Five Second Round Draft Targets for the New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have two first round picks in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft, but they also have a lot of organizational needs. In a well stocked draft class, second round picks become all the more valuable. While the Rangers unfortunately don’t own their own second round selection, they did acquire one in the K’Andre Miller trade, meaning they will pick towards the end of round two, either 63rd or 64th overall. And, really, there's no difference between the two since the Vegas Golden Knights are forfeiting their second round pick as a result of the John Tortorella press conference that never was.

Of course, had the Rangers kept their own second round pick, it would have been the 35th overall selection in this draft. What makes that even more frustrating is knowing that it was the Patrik Nemeth trade that cost the Rangers that 2026 second round pick, in addition to a second in 2025 that the Rangers were thankfully able to get back in the Ryan Lindgren trade and then use to select Malcolm Spence. 

At any rate, there are going to be good players available to the Rangers at the end of the second round, as well as the chance for higher ranked players to fall to them, such as Malcolm Spence did last summer. The Rangers also have a total of four third round picks in the coming draft, which means if a good player starts to fall, the Rangers could bundle their late second with a third to move up in the second round.

With a mind to all possibilities, here are some players who could fall to the second round or would be worth trading up for. 

Honorable Mentions 

A couple of quick mentions for some players projected to go late in the first round. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out Roberto’s story about who the Rangers should target with the 26th overall pick. A couple of players mentioned in that story (Niklas Aaram-Olsen and Alexander Command) are guys who will probably be off the board once the second round starts, but if they begin to fall they are 110 percent worth exploring a trade up for.

William Hakanssen is a defenseman I’ll have more coming on in a future Draft Radar Scouting Report, but will surely go either late in the first or early in the second. Nevertheless, he would definitely be worth keeping an eye on if he falls.

Lastly, Brooks Rogowski is one of the first players I mentioned in my first ever Draft Radar Scouting Report story. He’s a player I’m still high on but would probably be a bit of a reach with pick number 26. The 6-7, 235 pound center would fit right into the Rangers prospect pool and would be an enticing future bottom six option for them down the middle. He’d be a steal late in the second. 

Maksim Sokolovskii - Left Defense, London Knight, OHL 

This is a player who is going to stand out for obvious reasons. Ranked 40th on NHL Central Scouting’s list of North American skaters, Sokolowskii clocks in at 6-7, 238 pounds. A left-shot defenseman who clearly has size in his favor, Sokolowskii is physical, athletic, mobile, and a competitor. But he is borderline atrocious with the puck and, naturally, a work in progress in terms of his skating abilities.

Those last two details may sound discouraging, but this is someone the London Knights, one of the more prestigious clubs in the OHL, saw value in. Across 44 games played, he registered two goals and six assists for eight total points. While he may become a project for whichever team drafts him, you have to think he will fall on the Rangers radar. He fills a position of need, has size, and will attend University of Maine in the fall.