Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making the Case: Ivar Stenberg
Think the Rangers don't need another winger? Think again. Ivar Stenberg might be the best player in the entire draft.
Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making the Case: Chase Reid
Reid's journey hasn't been conventional, but his development curve may be the most impressive story in this year's draft class.
Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making The Case: Caleb Malhotra
The best natural center in this draft class—and the Rangers desperately need one. The case for Caleb Malhotra at fifth overall is strong. Getting him there is the hard part.
Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making The Case: Carson Carels
Carels’s rise in the rankings could leave him out of reach, but he would be a phenomenal addition to the Rangers prospect pool.
Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making the Case: Alberts Smits
A mobile, physical defenseman with top-pair potential, Alberts Smits checks nearly every box for teams drafting near the top of the first round.
Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making The Case: Keaton Verhoeff
A big, well-rounded defenseman fresh off a visit to the Frozen Four, Keaton Verhoeff could have one of the highest chances to be chosen by the Rangers.
Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making the Case: Tynan Lawrence
The Rangers may be betting on projection over current production if they call Lawrence’s name at fifth overall.
Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making the Case: Viggo Björck
There are safer picks at five, but few players in this draft bring Björck’s mix of skill, intensity, and production. The question is whether the Rangers are willing to bet on talent over size.
Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making The Case: Ethan Belchetz
Belchetz has 40-goal upside and checks every box the Rangers prioritize. But a broken clavicle and a defense-heavy draft class would make using the fifth pick on him a real gamble.
Making the Case NHL Draft 2026
Making The Case: Oscar Hemming
Oscar Hemming has the size, the shot, and the net-front game the Rangers sorely needs. So is he the right pick at fifth overall? Making The Case weighs his upside against deeper positional needs.
New York Rangers Prospects
Feldman's 2026 Mock Draft: First Edition
Chris's first mock draft ranks the top 32 prospects—and this one's based purely on player merit. See where the top 32 prospects shake out, which names Rangers fans should be quietly rooting to slip to fifth overall, and who could become a late-first-round steal.
New York Rangers Prospects
Roberto's 2026 Mock Draft: First Edition
The 2026 NHL Draft class is loaded with intrigue beyond the top two. Here's a full first-round projection, including the defenseman with the highest upside, the center whose playoff run silenced the skeptics, and a few sliding names worth watching at the end of the round.