The NY Rangers are in a bit of a strange situation. Their dismal season landed them the third-overall pick. But the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery was merciless. The Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks cut in line ahead of the Blueshirts, dropping them to fifth.
Now, the fifth-overall pick is a solid one. With this draft as solid as it is, the Rangers could land a potential generational talent. Given how deep the 2026 NHL Draft is purported to be, New York can’t go wrong with their pick.
But then again, what if the NY Rangers could move up to, say, second overall? Would such a situation be worth it?
If such an opportunity arose, it would certainly be worthwhile for the Blueshirts to explore moving up. The San Jose Sharks, holders of the second selection, have been rolling in NHL trade chatter. The prevailing talk is that the Sharks are willing to move their selection, for the right price, of course.
That’s where the situation could get murky for the NY Rangers. What would Chris Drury be willing to pay for that pick? That’s a question for the ages.
NY Rangers Could Target Ivar Stenberg with 2nd Pick
The whole point of landing the second-overall selection is to take Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg. That assessment hinges on the supposition that the Maple Leafs would take Gavin McKenna with the top pick.
Stenberg is considered the best two-way forward in the draft. Pundits have called Stenberg a winger version of Aleksander Barkov. As such, Stenberg could be a solid threat on both sides of the puck. That’s something that fits the NY Rangers very well. The club doesn’t have that sort of forward in the system. Even if the cost were high, the Blueshirts would do well to make a push for Stenberg.
That said, there is a downside to taking Stenberg. The presumptive second-overall pick is a winger, not a center. Considering that the Rangers will be looking to trade a center such as Vincent Trocheck, it makes sense that the club target a center, and not a winger.
Unless Drury has a deal for a center lying around somewhere, the Rangers might be better off taking a center and passing on Stenberg.
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Blueshirts Might Target Caleb Malhotra Instead
The best center in the draft, according to most scouts, is Caleb Malhotra. Since both Stenberg and McKenna are wingers, they don’t really make sense for teams that don’t have a number-one center.
The Maple Leafs have Auston Matthews, making Stenberg or McKenna a fine choice.
But that’s not the case with the NY Rangers. The Blueshirts will need someone as the top center to play with Stenberg. If they plan to hold onto Trocheck, then taking Stenberg could work.
But why not jump the gun and take Malhotra? He has the potential to become a top-line center. And if such a prospect is available to them at #2, why take a chance on someone else?
If the NY Rangers were to work out a deal with the Sharks, the consensus would be New York taking Stenberg. But there might be a draft-day surprise that very few might see coming.
NY Rangers Should Push to Land 2nd-Overall Pick in 2026 Draft