New York Rangers’ Most Probable 2025 Draft Scenario

But falling to ninth overall or picking 13th are quite unlikely. For one, the latter of the options, the 20th-place Columbus Blue Jackets, would need to win both of their remaining games in regulation, while the Rangers may need to win out to pass their Metropolitan Division foes. The Detroit Red Wings currently have the same amount of points as the Rangers with a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Rangers would own a tiebreaker due to the ROW (regulation and overtime wins) column advantage, as they do with the rest of the teams around their position. So if the Red Wings lose out, the Rangers would pass them in the standings.

On paper, the Rangers have a tough remaining schedule. That includes a Monday matchup against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. Interestingly, just two points separate the Florida-based teams in the standings, and they could be battling the Rangers in both games for home-ice advantage. So the stakes could be high enough for them to play their full lineups, rather than rest key guys for the postseason. That could very easily result in two regulation losses for the Rangers.

If that happens, it could open the door for another possibility. If the Anaheim Ducks win out under that scenario, they would pass the Rangers. And the New York Islanders losing their remaining games wouldn’t alter the draft positioning either.

To sum that up, the most likely range for Rangers will be 10th-11th overall, with an outside chance the pick slides to ninth or moves up to 12th. If the Blueshirts win one game, the Red Wings would have to come out victorious in two of their last three games of the season, while the Islanders would need just one to surpass the Rangers.

Rangers Will Have Option to Defer First-Round Pick

It’s also important to note that the Rangers, due to the J.T. Miller acquisition in January, will be without a first-round pick in either 2025 or 2026. The conditions of the deal can protect the first-round choice at the 2025 Draft if the Rangers finish with the 13th overall pick or worse. But new reporting on the matter has come out. If the pick winds up being 13th or worse, the Rangers will have the option to send it to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2025 and keep their first-rounder in 2026 instead, according to The Athletic (from “How Rangers’ final 3 games and NHL draft lottery impact decision on conditional first-rounder,” The Athletic, 4/11/25).

So it could be a tough decision for the organization. Assuming president and general manager Chris Drury returns for a fifth season, he will need to weigh the options. For example, the 2026 Draft class is widely projected to be stronger than 2025, which may tempt some into wanting to get the pain over with now so the Rangers don’t risk finishing near the bottom of the standings in 2026 and missing out on potentially a top-five pick.

But let’s pause for a second. Yes, the 2024-25 season will go down as one of the most disastrous and disappointing seasons in franchise history. But ask yourself, do you think it’s realistic that the Rangers will miss the playoffs for a second straight season (let alone finish in the bottom five)? We are not suggesting they will be Stanley Cup contenders in 2025-26, but there’s just too much talent on the roster, from Artemi Panarin, and Adam Fox to Igor Shesterkin, for a season to spiral out of control again.

So, assuming the Rangers qualify for the postseason in 2026-27, the pick range will likely be between 17 and the late 20s. Is that more valuable in a stronger draft class than potentially a top-10 pick in 2025? That’s where the decision gets complicated. Predicting is almost impossible, but the organization will need to take a calculated risk either way.

Likewise, the Rangers will need to deploy a thorough process and study this year’s draft class and decide whether an available player in their range can be a difference maker. If the team scouts aren’t crazy about the options in 2025, then it makes sense to defer this year’s pick to the Penguins.

But the games in the coming days between the Ducks, Islanders, and Red Wings will carry the biggest weight on where the Rangers pick. The Blueshirts should take the time to evaluate some of their younger players, from Brett Berard to Gabriel Perreault, to see how they compete against Eastern Conference contenders. By no means should the Rangers throw in the towel or tank the last couple of games in an effort to drop lower in the draft order. Regardless, a tough decision will need to be made on the 2025 Draft pick, whether it’s used or shipped to Pittsburgh.