2020 NHL Draft: Some predictions about the second first round pick

Who the New York Rangers will select with their second first round pick?

While the entire world believes that the New York Rangers will select Alexis Lafrenière with the first pick in the NHL Entry Draft, there has been a lot of speculation about their second first round pick, #22 overall.  We won’t know the answer to that question until the night of the draft, but in the meantime here is what some of the experts think.

Blue Line Station’s Will Wright’s mock draft has Seth Jarvis going at 22nd overall as the Rangers second first round pick.  Click here for his full seven round projection.  In the meantime, here’s what some of the other experts have to say:

Craig Button  and Bob McKenzie (TSN) – Connor Zary, Center

Both Craig Button and Bob McKenzie of TSN have WHL center Connor Zary going 22nd overall.   If he drops to #22, the Rangers should grab him.  He’s one of the most NHL-ready forwards in the draft, already19 years old.   He’s six feet, 180 pounds and has gotten better in each of his three years with the WHL Kamloops Blazers. This shortened season he scored 38 goals and totaled 86 points in 57 games.

Chris Peters (ESPN) – Hendrix Lapierre, Center

Chris Peters of ESPN has Hendrix Lapierre falling into the Rangers’ laps at #22.  Many observers had Lapierre rated as a top ten pick, but there are some health issues.  Initial reports were that he had suffered three concussions while playing in junior hockey, but medical experts are now saying that he wasn’t actually concussed, but was actually suffering from a spinal injury that resulted in concussion-like symptoms.

He has good size at  6 feet, 181 pounds and drew raves for his play at the last Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament.  Last season he played only 19 games for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the QMJHL.  His stock may be rising  as he has three goals and five points in his first two games this season.

With his medical history, he would be a risk/reward pick for the Rangers, but there is no denying his talent.  Don’t all Ranger fans want to hear Sam Rosen saying “Lapierre with the pass to Lafreniere?”

Scott Wheeler (The Athletic-subscription required) – Hendrix Lapierre

Wheeler joins Peters in ranking Lapierre 22nd overall in the upcoming draft.

Steve Kournianos (The Draft Analyst) – Marat Khusnutdinov, center

Kournianos believes that the Rangers will draft Marat Khusnutdinov, a small center who started this season with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, but has since been demoted to the team’s MHL farm team.  He’s off to a great start with two goals and seven points in eight games.

If the Rangers go with Khusnutdinov, don’t expect to see him in North America for a few years.

Corey Pronman (The Athletic-subscription required) – Brendan Brisson, center

Brisson is the son of superagent Pat Brisson and is committed to the University of Michigan after a full season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL.  He led the offense for one of the better USHL teams.  He turns 19 in a few weeks and is six feet, 180 pounds.

Rick Carpinello  (The Athletic-subscription required) – Tyson Foerster, Right wing-center

Foerster is a big-bodied forward who physically is ready for the NHL.  He has played two full seaons with the Barrie Colts in the OHL and tripled his stats in his second year going from 10 to 36 goals and 23 to 80 points in two fewer games.

He’s known as a shoot-first forward and led the OHL in power play goals last season with 18. His stock has been rising based on his excellent second season.

Vince Mercogliano (LOHUD.com) – Mavrik Bourque, Center

The 18-year old has played two full season in the QMJHL Shawinigan Cataractes and has been named the team’s captain this season.  He’s smaller in stature at 5’11”, 185 pounds, but is known as a highly skilled, playmaking center.

Sam Cosentino (Sportsnet) – Ridly Greig,Left wing

Cosentino has liked Greig for a long time and calls him “An old-school player whose determination to hunt pucks and create havoc on the forecheck create a combination of skill and brawn that is hard to find in today’s game.”

Greig is small at 5’11” but only 160 pounds.  He turned 18 this summer and will be headed towards his third season with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL.  He was a point-a-game player for Brandon last season.

If the Rangers are looking to draft a player who is hard to play against, Greig fits the bill.

Sam Cosentino (Sportsnet) – Rodion Amirov,Left wing

Cosentino had Greig going 22nd in an earlier mock draft, but his latest effort has Amirov going to the Rangers.  Amirov is a very talented winger who some analysts have as a first round pick. The Blueshirts have a surplus of left wingers, especially with the addition of Lafreniere, but considering that Amirov will require some more seasoning in the KHL, it will be a while before he would make the move to North America. He’s known as a superior stickhandler who is 6’0″, 170 pounds.

Tankathon.com – Jacob Perrault, Right wing

The son of former NHL player Yanic Perrault, Tankathon has him as the 22nd best player in the draft, the question is whether the Rangers are going to be in the market for a right winger.  At 5’11”, 192 pounds, Perrault was the leading scorer for the Sarnia Sting of the OHL in his second year with the team.

He is said to have one of the best shots of any player in the draft and was notable for scoring 30 goals as a 16 year in his first OHL year.

Ryan Kennedy (The Hockey News) – Braden Schneider, Defenseman

Kennedy reasons that the Rangers will look for defense help after picking Lafrenière.  The only issue is that Schneider is a right handed shot , not an asset the team needs, but he is also thought of as more of a defensive specialist, something the team does need.

He just turned 19 so he is an older draft pick and has NHL size at 6’2″, 202 pounds.  He may be the best player available when the Rangers make their second first round pick and they could pick him to make a deep defensive prospect pool even deeper.

Now that we have gone through all of these predictions, look for the Rangers to trade the pick.  It’s very possible.