The Top 3 Prospects Available for the Rangers on Draft Night
With just 1 opening round selection, at number 30, the Rangers have a couple of sizable options to pick up a well-played center or defenseman, their biggest need
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As the NHL draft approaches, tonight marks round 1 of 7, where the New York Rangers will make the 30th overall selection, their only pick in the 1st 2 rounds like most other teams. The Blueshirts' biggest needs are players that are big and or physical, meaning a solid centre or defenseman would fit the bill. Here are three players who have the talent worth and are wearing the New York Rangers sweater.
Sacha Boisvert, Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL
The 18-year-old native of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, is a prominent goalscorer in the United States' top junior league, notching an impressive 36 goals and 32 assists for 68 points in all but 1 of 62 games with Muskegon after a 2022/23 campaign with that same team where he notched 17 goals, 28 assists and 45 points in 57 games. Point here: Boisvert is a top-tier center, one of the best in the overall rankings of this draft's players, even in Elite Prospects. He could be a definite standout, and while he is a bit small at 6'2", he's got a fantastic wrist shot and is equally good at one-timers, like Mika Zibanejad. If the Rangers had two cannons like that on offense, things could be even more dangerous in 2024/25. Now, Boisvert is also committed to NCAA powerhouse and player factory North Dakota at that same time, which may lead the Rangers to other players. As a matter of fact, they could go for Boisvert's own Muskegon teammate...
Matvei Gridin
The 18-year-old Russian right winger could bring lots of help to a part of the Rangers' offense that is in need of a slight retool, to put it mildly. Like Boisvert, Gridin also had a stellar 2023/24 campaign for Muskegon, scoring 38 goals and 45 assists for 83 points in 61 games. Honestly, with those stats alone, he could be a safer selection, even if he is also committed to another NCAA powerhouse in the University of Michigan. That and his 1st-year numbers with Muskegon weren't great: 8 goals, 13 assists, and 21 points in just 40 games. He's still just too good not to pass up, though.
Cole Beaudoin, Barrie Colts, OHL
A player who's been on Rangers mock draft boards for a little while now, Beaudoin may be the most likely option for tonight's 1st round. The Kanata, Ont. native is about as physical as you can get, gripping the boards, snagging the puck out of scrums, and getting it right up the middle. His numbers in the last two seasons are similar to Gridin's, but he's got way more prowess that the Rangers might need, especially if they want to give Matt Rempe a suitable partner on the defensive lines. Plus, he's already on several other teams' radar, which would make it all the sweeter if the Rangers could make the steal of the 1st round.
The Rangers' next picks aren't until the 4th round, at 130, then the 5th round, at 159, and the 6th round at 191. They traded their 2nd round selection to the Kraken in exchange for Alex Wennberg, while the trades of Niko Mikkola and Vladimir Tarasenko took out their 3rd round selection. The Rangers' 7th round pick was traded to the Penguins at last year's draft in Nashville. It will be very interesting to see who exactly the Rangers put their first sweater on.
