NY Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan introduced in Tarrytown
Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan is introduced during a press conference at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York, May 8, 2025.
The New York Rangers no longer own a pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, June 27, and will be broadcast on ESPN. They opted to send the No. 12 overall selection to the Pittsburgh Penguins as the final condition from the J.T. Miller trade, preferring to keep their 2026 first-rounder instead.
But the Blueshirts will be active in round Nos. 2-7, beginning at noon on Saturday and airing on NHL Network and ESPN+. They hold eight combined picks in those rounds, starting with No. 43 overall. That’s their highest total since 2021.
The lack of a premium draft slot will prevent team president Chris Drury from nabbing one of the top prospects, but his dearth of Day 2 picks offers an opportunity to rebuild organizational depth.
This year’s class is considered light on high-end talents, with league sources believing that will cause unpredictability from the second half of the first round into the later portions of the draft. That variance will test scouting departments and reward those who pinpoint specific skill sets in the midst of the chaos.
The Rangers don’t have a strong drafting history, but they have a decent track record of uncovering contributors in the middle rounds. Forwards Brett Berard (No. 134 overall in 2020), Will Cuylle (No. 60 overall in 2020), Adam Edström (No. 161 overall in 2019) and Matt Rempe (No. 165 overall in 2020) are good examples from recent years, with star goalie Igor Shesterkin (No. 118 overall in 2014) proving to be the ultimate hidden gem.
The pipeline could frankly use an influx of talent. New York made only nine combined picks in the previous two drafts as a result of several win-now trades, which has significantly thinned their prospect pool. A few young wingers are knocking on the NHL door, most notably former first-round picks Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault, but the system is painfully shallow at center and on defense.
Expect those positions to be a focus this weekend, with the onus on Drury and director of player personnel and amateur scouting John Lilley to identify potential steals deeper in the draft. They’re unlikely to land future stars given their lack of high picks, but they should start by taking swings on prospects with undeveloped upside and look to find useful role players in the later rounds.
The Rangers could do some maneuvering, as well.
The extra picks should allow Drury to move up if a prospect he covets drops within striking distance. He’s also believed to be working on a trade involving defenseman K’Andre Miller, among possible others. The preference is to acquire NHL players who can immediately bolster the lineup, but New York may have to settle for additional draft picks and try to make the most of them.
It all bears watching in the next couple days, with this page the go-to place to find analysis of every pick and updates on any other draft-day transactions:
Second round
No. 43 overall
Third round
No. 70
No. 89
Fourth round
No. 111
Fifth round
No. 139
Sixth round
No. 166
No. 171
Seventh round
No. 203
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.