We're still waiting for that big season from Buchnevich. He scored a career-high 46 points in 2019-20, a modest eight-point improvement from the prior campaign, though he also played four more games. A big winger with soft hands, Buchnevich has yet to find the offensive consistency to be a reliable top-six forward. The Rangers don't have a lot of depth, so Buchnevich's roster spot won't be in jeopardy in 2020-21, but they do have some very talented wingers in the pipeline that could jeopardize his ice time, especially on the power play. Without much upside on offense, Buchnevich should only be considered a modest fantasy asset worth drafting in the middle-to-late rounds this year.
Buchnevich took some time to adjust to new head coach David Quinn's system last season, occasionally serving as a healthy scratch in the early part of the campaign. Despite dressing for only 64 games, the Russian winger still scored a career-high 21 goals while finishing five points shy of the 43 he mustered in 2017-18. It feels like the 24-year-old Buchnevich hasn't quite managed to put it all together, and maybe he never will, but there's some untapped offensive potential here that could finally bubble up to the surface this season.
Despite being just a third-round selection in 2013, Buchnevich probably has the most untapped offensive potential on the Rangers. The 23-year-old Russian jumped from 20 points in 41 appearances as a rookie in 2016-17 to 43 points in 74 games last season, including 17 on the power play. He's expected to start the year on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit, so Buchnevich will be given every opportunity to continue his upward trajectory. If he capitalizes on those opportunities, Buchnevich should blow last season's 15:01 average ice time out of the water and could compete for the team lead in points.
Like a number of other Rangers, Buchnevich had a promising start to 2016-17 derailed by injury, as he dealt with persistent back issues for much of the season's first half and ended up playing in just 41 games, totaling eight goals and 12 assists. While that's not the most impressive rookie campaign, the Russian winger still made a mostly successful transition to the NHL and was sometimes entrusted with top-six minutes by coach Alain Vigneault. He'll have opportunities to grow his game and his responsibilities as a sophomore, as Buchnevich has at least a third-line slot locked up and should challenge Rick Nash for second-line minutes (or at least fill in whenever Nash misses time to injury). The Rangers' top prospect ahead of last season, Buchnevich is only 22 with plenty of quality hockey ahead of him, and he should be pretty cheaply available on draft day. Snag him late and reap the rewards.
The Rangers’ top prospect appears bound for the NHL this year after four seasons of pro hockey in Russia. Last year, he put up 37 points in 58 games split between Cherepovets Severstal and St. Petersburg SKA, finishing second in scoring on Cherepovets despite being traded 40 games into the season. That’s spectacular work for a 20-year-old in the KHL, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Buchnevich fit in at the NHL level immediately. He may not start out with top-six minutes or pile up the goals early on in his career, but Buchnevich is a slick playmaker whom fantasy owners should be monitoring with interest in all formats.
The Rangers’ third-round pick in 2013, Buchnevich has been blossoming into a considerable offensive force in Russia. He finished third in goals and points for the KHL's Cherepovets Severstal, and he did it in a league that tends to favor veteran players. The 20-year-old fits the mold of what the Rangers have coveted in recent years -- he’s a speedy forward with good hands, but not a lot of size. Buchnevich is primarily a dynasty-league consideration, as he’s already indicated that he plans to spend the 2015-16 season in Russia. If he shows further development there, it could send him skyrocketing up the prospect lists.
Yet another score from the Rangers’ trio of third-round draft picks in 2013, Buchnevich seems to be coming along quite nicely. The 19-year-old forward registered 18 points in 40 games with the KHL’s Severstal Cherepovets last season, and will likely spend the 2014-15 campaign with the club again. While we don’t see him trekking across the Atlantic for official NHL games this season, he certainly impressed at July's prospect camp and is a talent for dynasty owners to consider nabbing now.
Originally projected as a first round pick, however, wide speculation that he has a tendency to get 'lazy' combined with fears of the "Russian Factor" allowed the Rangers' to take him with their third round pick (75th overall) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. After registering a combined 13 goals, 21 assists and 38 penalty minutes with the Russian U18 team and Almaz Cherepovets (MHL), Buchnevich collected a goal and an assist in 12 games with a much older squad, the Severstal Cherepovets of the KHL. Listed at 6'1, 161-pounds, the 18-year-old Buchnevich seemingly has a lot more room to grow physically. The speedy forward has what scouts call phenomenal offensive instincts and a fantastic shot, so he is a wait-and-see project for those in keeper leagues.
