If the New York Rangers were in the midst of a rebuild, or there was a prospect on the board who had a legitimate path to becoming a superstar in the league, normally, I would advocate drafting the best positional skater available. After all, this isn’t the NFL – only five skaters (plus a goaltender) are on the ice at once. The best players will make an impact.
But the Rangers, given the situation they are in, should seriously consider drafting for need during the 2025 NHL Draft, at least at 12th overall (assuming they keep the pick rather than opt to send it to the Pittsburgh Penguins now instead of next season).
Related: Rangers Should See What They Can Get in Trades for Othmann & Schneider
While not a guarantee, the hope is that the 12th overall pick will have a strong post-draft season and inch closer toward an NHL opportunity. After all, the Rangers have seen this first-hand with some later first-round picks. Most recently, Gabe Perreault (23rd overall in 2023) made his debut late last season, and Filip Chytil became a full-time NHLer in his second post-draft NHL season.
Winger Isn’t a Need
There are a few reasons why.
As things stand, the Rangers currently have a logjam on the wing. That’s led by Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Will Cuylle and Alexis Lafrenière. Plus, young players and top prospects, including Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann, Perreault and Arthur Kaliyev could all push for top nine roles in 2025-26. Outside of Adam Fox and maybe K’Andre Miller, the Rangers’ defensive core is filled with unremarkable players. Additionally, the organization could use a center in the system with top-six upside, given that Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller are approaching their mid-30s.
Of course, a lot can change in a year from now. Panarin is scheduled to become a free agent next July, and Drury can make other deals involving wingers. What we do know is that picking a center or a defenseman at 12th overall will instantly become the best prospect in the Rangers’ pool by either of those positions. Plus, it’s much more likely the player will make a meaningful impact within the next couple of years with the Rangers, as there will likely be more room to fit a young center or a defenseman in a key role if needed.
Stronger Draft for Centers & Defensemen
Let’s be clear about one thing – we aren’t advocating that the Rangers should use a premium pick on a player who only projects as a fourth-line center or a third-pairing defenseman, while missing on a potential star. Luckily, in the Rangers’ case, they might not have to worry about taking too much of a reach off the board. This year’s draft is notably strong amongst centers and defensemen.
One of our draft gurus, Logan Horn, has 11 centers or defensemen ranked inside his top 12. Dayton Reimer has just three wingers ranked inside his top 12. Some players that could fill a positional need and might be available when the Rangers are slated to pick in the first round include Jackson Smith, defenseman of the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League (WHL), Cole Reschny, center for the Victoria Royals in the WHL, Cameron Reid, defenseman for the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and Jake O’Brien, center for the Brantford Bulldogs in the OHL.
Defensemen & Centers Are More Valuable
It’s no secret that teams across the league historically value centers and defensemen over wingers. This was a point recently made by sports analysis website Bovada, highlighting a few trades. For example, it took prime Taylor Hall (who later won the Hart Trophy) to get just a steady NHL defenseman in Adam Larsson.
The Rangers have been on the wrong side of this, too. For example, star Pavel Buchnevich in 2021 was just able to fetch back a second-round pick and Sammy Blais. Also, most recently, 2019 second overall pick, Kaapo Kakko, only got the Rangers a third-round pick, a sixth-round selection and Will Borgen, who mainly served as a third-pairing defenseman at the time of the acquisition. The point is, wingers can often hold underwhelming value across the league. In some cases, you’re better off drafting a third-line center over a second-line winger.
Rangers Need to Retool Back into Contention
Lastly, just 12 months ago, the Rangers found themselves two wins away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final – then the disaster of the 2024-25 season happened, which forced wholesale changes from trading captain Jacob Trouba to Ryan Lindgren.
Now it’s time for president and general manager Chris Drury to finish the retool. Yes, one of the moves should be using the 12th overall selection to add a premier player to their prospect pool. However, fans shouldn’t expect that youngster to make a significant NHL impact for at least a year, and probably longer. Still, the draft pick becomes an immediate asset. The Rangers, or others in the league, will find that center or defenseman valuable.
For various reasons, from positional value to organizational needs, it makes sense for the Rangers to pick a center or a defenseman with the 12th overall pick. Again, that doesn’t mean reach well off the board for a player that projects to be a role player in the league over a potential star, but the strength at center and defense in this year’s draft should offer the Blueshirts flexibility to do so. There’s always an exception to every rule, and in this case, it’s drafting by need over the best player available (if that’s a winger) from the Rangers’ point of view at the 2025 Draft.
