New York Rangers draft preview: Lottery picks

If the season ended right now, the New York Rangers would be in the draft lottery.  Which players are likely to be the top three picks?

This will be the first in a series of reports looking ahead to the NHL Entry Draft. Right now, the only thing we can be sure of is that there will be a draft.  How the order of selection will be determined, when the draft will be held and if there will even be a lottery all remains to be seen. Figuring out who the New York Rangers will draft is a complete guessing game.

Until all of that is determined, all we can do is look at the potential selections and estimate which players have the odds of becoming future Blueshirts.  With the Rangers’ record, it is probable that the only chance they have of a top three pick is if they win the lottery and move up.

We will start at the top prospects in the draft who will be the players likely to end up as one of  the top three picks.  Since we haven’t seen these prospects in action, we will be drawing on the rankings of ten top hockey websites and their assessments.

Here are the dream picks, players who will probably only make their appearances at Madison Square Garden as opponents.

Alexis Lafreniere,  left wing  – QMJHL

There is no doubt who will go number one in the draft with Alexis Lafreniere ranked number one by all ten draft prognosticators.   In his third season with Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL, Lafreniere has improved every season.  This year he finished with 35 goals and 77 assists for 112 points in  52 games.  That’s a 2.11 points per game average.

The 18-year old stands 6’1″ and 194 pounds and shoots left handed.  He will the first left winger to go first overall since Taylor Hall in 2010.

He has outstanding leadership qualities and was a key member of Team Canada’s gold medal team with five goals and 10 points in five games.  Despite missing two games, he was named MVP of the tournament.

Steve Kournianos of The Sporting News had this to say about him. “A powerful force in all three zones who is as elite a set-up man as he is a shooter. Blessed with size, superior hockey IQ, soft hands and an incredibly high compete level, Lafreniere has done more than enough to strengthen his grip on the top spot.”

Unlike last June, when there was at least a little debate about whether Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko would go number one, there is absolutely no doubt who gets picked first this year.

Quinton Byfield,  center – OHL

Quinton Byfield turns 18 in August and is already an imposing physical presence at 6’4″, 215 pounds. As the top center for the Sudbury Wolves he scored 32 goals and had 82 points in 45 games.   He wasn’t a consensus number two overall with TSN’s Craig Button having him at third overall and ISS hockey rating him the fourth pick. Everyone else had him going second.

While not as polished as Lafreniere, he is also almost a year younger.  He oozes potential.

Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News echoed that sentiment, “The pull with Byfield is the potential he has. The big center is already super-skilled and he’s only going to get stronger in the coming years. Byfield is already one of the most dangerous players in the OHL.”