It’s the 22nd overall pick for the New York Rangers

The New York Rangers will pick first and 22nd overall in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft

As bitter as it is for fans of the New York Rangers to watch the Islanders move up in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when they dismantled the Flyers in Game Seven of their Second Round series, it meant the Rangers would move up in the draft, ending up with the 22nd overall pick. That was the pick that the Rangers acquired from Carolina in exchange for Brady Skjei.

Here’s the final order of selections in the first round of the draft:

1. Rangers
2. Los Angeles
3. Ottawa (from San Jose)
4. Detroit
5. Ottawa
6. Anaheim
7. New Jersey
8. Buffalo
9. Minnesota
10. Winnipeg
11. Nashville
12. Florida
13. Carolina (from Toronto)
14. Edmonton
15. Toronto (from Pittsburgh)
16. Montreal
17. Chicago
18. New Jersey (from Arizona)
19. Calgary
20. New Jersey (from Vancouver)
21. Ottawa (from Columbus)
22. Rangers (from Carolina)
23. Philadelphia
24. Colorado
25. Washington
26. St. Louis
27. Anaheim (from Boston)
28. – 31. Ottawa (from Islanders), San Jose (from Tampa), Dallas or Vegas

It will be the second time in three years that the Rangers have picked 22nd. In the 2018 NHL Entry Draft they traded up to be able to select K’Andre Miller in the 22nd slot.

Some prior 22nd overall picks include Kasperi Kapanen (2014), Olli Maatta (2012), Jordan Eberle (2008), Max Pacioretty (2007) and Claude Giroux, (2006).

Twitter poll results

Blue Line Station conducted an unscientific Twitter poll to see what was more important to Ranger fans, moving up in the draft or the Islanders losing.  The results were a little surprising.

With 193 total votes, 54.4% of the voters were willing to see the Rangers pick drop to 23rd overall if it meant the Islanders would lose. 45.6% of those voting were okay with the Islanders winning if it meant getting the 22nd pick.

Those results were a lot closer than anticipated.  While some must have pitied the Islanders who have not had a Conference Finals appearance since 1993, anyone who lived through the glory years of the Islanders could not possibly be happy about their success.  In the early 1980s the Islanders took a lot of pleasure in eliminating the Rangers from playoffs on what seemed like an annual basis.

Now we will get to watch former teammates Derick Brassard and Ryan McDonagh take each on for the right to play for the Stanley Cup.  We can also begin speculating about who the Blueshirts will draft with that 22nd pick when they make their selection in October.