understand about Greentree, my sense is that his ceiling is basically Will Cuylle. That's fine and dandy, but that's just not moving the needle enough for me. Guys like Cuylle are nice middle-of-the-lineup support pieces. But because they "play hard" and hit people, fans tend to overrate them.

The Rangers don't really need more Will Cuylles. They desperately need young, top-line, gamebreaking talent. In today's NHL, that's typically the level-one cost of entry to contender status. Then you get guys like Greentree and Cuylle to support that top-tier talent. Hopefully they can get that gamebreaking talent via soon-to-come trades where they have more leverage, e.g. via Vincent Trocheck.

Oh, and I've read that Greentree's biggest weakness is his skating. Lovely. It'd be cool if the Rangers could ever get a dynamic young forward whose skating was one of his primary strengths, rather than another guy with the same trait the Rangers are always obsessed with (size). I guess I'm asking for too much, though.

Phil Kocher

This is the extent of my thoughts on Liam Greentree (and all prospects):