New York Rangers fans are going to have a bit of an anxious wait in the first round of the NHL Draft. They hold the No. 5 overall pick after having the third-best odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery. So they're going to be waiting and hoping that one of the top prospects falls into their laps.
It's unlikely that any of the top forwards will fall to the Rangers. Gavin McKenna has strong odds to go first-overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ivar Stenberg looks likely to go second-overall to the San Jose Sharks, and Caleb Malhotra could go somewhere within the top four picks. Looking at the potential path, there is a possibility that top defensive prospect Chase Reid could fall to the No. 5 spot. Surely, the Rangers and general manager Chris Drury wouldn't hesitate to draft him, right?
In a recent article from The Athletic's Peter Baugh and Vince Mercogliano, the two beat reporters looked at the Rangers' potential plans for the No. 5 overall pick. While bringing up the possibility of Reid falling to the Rangers, Baugh and Mercogliano expressed skepticism of them drafting him due to him being a right-handed defenseman and instead targeting a left-handed defenseman.
Rangers reporters express skepticism of team drafting Chase Reid with No. 5 pick
"What if Chase Reid slips to No. 5? He’s the top-ranked defenseman according to both Wheeler and Corey Pronman, but it’s not a given that New York would prefer the 6-foot-2 righty over the left-handed defensemen we’ve previously linked them to, Carson Carels and Alberts Šmits," write Baugh and Mercogliano.
This would be quite the decision by the Rangers to pass on Reid if he were to fall to them. Reid, Carels, Å mits, and Keaton Verhoeff are all lumped together as the top defenseman available in this class. However, Reid is considered the best of the bunch, due in part to his defensive skills and his abilities to help out on offense. The Athletic's Corey Pronman had Reid as his No. 1 overall prospect in the draft class, while giving him a pro comparison of Seth Jones.
This past season with the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL, Reid recorded 18 goals and 30 assists in 45 games. In 10 playoff games, Reid recorded three goals and three assists.
For the Rangers, they already have a right-shot defenseman who can run a power play in Adam Fox. But they also have Braden Schneider as the second line right-shot defenseman, who has a chance to be traded this offseason if the right offer comes along. So drafting a Reid could help in that sense. But it's quite possible they are more set on drafting a left-shot defenseman.
Baugh and Mercogliano previously reported that Å mits is the slight front-runner for the Rangers, with Carels in the mix. Å mits is viewed as the most pro-ready defenseman in the class, considering he did play for Latvia in this year's Winter Olympics. As for Carels, he does have incredible offensive upside that makes him an enticing selection. Plus, either could be on the top pairing alongside Fox for the foreseeable future.
There is no surefire selection for the Rangers entering draft night. Much like the fanbase, they will be waiting to see how the first four picks go and see which prospects drop to them. Even if Reid were to fall, it's not a 100-percent certainty that the Rangers would even select him.
Add us as a preferred source on Google