Last night, the Rangers got the news that pretty much everyone was expecting, all draft lottery jokes aside. The New York Rangers will have the 15th overall selection in this year's NHL entry draft. In reality, it would’ve been 16th had the Arizona Coyotes not had to forfeit this year's first round pick due to the organization violating the league's combine testing compliances. Nevertheless, the Rangers are smack dab in the middle of the draft. A position where in years past, they’ve drafted players of the likes of Alexei Kovalov and JT Miller. So now that it’s set in stone where the team will pick, a more clear thought process begins.
The Rangers have two options, they can either keep the pick and take a shot on a prospect in a less deep draft pool, or they can look to trade the pick. There’s plenty of rumors that have been circulating for the last year about trading for Eichel. With a now definite draft position, they can look to include that asset in trade talks with Buffalo. They can also look for other trade partners looking to add first round picks. Just as an example, if Nashville wants to send Mathis Ekholm and a later pick or prospect for our 15th overall pick? I’d probably do it.
There’s always the trade down option too, if the Rangers have their sights set on prospects further down in the rankings, they could look to trade it to a team with multiple second round picks or something of that nature. However, this isn’t one of the most talented draft years, not to mention the pandemic really hurt major junior leagues. A lot of kids didn’t play nearly as much as usual and their development could have taken a major hit. The Rangers would be smart to explore trade possibilities and if I had to bet, the team probably won’t be picking anyone in the first round this year.
In the event that they don’t trade the pick, it’s worth looking into who the Rangers could opt to select. It’s always tough to predict who’s going to go in the mid-late first round as you never know after the first couple of picks which teams are going to reach for a kid they like or who’s going to fall. Nevertheless, let's look at some guys who will potentially be available and guys who the Rangers should absolutely take if they fall to 15:
Zachary Bolduc
Zachary Bolduc is a 6”1 left handed center from Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL. Sound familiar? Well it should as that is the major junior team Alexis Lafreniere came from. The two played together in Rimouski which can not only help Zachary’s development and transition to the NHL but could also boost Lafreniere’s morale assuming they didn’t hate each other.
Injuries have unfortunately set him back this season, however despite only playing 27 games, put up 29 points. Not bad at all. The season before Zachary put up 52 points in 55 games, that’s about two seasons of averaging around a point a game. It’s unlikely he’ll be NHL ready and using Filip Chytil as reference, I certainly wouldn’t rush him into the league but with the right development, Bolduc can be a steal at the 15 spot in this year's draft.
Carson Lambos
The Rangers are kind of set when it comes to defensemen, to the point where we’re already considering trading one of our prospect defenders. However, if Carson Lambos is the best player available come the Rangers' turn to draft, they may want to consider him. Carson made the move to the Finnish league following the uncertainties of what was going on with Canada’s major junior leagues. In 15 games split with JYP’s U18 and U20 teams, Carson collected 14 points, 2 goals and 12 assists.
The consensus according to scouts is that Carson is a solid skater, two way defenseman who has a great shot, confidence with the puck and a physical presence. I like the idea of adding an all around defender to our arsenal, I just don’t think we need to add more depth to that position as much as we need a center. At the end of the day though, when you’re on the clock you want to draft the best overall player and if Carson Lambos is that guy at the day of the draft, the Rangers should go for it and further solidify their future blue line.
Cole Sillinger
Cole Sillinger is one of the more unlikely options as he probably won’t fall to the 15 spot but if he does, the Rangers should absolutely pick him. The six foot, right handed power forward out of Sioux Falls of the USHL can play both the center ice position as well as the wing. According to scouts, he seems to be a very well rounded player with a great hockey IQ and a great shot that can generate offense and make plays.
His last two seasons have been split in the USHL as well as the WHL where he played with Medicine Hat Tigers. With Sioux Falls, Cole had 46 points in 31 games and with Medicine Hat 53 points in 48 games. Pretty impressive stuff. Overall, Cole’s versatility both with the puck and with the positions he can play are a huge asset to whichever team picks him up. It’s a long shot that 14 teams pass on the opportunity to draft him but in the event of that happening, the Rangers should absolutely go for it.
Aatu Raty
Aatu Raty seems to be one of the bigger gambles of this year's entry draft. When looking ahead in past years, he was one of the bigger future prospect names but has fallen down the ranks a bit in recent years. The 6”2 left handed center out of the Finnish Elite League has the advantage of playing with and against older players, oftentimes making the transition to the NHL a little easier. However, his stats in the last two seasons aren’t that impressive, especially from this past year. His numbers on Finland's U18 & U16 teams were when he was at his best and it seems he has struggled to produce at that caliber at the professional level.
The Rangers would certainly be taking a gamble on him but similarly to drafting Bolduc for potential chemistry with Lafreniere, they could see Raty in the same way for fellow Finn Kaapo Kakko. It’s certainly worth noting that he was once projected to be one of the top prospects to come in this draft year and despite falling down the rankings, could be worth the gamble if the Rangers hold on to this pick and don’t have any safer bets of options.
Mason McTavish
No, no relation to Rangers Stanley Cup Champion Craig McTavish unfortunately but if Mason falls to the 15th spot the Rangers should certainly jump at the opportunity to draft him. Another 6”1 left handed center with a little more size than Bolduc, having a little over 25 lbs on him. According to scouts, he’s a hard nosed player who is just as comfortable laying the body as he is scoring goals. Certainly sounds like the type of player the Rangers are in the market for.
McTavish put up great numbers in the OHL, collecting 42 points in 57 games with the Peterborough Petes. What helps his stock going into the draft was his 11 points in 7 games in this year's World Junior tournament and his 11 points in 13 games in the Swiss league, Auston Matthews much?! Overall, whichever team lands McTavish is getting a great overall player and if he’s available at the 15 spot, the Rangers should absolutely use their pick on this kid.
Chris Feldman
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