Rangers 2026 Draft (Pick) Radar Scouting Report, Pt. 1

By most accounts, the New York Rangers had a very successful 2026 NHL Draft, making a total of nine selections. What exactly made those picks successful? Joe went into that the week after the draft. And we've also collectively shared our thoughts on their first round selection, defenseman Alberts Smits.

To further Joe's points, we're going to take a deeper look at the seasons these prospects just had, and what the future holds for them in this two part edition of the Draft (Pick) Radar Scouting Report series.

Kicking things off, let's talk about Ben Macbeath, Danai Shaiikov, Darian Anderson, and Andre Mondoux.

Ben Macbeath - Defense, Calgary Hitmen, WHL

With their second selection in the 2026 draft, the Rangers chose defenseman Ben Macbeath from the Calgary Hitmen. At 64th overall, this was a great value pick for the Rangers, as Macbeath had fallen quite a bit on draft day. Ranked 22nd on NHL Central Scouting's list of North American skaters, Macbeath was projected to be an early second round selection, if not a late first. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic had him 44th on his final rankings of the 2026 class, Craig Button of TSN had Macbeath going 23rd overall in an earlier mock draft. In my final mock draft, I actually had him going 30th overall to the Calgary Flames.

Macbeath was featured in my final Draft Radar Scouting Report story of the 2025-26 season, as I suggested he would be a name for the Rangers to consider, either with the 26th overall pick they had (before sending it to Vegas in the Pavel Dorofeyev trade), or to try and trade up from thee 64th overall selection. That was a tactic they didn't need to resort to, as Macbeath was still on the board at the end of round two.

Here's what I had to say about him this time last month:

MacBeath is a strong, mobile, puck-mover who is good in all situations and is coming off a fantastic season with the Calgary Hitmen. In 67 games played, MacBeath scored seven goals and assisted on 44 for a total of 51 points. Additionally, he gained valuable experience representing Team Canada at this year’s U-18 World Juniors. 

This is another player that you’re hard pressed to find anything bad to say about. He competes, plays a responsible two-way game, and is the type of player most coaches would love to have on their team. Whatever you need from him, he’s adaptable, can fill any role, and has the tools to stand out on his own.

With that, let's take a deeper look at his 2025-26 season.

As mentioned, Macbeath had a total of 51 points in 67 games played with the Hitmen this season. That was enough to make him the highest point-producing defenseman on their roster, finishing fifth on the team in points overall. It didn't take him long to get going this season, as his first goal came in Calgary's third game of the season against the Edmonton Oil Kings. With six and a half minutes to go in the third period and the score tied at three, Macbeath's mobility was on display as he received a pass at the point, weaved his way through the slot and let a clean shot go to beat the Oil Kings netminder on the glove side. That would be the difference maker in a 5-3 win for the Hitmen against their Alberta rivals.

Just two games later, he had his first multi-point outing of the season, picking up a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. After assisting on a power play goal that was waived off early in the first, Macbeath scored midway through the second to tie the game up at one. Coming off the bench, he picked up a drop pass and took it right to the net as he snuck a shot through. While it's not his largest attribute, offense is definitely a part of his game, as more often than not Macbeath is playing with a shoot first mindset in the offensive zone. This is on display as he assists on the goal that made it 4-1 midway through the third.

Macbeath finished October strong with a goal and an assist in back-to-back games, carrying a four-game point streak into November. In a span of 12 games between late October-late November, Macbeath only went three games without registering a point as he had three goals and nine assists.

One thing you'll really notice from watching Macbeath is his strong work ethic and refusal to give up on the play. That's evident on this goal against the Swift Current Broncos where he walks the puck into the offensive zone along the boards, cuts to the slot and fires not one, not two, but three shots on net to capitalize on his own rebound to extend his team's lead to 3-0.

Another exciting thing about this player is just how well he plays in all different situations. As Calgary's top defenseman, he impacted the game all season long at even strength, as well as special teams. Just short of half of his points this season came on the power play, including this goal against the Regina Pats. You can see Macbeath commanding play at the point and moving around to put himself in a position to score as he eventually does off a smart shot from the right slot.

Macbeath was a consistent contributor throughout the year and finished the regular season strong, riding a six-game point streak into this postseason. Throughout the playoffs, Macbeath had just two assists in seven games as the Hitmen fell short against the Medicine Hat Tigers in the second round of the playoffs. Still, the future is incredibly bright for him, as he is set to make the jump to the NCAA next season, honoring his commitment to Denver University. He will be an exciting name to follow throughout the season as the potential for him is quite high.