2018 NHL Draft: New York Rangers Select Jacob Ragnarsson 70th Overall

With their first pick in the third round, 70th overall, the New York Rangers selected Jacob Ragnarsson. The 6’0, 176 pound defenseman plays for Almtuna IS of Allsvenskan in Sweden. This past season, he tallied 13 points in 47 games. According to NHL Central Scouting Services, he was ranked as the 44th best European skater.

For a brief scouting report via CanucksArmy:

Almtuma was a middle of the pack team but Ragnarsson was a huge part of their play to close out the year. He was used in all situations and excelled defensively as the season went on. He wasn’t afforded very much powerplay time with 100% of his points coming at 5v5.

The left handed defender struggled to put up points in the larger role but still finished with a GF% around 55% and limited chances against. Ragnarsson has put up points through his junior career, so the lack of offence to close out the season isn’t overly concerning and is understandable given the adjusted role to close out the year.

The Rangers pick again in the third round with the 88th overall pick.