For a team that used to hand out first-round picks like they were candy, the New York Rangers find themselves with an incredible abundance of draft assets, including three first-rounders in 2018. Should the Rangers hang on to all of them, they'll have five first-round picks over the past two seasons, one more than they had in the four previous drafts combined. It's a position of strength in a year of good depth in the first round.
On top of the three first-rounders, the Rangers have two second-round picks and two third-rounders. Seven picks in the first three rounds give GM Jeff Gorton so many options, along with the most assets in the top three rounds of any team in the NHL (tied with the Detroit Red Wings). There's the trade option, of course, but the Rangers have a chance to significantly upgrade their prospect pool after a strong first-round performance last year. This team is rebuilding and is right where it wants to be heading into the draft. Additionally, the Rangers will have a pick in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds.
So with such a significant opportunity for one of the league's marquee franchises, we thought it would be a good idea to see what an ideal first half of the draft might look like for the Rangers. Based on what we know from various chatter about which players will go where, we can make some reasonable guesses as to who will be available for New York if the team holds on to all seven picks.
For the purposes of this exercise, we'll have to estimate out the Rangers' final two first-round picks and the third-rounder the team received from the Boston Bruins, as those spots won't be decided until second round of the playoffs concludes Thursday, or in the case of the Tampa Bay Lightning pick, until at least the conclusion of the conference finals.
Round 1
No. 9 pick: Noah Dobson, D, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
Age: 18 | Shoot: R | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 180
67 GP | 17 G | 52 A
It's hard to say which player will be available to the Rangers in this slot, but we can be sure they'll have multiple sound options. In all likelihood, one or two of the following will be there at No. 9: Evan Bouchard, Quinn Hughes, Noah Dobson, Adam Boqvist and Oliver Wahlstrom. There is massive debate about the order those players should be in.
Meanwhile, Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi has entered the conversation as the top pivot in the draft, which makes him more of a challenger to those top picks. Even after drafting Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson in the first round last year, one wouldn't fault the Rangers for at least considering a look at Kotkaniemi to continue fortifying themselves down the middle.
That said, I think a player like Dobson would go a long way in their system. I'd slot him as the No. 1 defenseman in their prospect pool the second they draft him. Dobson is one of the better defenders, but he can still move the puck well enough. He doesn't look that far away due to his mature game and size. If Dobson is still there at No. 9, it's a solid way for the Rangers to boost the prospect pool, while the later picks still allow them to bolster their forward attack.
No. 26 pick (via BOS): K'Andre Miller, D, USA U18 (NTDP)
Age: 18 | Shoot: L | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 206
50 GP | 7 G | 17 A
This pick could go couple of ways for the Rangers, with such a solid group of defensemen here -- players who might be a little rawer and lack the refined skill set of the earlier group. The depth of the defense in this draft is impressive. I think the cream of the crop could be picked over by No. 26. But if Mattias Samuelsson, Rasmus Sandin, Bode Wilde or Jared McIsaac is still available in this range, the Rangers might want to go defense. That said, I don't know whether any of them would still be there.
Miller is another option here that I think the Rangers would be wise to consider. If they've already got the "safe" pick in Dobson, Miller would be a bit more of a gamble. But as a 6-foot-3, 206-pound defenseman who can skate, he's got upside. Miller had a solid performance at the World U18 championship and showed this season that he is starting to put more of his game together. Having played D only for the past three years, he has more to learn, but his package of tools, including good offensive instincts and a nice shot, makes him a decent bet. He's headed to the University of Wisconsin, which has a history as a great finishing school for high-end defensemen. Just ask former Rangers captain and Badger Ryan McDonagh.
No. 30 pick (via TB): Ty Dellandrea, C, Flint (OHL)
Age: 17 | Shoot: R | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 185
67 GP | 27 G | 32 A
The late first round will offer a lot more intrigue than usual this year. The Rangers can be a bit more aggressive than other teams, with this being their third pick of the draft and two more after in the top 50.
Depending on whom you ask, Dellandrea looks like a fringe first-rounder. In this range, there is anything but consensus. I don't think Dellandrea will still be there at No. 39, though, and he's the kind of player I wouldn't mind reaching a little bit for. He's versatile, and what I really admired most about Dellandrea this season is how much he would take over games for a weak Flint team. He finished with 59 points in 67 games with little support. When he played with Canada at the World U18s this season, he was one of the team's top forwards.
Round 2
No. 39 pick: Filip Hallander, C, Timra (Sweden-2)
Age: 17 | Shoot: L | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 176
40 GP | 9 G | 11 A
A highly skilled forward, Hallander had a fantastic season in Sweden's second pro division this year. His 0.50 points per game was tops among U18 players in the Allsvenskan League and second among players under 20 years old. It also was a little better than Filip Forsberg's production in his own draft season.
An injury forced Hallander to miss the U18 World Championship, which would have been a prime opportunity for him to boost his stock even further. That said, this would be a great spot for the Rangers to pick up a skilled player with loads of upside. Hallander is a gifted playmaker who can find the net and played a sizable role as 17-year-old in the professional ranks.
No. 48 pick (via NJ): Jack Drury, C, Waterloo (USHL)
Age: 18 | Shoot: L | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 175
56 GP | 24 G | 41 A
Drury was one of the best players in the USHL this season, finishing fourth among all players with 65 points in 56 games. That's a rate of production similar to first-round picks from the USHL like Kyle Okposo and Nick Schmaltz, and it's just slightly below what Brock Boeser did there.
The son of former NHLer Ted Drury and nephew of Rangers assistant GM Chris Drury was a workhorse for Waterloo, the USHL's regular-season champion. Don't look at this pick as nepotism, though. This is a solid range to add a player who has a lot of pro attributes, including higher-end hockey sense. I'm not totally convinced Drury will be available here, but if he is, it would be a strong pick. He is headed to Harvard next season.
Round 3
No. 70 pick: Niklas Nordgren, RW, HIFK Jr. (Finland-Jr.)
Age: 17 | Shoot: R | Ht: 5-9 | Wt: 169
28 GP | 13 G | 29 A
The likelihood of Nordgren slipping this far is dwindling after his impressive showing as the leading goal scorer for Finland at the U18 World Championship. That said, if he's here at 70, the Rangers would be able to land a solid goal scorer who may not be terribly big but is sturdy. Nordgren doesn't blow you away with any one trait, but he can absolutely score. He finds the soft areas well and has a high-end shot with a quick release. He had a big season in Finland's junior ranks and even earned a call-up to HIFK's top pro team. His size and lack of top-end speed are why I think he might last until the third round, but I think his scoring instincts would follow him wherever he goes.
No. 90 pick (via BOS): Ryan Merkley, D, Guelph (OHL)
Age: 17 | Shoot: R | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 170
63 GP | 13 G | 54 A
This admittedly is a pie-in-the-sky option for the Rangers because there's no doubt Merkley has first-round skill. However, character concerns and a lack of detail in the defensive zone have him slipping down boards, and some teams may not list him at all. I have a harder time seeing him dropping out of the second, but it's possible. With the number of picks New York has, however, there should be less hesitation. If they were to get Merkley here, after having already made six picks, you accept the risk for potential reward. A few teams are probably willing to overlook concerns to add a player with his offensive potential earlier. Merkley had 67 points in 63 games this year and is one of the most gifted passers in the draft class.