New York Rangers draft preview: Lottery picks

Lucas Raymond, right wing, SHL

We will wrap up our list of potential top three picks with two Swedish forwards.  Lucas Raymond doesn’t make anyone’s top three list, but is consistently a top ten pick with ESPN having him at number three and Button dropping him to ninth.

Raymond is 5’10” and 161 pounds and was once expected to challenge Lafreniere as the top overall pick.  Chris Peters of ESPN has Raymond going third overall saying he has “good mobility and high skill level.”

As a 17-year old playing with men in the SHL, he had four goals and 10 points in 33 games.  Peters is still high on the young Swede.  “When you see Raymond in the international setting with Sweden, he makes plays and drives offense. Looking at the totality of his body of work, he’s a major difference-maker.”

Raymond is a teammate of Rangers draft pick Karl Henriksson and is expected to return to Frolunda next season.  Look for the pair to team up and excel the way they did for Frolunda’s junior club.

Alexander Holtz, left wing – SHL

Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond are very similar, though NHL Central Scouting has Holtz as the second ranked European skater (after Stutzle) with Raymond ranked fourth.   He is in a similar situation to Raymond having just turned 18 and playing for Djurgardens in the SHL.  He scored nine goals and added seven assists for 16 points in 35 games.

Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet has Holtz ranked the highest at fourth overall.   His assessment wasn’t a total endorsement, “There are some deficiencies in his game, but many believe the goal-scoring ability he has is translatable to the NHL.”

Steve Kournianos of The Sporting News also had him at fourth overall.  He said “that Holtz “competes hard, finishes his checks, can connect with the open man from across the ice and his play off the cycle is advanced in terms of positioning and timing.”

TSN’s Craig Button has Holtz as the 13th overall pick, the only expert to not have him in the top nine.

Inerestingly, Holtz teamed up with Karl Henriksson and Lucas Raymond to form a potent line in international play and with all three expected to play in the SHL next season it will be interesting to see who shows the more growth.

Future Rangers?

So, the odds are that none of these players will end up as Broadway  Blueshirts, but lightning can strike twice.  If the Rangers luck out and win the lottery, they will obviously take Lafreniere with their top pick.

If they won the second or third pick, the odds are they Byfield would be their top choice with his combination of size and potential.  Rossi is an intriguing option as an older draft pick who is an excellent scorer and playmaker.  Knowing the Blueshirts propensity for drafting players from Europe, you cannot rule out Stutzle, Raymond or Holtz either, especially with the latter two players’ history with Karl Henriksson.

The odds that they would go for a defenseman like Drysdale would be very slim.  It’s an interesting mix of skill and potential and Ranger fans can only hope that if they are a draft team, that they will move up. According to Tankathon.com with the current standings, the Rangers have a 6.6% chance of getting one of the top three picks.

Here is the list of 10 draft ranking websites we used.  Click on the website name to see their full rankings.

Elite Prospects.com – The top 31 prospects ranked in April.

ESPN, Chris Peters – Top 50 players in the draft, ranked on January 29

The Hockey News, Ryan Kennedy – The top 31 players in the draft, ranked in January after the WJC.

ISS Hockey – March rankings of the top 31 players

McKeen’s Hockey, Ryan Wagman  – The top 31 picks ranked midseason

NHL Central Scouting – The official final draft rankings divided between North American and European skaters and goalies.

The Sporting News, Steve Kournianos -Top 125 picks ranked in December..

Sportsnet, Sam Cosentino – He ranked the top 31 picks on April 8.

TSN, Craig Button – The TSN prospect guru revealed his top 103 picks  on Mach 30.

The Athletic (subscription required) –  Corey Pronman ranked the top 31 at the midseason on January 29