As we look towards the end of the season, we begin a conversation about the draft. The New York Rangers might have a first-round pick, but it's top 10 protected. It'll depend on how they end the year. If they have a top 10 first-round pick, they'll get a chance to add a great talent to their prospect pool. While I've already discussed what a great fit James Hagens would be for the Rangers future, we've got others to discuss, like the highly touted Matthew Schaefer.
New York's defense needs help, and the left-shot defenseman could be a great fit next to Adam Fox in the future. He's a silky defenseman and the projected first-overall pick in the upcoming draft by most. Some dislike the idea of Schaefer going first over because of the injuries he has dealt with during this season, but his talent is still abundant despite his absence from the ice.
In the Ontario Hockey League this season, the Hamilton, Ontario, native has scored seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points in just 17 games. At the World Junior Championships this year, Schaefer scored a goal and an assist in his two games, which reminds us that he is a defenseman. Scoring at a rate like that from the blueline is one of the essential traits of the best defenseman in the modern NHL.
It's unlikely the Rangers will end up with the first overall pick, but if Schaefer's injury causes him to drop, we might see the Rangers luck into the 6'2 defender. We'll have to wait until late June to see what happens at the NHL draft. It would be nice to see the Blueshirts get such a talent, but with this being a rather thin draft class in terms of elite projected talent, it's unlikely many teams will balk on Schaefer.