New York Rangers should target a defenseman with the 9th pick
The New York Rangers will have many options in front of them when they pick ninth overall at the draft. However, they should address their defensive weaknesses by using the pick to draft one of the young, promising defensemen on the board.
The New York Rangers go into the 2018 NHL Draft with three first round picks. This could change with trades, but for now they have three first round picks. Most importantly, they have the ninth overall pick.
Rumors and speculation continue to circulate the Internet about whom the Rangers will pick. I believe the Rangers should use that ninth overall pick to draft a defenseman.
Probably the most glaring issue this season for the Rangers was the defense. The draft, especially this draft, helps determine the long-term future of the team. With a deep pool of defensemen to choose from on draft day, the choice seems like a no-brainer.
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By the time the Rangers are on the clock at the draft, there will likely be three defensemen available to them. Those three defensemen, Adam Boqvist, Evan Bouchard and Quinn Hughes, could all make a great impact on the Rangers defense in a short period of time. Noah Dobson could also drop down and be available when the Rangers pick.
All four defensemen have strong mobility and puck moving skills, which are necessary in the current NHL style of play. These are skills the current Rangers defense core struggle with, or just simply lack. Adding any of these youngsters will help combat a serious weakness in the current roster.
Boqvist, Dobson, and Bouchard are all right-handed defensemen, which makes them even more valuable to the Rangers. Although Dobson is the least likely to be available at 9th overall, he is a solid two-way defenseman and brings offensive skills to the table as well.
Boqvist is a bright offensive talent that can move the puck well, earning nearly a point a game in the Swedish Elite League. If he can develop and improve his all-around game, he would be a steal for the Rangers and bolster the defense.
Bouchard is has a better all-around game, but has the lowest ceiling of the four. He plays the right side and is a skilled skater, which is a definite improvement on last season’s defensive roster.
Quinn Hughes is a left-handed defenseman, which is the more common side in the NHL, he has number-one defenseman potential. He played for Team USA in the World Championships, and he kept up with the NHL-level talent.
With these four choices, clearly the Rangers have the potential to make a major improvement to their defense without making a trade or signing a free agent to an expensive contract. The 26th and 28th overall picks are where the Rangers can pick forwards if they desire.
In last year’s draft, they used the 7th overall pick to draft Lias Andersson and the 21st overall pick to draft Filip Chytil. These forwards are young, exciting, and show promise for the Rangers future. Now this year is the time to add a highly ranked defensive prospect into that mix.
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It wouldn’t be the worst scenario for the Rangers to draft a forward at ninth overall. However, with the defensive options in front of them, they shouldn’t draft a forward with this top ten pick.