Talk about a double gut punch. New York Rangers fans who watched the 2025 National Hockey League Draft Lottery cursed their TV screens when they saw the results.
It was bad enough that the New York Islanders were able to move from the tenth spot in the draft order all the way to the first overall pick. Next, the other shoe dropped. The Utah Hockey Club won the right to move up 10 spots in the Draft. Consequently, the Lottery outcome pushed the Rangers down to the 12th overall pick. A truly frustrating evening for the Blueshirts and their fans.
Chris Drury has a tough decision to make: Keep the 12th pick or cede it to Pittsburgh? Drury has until June 25th to inform the Penguins.
On one hand, if the Rangers defer the pick owed to Pittsburgh to 2026 Draft, it won’t be Lottery protected. No matter where the Rangers wind up in the Draft order, the Penguins would own it. Additionally, Rangers will not have either their 2026 first- or second-round picks anymore. The latter belongs to the Utah Hockey Club for a trade that was originally made back in 2022.
On the other hand, the Rangers badly need to start restocking the prospect cupboard. There is little high-level talent or depth in the system. Punting the process for another year is far from ideal.
What kind of message would Drury send to his boss, James Dolan, if he keeps the 2025 pick? How would fans and media interpret it? It’s no mystery. The decision would be a tacit admission that Drury fears the 2025-26 season will be worse than this year’s fiasco.
That will not go over well with the boss. Not at all. By the way, next season is the centennial celebration of Rangers hockey. Try selling an anniversary season when the GM already told the world that he expects a losing season. Meanwhile, the team is not even rebuilding.
Now, here’s an even better reason Drury needs to keep the 2025 pick. This year’s Entry Draft is stacked full of forwards at a time when the Rangers desperately need to add defensemen.
Right around the 12th pick, there should be two possibilities for the Rangers to select. The first one is Jackson Smith, a 6’4 195 left-handed defenseman who currently plays for Tri-City in the Western Hockey League.
Smith is a smooth skating, two-way defender. Scouting pundits rave about the player’s feet. On offense, Smith can lead the attack on the rush or run it from the blueline. Smith’s passing ability and ice vision allow him to spot his teammates for scoring opportunities. Defensively, his rangy skating makes him a disruptive force. He covers a lot of real estate.
As Smith matures into his body, he projects to add to his physical game. Yes, I’m advocating for one specific player if he’s on the board. In my opinion, Smith is an ideal selection for the Rangers with the 12th pick.
An alternative: Kashawn Aitcheson of the OHL’s Barrie Colts. At 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds (he’ll play at well over 200), the left-handed defenseman brings an intimidating presence. He’s a solid defensive-minded blueliner. If he were a WWE wrestler, Aitcheson would have a nickname like “Mad Dog”. A latter day Maurice Vachon or Buzz Sawyer?
Built more like a linebacker than a hockey defenseman, Aitcheson put up 26 goals this season for Barrie. However, I just do not see his offense transitioning to the NHL game. However, his off-the-puck game certainly does. Aitcheson plays a very physical brand of hockey, whether it is defending the attack or protecting his teammates.
More than just his physical play, Aitcheson reads the ice like a chess player. He knows what the other team is looking to do and is already looking to disrupt their efforts. If you try to set up in his slot area, expect to pay a price . He’s a crease-clearing defender in the old-school sense of the term.
If you are looking for the perfect replacement for Adam Fox’s partner, this is your guy. In my estimation, either one of these two prospects fit the bill. Best of all, they appear to be closer to becoming NHL-ready than most of the other possibilities.
Now the question some of you are going to have is why not consider an NCAA player with this pick. The answer is simple, the Rangers have gotten too reliant on the college players, and they need to get fresh blood into the system sooner rather than later.
I just do not see any of the NCAA defensemen as worth taking at 12. But if the Rangers were to look to trade down to add more draft picks say in the second round, then a player like Logan Hensler of Wisconsin or Sascha Boumedienne of Boston University would be good options.
By the way, I have only seen one European defenseman worth taking. However, Czech defenseman Radim Mrtka (a 6’6 man-child) will be long gone before the Rangers draft.
