Jacob Ragnarsson

November 2020 – The 21-year-old defenseman remains in the Swedish Allsvenskan league for his  fourth consecutive season. The Rangers depth on the left side of their blueline is strong, so while the Swedish-American continues to develop overseas, the team is not waiting around for him. Brayden Olafson

October 2019 – After being released by Rogele BK of the Swedish Hockey League four games into his stint in the top Swedish league, Ragnarsson has signed with Timra IK of the Allsvenskan league. Timra is one of the top teams in the league this year and will benefit from adding Ragnarsson to their blueline which already includes Arizona Coyotes prospect Filip Westerlund. Ragnarsson’s deal is for two years, which should allow him an appropriate window for development before either coming across to North America or again challenging for a spot on an SHL blueline. The Rangers’ defensive depth is already experiencing a minor logjam with several budding prospects and a wealth of NHL level talent playing in North America, so the additional development overseas is equally as beneficial to Ragnarsson who is looking like a long-term project type of prospect. Brayden Olafson

August 2019 – Kicking off his D+1 campaign as a middle-pair defender on a troubled Almtuna squad in the Allsvenskan, Ragnarsson’s offensive results were bleak. Despite being left off of Sweden’s WJC roster in favor of fellow Ranger prospect Nils Lundkvist, and having a disastrous offensive season, he remained focused on his long-term goals as a prospect. The 19-year-old will move up to the SHL this fall where he’ll play with a much more favorable lineup than the now relegated Almtuna. Ragnarsson seems to have some amount of unrealized potential that has been masked by his dependency on a sub-par roster. As a rookie, it will certainly be difficult for him to break out, but some improvement could come as a result of a revitalized confidence in the young defender. Brayden Olafson

December 2018 – The sizable Rangers’ prospect has a mountain to climb after being named to Sweden’s preliminary roster for the 2019 World Junior Championship in Vancouver. The Swede’s will ice one of the most formidable blulines at the tournament, regardless of the Almtuna defender’s participation. He is one of eight defensemen named to the preliminary roster, five of which are former first round picks. Despite his slim chance at cracking the final roster, the nomination is an outstanding recognition for the third-round pick, and a testament to the Ranger’s competence in the 2018 draft. Despite a disappointing statistical start to his D+1 campaign, Ragnarsson should be ready to step into the top Swedish league (SHL), or AHL relatively soon. Brayden Olafson

June 2018 – The third defenseman selected by the Rangers in the 2018 NHL entry draft, Ragnarsson checks the highly defensive and physical boxes that the two earlier selected defenders do not. His offensive upside isn’t impressive, however at 70th overall, his solid skating ability and work ethic make him a safe pick for the Rangers. Brayden Olafson