The new Rangers have been careful not to rush prodigies and not to repeat mistakes of the past such as forcing 18-year-old, sixth-overall draft selection Manny Malhotra into the NHL in 1998 as a symbol of a youth movement that existed for the most part in the imagination.

Now, in this Age of Enlightenment during which the organization run out of Penn Plaza has evolved into a pipeline factory, each player charts his own course through his play on the ice and his maturity off it.

There was no doubt, for instance, that Derek Stepan belonged in the NHL from the first day of his first pro training camp in 2010, even if he was just four months removed from his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin.

It was plain at first sight, for example, that Ryan McDonagh would be an NHL defenseman much sooner than later at his initial pro camp in 2010 just months removed from his junior year as a Badger, even if sooner would include a brief apprenticeship in the AHL.

Stepan needed no minor-league apprenticeship coming out of school. McDonagh required a few months, as did 23-year-old Carl Hagelin after graduating from Michigan last year before joining the Rangers on Thanksgiving.

And now within weeks, Chris Kreider will be given the opportunity to chart his own course when the Boston College winger’s junior season concludes.

He will be given the opportunity to earn a spot on Broadway.

It is well known general manager Glen Sather steadfastly refused to include the rights to Kreider — in addition to other assets — in the package that Columbus was demanding in exchange for Rick Nash.

During Monday’s post-deadline press briefing, Sather alluded to the possibility of adding Kreider this season in referring to, “people who are probably going to turn pro at the end of the school year.”

The general manager went further during a conversation with The Post yesterday.

“Absolutely,” he said, when asked if he expects the 6-foot-3, 225-winger who presents an uncommon blend of size, speed, power and touch, to leave Boston College at the end of the season.

“Absolutely,” Sather repeated, when asked if he intends/expects to sign Kreider in time for him to play this season.

If the Rangers do sign the 20-year-old, the first year of Kreider’s three-year Entry Level contract would be burned regardless of whether he plays a single game for the Rangers or even is placed on the NHL roster.

That is not a deterrent for Sather. It could, however, be additional incentive for Kreider, who has taken an accelerated course load and who is dedicated to getting a degree, to leave school before graduating. The next collective bargaining agreement is certain to feature a more restrictive Entry Level system.

The Boston College Eagles are ranked first in the country. The NCAA regionals are set for March 23-25. The Frozen Four will be played April 5-7, the same weekend the NHL regular-season ends, but a week before the AHL season concludes.

It is rare enough for a player to skip directly from the NCAA Tournament to the NHL in a matter of days — Michigan’s Jack Johnson made his debut with the Kings within a week of the Wolverines’ elimination in the 2007 western regionals — but it is unheard of for a player to go straight from school to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Maybe Kreider could be the exception, or maybe he would need a weekend or two in Connecticut. Maybe more than that. It’s impossible to know.

This much is certain. The Rangers are eager to find out, and they will allow him to chart his own course.