Another New York Rangers draft is in the books. While the front office opted to defer their first-round pick this year to the Pittsburgh Penguins instead of next year as part of the J.T. Miller trade, the Rangers still found a way to make some splashes. More specifically, a different approach was taken (at least at times) versus previous years.
That comes even as president and general manager Chris Drury decided to make all eight picks he had and did not move up or trade back. Still, he, along with director of player personnel and amateur scouting John Lilley, found a way to make things interesting.
The Most Impactful Pick
Given there was no first-round pick, the Rangers needed to get their money’s worth at 43rd overall. And they did just that with Malcolm Spence, from the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Usually, there’s a player or two in the second round that makes fans go, “How in the world is he still available?” Whether you want to talk about Alex DeBrincat in 2016 or Aatu Räty in 2021.
Well, that was the case with Spence – then the Rangers pounced on him. We ranked the 6-foot-2 forward 18th overall on our consensus board. While a winger isn’t a need for the Blueshirts, the value at his slot is a win in itself. Spence, who put up 73 points in 65 games in 2024-25, seems like a well-rounded forward who brings speed, drives the net and delivers a strong two-way game.
Next season, Spence has committed to the University of Michigan. How he performs against an older age bracket will be a big test.
The Two Most Fascinating Picks
But things got dicey in the middle rounds of the draft. The Rangers made two picks that made me say, “hmmm,” but in an interesting way. The one that stood out especially was Artyom Gonchar at 89th overall, and yes, he’s related to and the nephew of former star NHL defenseman Sergei Gonchar. So the bloodline should make fans feel good. And there’s an interesting player that the Rangers normally shy away from in drafts. For one, with the exception of Vitali Kravtsov in 2018 and Pavel Buchnevich in 2013, the organization has largely avoided drafting players out of Russia.
Related Pros & Cons of the Rangers Trading K’Andre Miller
Then there’s Gonchar’s frame and tools to speak on. To start, he’s much different than the usual taller, rangy and harder-nosed defensemen like Matthew Robertson and Drew Fortescue, the organization normally targets in drafts. While not necessarily small by NHL standards, Gonchar stands at just 6-foot-0 and 157 pounds. Plus, his playing style is something the Rangers have avoided mostly in recent years. An NHL Network analysis grades him as more of an offensive-minded two-way defenseman who can play the power play, giving him an offensive score of 75/100, with skating and hockey IQ also rated the same.
Likewise, it sounds like Gonchar’s defensive game needs work, and his skills are raw, according to The Hockey Writers‘ Alessandro Seren-Rosso. He was ranked as high as 128 by Draft Prospect Hockey and as low as 228 by McKeen’s Hockey. So 89th seems like a reach, but the 18-year-old certainly sounds like an interesting project. If he makes it to the NHL one day, it’ll likely be as a third-pairing power-play specialist type of player.
The other fascinating pick was Mikkel Eriksen at 111th overall. The Norwegian native is only 17 and was one of the youngest players eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft. When a player is drafted that young in the middle rounds, that could be an indication of a raw talent with a ceiling that’s impossible to predict, which of course remains without a floor. It’s a similar situation to when the Rangers ambitiously bet on Filip Chytil in the first round in 2017. While the injuries have been unfortunate, Chytil proved to be a stout middle-six player with a dynamic skill set. While Eriksen’s skill isn’t noted as dynamic, there isn’t much risk given that he was taken in the fourth round. In the J20 Nationell league in Sweden last season, the left-handed center put up 43 points in 40 games. What he develops into is unknown, but this is something you have to love that the Rangers bet on because he can certainly score.
Other Picks
Then there were non-surprising targets. For example, Zeb Lindgren (no relation to Adam Fox’s former partner) and Sean Barnhill. Both fit the mold of more defensive, responsible defensemen who skate well enough to play in the pros as more role players. And there’s nothing wrong with that, especially in the middle rounds of the draft.
Later in the draft, the Rangers selected Samuel Jung at 166th overall. Somewhere, former director of player personnel, Gordie Clark, is smiling, as he often drafted older players in the later rounds, including Patrik Virta and Brandon Crawley in 2017. That strategy never really panned out for the Rangers, but yet again, six and seventh-round picks are long shots to begin with. So if the Rangers see something in the 19-year-old Jung, who posted 32 points in 44 games in Finland’s U20 SM-sarja league, by all means take him.
With the final picks of the day, the cards were turned in for Evan Passmore and Felix Färhammar. The names alone put the Rangers in the conversation of winning the final rounds of the 2025 Draft. All kidding aside, all you can hope for again is that the Rangers see an NHL pathway for both players. Passmore is the same, taller, rangy defenseman with mobility that the Rangers have targeted in the past, with his draft rankings ranging anywhere from 83 to 283.
Farhammar is a little more interesting. The Hockey Writers’ Justin Giampietro noted the 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-shot blueliner stands out with his edge work and mobility, while noting his defensive game, including against the rush, needs work. Draft rankings ranged from 154 to 221. Also, Farhammar already has two Swedish Hockey League (SHL) games under his belt, which is widely considered the third-best hockey league in the world. While a long shot, this is a dart throw that you have no issues with Lilly and Drury taking.
Overall, the Blueshirts found a way to make things interesting in a weaker draft without a first-round pick. At times, the strategy was a little unorthodox – but not in a bad way. The Spence pick was the most important one, and he obviously has the best chance of turning into an impact NHLer one day over everyone else. The developments of Eriksen and Gonchar, while much longer shots, will be ones to watch. Barnhill is another important pick, but comes with more limited upside. If the Rangers can find one or two regular NHLers in this draft without a first-round pick, chalk it up as a major win. If Spence can turn into a first or second-line winger, that would be fantastic. Now, you just hope the Rangers’ scouts were able to find legitimate prospects. But give them credit for taking swings during this year’s draft class.
