The Rangers right now own the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, after dropping back one spot in the draft lottery Monday. The Rangers had a 3 percent chance of moving up to the top pick, but the Islanders instead won the lottery with only slightly better odds (3.5 percent) going in.

We say “right now” because the Rangers must decide if they want to hold on to their 2025 first-round pick or turn it over to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers traded this pick to the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31 when they acquired J.T. Miller. The Canucks then flipped it to the Penguins in a deal for defenseman Marcus Pettersson.

Since the pick is top-13 protected, the Rangers can keep it this season and then send an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Penguins, or give this year’s pick to Pittsburgh and retain their 2026 selection in the first round.

It’s not an easy decision for Rangers general manager Chris Drury and Co., but one that the Rangers need to make 48 hours before the start of the draft June 27.

If they do keep this year’s pick, it’ll be the sixth time the Rangers select 12th overall. Of the previous five, Hugh Jessiman is an all-time Rangers bust and Marc Staal is a distinguished alum who played nearly 1,200 games in the NHL.

Let’s break down the five players selected 12th overall by the Rangers.

Related: Why Rangers should consider bringing Morgan Barron back to anchor 3rd line

Ranking Rangers all-time 12th overall draft picks, from worst to best

Let’s cut to the chase and start this list with the worst of the worst, and work our way up.

Hugh Jessiman – F – 2003

There’ve been some really poor first-round selections made by the Rangers over the years. None are in the same league as Hugh Jessiman.

The 6-foot-6 product of Dartmouth College was not a good skater nor was he talented enough to play on some very bad Rangers teams of that era. In fact, Jessiman never played a single game with the Rangers. He bounced between the AHL and ECHL in the minors for four seasons before the Rangers dumped him on the Nashville Predators on Oct. 30, 2008.

A career minor leaguers, Jessiman did appear in two NHL games with the Florida Panthers in the latter part of the 2010-11 season. He and defenseman Shawn Belle, the No. 30 overall pick by the St. Louis Blues who played 20 games, are the only players selected in the first round of the 2003 draft to appear in fewer than 192 games. Thirteen players from that stacked first round played in more than 1,000 NHL games.

The list of players the Rangers missed on after selecting Jessiman include Dustin Brown, Brent Seabrook, Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Burns, Ryan Kesler, Mike Richards and Corey Perry. And that’s just in the first round. We won’t even pile on with Patrice Bergeron, Shea Weber, Loui Eriksson, David Backes and Jimmy Howard from the second round.

In one of the great drafts in NHL history, the Rangers had a massive fail selecting Jessiman No. 12 overall.

Pierre Jarry – F – 1969

Maybe this isn’t quite fair to Pierre Jarry, who played seven seasons and 344 games in the NHL. But the Rangers’ first-round selection in 1969 lands as their second-worst No. 12 overall pick because he lasted less than one season on Broadway.

Jarry played 34 games with the Rangers as a rookie in 1971-72 and scored three goals, including the first two of his NHL career in the same game against the California Golden Seals on Nov. 21, 1971. But he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 20, 1972.

What compounded their failure is that the Rangers acquired defenseman Jim Dorey, who played one game for them that season, his last in the NHL. Jarry went on to a decent career with the Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota North Stars, even scoring 21 goals in 1975-76.

Wayne Dillon – C – 1975

The Rangers had high hopes for Wayne Dillon, who was a prolific scorer in junior and for two seasons with the Toronto Toros in the now-defunct professional World Hockey Association. Dillon had a good start on Broadway, too. He was fifth on the Rangers with 21 goals as a rookie in 1975-76 and finished sixth with 45 points in 79 games.

He had 17 goals and 46 points the following season, but cratered in 1977-78 with just five goals and 18 points in 59 games for the Rangers, who sent him to the minors for a spell. Dillon bolted the Rangers and returned to the WHA after that season, and played one more NHL season with the Winnipeg Jets in 1979-80.

All told, Dillon played 229 NHL games and was out of hockey by 1982.

Dave Gagner – C – 1983

Dave Gagner is far and away the most talented player selected 12th overall by the Rangers. However, the bulk of that production came after his brief tenure with the Rangers, which consisted of three seasons bouncing between Broadway and the minors.

After just 80 games in the Blueshirt, Gagner was shipped to the Minnesota North Stars in 1987. He scored 30+ goals in six consecutive season for the North Stars/Dallas Stars, including 40 in both the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons. That latter campaign, Gagner helped lead the North Stars to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Gagner, who also played for the Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Panthers and Vancouver Canucks, finished his career with 318 goals and 719 points in 946 NHL games.

Marc Staal – D – 2005

Marc Staal played far more games for the Rangers than the four other No. 12 overall picks combined. In fact, Staal played the sixth-most games in Rangers history — fourth among defensemen — with 892, and another 107 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

He would’ve played even more games with the Rangers had a serious concussion and later a troubling eye injury not robbed part of his prime from 2011-13. But his remains a long and successful career with the Rangers, one that included a trip to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings and three trips to the Eastern Conference Final.

Never an offensive star, Staal instead was a steady, defensive-minded defenseman, one who spent many seasons on a shutdown pair with Dan Girardi. He ended up playing 1,136 NHL games after concluding his career with the Detroit Red Wings, Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers.

In that same timeline, Staal also doesn’t sustain a gruesome eye injury just over two years later when a Kimmo Timonen slapshot causes him permanent damage.

But alas, we don’t live in that universe and those two things did happen to Marc, who announced last week both his retirement as an NHL player and that he’s joined the Rangers as a player development assistant, rejoining the franchise that selected him in the first-round of the 2005 NHL Draft.

Those injuries more than a decade ago changed the perception of the player Staal was for the Rangers before those incidents occurred, and that’s a shame for everyone.

Though he was never going to be Bobby Orr or Brian Leetch, Adam Fox or Cale Makar, Staal was on a path to be a very solid top-four defenseman. And to his credit, he still accomplished that despite missing extended periods of time due to both injuries, including the eye issue that never truly healed.

Before that concussion in February 2011, the then 24-year-old had become a mainstay on the Rangers blue line and was contributing offensively with an NHL career-high 29 points in 77 games after posting 27 points the year prior. He appeared in his only NHL All Star Game just three weeks before the concussion.

Not bad for a fourth-year defenseman.

For modern context, Ryan Lindgren’s career-high in points came in 2022-23 when he scored one goal and had 18 points with the Rangers. And Staal likely was even more reliable defensively than Lindgren.

Related: Former Rangers star Mike Gartner lands prestigious gig with Hockey Hall of Fame

Rangers had sustained period of success with Marc Staal in the lineup

There’s quite a definitive line in the sand for Staal before and after that injury when it comes to his ability to contribute in both ends of the ice. He’d never score more than 20 points in a season again.

Staal missed the first half of the 2011-12 season before returning at the 2012 Winter Classic against the Philadelphia Flyers. By that point, though, he’d been replaced on the depth chart by Ryan McDonagh and never again captured his role as the team’s top left-handed blueliner.

We’ll never know what could have been for Staal had those injuries not derailed a career that was off to such a promising start. With that said, though, Staal was a mainstay on the Rangers blue line during one of the most successful extended runs in franchise history.

His return in mid-2012 helped the Rangers finish atop the Metropolitan Division and make their first appearance in the Eastern Conference Final since 1997. Two years later, Staal, along with Anton Stralman, held down the second pairing to help New York reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in two decades.

With that long reach, underrated strength, unwavering compete level and veteran smarts, Staal was a pain to play against. Just ask the likes of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Over the years, each future Hall of Famer spoke about how difficult it was to play against Staal, especially in their numerous playoff matchups.

All told, Staal spent 13 years with the Rangers and missed the playoffs just four times, three of which came after The Letter of 2018 signaled a pivot towards a rebuild.

Despite missing significant time with those two injuries, Staal played 892 of his 1,136 NHL games with the Rangers, sixth most in franchise history, fourth among defensemen behind Harry Howell, Brian Leetch and Ron Greschner.

Staal — along with fellow longtime teammate Dan Girardi — became a punching bag of sorts from this fanbase, though, especially late in his Rangers career. Too slow. Not productive enough. Makes too much money.

No, Staal never lived up to the hype he may have entered the League with. But he was a steady presence, who routinely was on the ice against the opponent’s best. And he did it for a team with sustained success for a decade.

Few players — especially in this organization — can lay claim to that.

That draft followed a lockout that cancelled the entire 2004-05 season. After the 10-month lockout ended, the League pieced together the 2005 draft within eight days. A lottery was held to decide draft order for all 30 teams at the time. The Rangers were on of four teams with a weighted favor to land the No. 1 overall pick, which ended up being Crosby.

Not only did the Rangers not select first — the Pittsburgh Penguins did, of course — they fell all the way to No. 16 overall in the lottery. They did, however, swing a deal with the Atlanta Thrashers to move up to the No. 12 pick, where the selected Staal, one slot after the Los Angeles Kings nabbed Anze Kopitar.

Entering the draft, Staal was ranked ninth overall and third among defenseman on the final central scouting rankings and safe to say the pick worked out. Before retiring Thursday, Staal played 17 seasons and 1,136 regular-season games in the NHL.

Staal is currently seventh in games played from the 2005 draft class and was a steady presence for 892 games with the Rangers, especially early in his career. It’s safe to say Staal is their second best first-rounder of the salary cap era, behind Chris Kreider in 2009.

After making his debut in 2007, Staal missed seven games in his first four seasons and was rewarded with a five-year, $19.875 million contract in Sept. 2010, and named alternate captain.

Injuries took their toll soon after, though. Staal sustained a crippling concussion after a hit late in the 2010-11 season from his own brother, Eric, of the Carolina Hurricanes. Then he took a deflected puck in the eye against the Philadelphia Flyers in March of 2013 and actually played without vision in that eye.

His impressive durability and solid defensive play in the top-four continued, though. Staal missed only 35 games over his final six seasons with the Rangers, before he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings following the 2019-20 season.

During his tenure on Broadway, the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final three times (2012, 2014, 2015) and the Stanley Cup Final once, losing in fives to the Kings in 2014. He also played a big role on the 2014-15 Presidents’ Trophy winners.

His 892 regular-season games played are sixth most in Rangers history, fourth among defensemen, behind only Harry Howell (1,160), Brian Leetch (1,129) and Ron Greschner (981). Staal is third among skaters in Rangers history, playing 107 postseason games.

Related: 2 former Rangers forwards elected to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

Marc Staal stands out in Rangers mixed history with 1st-round draft picks

Staal was drafted at a time at a time when the Rangers consistently swung and missed with their first-round selections. That infamous group included Al Montoya in 2004, Hugh Jessiman in 2003 and Dan Blackburn in 2001, along with Pavel Brendl and Jamie Lundmark in 1999.

Outside of Staal, that Rangers’ draft class of 2005 was nothing special. However, part of that is because their second-round pick, Michael Sauer, sustained a career-ending concussion on Dec. 5, 2011, when the rugged defenseman was crushed by a Dion Phaneuf check.

Like Staal, Sauer looked to be a mainstay on the Rangers blue line before that injury.

Other than Staal and Sauer, the 2005 draft was a rough one for the Rangers, coming off seven straight non-playoff seasons, though two of the picks were used in notable trades.

Tom Pyatt played 445 games in the NHL after being picked in the fourth round but none were with the Rangers. They included the forward in the 2009 deal that sent Scott Gomez to the Montreal Canadiens for future captain Ryan McDonagh, among others. Marc-Andre Cliché played 151 games in the NHL after the Rangers included the former second-round pick in a Feb. 2007 trade with the Kings for agitating forward Sean Avery

Staal, though, was clearly the jewel of that 2005 draft class.

In the salary cap era, Kreider is the gold standard for Rangers first-round picks, beating out Staal for that distinction. The Rangers did land forward J.T. Miller in 2011 and defenseman Brady Skjei in 2012. But they missed badly with Bobby Sanguinetti in 2006, Dylan McIlrath in 2010, Lias Andersson in 2017 and Vitali Kravtsov in 2018.

As for recent first-rounders, Kaapo Kakko is still a regular when healthy, but the 2019 first-round pick is entering a make-or-break season after failing to garner anything but a third-line role in New York.

Alexis Lafreniere was not quite as underwhelming as Kakko in his first three seasons but left the Rangers hoping for more after making him the No. 1 overall pick in 2020. Lafreniere broke out with NHL career highs of 28 goals and 57 points last season and is considered a star on the rise at the age of 22.

Since Lafreniere, the Rangers used their first-round picks on promising forwards Brennan Othmann in 2021 and Gabe Perreault in 2023, and defenseman EJ Emery in June. Each is among the top NHL players and prospects under the age of 23, per a recent breakdown by The Athletic.

So, perhaps one day Staal gets passed by Lafreniere or one of the young stud prospects. But on this day of his retirement, the steady defenseman goes down as a success story and one of the Rangers’ best first-round picks of the salary cap era.

The former Rangers defenseman will be a player development assistant. Per Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Staal’s role will be to work with defensemen at Hartford of the American Hockey League and throughout the organization.

Congratulations Marc on a great career! Thrilled to have you back and looking forward to your next chapter as #NYR Player Development Assistant. pic.twitter.com/8nv5SnlyIH

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 5, 2024

Staal played 1,136 NHL games and 128 more in the Stanley Cup Playoffs over 17 seasons. The 37-year-old reunited with former Rangers coach John Tortorella with the Philadelphia Flyers last season and played 35 games to close out his NHL career.

Two seasons ago, Staal played all 82 games — and 21 in the postseason — to help the Florida Panthers reach the Stanley Cup Final, when they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights. It was the second Cup Final in Staal’s career. He helped the Rangers reach the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, when they lost to the Los Angeles Kings.

Staal is third among skaters in Rangers history, playing 107 postseason games. Along with the Cup Final appearance, he helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and win the Presidents’ Trophy in 2015.

Though known mostly for his stout defensive play, Staal scored a massive goal during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs in one of the most memorable playoff wins in franchise history.

Staal hammered a power-play slap shot past Braden Holtby 1:35 into overtime to cap a crazy Rangers comeback in a 3-2 victory against the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Brad Richards tied that game in the final seconds, also scoring on the power play off a scramble in front of Holtby’s net.

Related: Matt Rempe: “I want to be hockey player” not just fighter in NHL

Marc Staal played third most games by defenseman in Rangers history

Staal is the second oldest of four brothers who each played in the NHL. The eldest, Eric, won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and scored 455 goals in the League. Jordan, who won the Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and is currently the Hurricanes captain, is less than two years younger than Marc. And Jared, the youngest sibling, played two games in the NHL.

The Rangers selected Marc in the first round (No. 12) of the 2005 NHL Draft, and he was a lineup regular from 2007-20. His 892 regular-season games played are sixth most in Rangers history, fourth among defensemen, behind only Harry Howell (1,160), Brian Leetch (1,129) and Ron Greschner (981).

Staal battled back from a serious eye injury and also a concussion issue during his Rangers days. He averaged just under 21 minutes of ice time per game with the Rangers as a consistent top-four defenseman. He scored 43 goals with New York and had 188 points, and played in the 2011 NHL All-Star Game.

Following the 2019-20 season, Staal’s last with the Rangers, Staal played two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings before his one-year stints with the Panthers and Flyers.

New York is slated to select No. 30 overall, their latest first-round pick since taking Brady Skjei No. 28 overall in the first round of the 2012 draft. The Rangers also selected Nils Lundkvist at No. 28 in 2018, but he was their third of three first-round selections that year.

Since the turn of the century, the Rangers have made 22 first round picks. Some hit, some missed and others we’d sooner like to forget ever happened.

Related: What history tells us about Rangers picking 30th overall in 2024 NHL Draft

Ranking 1st-round picks made by New York Rangers since 2000

Today we’ll rank each of the first-round picks made by the Rangers in the NHL Draft since 2000, based on their complete body of work, with the Rangers and their other NHL stops, if applicable.

The jury is still out on several recent picks, making their spot on the list more fluid than others.

And one note: we opted not to rank 2007 first-round pick Alexei Cherepanov, who died due to heart failure during a KHL game on Oct. 13, 2008, at the age of 19.

No. 21: Hugh Jessiman (2003, 12th overall)

File this one in the “we’d like to forget” bin.

The 2003 NHL Draft is lauded as one of the greatest in history. It features future Hall of Famers, superstars and plenty of really good NHL players. 

And then there’s Hugh Jessiman.

The only player taken in the first 33 picks not to record a point, the 6-foot-6 forward appeared in just two NHL games and neither was with New York. To say this was a colossal whiff would still be underselling.

No. 20: Bobby Sanguinetti (2006, 21st overall)

It’s always a great story when a team drafts a local kid with the idea he’ll be a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come.

It’s less cool when the player is a bust.

New York took New Jersey native Bobby Sanguinetti No. 21 overall in 2006 with high hopes, but things never clicked for the 6-foot-3 defenseman. He played just 45 NHL games, only five with the Rangers (40 with the Carolina Hurricanes). To make matters worse, the Philadelphia Flyers selected center Claude Giroux, he of the 1,066 NHL points (and counting), with the very next pick.

Funny enough, Sanguinetti, who by this point was playing in Europe, did participate in the 2018 PyeonChang Winter Olympics for the United States, when NHL players were not allowed to take part.

No. 19: Vitali Kravstov (2018, 9th overall)

Vitali Kravtsov’s tenure with the Rangers is remembered more for what happened off the ice than what he did on it. He came, he left, he returned and then left again before eventually leaving for good at the 2023 trade deadline. Never happy with his role or being sent to Hartford in the American Hockey League, Kravtsov was one major headache for the Blueshirts.

All told, New York used a top-10 pick (one spot ahead of the Edmonton Oilers, who selected stud defenseman Evan Bouchard) for five goals and 10 points in 45 games.

No. 18: Lias Andersson (2017, 7th overall)

There’s a bit of irony when a team selects a player because he’s ready to step right into the NHL, only for that player not to be a NHL-caliber player.

But that’s what happened with Lias Andersson, taken with the No. 7 pick in 2017. There was talk of his readiness, his leadership and character, and everything else not associated with actual production.

Like Kravstov, Andersson made more news off the ice than on it, with stints in the minors and Europe sprinkled in over a handful of years. 

The center scored three goals and nine points in 66 games with the Rangers, and 17 points in 110 career NHL games with two teams. Andersson recently left North America to play in Switzerland, seemingly done with the NHL by age 25.

No. 17: Lauri Korpikoski (2004, 19th overall)

Korpikoski had a fairly long NHL career, especially when compared to those we’ve already discussed. It was just that it was mainly in a depth role and mainly not in New York.

The forward played one full season with the Rangers and scored six goals and 14 points in 68 games in 2008-09 before he was shipped to the Phoenix Coyotes in July 2009 for forward Enver Lisin.

The “Korpedo” finished his NHL career with a respectable 201 points in 609 games with the Rangers, Coyotes, Oilers, Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets before heading back to Europe in 2017.

No. 16: Al Montoya (2004, 6th overall)

Turns out the 2004 Draft wasn’t the Rangers’ best.

Just like his fellow draftee Korpikoski, goalie Al Montoya had a long, if unspectacular career spent mostly as a backup.

Though Montoya never appeared in a game for New York (not ideal for a player taken No. 6 overall), his career spanned nearly a decade. He bounced around the League with six teams mostly as a No. 2 and finished with a 67-49-24 record and a solid .908 save percentage in 168 games.

No. 15: Dan Blackburn (2001, 10th overall)

The Rangers used two top-10 picks in a three-year span on goalies and had very little to show for it.

Dan Blackburn’s career highlight was making the 2001-02 All-Rookie Team, but a severe shoulder injury led him to retire from the sport in 2005 after just 63 NHL games with the Rangers. More of a “what could have been” situation than anything that he did poorly.

No. 14: Dylan McIlrath (2010, 10th overall)

The 10th pick strikes again.

Nicknamed “The Undertaker,” Dylan McIlrath was a feared blueliner out of Moose Jaw when the Rangers selected him in 2010. The pick was questioned from the start and those concerns never abated. Never a great, nor quick, skater, a knee injury early in his career really took a toll on McIlrath’s mobility.

McIlrath appeared in just 38 games over four seasons with the Rangers before he was traded to the Florida Panthers in 2016; he’s appeared in just 37 NHL games since. He did, however, play four Stanley Cup Playoff games this postseason against the Rangers with the Washington Capitals.

No. 13: Nils Lundkvist (2018, 28th overall)

The offensive-minded defenseman’s Swedish resume had everything the Rangers could ask for, including winning the SHL’s equivalent to the Norris Trophy during his final season in Europe.

But Nils Lundkvist’s career in New York was short-lived. He appeared in just 25 games, scoring once and adding three assists during the 2021-22 season before being passed over by another player we’ll see on this list shortly.

His demotion to Hartford and subsequent trade request prompted the Rangers to flip him to the Stars, and left questions of what could have been. Luckily for the Rangers, it hasn’t come back to bite them, as Lundqvist has struggled to play regularly and has just nine goals and 39 assists in 144 NHL games.

No. 12: Gabe Perreault (2023, 23rd overall)

Simply put, Gabe Perreault is low on this list right now because he’s 19 and has played only one season at Boston College. However, Perreault’s potential is sky high and the early returns have been outstanding.

The talented forward is coming off a big season when he scored 60 points in 36 games as a freshman at BC, and had 10 points in seven games to help the United States win the gold medal at the 2024 World Junior Championship.

It may not be long before we see Perreault starring on Broadway and shooting up this list.

No. 11: Brennan Othmann (2021, 16th overall)

Like Perreault, Brennan Othmann’s place on this list is likely to rise, but his lack of NHL experience to date keeps him lower for now.

Unlike Perreault, Othmann has a full season of pro hockey on his resume, which even included some games in New York.

The winger was pointless in three games with the Rangers but had a strong showing with Hartford this past season, when he was second on the team with 21 goals, finishing with 49 points in 67 games on his way to being named an AHL All-Star.

Othmann, still just 21 years old, should push for a spot with the Rangers come training camp, with a chance to move up this list.

No. 10: Michael Del Zotto (2008, 20th overall)

Michael Del Zotto made the Rangers roster at just 19 years old, becoming the youngest defenseman in Rangers history to play opening night, in 2009.

He finished second in points among rookie defenseman with 37 in that 2009-10 season, and after a difficult sophomore season, had 41 points in 2011-12. After posting 21 points in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, Del Zotto struggled under new coach Alain Vigneault and was traded to the Nashville Predators for defenseman Kevin Klein during the 2013-14 campaign.

Del Zotto played 736 games for eight NHL teams and was with the St. Louis Blues when they won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

No. 9: Kaapo Kakko (2019, 2nd overall)

Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way: Kaapo Kakko seems unlikely to ever live up to what many — including those inside the organization — thought the Rangers would be getting when he was selected No. 2 overall.

With that said, there’s still a solid player who contributes in different ways on a team that’s reached the Eastern Conference Final two out of the past three seasons.

When you watch Kakko at his best, you can see the player everyone thought would be a cornerstone piece for the next decade plus. He’s strong along the walls, can play physically and has a world-class shot.

There’s definitely a chicken or the egg aspect to Kakko in that has he not succeeded because he hasn’t been given extended chances to do so, or has his lack of success prevented him from getting those opportunities for longer than a few games at a time.

The 2024-25 season could be his last shot in New York, that is if he hasn’t been traded by October.

No. 8: Braden Schneider (2020, 19th overall)

There’s an aspect of recency bias here, but we’re seeing Braden Schneider develop into a big shutdown defenseman with some offensive upside. 

Schneider’s emergence paved the way for New York to move Lundkvist, and that decision looks better now than it did when the trade with the Stars was made. 

Schneider has seen his points and minutes go up year-over-year since debuting in 2021-22, and that projects to continue this season after he had a very strong postseason.

The expectation is the 22-year-old moves into the top four next season, quite possibly alongside another defenseman we’ll see here shortly. Getting a top-four blueliner in the back half of the first round is something any team would sign up for.

No. 7: Marc Staal (2005, 12th overall)

There’s something to be said about longevity, and Marc Staal has that if nothing else. 

For more than a decade, Staal was a top-four defenseman for some very good Rangers teams. While the numbers weren’t flashy, he embodied that Black and Blueshirt era in New York and filled his role admirably, being named an NHL All-Star along the way. Staal was solid defensively and a respected leader.

If you can get 892 regular-season games and 107 postseason games out of a first-round pick, you did alright.

Staal continued on after his Rangers days and has totaled 1,136 games for four NHL teams.

No. 6: K’Andre Miller 2018, 22nd overall)

Well at least one of the three picks the Rangers had in 2018 has worked out.

K’Andre Miller has essentially been a top-four defenseman since making his NHL debut in 2020, something that’s not so easy, to say the least. His pure athleticism makes you forget he only started playing defense as a teenager.

There are certainly still some questionable decisions made on Miller’s part, and while the offense is there, he did take a step back this past season in terms of his point production (30 points, down from 43 the year prior). It would be ideal if Miller turned into a consistent 40-plus point defenseman.

There’s still so much to like and Miller feels like a player who hasn’t hit his ceiling yet. His pairing with Schneider (and more importantly, away from Jacob Trouba) could lift the 24-year-old to new heights.

No. 5: Filip Chytil (2017, 21st overall)

It feels like Filip Chytil has been around forever, but he’ll just be turning 25 right as training camp opens in September.

The skilled center made his New York debut as an 18-year-old under Vigneault during the 2017-18 season, making him the third-longest tenured player on the Rangers roster behind Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.

The Czechia native has been buried on the depth chart for most of his tenure behind the likes of Zibanejad, Kevin Hayes and Ryan Strome. 

Chytil’s best run to date was during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he scored seven goals in 20 games to help the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final as part of the Kid Line with fellow first-rounders Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere.

Chyti’s break appeared to come last season when he started out on the second line before being injured in November with a suspected concussion that cost him all but 10 games. He returned in the playoffs but was mostly ineffective.

Chytil has 64 goals and 144 points in 337 games, which is the 11th-most points among the 2017 NHL Draft Class.

No. 4: Brady Skjei (2012, 28th overall)

Brady Skjei’s ranking could be a bit of a sting as he’s blossomed into the player the Rangers thought they were getting, only after he left New York via a 2020 trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Minnesota native could skate like the wind and chipped in with some offense with the Rangers, especially as a rookie in 2016-17 when he scored 39 points in 40 games. But things took a dive offensively when the Rangers began their rebuild.

After two more so/so seasons Skjei was sent to Carolina where his game has taken off, especially offensively. Skjei has scored at least 38 points in each of the past three seasons, including a career-best 47 this season. Plus, he’s become a solid defensive defenseman, one that is now an established top-four blueliner, set for a big payday as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

While it’s frustrating to see a former player succeed, there’s no denying the Skjei pick was a home run for the Rangers.

No. 3: Alexis Lafreniere (2020, 1st overall)

There’s probably more recency bias, but Alexis Lafreniere showed he could be the type of franchise player the Rangers envisioned when they made him the top pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

After three seasons when Lafreniere was stapled to the bottom six with no power-play time, he broke out in 2023-24 on their second line, establishing NHL career highs with 28 goals, 29 assists and 57 points. He was also one of only a handful of Rangers to up his game in the playoffs, when he scored eight goals and 14 points in 16 postseason games.

Stability would go a long way for Lafreniere, who despite just finishing his fourth NHL season has played under three different head coaches. It seems Peter Laviolette has put Lafreniere in the best position to succeed, making the sky the limit for No. 13.

It’s impossible to say if he’ll ever match the expectations that come with being a No. 1 overall pick, but last season feels like a jumping off point rather than a plateau.

No. 2: J.T. Miller (2011, 15th overall)

Like Sjkei, there’s a bit of an asterisk when it comes to ranking J.T. Miller, as he’s played his best hockey after leaving New York.

Part of what could only be described as the ill-fated Ryan McDonagh trade, Miller never really found his footing with the Rangers. Miller’s most productive season of the parts of five he spent in New York was in 2016-17 when he notched 56 points in 82 games.

He was dealt the following year to the Tampa Bay Lightning — in a terrible trade for the Rangers — but it wasn’t until his arrival in Vancouver where Miller became a star with the Canucks.

He’s been better than a point-per game player with the Canucks, including seasons of 99 and 103 points.

Miller, who has absolutely benefitted from playing top-line minutes now, not to mention becoming a more mature person and player, is a prime example of some players developing slower than others.

No. 1: Chris Kreider (2009, 19th overall)

As if there was any doubt, Chris Kreider has become one of the best homegrown Rangers not only of his generation, but in franchise history.

After bursting on the scene during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kreider has been a mainstay at the top of the lineup for about a decade, and has been a part of five different teams that reached the Eastern Conference Final, including the 2014 Cup Final squad.

Kreider has defied traditional progression models and gotten better with age. After flirting with 30 goals throughout most of his 20s, Kreider broke through with a historic 52-goal campaign in 2021-22 and has followed it up with back-to-back 36-plus goal seasons, putting his stamp on the Rangers’ franchise goal scoring list with 304 and counting.

His biggest moment as a Ranger came this past postseason when he scored a natural hat trick in Game 6 in the second round against Carolina to send the Rangers to the conference final.

Kreider, a quiet, lead by example player,  has cemented himself as one of the best Rangers to ever wear the uniform. When his time on the ice ends, he’ll no doubt find his number raised to the rafters with the other greats in franchise history.

Poor Marc Staal. On the night he made his return to Madison Square Garden after 13 seasons on Broadway and an unexpected trade in 2020, he was totally upstaged. After the New York Rangers played him a tribute video, a photo was snapped of him waving at the crowd in thanks.

Well it took mere seconds for that moment to be overshadowed by Spider-man actors Zendaya and Tom Holland.

Zendaya and Tom Holland at Rangers game

As soon as people spotted the couple at the Garden sporting matching 96 Rangers jerseys with Zendaya’s saying Holland and vice versa, it’s been the talk of the town.

Yes, Marc Staal was victorious thanks to Thomas Greiss’ incredible goaltending and two botched shootout attempts by Adam Fox and Ryan Strome, but all that anyone seemed to care about was Spider-man and MJ.

Zendaya, Tom Holland, and 'Euphoria' star spotted at Rangers game https://t.co/ABEJQQMmVn pic.twitter.com/oOxzWT3RIl

— Page Six (@PageSix) February 18, 2022

The 25 year-old actors are two of the hottest stars in showbiz and the fact that they are a couple off the screen makes them even more popular.

Spider-man: No Way Home was one of the biggest films to hit theaters in ages. It was a massive success around the globe and having them sitting rinkside probably put a huge smile on NHL executives’ faces.

Ryan Strome’s contract talks have a familiar feel

Strome, 28, has 34 points in 45 games this season and is making $4.5M on his current contract which expires in July. Artemi Panarin’s favorite center will likely fetch over $6M if he hits the open market. That’s not a number the Rangers are comfortable with heading into the next few seasons due to the flat salary cap and expiring entry-level contracts.

Multiple reports indicate that a significant gap exists between the two parties, with the most recent being in The Athletic this week. The Rangers won’t be trading Strome if he isn’t signed come the March 21 Trade Deadline, because center is a position where the team is weak. Plus, he will be a key piece come playoffs.

However, there is something strikingly similar to how Strome’s negotiations are playing out. When Mika Zibanejad was talking with the Rangers, trade rumors regarding Jack Eichel heated up again. They died as soon as Mika signed for 8 years at $8.5M per. Now the name J.T. Miller is at the forefront and it just seems to coincidental.

READ FULL STORY HERE.

NHL Rumors

The trade talk around J.T. Miller seems to be shifting over the last few days. It sounds like the Canucks have set the price for him so high that teams are wondering if he isn’t being taken off the table. Read that and the latest rumors here.

According to the NY Post, it’s believed that Nemeth is still dealing with lingering effects after contracting COVID-19 back in December.

Nemeth, 30, has two points in 38 games this season. He last played on January 22, in a 7-3 Rangers win over the Coyotes.

Nemeth on IR means more Jones and Schneider

With Nemeth being out of action, head coach Gerard Gallant is expected to stay with the young defensive paring of Zac Jones and Braden Schneider.

Schneider had another outstanding game against Boston, registering an assist on Chytil’s goal in 17:53 of ice time. His partner, Jones also fared well in his 16:15 of action. They were each a +1 on the night.

“Jonesy came up and played and our (defense) played really good,” Gallant said on Saturday. “Those last couple of games (the defense) played solid hockey. It’s nice to see guys come up and play well. But the whole group played really good together.”

Ryan Lindgren is also impressed with the rookie pairing, which seems akin to his own experience.

“Both of them were just so confident out there,” he said. “Me and Foxy had that when we were rookies playing together, and I think it’s key you’re just building each game and trying to get better and better.”

Marc Staal returns to MSG

The 35 year-old Marc Staal played 13 seasons on Broadway and this will be his first trip back since being traded in 2020.

“It’s strange. It’s different coming in as a visitor for sure,” Staal said this morning via MLIVE. “But such a great building and a lot of great memories here. It’s really fun to be back.”

When the Rangers moved him, Staal was shocked.

“I didn’t have much of a head’s up,” he began. “Got a call, told me I was on my way to Detroit and… I mean it’s surprising and shocking when it happens. This is the only place I’ve been my whole career,” Staal explained. “This has been home for me for a very long time.”

Staal has 8 points in 43 games this season with a +11 rating.

NHL Rumors

Rangers and Strome not close on an extension. Plus several teams are in on Claude Giroux. Read more.

That’s why many feel unrestricted free agent defenseman Alec Martinez would be a great fit.

Alec Martinez would be perfect on the Rangers but…

The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman, would be a perfect addition to this young Rangers blue-line. He is a proven winner. A fact the Blueshirts fanbase knows all too well after he ended the team’s Stanley Cup dreams in 2014.

The left defender will be 34 years-old when free agency opens on July 28. This season he racked up 32 points in 53 games with a solid +26 rating in Vegas. He did so by averaging 22:34 minutes a game, that would be second to only Adam Fox’s 24:42 this past season.

Not only can the 6-1 and 209 lb blue-liner pick up points, he does something most other Ranger defensemen don’t. He block shots.

Martinez’ 168 blocks would lead the Rangers by a staggering amount. Let me frame it this way, he has 7 more blocks than the defense pairing of Jacob Trouba (84) and K’Andre Miller (77) combined. Martinez also has 16 more blocks than Fox (102) and Ryan Lindgren (52) as a unit.

Martinez checks all the boxes the Rangers are looking for except one; cost.

He just came off an amazing run for Vegas picking up 4 goals and six points in 19 postseason games. He did this while playing 22:32 solid minutes a night. There’s also some rumblings that the Knights want to keep him and he would love to stay. If any team will get a discount, it’s them. Otherwise, Martinez is going to be in the market for about three years and $5 million or more.

That may be too big of a term and cap hit to take on.

A Reunion with Marc Staal

If the the Rangers would still like to add some affordable veteran leadership to the defense they could look to a familiar face. The 34 year-old Marc Staal played 13 seasons on Broadway and was teammates with Drury from 2007-2011.

Yes, I know some in the fan base read the headline alone and began angrily losing their minds. Some may be even looking to send me hate mail or tweets, but Staal played very well on a very bad Red Wings team. Both he and GM Steve Yzerman have already had discussions on a possible new deal in Detroit.

Staal was a leader when he was here and the young Rangers took to calling him “Legend” for what he meant to them on and off the ice. He easily assumed that role in Detroit this past season.

“There’s times during the season or during a game where things can start getting away from you,” Staal said. “I’ve been on teams where maybe it doesn’t go well for you the first 20 (games) and that’s that, you kind of fold up and start to think about the next (season). I was just trying to make sure we stayed consistent and (kept) working hard no matter what the circumstance was. I’ve been around a while, so any hope or positivity I can bring throughout a game I was willing to do that.”

MLIVE

I’m sure there are other options, but I would not rule out bringing back Marc Staal as one of them. The Rangers considered 44 year-old Zdeno Chara at one point, and Staal is certainly younger than he. It’s just something consider if other options fail to pan out.

NHL News

Looks like the Lightning will have to go into Game 7 without the playoffs leading scorer. Read more.

Marc Staal was in shock

The very first question for Staal was how the trade went down. “I didn’t have much of a head’s up,” he began. “Got a call, told me I was on my way to Detroit and… I mean it’s surprising and shocking when it happens.”

After 13 years with one team, Marc admitted it was difficult to hear. “This is the only place I’ve been my whole career,” Staal explained. “This has been home for me for a very long time.”

A new start with another Original Six team

The 33 year-old rearguard is exited about moving from “one great franchise to another.” Staal admitted he was not concerned about playing in Detroit. “I’ve known a lot of guys that have played there that speak very highly of Detroit,” he said. “So that part of it, I wasn’t too worried about.”

What eased his mind the most was talking to Red Wings GM, Steve Yzerman. “A lot of the conversation was him trying to relieve the shock of what happened and speaking about things in Detroit and the area,” Staal recalled. “It’s an exciting place to be.”

Players react to Henrik Lundqvist and Staal

There isn’t much for me to type. Forever Blueshirts has written about Staal and Lundqvist extensively over the last few days. It is time for the players to speak themselves.

There is plenty more to come, but check out today’s headlines here