Tyler Wall

The New York Ranger’s Add a Wall to Their Outstanding Netminding Core

by
New York Rangers, Alexandar Georgiev

The New York Rangers signed one of their top goaltending prospects, Tyler Wall, to an entry-level contract. His contract begins at the start of the 2020-21 season. The Rangers selected him in the sixth round, 174th overall, of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Wall will join two other young goaltenders, Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev, to mind the nets for years to come after Henrik Lundqvist decides to hang up his skates.

Wall appeared in 32 games with UMass Lowell this season, posting an 18-8-6 record, along with a 2.10 GAA, a .931 SV%, and two shutouts. The 6-3, 214-pounder appeared in 103 collegiate career games over four seasons (2016-17 – 2019-20) with UMass Lowell, posting a 58-34-10 record, along with a 2.28 GAA, a .918 SV%, and nine shutouts.

Wall was named to the Hockey East Third All-Star Team this season. Wall appeared/started in 32 of UMass Lowell’s 34 games in 2019-20, and he earned all of the team’s wins during the season. He also served as an alternate captain in 2019-20, becoming the first UMass Lowell goaltender to wear either a ‘C’ or an ‘A’ on his jersey since Dwayne Roloson in 1993-94. Wall also helped UMass Lowell win the Hockey East Championship in 2016-17, and he was named to the Hockey East All-Tournament Team. He posted a 2.10 GAA or better in three of his four collegiate seasons.

The twenty-two-year-old is not just another pretty face tending nets as his major at UMass-Lowell was Mechanical Engineering.

Wall’s 58 career wins with UMass Lowell are the most by a goaltender since the school began playing in Division 1, and he broke Dwayne Roloson’s record of 51 wins during the 2019-20 season. He allowed two goals or fewer in 22 of his 32 appearances this season, including one goal or fewer in eight different appearances. Wall was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on six different occasions this season.

As far as his future as a Blueshirt, dobberprospects.com believes that Wall will compete with Adam Huska for the starting job in Hartford of the AHL. Should that position be granted to the more experienced of the two, Wall could see his professional career begin in the ECHL with the Maine Mariners. In either case, a consistent opportunity to play is the most critical aspect of his development. He is likely due for two or more years in the minor leagues before an NHL opportunity comes knocking.

New York Ranger Prospect Tylor Wall Could Ease Goaltending Situation

by
New York Rangers, Alexandar Georgiev

As Alexander Georgiev prepares to make his second consecutive start for the New York Rangers, the media and the internet keep wondering how long the Blueshirts will carry three goaltenders. The likely scenario is that one of the three will get traded, with Georgiev the likely candidate. The thought of losing any of them can be eased by the fact that the Rangers have a very solid goaltending prospect in UMass-Lowell netminder Tyler Wall.

Not Just Another Brick in the Wall for the New York Rangers

Wall was selected by the Rangers in the sixth round with the 174th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. After a nice freshman season, Wall struggled a bit in his sophomore campaign. He turned things around when he started 21 games for the River Hawks in his junior campaign, posting an 11-7-3 record. He amassed a 2.09 GAA and a .921 save percentage with four shutouts. In his senior year so far, Wall has posted a stellar 1.80 GAA while compiling a 12-3-4 record, not to mention an outstanding .941 save percentage.

UMass-Lowell has been known for turning out NHL quality goaltenders which include alumni such as Carter Hutton (Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis, Buffalo), Kevin Boyle (Anaheim) and Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg). Back in November, Wall was tabbed as Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week for the third consecutive week, also receiving that honor for four of those previous six weeks. He was also named the  Hockey East Goaltender of the month for November. The UML senior is a candidate to win the Mike Richter Award, which is given to honor the outstanding goaltender in NCAA men’s hockey. Yes, that Mike Richter, who has his number 35 retired by the Rangers.

Wall has attended multiple Rangers Prospects Development camps. It was there he witnessed first-hand that hard work is what separates those who climb the hockey ladder from those who do not. Between these camps and his performance at UML, the conventional wisdom has the Rangers signing Wall to a contract and letting him begin his career in the AHL. Steady progress could mean that Wall would be ready around the time Henrik Lundqvist’s contract expires and/or when he decides to retire. The Rangers would be very happy to have a solid Wall in the net for the foreseeable future.