The Rangers’ odds of landing the No. 1 pick remained high until the last minute, but the ping-pong balls in this year’s NHL draft lottery did not bounce in their favor.
Dropping two spots in the initial draft order, which was determined by the inverse order of the regular-season standings, the Blueshirts’ lucky four-number combinations were not so lucky and drew their lowest possible position at fifth overall in the first round of the draft on June 26 in Buffalo.
Instead, the ping-pong balls popped the Maple Leafs at No. 1 and the Sharks at No. 2.
While Gavin McKenna is projected to go first overall and Ivar Stenberg second, there is a strong group of defensemen who are expected to follow. Left-handed blueliner Carson Carels of the Western Hockey League, as well as right-handed defenseman Chase Reid of the Ontario Hockey League and the WHL’s Daxon Rudolph, could go in any order near the top of the draft.
Caleb Malhotra — son of former Ranger Manny Malhotra — could still be available four picks into the draft. Committed to Boston University, Malhotra is widely considered the premier center of the draft.
The Rangers would certainly benefit from a young center in a pipeline that has been thin down the middle for some time. Considering Vincent Trocheck is likely to be traded this offseason, the Rangers could replenish with the 6-foot-2, 183-pound center.