Studley- Good observation!
In the summer of 05´ we had the following players in the system;
guys who made it last season;
Lundqvist, Labarbarera, Prucha, Tyutin, Garth Murray, Hollweg, Kondratiev, Balej(borderline) and Domminic Moore.
prospects who looks really good (95% chance to make it, would bet anything that 6 of these 8 names will make it);
Staal, Montoya, Immonen, G. Moore, Sauer, Dawes, Dubinsky and Korpikoski.
prospects who are just below thoose listed above (Would bet that atleast 4 of these guys will make it);
Ryan Callahan, Marc-Andre Cliche, Jakub Petruzalek, Thomas Pöck, Helminen, Bruce Lampman, Dave Liffiton, Jan Marek, Hugh Jessiman, Ivan Baranka, Daniel Byers, Rick Kozak, Bruce Graham and Jake Taylor.
Then there are a few players still in juniors who defenitly have potential to go somewhere but haven't yet had a real breakthrough, like David Olver, Ryan Russel, Billy Ryan and Brodie Dupont.
My point is that I am about 100% sure that when we
look back at the NYR's depth that summer in 10 years we will find that atleast 20 players made it to the NHL, I am sure I left allot of names out. From a depth point of view I don't think thats ever been matched. We didn't have any Ovechkins or Crosby's, but Lundqvist is on his way to become a franchise goalie, Marc Staal is looking really solid. Two top level prospects right there. Prucha is a sure fire top 2 line forward down the line and the best is yet to come from Dawes and Dubinsky but they are looking like top two line forwards right now, Dawes could end up on a line with Nylander and Jagr as soon as this season.
Its funny, I made a thread on the prospect board back then about the depth NYR had, the responses I got are quit funny to look at today...