The New York Rangers didn't have the luck of the draw during the NHL Draft Lottery, as they fell to the No. 5 spot despite having the third-best odds of winning it all. That put them out of the running for Penn State winger Gavin McKenna, and likely for Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg. Looking at the draft board, the Rangers are set to have their choice of one of the top defensemen in the draft class.
While the defensive prospects are great, the Rangers missing out on the three top forwards like McKenna, Stenberg, and Brantford center Caleb Malhotra was rough. With a team looking to trade Vincent Trocheck this offseason and not having a surplus of top young forwards in their minor league system, drafting one with their fifth-overall pick would have been ideal.
Maybe now there's a chance with the latest buzz.
The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reports that he doesn't expect the Vancouver Canucks to use the No. 3 overall pick on Malhotra if he is available. With this update, that does open the door for Malhotra to fall to the Rangers.
Rangers may have chance at drafting Caleb Malhotra with latest intel
There has been plenty of buzz surrounding Malhotra and the Canucks. The Canucks lost out on the No. 1 and 2 picks in this year's draft, putting them in the third spot. Given the likelihood that McKenna and Stenberg are off the board, Malhotra slots in as the best forward available. But there's also the fact that the Canucks hired Caleb's father, Manny, as their new head coach. So, the expectation on paper is that Caleb would end up in Vancouver.
But this new update from Pagnotta does make things more interesting. If Malhotra is to fall past the No. 3 spot, he'd be within striking distance of the Rangers. The thing is, though, they'd have to bank on the Chicago Blackhawks not drafting him, as they hold the No. 4 pick. Maybe the Rangers could negotiate a trade with the Blackhawks to swap picks. Or, maybe, the Blackhawks pass on Malhotra altogether. Either way, if this becomes a reality for the Rangers, it would be an ideal one.
Malhotra solidified himself as the top center prospect in this entire draft. This past season with Brantford, Malhotra recorded 29 goals and 55 assists through 67 regular season games. In 15 playoff games, Malhotra scored 13 goals and dished out 13 assists.
The Rangers do have some bright young stars in their pro lineup, such as Gabe Perreault, Adam Sykora, and Tye Kartye, but they are going to need another center, especially once Trocheck is traded. Malhotra would fit onto the Rangers seamlessly.
Rangers fans hoping for the team to land a top forward prospect with the No. 5 pick just received some hope with this latest information from Pagnotta. We'll see if that truly is the case come draft night on June 26.
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