New York Rangers Draft Radar November Scouting Report
As the season progresses, we’re adding three more names to the list of prospects fans need to know: Malte Gustafsson, Braidy Wassilyn, and Alberts Smits
Welcome back to another edition of the Draft Radar Scouting Report. With last month’s report focusing more on center options, we’re going to explore two defenseman—Malte Gustafsson and Alberts Smits—as well as one forward option in Braidy Wassilyn. Before we dive into it, let’s provide a quick update on the prospect from last month's report.
Oscar Holmertz: Still on a point-per-game pace this season, Homertz now has five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in just as many games. He has fallen back a bit in Tankathon’s rankings as he now sits 47th overall in their mock draft. Still, he remains a great option for the Rangers to have in mind.
Caleb Malhotra: There’s plenty of time for things to change, both on Malhotra’s end as well as the Rangers’ side. However, there’s a real chance Caleb Malhotra ends up becoming a top 15 prospect in this year’s draft class. Last month, Tankathon had him projected to go 39th overall. A month later, he’s now listed at 19th as he now has 25 points in 21 games. Malhotra is becoming a star in the OHL and will surely continue to be one at Boston University. With that, he should be all over the top of the Rangers wish list.
Brooks Rogowski: Another prospect who has bumped up in the rankings, Rogowski is up to 15 points in 19 games with the Oshawa Generals. He has however, been sidelined with an injury that leaves him week-to-week. Rogowski was going to represent the CHL in the CHL vs. USA Prospects Challenge but has been replaced by Medicine Hat forward Liam Ruck following the injury.
Malte Gustafsson - Defense, Sweden Jr. League
In 13 games to start the season with HV-71 Jr., Malte Gustafsson has three goals and six assists for a total of nine points. The 6-4, 198 pound defenseman is being regarded as one of the best Swedish defensemen in his draft class and has been compared to guys like Simon Edvinsson and Philip Broberg—two players many fans would love to have on the Rangers right now. A sizable puck moving defenseman, Gustafsson plays a strong shutdown game and competes every shift. In addition to his 13 games in Sweden’s Junior League, Gustafsson has suited up in two games with HV-71’s men’s club which always comes as beneficial experience for prospects ahead of their draft year.
One of the things that really sticks out from Gustafsson’s game is his defensive awareness and ability to strip opponents of the puck. In a September outing against Färjestad BK (which featured a multi-point outing from Rangers’ prospect Mikkel Eriksson), practically any opposing puck carrier that came near Gustafsson was interrupted with an active stick or an effective body check. On the other side of the puck, he held his team’s blue line well, generating offense with shots from the point which resulted in his team’s second goal in the first period.
Gustafsson was quarterbacking the power play and was able to find the back of the net with a shot through traffic to make it a 2-1 game.
For as reliable as Gustafsson can be in his own end, it’s pretty clear from his game that he likes to be involved in the offensive zone as much as he can. He’s always an option at the point and will shoot the puck as often as he looks to set up his forwards. He plays calm, yet intently. He's never rushing his decision making but is always actively assessing the play around him to ensure he's making smart, effective plays.
Gustafsson is a player who should be high on the priority list for the Rangers as he has potential to be a real complete package type of player in this draft class. He fits one of their most pressing needs as a top-four capable left handed defenseman and fits the mold for players we’ve talked about being great fits for the Rangers. At the time of writing, Tankathon has him projected to go 20th overall which could very well be in the Rangers wheel house of where they pick with one of their first round selections in the 2026 Draft class. It’s early enough where he could end up moving up in the rankings but either way, he needs to be on the Rangers’ radar.
