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Marc Staal spent 13 seasons with the New York Rangers (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Revisiting Rangers’ 12th Overall Picks: Hugh Jessiman & Marc Staal

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Brian Abate | Last updated May 15, 2025 8:35 AM ET

The New York Rangers had a disappointing season and missed the playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24, and they now hold the 12th-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. They drafted winger Hugh Jessiman 12th overall in 2003 and defenseman Marc Staal 12th overall in 2005. Both had very different careers, and the hope is the Blueshirts make a wise decision with their selection in this draft.

Hugh Jessiman

Heading into the 2003 NHL Draft, the Rangers had missed the playoffs for a few consecutive seasons, and with multiple aging stars, they hoped to land a franchise cornerstone in the draft. Jessiman was a 6-foot-6 power forward and had an excellent freshman season at Dartmouth in 2002-03, finishing with 23 goals and 24 assists in 34 games.

Jessiman played well in 2003-04, but not as well as he did as a freshman, and finished with 16 goals and 17 assists in 34 games. He decided to play one more season at Dartmouth in 2004-05, but had just one goal and one assist in 12 games before an ankle injury ended his season. He spent parts of the next four seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) and had some success, but never became a standout forward with them. During the 2008-09 season, the Rangers traded him to the Nashville Predators for future considerations.

During the 2010-11 season, Jessiman played his only two career NHL games with the Florida Panthers and was held without a point. He spent the majority of his career in the AHL and played one season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

In addition to Jessiman not working out for the Rangers, the pick was a painful one as stars Dustin Brown and Brent Seabrook were selected immediately after Jessiman, and both went on to win the Stanley Cup multiple times. The 2003 NHL Draft was loaded with talent, and Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Burns, and Corey Perry were all picked later in the first round. All of them could have made a difference for the Blueshirts as they tried to win the Cup during the prime of Henrik Lundqvist’s career.

Marc Staal

Two seasons after drafting Jessiman 12th overall, the Rangers selected Staal 12th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-4 blueliner made his NHL debut at just 20 years old during the 2007-08 season, and by the following season, he was a top-four defenseman.

Though Staal began his career as a physical, defensive-minded defenseman, he showed offensive promise, finishing with eight goals and 19 assists in 82 games in 2009-10 and seven goals and 22 assists in 77 games in 2010-11. He missed the first half of the 2011-12 season dealing with post-concussion symptoms but played well in the postseason and scored a memorable overtime winner in Game 5 of the second round against the Washington Capitals.

Staal suffered a career-threatening eye injury when he was hit in the eye with a deflected shot in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers early in the 2012-13 season. Despite permanent damage to his eye, he returned and remained a top-four defenseman for many more seasons. He never became a star after the injury, but he contributed on the penalty kill and helped the Rangers make a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013-14.

Staal spent his first 13 seasons with the Rangers and finished with 43 goals and 145 assists in 892 regular-season games and seven goals and 13 assists in 107 playoff games. He went on to play another four seasons, spending two with the Detroit Red Wings, one with the Florida Panthers, and one with the Flyers. He retired after the 2023-24 season.

This Is a Crucial Draft for the Rangers

Heading into the draft this offseason, the Rangers have a lot of veterans and need to find more skilled young players. The 12th pick is their earliest since they drafted Alexis Lafreniere first overall in 2020. After a disappointing pick in Jessiman, and some bad luck with injuries for Staal, the hope is the Blueshirts will take a talented player who stays healthy with the 12th overall pick this year.