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New York Rangers: Notable players selected in each draft position

By Nicholas Zararis

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 28: General view of the lottery machine at the NHL Draft Lottery at the CBC Studios on April 28, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 28: General view of the lottery machine at the NHL Draft Lottery at the CBC Studios on April 28, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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ST. PAUL, MN – MARCH 19: Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Colorado Avalanche follows the play during a game with the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on March 19, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN – MARCH 19: Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Colorado Avalanche follows the play during a game with the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on March 19, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.(Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Tenth overall

It would be a surprise if the Rangers fell as low as ten from their current spot, but certainly within reason. Every year, some team with lower odds manages to leapfrog into the top five and mess up the projected order. While this is typically the spot where the talent dropoff begins, elite players can still be found here.

Best: Mikko Rantanen Colorado Avalanche 2015

While it certainly helps that Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche gets to play alongside both Nathan Mackinnon or Gabriel Landeskog, there’s no disputing the Finn’s incredible high-end talent. In each of the last two seasons, Rantanen recorded more than 80 points and played top line minutes for a building Avalanche team.

Underrated: Jonas Brodin Minnesota Wild 2011

Jonas Brodin of the Minnesota Wild is not a flashy choice here, but the Swede is an above average NHL defenseman that’s played almost 500 games since being drafted. This is the type of pick that teams need to make every couple of years, a minute and games eating defenseman that will be with the organization for a long time.

Worst: Dylan McIlrath New York Rangers 2010

We’re inclined to let sleeping dogs lie, but it bears repeating that the Rangers really drafted a defenseman coming off of major knee surgery with mobility issues before the injury with the tenth overall pick back in 2010. Dylan Mcilrath has played a total of 50 games at the NHL level and is more known as the punchline of jokes than for his play.

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