5 Prospects the New York Rangers Should Draft in the First Round

Riley Heidt

When it comes to players in this draft that have the ability to be a royal pain in the neck, I think there are very few that come close to the pain Riley Heidt will inflict on teams. As one of the more tenacious players in this class, he would fit the needs and desires of a playoff team. Despite still being a few years away from NHL readiness, this is a player that you have to consider as one of the better fits for this system.

Heidt was one of the more dominant players in the WHL this season with the Prince George Cougars. He was 5th among WHL players in points and was joint top of the league in assists with some guy named Connor Bedard. He’s shown that he can be a capable playmaker against his own age class. A good passer of the puck who is young and annoying to play against sounds like a player the Rangers want tomorrow.

One of the issues with Heidt is that this season kind of came from nowhere. He had 97 points this year with 72 assists and 25 goals in 68 games. This was the first season he had passed the point per game mark and he had never shown the ability to produce like this with the Prince George Cougars. Perhaps this was the breakout year to free himself from the shackles, but there are reservations.

A lot of people have Heidt in the top 20, and I suspect he could go higher but if this player is on the board when the Rangers make their selection in Nashville, there should be a lot of consideration about making a move for someone like this. He would be a great long-term compliment to someone like Othmann on the other wing. Perhaps that is a little early to talk about, but it is exciting to think about.