New York Rangers Draft Radar September Scouting Report

The 2027 NHL draft may be nine months out, but it's never too early to start looking into future talent. For anyone who is new here, welcome to the Draft Radar Scouting Report, a monthly series that breaks down three members of the upcoming draft class, where they stand in the current rankings, and the likelihood of them landing on the New York Rangers' radar.

Kicking things off this season, we're going to look into three of my early favorites in the 2027 class: Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, Roberts Naudins, and Brock Cripps.

Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll—Center, Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL

In the early parts of last season, prospects like Caleb Malhotra, Malte Gustafsson, and even Alberts Smits were names that were projected to go in the middle of the first round, if not early in the second. Two of those players ended up going in the top five. If there was an early pick for someone to follow a similar trajectory, it's Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll. A 6-0, 189-pound right-shot center from Salt Lake City, Gordon-Carroll is coming off two seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers, a WHL championship, and a Hlinka Gretzky Cup showing that make him an intriguing name to keep an eye on.

His size may not jump out at you, but from everything you hear about this player, he is exactly what a team like the Rangers is looking for: a hard-to-play-against center who plays an excellent 200-foot game, battles hard, forechecks with purpose, and plays a physical brand of hockey. In addition to that, he skates well, has a motor that seldom quits, and has enough skill to contribute offensively at a high level.

Set to enter his third season with the Tigers, Gordon-Carroll came to Medicine Hat ahead of the 2024-25 season as a 16-year-old American looking to follow the CHL-NCAA pipeline. Appearing in 55 games as a rookie, Gordon-Carroll finished the regular season with six goals and 19 assists for a total of 25 points. That wouldn't be it for the young rookie, as Gordon-Carroll continued to contribute in the postseason with two goals and three assists in 17 games. The Tigers, who were absolutely stacked that season, went on to win the 2025 WHL Championship, beating the Spokane Chiefs four games to two.

Two of Gordon-Carroll's five points came in Game 5 of Medicine Hat's first-round series with the Swift Current Broncos. It was nearly a three-point night, as he set up the passing play on an earlier goal that resulted in the Ruck twins being credited with both assists. However, his goal in this one was a thing of beauty, as Liam Ruck fed him for a quick one-timer in the high slot.

Gordon-Carroll rode high into his second season, but his sophomore campaign did not go according to plan. He played in only 41 games as he dealt with injuries throughout the season, but he still became a near point-per-game player. Had he stayed healthy, he could have put up insane numbers, as he was off to a tremendous start early in the season. In the season opener, he picked up not only an assist but a pair of highlight-reel goals, including one on a partial breakaway and another on a quick one-timer. That one-timer is certainly a secret weapon of sorts for him.

Finishing the regular season with 12 goals and 25 assists for 37 points, he continued to deliver for his team, putting up five goals and seven assists for 12 points across 14 playoff games. While the Tigers wouldn't repeat, Gordon-Carroll continued to get valuable experience playing on an incredibly talented Medicine Hat team.

Ahead of this season, Gordon-Carroll announced his commitment to the University of Michigan, meaning this will be his last season with the Tigers in the WHL. However, it's business as usual heading into the season, as Gordon-Carroll has already made his goal for the season clear: win a Memorial Cup.

Gordon-Carroll has experience when it comes to winning. In addition to the 2025 WHL Championship, he shined bright at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, helping Team USA win gold with a goal and an assist across five games played.

It's still extremely early, but the consensus is that Gordon-Carroll should at the very least be an undeniable first-round pick. At the time of writing, Tankathon has him ranked 22nd overall. On the preseason top-32 list from Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, he sits 14th and is praised as a well-rounded center who is strong in many different areas. It wouldn't shock me at all if he turns into a top-10 prospect from this class. And any team looking for a Vincent Trocheck with a little more skill should be all over this player.

Roberts Naudins—Left Wing, Penticton Vees, WHL

This is a player I'm incredibly excited to follow throughout the season leading up to the 2027 draft. Roberts Naudins immediately stands out given the fact that he's pushing 6-6 as a 17-year-old, but his ceiling is high for reasons well beyond his height. There's been a recent increase in the number of Latvian players cracking NHL rosters and hearing their names called on draft day, which is a trend that could only continue to rise. Naudins has represented his home country well in international play but has spent the last two seasons playing for the prestigious Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school in Minnesota. This past season, Naudins had an impressive run, putting up 24 goals and 50 assists for 74 points in 51 games played.

It's still early in this player's career, but by all accounts, he's going to be an exceptional prospect. Naudins opened the scoring in this showdown against South Kent School this past season. Naudins helped lead the breakout and created a give-and-go that ended with him tapping the puck in to make it 1-0.

Shattuck-St. Mary's is already an impressive notch on his resume, but his plan going forward is just as promising. Naudins will play in the WHL with the Penticton Vees this season and is committed to Michigan for the 2028-29 season, after previously committing to Harvard. That said, it may be a while before this player sniffs the NHL, but for a team in no rush with its prospects, he could be a worthwhile long-term investment.

Currently, Tankathon has him ranked 25th among 2027 draft-eligible prospects, and Wheeler listed him 27th in his preseason rankings. The fact that he's already viewed as an expected first-round selection without having played any CHL or NCAA hockey speaks volumes about his potential. If he gets off to a hot start in Penticton and has an impressive year there, don't be surprised if his draft stock skyrockets.

Brock Cripps—Right Defense, Prince Albert Raiders, WHL

While this year's class isn't projected to be as defense-heavy as last season's, Brock Cripps is an early candidate to be one of the top defensemen behind Landon DuPont, the clear-cut top prospect at any position. Cripps is coming off a remarkable rookie season with the Raiders, in which he led all rookies in postseason scoring. Cripps put up an impressive six goals and 31 assists during the regular season but really turned it on in the postseason. In 20 games, Cripps collected four goals and 17 assists for 21 points, leaving him well over a point-per-game pace.

Wasting no time, Cripps had the primary assist on the Raiders' first goal of their Game 1 win against the Red Deer Rebels. Cripps did what he does best, moving the puck along the point to set up Braeden Cootes, a Vancouver Canucks draft pick, for the first goal of the series. Cripps would score one of his own later in the third period, letting a strong wrist shot go from the top of the circle. Finishing the night with a goal and a pair of assists, Cripps was just scratching the surface of what he would bring to the table for the Raiders that postseason.

His performance in Game 2 was just as exciting, as he got the Raiders on the board by going coast to coast on the penalty kill. While his initial move didn't find the back of the net, he refused to give up on the play and got his goal.

Now, I know people aren't going to be impressed with his 5-10, 170-pound frame, but let's keep in mind that he just turned 17 this summer. Cripps has another full season of junior ahead of him and could look to commit to an NCAA program. That said, he has plenty of development time ahead of him and will surely bulk up significantly before he's even close to suiting up for an NHL team. In the meantime, he still has a cannon of a shot.