And with their first selection of the 2025 NHL Draft, the New York Rangers have selected Malcolm Spence at No. 43 overall in the second round. This is quite a value pick for the team, and it is great they landed such a talent despite not having a first round pick.
Malcolm Spence drops all the way to pick 43.
— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) June 28, 2025
A really similar model look to Roger McQueen who went 33 picks ago.
Great value for the Rangers to get him there. pic.twitter.com/xe2P4NE3le
President and General Manager Chris Drury may have had a quiet day on Friday, but Saturday will an incredibly busy Saturday. Following taking Spence at No. 43 for their second round selection, the Rangers will now shift their focus to No. 70 pick in the third round, No. 89 in the third round which was acquired in the Chris Kreider trade, No. 111 in the fourth, No. 139 in the fifth, Nos. 166 and 171 in the sixth, and — finally — No. 203 in the seventh round.
Here's everything you need to know about why Spence was the first selection for the Blueshirts this year and who he is.
At No. 43, the Rangers select Malcom Spence.@coreypronman ranked him No. 24 in his rankings. Good value pick by the Rangers.
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) June 28, 2025
"He can be a very likable middle-six winger who coaches will use a lot," Pronman wrote.
Why did the Rangers not participate in the first round?
The Rangers had to wait until day two of this year's NHL Draft due to conditions from January's trade with Vancouver for J.T. Miller. Their original first round pick of No. 12 — which was acquired in this year's draft lottery — was transferred to the Pittsburgh Penguins to officially complete the J.T. Miller trade.
Miller was traded to the Blueshirts by the Vancouver Canucks on January 31 for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and a first-round pick. That pick was traded by Vancouver to the Penguins in a separate trade shortly after it was acquired.
As a result of sending a 2025 NHL Draft pick, the Rangers will now retain their first round pick at the 2026 NHL Draft.
Round 1 is (finally) done.
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) June 28, 2025
The Rangers did not have a pick and did not make any trades. K’Andre Miller remains put for now.
Who is Malcolm Spence?
The New York Rangers select Malcolm Spence 43rd overall! pic.twitter.com/BFAxnBzWzq
— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) June 28, 2025
Wearing his new Broadway Blueshirts sweater, left wing Malcolm Spence could be seen on stage at the Peacock Theater ready for his next chapter.
Standing at 6'1" and weighing 203 pounds, Spence is known for having a motor which creates havoc on his opponents while showing he can have some offensive success too. He uses his combination of size and speed to break up plays and is not afraid to throw the body around when that opportunity is there.
On top of being an established defensive forward, he has 135 points in 131 OHL games in his past two seasons.
Another of his strengths include his hockey IQ — a trait we're seeing a lot of in this year's draft — and the fact that he wins a majority of puck battles due to his size and strength.
Malcolm Spence is a wonderful pick by NYR at 43rd overall. Well-rounded winger. Scores goals, plays hard. Middle-six upside but a better chance of reaching it than your average mid-2nd round pick.
— Adam Herman (@AdamZHerman) June 28, 2025
Born in 2006, Spence promises a lot of promise for his future as a Ranger.