https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6958368/2026/01/20/nhl-draft-2026-prospects-ranking-stenberg-mckenna/

It's funny how in a year when the Rangers will have a pretty good pick and desperately need a center, there are no centers ranked top 5 and the draft is stacked with wingers and defensemen.

Here are his current top 10:

  1. Ivar Stenberg RW

  2. Gavin McKenna LW

  3. Keaton Verhoeff RHD

  4. Chase Reid RHD

  5. Alberts Smits LHD

  6. Tynan Lawrence C

  7. Ryan Lin RHD

  8. Carson Carels LHD

  9. Viggo Bjorck C

  10. Caleb Malholtra C

17 comments

  1. Hate to be this guy but we need a top 5 pick! This is a lost season. Let shesty and Fox get healthy. Come back in 2/3 years with some more youth/speed and defenseman that can move the puck

  5. Def need a C especially if Trocheck is traded or Miller is moved to W. But I would argue it’s equally important to get a puck-moving defenseman that can actually defend.

  6. Watch the Rangers end up with a top 5 pick and Drury reaches way down the board to take Roobroeck 

  7. If we’re picking in the top 5, I would take Tynan Lawrence and call it a day.

    He’s a very fast, very skilled center who plays both ways at a high level and has some snarl to his game. He’s also about almost a year younger than virtually everybody in this class.

    Edit: I should rephrase- if we’re picking 3rd-5th. If we hit the lotto, I would say take Stenberg. McKenna is almost a guaranteed fumble for this franchise.

  8. If we end up with Keaton Verheoff, I will be very happy. Aaron Ekblad type you can build around. Tynan Lawrence needs at least a season in the NCAA and a season in the AHL. Scared to get a guy who needs seasoning considering how our spice rack has looked.

  9. Simas Ignatavicius has the best name of the draft.

    It’s going to be interesting to see what Šmits does at the Olympics. His stock is rising after the WJC.

  10. Almost hoping NYR *doesn’t* get #1 via lottery win, with all the chatter already about McKenna not being what was hyped. But you know if they passed over him it’d be another blunder. Last year all the talk was how deep the draft was and now it’s about not stepping on a landmine. Can’t wait.

  12. McKenna would be a mess for the rangers, but of Lawrence plays well at BU he’s gonna jump up here with all these guys struggling to adapt to the NCAA

  13. Don’t know exactly where Mathis Preston is gonna fall but I like him a lot. If we’re going for defense I like Smits.

  16. I really like Adam Novotny, such a strong NHL profile. Drives play, creates chances from a strong forecheck, and is really excellent defensively. I think he will rise a lot over the next few months, but sadly not as high as where the Rangers might pick.

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