New York Rangers Draft Radar March Scouting Report

As the regular season winds down and the focus amplifies on the off-season and how the New York Rangers can prepare, the Draft Radar Scouting Reports become all the more valuable. This month, we'll close out coverage on the top ten prospects in the draft class by diving into Chase Reid, and then focusing in on two forwards who could be valuable options for the Rangers with their first round pick they're receiving from the Carolina Hurricanes in J.P. Hurlbert and Ilia Morozov.

Before getting into it, a quick check in on the three prospects from last month:

Ethan Belchetz: The Windsor Spitfires power forward and linemate of Rangers prospect Liam Greentree only played in three more games since we highlighted him in last months report. His season would come to an unfortunate early end as he broke his clavicle in practice at the beginning of the month. That's a shame as he had two goals across those final three games and was gearing up for a big postseason. The injury shouldn't derail his rankings too much, as he's still projected to be a top-15 pick this summer.

Mathis Preston: Finishing his season with 18 goals and 26 assists split between the Spokane Chiefs and Vancouver Giants, Preston finished strong with a seven game point streak, collecting three goals and six assists. While the Giants did not make the WHL playoffs, Preston should still be a viewed as a projected first rounder, but could fall closer to the second.

Carson Carels: Totaling 73 points in 58 games this season, Carels had an effective March with two goals and eight assists across seven games played. He has however, only played in one postseason game with the Prince George Cougars in the first round as he is dealing with an injury. While the severity of the injury is unclear, I still believe Carels has potential to be one of the best defensemen to come from this draft class.

J.P. Hurlbert - Center, Kamloops Blazers, WHL 

Depending on where the Rangers pick with their later first round selection from the Carolina Hurricanes, J.P. Hurlbert should absolutely be a name for them to keep an eye on. A 6-0, 182 pound right handed winger who can also play center, Hurlbert has USA hockey ties, has had success in multiple leagues, and at a young age is exemplifying professional maturity and leadership qualities that could make for an easy transition to the NHL down the road. 

Hurlbert spent the 2024-25 season in the USHL with the U.S. National Team Development Program. During which, Hurlburt registered 16 goals and 15 assists for a total of 31 points in 34 games. One of the younger players in this draft class, Hurlburt decided to spend a season in the WHL before making the jump to NCAA as he is still 17, turning 18 next month. That choice has proven to be a good one considering he came close to 100 points (39 goals, 54 assists for 93 points) in 66 games played. 

A few things that really stand out about his game include his shot, his hands, his two-way ability, and overall hockey IQ. Hurlbert has a fantastic wrist shot that can already fit in at the professional level. Not far beyond that are his hands, as he always finds a way to handle the puck in all situations which helps him generate offense in a number of ways. Whether he’s making plays or relying on his individual skill to take the puck to the net, Hurlbert’s an offensive driver and is far from a one trick pony.

One of the most impressive factors with his game is the fact that he’s an offense-first type of player but doesn’t let that compromise his defensive game in the process. He’s the type of player you rely on offensively but can trust in the defensive end of the ice just as much. Beyond that, when he does contribute offensively, it’s typically in bunches. Throughout this season, Hurlbert has collected six four-point nights, as well as 10 three-point nights. Most recently, he finished the regular season with a hat-trick in a 7-3 win against the Vancouver Giants. 

Hurlbert’s first goal came on the power play as his impressive shot was on full display. HIs teammates found him open at the top of the circle where he quickly let a laser of a shot go to add his name to the scoresheet. His second goal came later in the outing as he ended up alone in front of his opponents crease allowing him to sneak a quick shot through. You can get a sense of his hockey IQ throughout this game as it’s evident in the way he skates that he’s always very aware of the play around him. This led to him capitalizing on a rebound to secure the hat-trick in the third. 

This would be Hurlbert’s third hat trick of the season, as his first came in the season opener in a 6-4 win against the Spokane Chiefs. He completed it with a rocket of a one timer from the left wing side where he’s played most of the season. 

His start to the season was exceptionally impressive as he had nine goals and five assists for 14 points throughout his first five games in the WHL. In back-to-back games against the Seattle Thunderbirds, Hurlbert had three goals and assists. One of his goals was certainly one for his highlight reel as he danced around the defender to tuck one past the goaltender on the power play. His puckhandling abilities are on full display on that goal and the rest of the clip below.

Overall, this is a player who has lots of dynamic offensive skill. The way he skates, handles the puck, sees the ice, and scores goals is quite impressive. He reminds me a bit of Seth Jarvis as he’s not the biggest player, but plays the game with a level of strength that utilizes his skill to outmatch opponents. 

One note of particular interest to the Rangers is that Hurlburt is committed to attend the University of Michigan starting next season. There, he’ll be teammates with Rangers prospect Malcolm Spence, and could even get some time on a line with him, either at 5-v-5 or full strength. One of the biggest questions with him moving forward is whether or not he can develop into an NHL-capable center or if he’s going to continue to be used on the wing. Nonetheless, this is a player worth taking a gamble on if he falls later in the first round.