The year the Blueshirts had the first overall pick

How bad is only one first overall pick?

The Rangers and Blackhawks are the only Original Six teams to have only one top pick.  Of course, while the Rangers drafted Veilleux, the Hawks picked Patrick Kane. Toronto has had two, Boston  and Detroit has had three and Montreal leads the way with five.

In the post expansion era, they are  joined with a solitary pick by the Kings, Flyers, Jets/Coyotes, Blue Jackets and Blues.

After Montreal with five first overall picks are the Nordiques/Avalanche, Oilers and Islanders with four.

Until the Blueshirts moved up to the second overall pick last June, they have had nothing but bad luck in the draft lottery.  The worst was at the 2005 Entry Draft following the lockout season.  Because there was no hockey the previous year, there was a lottery with the teams weighted by their performance the three prior seasons.

The Rangers, Sabres, Penguins and Blue Jackets had the best chance of getting the first pick and the chance to draft Sidney Crosby.  We all know what happened.  The rest of the picks were determined by a weighted drawing and the Rangers ended up with the 16th overall pick.  Give the Blueshirts credit.  They swapped their first and second round picks to Atlanta in order to move up to the 12th position where they drafted Marc Staal.

Imagining how the fate of the Rangers would have changed if they had been lucky enough to get Crosby is just another reason that the Blueshirts faithful have such a fatalistic attitude.  For most of us, except for a few magic moments in 1994, being a Rangers fan has resulted in frustration.  But that’s what bonds us all together as Ranger fans, right?