Who Rangers could target with newly decided NHL draft pick after Canadiens Game 7 triumph
The Rangers have seven selections to make through the first 92 picks of the draft next month. This became official following the Canadiens’ Game 7 triumph in overtime against the Sabres to advance to the Eastern Conference final Monday night, which locked the Blueshirts into the No.26 spot for a pick acquired by trade, and finalized the exact positioning of the top two selections the organization will make June 26-27 in Buffalo. Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.
The traded pick, which originally belonged to the Stars and was acquired by the Rangers in the K’Andre Miller trade to the Hurricanes last summer, is just another key piece in president and general manager Chris Drury’s retool initiative. Equipped with the No.5 pick as well, the Rangers are expected to draft a center or a defenseman depending on who is still available. If Caleb Malhotra falls that far down the order, the Boston University-committed center will surely draw the Rangers’ interest.
Otherwise, the organization will likely have a few intriguing blueliners to choose from, such as the left-handed Carson Carels and the right-handed Keaton Verhoeff. The draft board is much more wide open after roughly the 15th pick, which will give the Rangers the freedom to pursue organizational needs. Assuming Malhotra is drafted before they are on the clock, the Rangers could always trade up from No.26 if there’s another centerman — or a player of any position — on their radar.
They did so with Braden Schneider in 2020, when they traded their 22nd and 72nd picks to Calgary in exchange for the 19th to draft the young defenseman who is now potentially on the trade block. If they decide to use the pick, the Rangers have plenty of centers to choose from. Here’s a collection of players (in no particular order) the Rangers could take at No.26, focusing on the organization’s nee...