For the third time in the last four drafts, the New York Rangers will have more than one first round pick. Here are some potential prospects the Blueshirts could select with that second pick.
The New York Rangers will have a first round draft pick that will mostly likely end up anywhere from 12th to 16th overall. They also own a second pick, acquired in the trade of Brady Skjei to the Carolina Hurricanes. It will be either Carolina’s own pick or Toronto’s. The condition is that the Blueshirts will get the later of the two.
Where that pick will end up won’t be determined for a while. First round draft order after the lottery teams is determined strictly by how deep the club gets into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
There has been talk of the NHL conducting the draft in June, before the playoffs have been played and it remains to be seen how the draft order will be established. If the order is determined by points percentage the Hurricanes’ pick would fall to the Rangers at 23rd overall.
Here’s a look at some of the players the Rangers may be interested in who are projected to go in that range. We are relying on the expertise of ten top hockey websites for their rankings. A full list is at the end of this article with links if you want to see their complete lists.
As we have previously mentioned, the COVID-19 pandemic has totally disrupted the scouting process. Teams usually make their final decisions based on the performance of prospects in their league playoffs and in person interviews at the NHL Combine.originally scheduled for June 1-6 in Buffalo.
While all of the playoffs in the European leagues have been cancelled along with the CHL and NCAA playoffs, the NHL has only postponed the combine and draft. At any rate, scouts for all teams have to rely on internet videos and word of mouth assessments from those familiar with the players. This draft promises to yield one of the biggest crops of selection uncertainty and the rankings certainly reflect that.
Though there is a consensus on the top five players to be selected, after that, the difference of opinion is dramatic.
We’ll start with prospects at center, a position the Rangers are well stocked in, but could be in need of replenishing.