Rangers aggressively trade up to select dynamic forward Spencer Bowes

The New York Rangers took a high upside center in Tomas Chrenko at No. 81 overall, and the draft board broke in such a way that President and General Manager Chris Drury felt compelled to trade up to make a pick at No. 102 overall in Round 4. The Blueshirts traded Pick 131 and Pick 148 in this year's draft to the Seattle Kraken, and they selected forward Spencer Bowes from the Ottawa 67s.

The addition of Bowes brings the Rangers another exciting prospect with upside at forward, and more importantly they now have prospect who can actually skate!

Bowes is second high upside forward selected by Rangers

At 6'0" and 174 pounds, Bowes is a smaller forward with upside that fans should be excited about. Per Elite Prospects' draft guide:

"In 2026, only four OHL players – zero draft-eligibles – scored even-strength points at a higher clip than Spencer Bowes’ 0.88. It was a second-half breakout for the ages, powered by waves of rush chances and a knack for getting open atop the crease.

Pace is Bowes’ game. His feet are always moving toward the play. With possession, he uses a ton of crossovers, and he’s smart with his routes, timing them to make sure he’s a threat for as long as possible. He’s hunting give-and-gos constantly, quickly passing wide, skating the middle, and firing the return pass on the net instantly.

Whether on the forecheck or in the defensive zone, Bowes is impacting the game. He closes space quickly and looks for contact, forcing a ton of turnovers. Always scanning, he identifies threats, eliminates them, and communicates with his teammates.

This is music to the ears of fans who have been clamoring for the Rangers to take a chance on smaller players with speed and skill, and that Bowes was as proficient as he was at even strength is a huge plus. Often times you will see examples of players who are special teams merchants, and that can be problematic given how hard it is for youngsters to get power play time... think Alexis Lafrenière in recent years. But Bowes is getting it done at 5v5, and 23 goals and 42 points in 67 games as a rookie is something that stands out in a huge way.

What people are saying about this pick

Bowes is yet another prospect who played in the CHL this past season but has committed to play in the NCAA this fall. He will be joining Providence College, and that provides him an opportunity to play against some older, bigger, and strong competition. It will be a good test for him that can be a big part of the development procerss, and it will give fans another interesting name to monitor in college hockey.

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