New York Rangers: Draft a forward or defenseman in 2019?

The 2019 draft

It’s a good year for the Rangers to be looking for offense.  According to Sportsnet’s 2019 Draft prospect rankings (as of November), there are no defensemen projected to land in the top 10.

Jack Hughes is obviously the prize of the 2019 draft. Is it realistic for the Rangers to land the first overall pick in June? Probably not. However, the next nine options are not too shabby either.

The Hurricanes jumped nine spots in the 2018 draft lottery to earn the second overall pick and took Andrei Svechnikov. If the Rangers find similar luck, they could end up with Kaapo Kakko.

The Finnish winger had 55 points in 38 games in Finland’s junior league last year. This year, he is in the top professional Liiga and has 20 points in 27 games. He will represent his home country in the WJC as well.

Kakko handles and protects the puck well at top speeds, and is adapting his game well from junior to the big leagues.  Kaapo Kakko is still a longshot for the Rangers, though. So let’s look at some more realistic possibilities.

Based on the Rangers’ current position, Sportsnet’s 10th and 11th ranked prospects may be on the team’s radar.

Ryan Suzuki, whose brother Nick was taken 13th overall in 2017, is ranked 10th. He is a fast, skilled center with the Barrie Colts of the OHL. He is 6-feet tall and only 172 pounds, but his hands and vision make up for what he lacks physically.

Trevor Zegras of the USNTDP is ranked 11th. The center is a Boston University commit for the 2020-21 season and a current teammate of Jack Hughes with Team USA.

While Sportsnet has the Bedford, NY native ranked 11th among available prospects, some consider Zegras the second-best center in the draft. His highlights are his playmaking skills and his general hockey IQ. One coach at the USNTDP says he always “has a chip on his shoulder.”

There are a number of other highly regarded forwards in the draft pool including Dylan Cozens (WHL), Kirby Dach (WHL), Vasily Podkolzin (MHL), Matthew Boldy (USNTDP), Alex Newhook (BCHL), Raphael Lavoie (QMJHL), and Alex Turcotte (USNTDP).

Any of these players could help strengthen the foundation for the future of the Rangers offense. Among the Ranger forward prospects, the Rangers’ top offensive candidate is a Hughes, but unfortunately, he is no relation to Jack.

Riley Hughes currently plays in the BCHL and was considered a steal in the seventh round in June. He has 35 points in 31 games so far this season and is committed to enter Northeastern University next fall.

After Hughes and Kravstov, the Rangers offensive prospect pool takes a sharp dip. Adding the likes of any, or multiple, of these top prospects could really make a difference going forward. Especially if Zuccarello, Hayes and other forwards like Kreider are to leave the lineup.

For the current New York Rangers,  the defense looks like the bigger project. However, there are players in the pipeline that are the future generation of the Rangers defense core.

That next wave of forwards for the future is still a work in progress. 2019 could be the draft that helps the Rangers add those building blocks they need on offense going forward.