The New York Rangers had an underwhelming year, and one of the main fuels to the dumpster fire was the major lapse in defense. With that said, having the fifth pick in the 2026 NHL Draft gives them a chance to grab a stud defenseman that could most likely suit up right away.
Looking at their cross-borough rival, the New York Islanders, they were able to grab a defenseman with the first overall pick last season in Matthew Schaefer, and he just won the Calder Trophy, unanimously.
If that is not a wake-up call to President and General Manager Chris Drury, I don't know what is.
Move up and grab the guy you want
There is a possibility, a very distinct possibility, that the Blueshirts could move up to the No. 2 spot, swapping with San Jose. It is going to take an arm and a leg, but the payoff could be substantial as the second through fourth place teams in the draft all need defenseman.
The Rangers could be on the outside looking in on the player that they want. Hence, offering up that insane asking price might be worth it. It might be a Calder Trophy winning and franchise defenseman-making decision.
Looking at how the Islanders might have grabbed their future best defenseman in franchise-history in Schaefer, the Rangers need to smell the roses and understand their needs.
Accelerate the retool
Step one of this retool is to lock down the blue line. Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov have established the fact that they need to be split up. They both work very well, but the rest of the six-man unit need one of them on their opposite side.
Grabbing the next Schaefer, who very well could be Carson Carels, Chase Reid, or Keaton Verhoeff, has to be the top pritorty. The Rangers have to get their next dog on the defensive end, and then the rest of the forward group can be the next objective.
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