While there are plenty of teams not crazy about doing the draft before the season ends, the Rangers are not in that group. Speaking with a source close to the team, the Rangers are ready to go and are all for it if that is indeed what the NHL decides next week. They may be even anxious by the sounds of it.
In a recent report by Elliotte Friedman the NHL Deputy Commissioner tried to make the case in the face that this season could still be cancelled. Now there are plenty of questions around how to seat teams, deal with conditional picks, and more. Here is how Friedman explained it:
- Using each team’s points percentage to determine the Order of Selection. (That’s under the current playoff format, so 16 teams would be out of the lottery and 15 would be in.)
- Changing the lottery format this season only — picking just one winner, and limiting any move-up to a maximum of four spots.
- For conditional trades, the league would propose solutions. The teams would have seven days to either reform the deal on terms acceptable to both, or accept the NHL’s idea.
John Davidson Has Rangers Ready
Earlier last month, Rangers President John Davidson discussed prepping for the draft under these circumstances. JD stated they are are working very hard even though they didn’t know when and how it would be conducted. However, Jeff Gorton has worked with the staff and given assignments on the top 50 players in the draft. Scouts are getting 3 games apiece on these players and must provide a report. In North America, they have even started contacting some of these kids so if the draft is indeed set next month the Rangers will be good to go.
Rangers Targets
Our own Russell Hartman recently wrote:
First of all, this is an extremely deep draft at the forward position. There are some extremely dynamic talents including the aforementioned LaFreniere and Stutzle. At the 13th spot in the draft, look for the Rangers to acquire a dynamic forward. The time for drafting defensemen has passed with their defense pipeline stocked to the brim with talent including K’Andre Miller, Nils Lundkvist, Tarmo Reunanen, Hunter Skinner, Matthew Robertson and so on. Here are five guys the Rangers should be looking at with the 13th pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Here’s a list of potential draft targets:
- Jan Mysak: C/LW – 6’0” – 176 pounds
- Connor Zary: C – 6’0” – 181 Pounds
- Dylan Holloway: C – 6’0” – 192 pounds
- Hendrix Lapierre: C – 6’0” – 181 Pounds
- Noel Günler: LW/RW – 6’2” – 174 pounds
