With the 30th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the NY Rangers could be relegated to selecting talent projected to go in the late-first and early second round, but we’re also aware that quite a few prospects can freefall on draft day. So we don’t need to count on that being the case for the Blueshirts when they’re on the clock come June 28th; we need to expect it because somebody will fall.
In an earlier article, I talked about three blueliners the team should keep an eye on, and while these are all good players, none are exactly potential freefallers. Tankathon’s June 16th mock draft further drives that point home since only Cole Hutson is slated to go in the first round, and that’s at 26th overall.
So if Hutson falls to the 30th pick, I hesitate to call him a freefaller. Instead, let’s talk about someone who may go in the top 15, but I won’t get so ambitious and claim someone like Carter Yakemchuk, just to throw a name out there, will fall to 30th. But there is one player who I can see, and that is Stian Solberg.
Round 1 of the NHL Draft will be easy for the NY Rangers if Stian Solberg fell
Standing at 6’2, 201 pounds, Stian Solberg’s size is already a major plus, as is the fact he already has more than a fair share of pro hockey experience in Norway, where he played in 71 regular season games for Valerenga between 2021-22 and 2023-24. He will scale up for the 2024-25 season and start his SHL career for Farjestad BK.
While points aren’t the main draw for Solberg - just 15 in 42 regular season games this past year, he managed nine points and two goals during the playoffs in Norway’s pro league. But the overall edge Solberg plays with is what would make him a fine addition to the Rangers system.
For a player slated to go in the first round, likely between 11th and 20th, hence the reason he’s the subject of this article, it’s a fine guess that he’s more than just a physical hockey player. Excellent skating leads to him creating space and outmaneuvering opposing players, so this is a defenseman who, while he may not put up many points, could be a solid two-way player when he finally comes to North America, most likely in 2026-27.
(Statistics powered by Elite Prospects)