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The New York Rangers potential finished at the bottom of NHL standings this season may have an unexpected benefit down the line.
The New York Rangers are in the midst of a sour season. The club is mired in a four-game losing skid, landing them in last place in the Eastern Conference. Even the Columbus Blue Jackets have rebounded to leapfrog past the Blueshirts.
Yes, there is a tough road ahead for the Rangers. The prospect of things turning around this season is rapidly sailing away. That prospect would become even fainter if the club begins a massive sell-off.
But then again, the Rangers’ tanking this season may not be the worst thing in the world. The Blueshirts have a unique opportunity to set themselves up for success by landing some highly desirable draft picks.
According to Tankathon, the Rangers are on track to pick sixth overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. That’s not too bad. This year’s draft is purported as one of the deepest is recent memory. So, the Rangers could land a very good player at #6.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg, however. As the New York Islanders proved in last year’s draft, the lottery can reward a team by handing it the first-overall selection. For the Islanders, that pick turned into Matthew Schaefer.
The Rangers, as it stands, would have a 7.5% of landing the top selection. That’s much better than the 3.5% the Islanders had last season. That’s why landing a high draft pick could be the silver lining to an otherwise tough season.
Rangers Could Land Potential Franchise Player in Top 10
According to most rankings, the top 10 to 15 players in the 2026 NHL Draft have the potential become franchise players. That could be an encouraging thought for the Rangers. Tankathon’s rankings show five defensemen among the 6 to 10 ranked players.
While this discussion will not focus on going through potential draft targets, it will suffice to say that one of those blueliners could a potential top-pairing guy.
But if the Rangers manage to move up, they could land one of the draft’s jewels. Winger Gavin McKenna, defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, and forward Ivar Stenberg are the consensus top three. Landing any one of those players could drastically alter the Rangers’ fortunes moving forward.
Blueshirts Have Chance to Right a Wrong
The last time the Rangers picked first overall was in 2020. That draft, the club took Alexis Lafreniere first overall. Lafreniere has struggled to live up to his first-overall hype. But there Ranger do get an out for that selection.
In 2020, the pandemic wiped out virtually all of the OHL and NCAA seasons. That’s why it became extremely difficult to gauge players. Most teams drafted based purely on intuition and the limited information available.
Lafreniere looked like the best player available at the time. He had a solid World Juniors tournament the year before and seemed like a shoo-in prospect.
Well, that hype hasn’t quite translated into what the Rangers hoped. It’s worth pointing out that Lafreniere hasn’t been a bad player. It’s just that the hype surrounding him hasn’t helped his case. His current career totals would have been fantastic for a fifth-rounder. But as a former first-overall pick, it just hasn’t gone the way fans would have liked.
Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan
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