“We’re going to beat the Rangers every time we play them,” defenseman Matthew Schaefer said Friday night after the Islanders made him the first player taken in the draft, highlighting a day that saw the Rangers’ archrivals trade their best defenseman before making three of the first 17 picks.

Recently hired general manager Mathieu Darche started the retooling of the Islanders by trading Noah Dobson, a restricted free agent defenseman, to the Montreal Canadiens for 23-year-old forward Eric Heineman and the 16th and 17th picks in the first round of this year’s draft. A few hours later — and after the Canadiens signed Dobson to an eight-year, $76 million contract — the Isles surprised no one by selecting Schaefer, a defenseman with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League, with the No. 1 pick in the draft. They capped their night by taking two more promising young players with the picks they received from Montreal for Dobson.

Schaefer (6-foot-2, 186 pounds), is the second player from Erie to be chosen first overall. The other was center Connor McDavid, who went No. 1 to the Edmonton Oilers in 2015.

“It’s such an honor, and especially the first overall pick, Mathieu Darche’s first pick,” Schaefer said. “So happy for him to get the GM job, and very honored to be his pick. But I’ve heard so many great things about the organization, the team, the players. I know (Islanders center) Bo Horvat really well. … They have very skilled players, so I can’t wait to get there this week and train. I’m looking forward to it.”

A nice touch from the New York Islanders 💜

(h/t @AlanFuehring) pic.twitter.com/c2kWsPDfJ6

— BarDown (@BarDown) June 27, 2025

Darche was thrilled to land the consensus No. 1 player available this year.

“Matthew the hockey player is outstanding,” he said. “The human being is as outstanding as the hockey player. We’re so excited to have him here.”

And clearly Schaefer is fired up to join the local rivalry against the Rangers.

Related: Why Rangers draft history since 2000 not pretty without 1st-round pick

Rangers rivals trade Noah Dobson, take Matthew Schaefer No. 1 in draft

The Islanders hope Schaefer, their first No. 1 overall pick since John Tavares in 2009, will be able to step into Dobson’s skates next season. They’d be thrilled if he turned out like the only defenseman they’ve taken with any of their five No. 1 overall picks. Denis Potvin, the first player taken in the 1973 draft, tortured the Rangers during a 15-year career that included four Stanley Cup championships and ended with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

You may have heard those chants of “Potvin sucks!” at Madison Square Garden.

There was a lot of speculation that the Isles would try to use the two first-rounders they obtained from Montreal to grab James Hagens, a center from Boston College and a Long Island native who grew up an Islanders fan. Though fans at the Islanders’ draft party were chanting his name, Hagens went to the Boston Bruins with the No. 7 pick.

Instead, Darche opted to keep the two picks he acquired from Montreal and selected forward Victor Eklund of Djurgarden in Sweden’s second division with the No. 16 pick. He’s the brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund and played for Sweden at the World Junior Championship in 2024 and 2025. Eklund will need to get stronger to enable him to make the most of his plentiful skills and hockey smarts, and he said he plans to return to Sweden after attending development camp in July.

They used the No. 17 pick on another defenseman, taking Kashawn Aitcheson from Barrie of the OHL. Aitcheson’s physicality and style of play are reminiscent of former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba – he plays with the kind of edge NHL teams love, is a good skater and has good hands and hockey smarts.

Aitcheson looks like he has all the tools to be a top-four NHL defenseman, although he’s likely to need at least one more season in juniors.

The Rangers were one of 12 teams that didn’t have a first-round pick.Their first pick will be No. 43, the 11th choice in the second round on Saturday.

New York owned the No. 12 pick in the draft, but opted to send it to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had acquired it from Vancouver after the Canucks obtained it in the Jan. 31 trade that brought center J.T. Miller to the Rangers. The Penguins opted to trade it to the Philadelphia Flyers for two lower picks in the opening round, Nos. 22 and 31. The Flyers used the choice to select Jack Nesbitt, a center from Windsor of the OHL.

“No,” he told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic when asked if there was any update on Barzal, who’s been out since being injured on Feb. 1 and had a surgical procedure on his left kneecap a few days later. “Hopefully, he’ll be (back) before the end of the year, but he’s going through rehab right now and that’s all I can say. It’s an unfortunate injury.”

The Rangers can’t be unhappy that they won’t have to deal with Barzal on Monday. The 2018 Calder Trophy winner has 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in 31 career games against the Rangers, the most points he’s amassed against any team. He plays on the Islanders top line and is among the League’s best puck-carriers because of his speed and elusiveness, especially on the power play.

It’s been a tough season for Barzal, who was injured late in regulation during the Islanders’ 3-2 overtime win at the Tampa Bay Lightning when he blocked a shot. He’s on injured reserve and missed seven games, but the Islanders have yet to place him on long-term injured reserve. Barzal also missed 23 games with an upper-body injury sustained against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 30. He has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) and is plus-10 in 30 games this season.

The Islanders are famously one of the most closed-mouth organizations in the NHL when it comes to revealing anything about injuries. But teammate Brock Nelson told The Hockey News this week that Barzal “is in good spirits. Obviously, another injury for him, it sucks. You don’t want to see him go down. You don’t want to see anybody go down, but he’s been a big part of our team for a long time, and he’s the future. He’s a dynamic player. But I think he’s in good spirits.”

Not knowing when Barzal will be back from his injury leaves Lamoriello in a bit of a quandary with the NHL Trade Deadline a week away on March 7 and the Islanders seven points out of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference — and three behind the Rangers.

If Lamoriello knew that Barzal would be able to return soon, he might decide to try to bring in some more offensive talent. If not, Lamoriello might decide to be a seller – and he’d likely find takers for forwards Nelson, Kyle Palmieri and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, three members of the core that got the Islanders to the Eastern Conference Final in 2020 and 2021 and into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in four of the past five seasons.

Exclusive: Mike Richter remains bullish on Rangers despite adversity: ‘These challenges galvanize you’

Mathew Barzal one of several key players injured this season for Rangers archrival

Barzal’s kneecap issue is the latest in a parade of injuries that has decimated the team this season. Ex-Rangers forward Anthony Duclair missed more than a month with a lower-body injury and hasn’t contributed much offense since his return. The defense corps has been battered, with Noah Dobson, Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly all missing sizeable chunks of time; at one point, the Islanders were dressing three defensemen (ex-Ranger Tony DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist) who were picked up as free agents, on waivers or in minor trades.

“It’s sort of been an exceptional year for injuries from our perspective,” Lamoriello said. “But we’ve also seen a lot of injuries throughout the League this year.”

All but Reilly have returned; Dobson dressed for the Islanders’ 2-1 road win against the Boston Bruins on Thursday after missing 11 games.

Lamoriello told LeBrun that even with his team barely hanging on in the playoff race and no sign that Barzal will be back soon, he’s not ready to throw in the towel.

“I don’t think there’s any question I believe we’re capable of that,” Lamoriello said when asked if his team could make the kind of late-season run that got them into the playoffs last season. “But we have to get it done.”

Guess what, New York Rangers? Nobody in the NHL cares about your issues.

Sympathy? Yeah, right. Not getting any. Not outside the hand-wringing from a rightfully jittery a fan base, that is.

Just look at the teams they’re battling with for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Bruins have missed stud defenseman Hampus Lindholm pretty much all season and he’s not likely to return. Charlie McAvoy has now joined Lindholm on the sidelines. The Ottawa Senators? They haven’t made the playoffs the past seven seasons and are without three key forwards, including dynamic captain Brady Tkachuk. It’s been eight straight years out of the postseason for the Detroit Red Wings, who just lost key depth forward Andrew Copp for the rest of the season.

And listen, there’s always the Columbus Blue Jackets. Until the other night, they played all season without captain Boone Jenner and for a long stretch without Sean Monahan and some without Kirill Marchenko. All of this after Johnny Gaudreau was tragically killed in a biking accident last summer.

So, no, no one around the League really cares that the Rangers are scrambling a bit here ahead of the March 7 trade deadline because they could be missing their top two defensemen — sub-optimal for any team, much less a defensively challenged one like the Blueshirts.

Time for Zac Jones to prove he’s worth the opportunity that presents itself. Time for Chris Drury to fortify the roster if there’s a long-term issue here that needs to be addressed with the Fox and Miller absences. Time for the Rangers to actually compete for 60 minutes every night, even with a depleted lineup — something they’ve failed to do even when completely healthy much of this season.

A Miller update should come Thursday, along with practice. Then the Rangers host the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. It’s time to see what these Rangers are made of.

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New York Rangers news

Here’s the latest about Fox being placed on IR by the Rangers, and Matthew Robertson recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League.

No matter the injury status of Fox and Miller, our Tom Castro contends that the Rangers should approach the NHL Trade Deadline with an eye focused on the near future and not so much hoping on a Stanley Cup run this spring.

Here are our three Rangers takeaways from the 5-1 win against the Islanders on Tuesday, including solid contributions from the new look fourth line of Jonny Brodzinski, Matt Rempe and Brennan Othmann.

Speaking of the fourth line, they drew praise for playing a “smart game” for the Rangers on Tuesday.

NHL news

The Islanders expect that top defenseman Noah Dobson will return Thursday against the Boston Bruins after missing 11 games with a lower-body injury.

Brock Boeser called contract negotiations with the Vancouver Canucks “frustrating.” The pending UFA forward could be traded ahead of the March 7 deadline.

Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill shot down rumors that they would trade for Erik Karlsson of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Speaking of the spiraling Penguins, they placed veteran forward Matt Nieto on waivers.

Travis Dermott is back with the Edmonton Oilers. They claimed him off waivers from the Minnesota Wild, after losing him the same way to the Wild earlier in the season.

Chris Tanev likely won’t play against the Rangers on Friday. The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman is day to day with an upper-body injury.

Roman Josi is not expected to play Thursday when the Nashville Predators face off against the Winnipeg Jets. The Predators’ captain is day to day with an upper-body injury sustained when checked from behind by Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

The Jets extended their franchise-record winning streak to 11 games, defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-1. Ottawa has lost five in a row.

Valeri Nichushkin had five shots on goal and logged 17:46 TOI for the Colorado Avalanche, playing his first game in two months after a lower-body injury. The Avalanche hammered the New Jersey Devils 5-1.

Quinn Hughes returned from injury and had an assist on the game-winning goal when the Canucks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in overtime.

Watch Conor Garland score at 4:26 of OT to lift the Canucks to a much-needed win.

Each will enter the game Tuesday at UBS Arena on the outside looking in when it comes to a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers will be playing their third game in four nights after splitting a pair of road contests over the weekend – they were demolished 8-2 by the Sabres in Buffalo before being badly outplayed most of Sunday in Pittsburgh before somehow defeating the Penguins 5-3.

The Islanders playoff hopes looked all but dead in mid-January. But they got back in the hunt with seven straight wins, including victories at Vegas and Tampa Bay, before losing four of their next five – including a 4-3 home loss to the Dallas Stars on Sunday that saw them on the wrong end of a couple of controversial officiating calls.

After Tuesday, each team will play two games before they face off again at Madison Square Garden on March 3.

The Rangers (28-25-4) come to UBS 11th in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card in the East. They are three points ahead of the 12th-place Islanders (25-24-7). The difference between them is the Rangers’ 5-2 win at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 3 – reverse the outcome and the Rangers would be looking up at the Isles, instead of the current scenario.

As big as the two games are for the Rangers, they might be even bigger for the Islanders. General manager Lou Lamoriello has one of the League’s oldest rosters, and one that’s been plagued by injuries. All six regular defensemen have missed chunks of time this season. Their most dynamic forward, Mathew Barzal – who has more points against the Rangers (35) than any other team – has been out since Feb. 1 with a left kneecap injury after missing 23 games earlier in the season with an upper-body injury. His absence has been a big blow to an already-ailing offense, and he may not play again this season.

Ex-Rangers forward Anthony Duclair missed two months earlier in the season with a lower-body injury and has yet to find his scoring touch since returning.

Related: Rangers recall Brennan Othmann from AHL Hartford amid Chris Kreider injury concern

Islanders storylines heading into crucial games against Rangers

Here are three storylines as the Islanders prepare for their two meetings with the Rangers:

To buy or to sell

Unlike the Rangers, who’ve made three major trades already this season, the Islanders are heading for the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7 not having made a big deal. Waiver claims for defenseman Tony DeAngelo and Adam Boqvist don’t count, nor does getting D-man Scott Perunovich from the St. Louis Blues for a fifth-round pick.

The Islanders have a number of older players that could bring them younger assets in return as the deadline nears — or they could hang onto their older guys, try to add around the edges and scrape their way into a playoff berth, as they’ve done in each of the past two seasons. The latter is more in keeping with Lamoriello’s past practices.

But two losses to the Rangers could induce Lamoriello to part with players such as center Brock Nelson, a 33-year-old pending unrestricted free agent who’s scored at least 34 goals in each of the past three seasons but has 17 this season. Nelson is No. 1 on many trade boards as the deadline nears.

Nelson’s linemate, 34-year-old pending UFA forward Kyle Palmieri, could also attract interest if the wheels fall off the Islanders’ drive for the playoffs. He has 17 goals and 38 points in 56 games, a 25-goal,  56-point pace over a whole season. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, a fine two-way center who’s 32 and has a year left on his contract, would also draw interest if the Isles make him available.

If the Rangers win twice, the lineup they’ll face when they visit UBS Arena on April 10 could look a lot different.

Getting healthier on blue line

Few teams have been battered more heavily by injuries than the Islanders, especially on defense. The good news for them is that some of their battered bodies on the blue line are starting to get healthy.

The Islanders got top-four D-man Ryan Pulock (upper body) and third-pair regular Scott Mayfield (lower body) back on Sunday. The better news is that their best offensive defenseman, Noah Dobson, who’s missed the past 10 games with a lower-body injury, became eligible to come off long-term injured reserve after their game Sunday. Dobson has just six goals and 24 goals in 46 games after a breakout season in 2023-24 that saw him finish with 10 goals and 70 points.

Dobson has been skating at practice wearing a regular jersey and quarterbacking the second power-play unit, with ex-Rangers defenseman DeAngelo running the No. 1 unit.

One player whose injury absence has surprisingly hurt the Islanders is backup goaltender Marcus Hogberg, who hasn’t played since Jan. 22 because of an upper-body injury. Hogberg had been terrific as Ilya Sorokin’s backup, and his injury, combined with the continued absence of injured veteran Semyon Varlamov, means the organization’s No. 4 goalie, Jakob Skarek, has been elevated to an NHL role, one that he showed he’s not ready for in a 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Feb. 2.

Now or never

There are different kinds of pressure on each team as they prepare to face each other twice in a seven-day span.

For the Islanders, losing twice to the Rangers could all but end their playoff hopes and perhaps send the franchise in a different direction. Lamoriello has done his best to keep the cast that made the NHL final four in 2020 and 2021 together — he traded off his first-round pick in four consecutive seasons to bring in veteran help. That strategy got them within one win of the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, but consecutive first-round blowouts in the 2023 and 2024 playoffs and the imminent possibility of missing the playoffs this season have to have ownership wondering whether it’s time to rebuild – something the 82-year-old Lamoriello has resisted.

The Rangers are one of the biggest disappointments in the NHL this season. They followed up last season’s Presidents’ Trophy with a 12-4-1 start, then were 4-15-0 in their final 19 games of 2024 and have been chasing a playoff berth ever since.

GM Chris Drury unloaded captain Jacob Trouba (to the Anaheim Ducks) and forward Kaapo Kakko, the second player taken in the 2019 NHL Draft (to the Seattle Kraken) in December, both for lower-pair defensemen and draft picks. He then switched gears to bring in J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks at the end of January. They are 4-3-0 since that trade and still outside the top eight in the East.

A couple of losses to the Islanders could trigger another shakeup, either by trade or by recalling young players like Brennan Orthmann (which they did Monday as a precaution should injured veteran Chris Kreider is unable to play) and Brett Berard from AHL Hartford – an approach that is not an option the Islanders, who have perhaps the League’s weakest prospect pool.

Dave Maloney and I were in agreement about that when we discussed our interest in the 4 Nations Face-Off on the latest Rink Rap podcast.

I may have to call Dave back now, though, and reconsider my position. I’m not going to lie, I really enjoyed the Sweden-Canada opener to the 4 Nations on Wednesday. Great crowd, great atmosphere, great game.

The only downside was seeing Shea Theodore sustain an upper-body injury and then hearing later that the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman is out for the remainder of the tournament. This becomes a bigger issue to me if he misses some time for Vegas after being hurt in an exhibition game.

I know the argument is that a player can get hurt at any time in any game, or even practice. Sure, it comes with the territory over an 82-game NHL schedule. But it’s so much more difficult to stomach when that injury occurs in a game that’s not for his NHL team, in my opinion.

Maybe Rangers fans don’t care. It’s Shea Theodore. It’s the Golden Knights. But you’ll be singing a different tune if Adam Fox sprains a knee or J.T. Miller pops a shoulder when the United States plays Finland on Thursday, for example.

But that said, yes, I’ll be watching that U.S.-Finland game and the rest of this mid-season tournament. Can’t keep me away from exciting hockey played by some of the best players on earth (did you see Sidney Crosby on Wednesday night?!). Just fingers crossed that there are no more injuries along the way.

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New York Rangers news

Mika Zibanejad nearly capped a stirring comeback by Sweden in overtime Wednesday, but Mitchell Marner eventually won it for Canada, 4-3, in OT.

J.T. Miller sees the 4 Nations Face-Off as a chance to grow “friendship and a bond” with new Rangers teammates Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider on Team USA.

Our Tara Salvati provided a list of one thing each of the six Rangers taking part in the 4 Nations should try to accomplish at the tournament, outside of helping their team win it, of course!

Speaking of Dave Maloney earlier and his guest spot on Rink Rap, the former Rangers captain also had some really interesting things to say about Jacob Trouba and how revered he was as the Blueshirts leader during his tenure in New York.

John Kreiser breaks down the Rangers long road to landing a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference over the final 27 games of the regular season.

Tom Castro writes that the Rangers should be pretty concerned over Alexis Lafreniere’ regression this season.

NHL news

We wrote about the Columbus Blue Jackets and how general manager Don Waddell believes he owes it to his surprising team to keep it together ahead of and after the trade deadline and let it make a run at a playoff spot.

The NHL and NHLPA announced that the World Cup of Hockey featuring eight countries will return in 2028. That guarantees best-on-best international hockey tournaments every two years, beginning with the 2026 Milano Olympics and including the 2028 World Cup and 2030 French Alps Olympics.

Sidney Crosby was the First Star in Canada’s 4-3 overtime win against Sweden at the 4 Nations. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain had three assists and Canada has now won 26 straight international games with Crosby in the lineup.

Watch this slick Crosby feed to set up a Nathan MacKinnon power-play goal.

Canada coach Jon Cooper said “it’s heartbreaking for the kid,” referring to Shea Theodore sustaining an upper-body injury that knocks him out for the rest of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Miracle on Ice hero Mike Eruzione said that the current United States team competing at the 4 Nations “is the best collection of American talent ever put on the ice.”

Brad Marchand, speaking in Montreal where he’s playing for Canada at the 4 Nations, said he doesn’t expect the Boston Bruins to trade him ahead of the March 7 deadline even though he’s a pending unrestricted free agent.

Here’s a breakdown of what Noah Dobson’s switching agents means for him and the Islanders.

Jesse Puljujarvi explained why he sought to have his contract with the Penguins terminated earlier this week.

Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle was assigned to Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League on a conditioning stint. He’s been out since November following pelvic surgery.

Watch Mitchell Marner score in overtime to help Canada defeat Sweden 4-3.

The Islanders acquired defenseman Scott Perunovich from the St. Louis Blues for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft on Monday. This move follows on the heels of the Islanders signing former Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo as a free agent this past Friday.

The reason for the two recent moves is simple. Two of the Islanders top defensemen were injured in the past week. Noah Dobson is week to week with a lower-body injury and landed on long-term injured reserve. Ryan Pulock is on IR after sustaining an upper-body injury against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

So, the additions of Perunovich and DeAngelo are clearly out of necessity. When the Rangers acquired Will Borgen from the Seattle Kraken and Urho Vaakanainen from the Anaheim Ducks this season, each move was made to improve the existing defense corps, which they largely have since the Blueshirts are 8-2-3 and much better defensively since the New Year.

The Islanders won’t be better with their two new addition on the blue line, replacing two of their best defensemen. But Perunovich and D’Angelo do fill massive holes in the lineup that the Islanders were unable to fill internally.

Related: Rangers daily includes latest kick in the gut, Vegas star pulling out of 4 Nations Faceoff

Rangers rival filling holes on beat-up blue line

Perunovich struggled to find success in the NHL with the Blues the past three seasons. Over 97 games, he has two goals and 29 points. The 2020 Hobey Baker Award winner as the top men’s NCAA hockey player had 17 assists in 54 games last season, when he averaged 15:16 TOI.

This season, Perunovich TOI is down to 14:37, though he scored the first two goals of his NHL career and has six pints in 24 games. He’s a 5-foot-10 puck mover, certainly not built in the mode of the rugged Pulock, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds. But Perunovich is an NHL defenseman and fills a need on Long Island. And general manager Lou Lamoriello must be hoping that Perunovich finds his game with this change of scenery.

DeAngelo was signed last week upon returning to North America after he mutually agreed to terminate his KHL contract with SKA St. Petersburg. He led KHL defensemen with 32 points (six goals, 26 assists) in 34 games, and is more of a natural fit to fill Dobson’s offensive role.

The former Blueshirt is 29 now and four years removed from the end of a controversial run with the Rangers. He played 31 games with the Hurricanes last season.

In his Islanders debut Saturday, DeAngelo logged a game-high 25:07 TOI in the 3-2 overtime win.

After a crucial win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday and a bitter overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, the Rangers host the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. It’s just the latest critical game for the Rangers, who are doing a good job of getting themselves out of the hole they created.

They carry a season-long eight-game point streak (5-0-3) into the game against the Senators. This run has the Rangers sitting 11th in the East, four points behind the Senators and Boston Bruins, who jumped the Blue Jackets last night when the Bruins won their game and the Blue Jackets lost theirs. Ottawa and Boston are tied for the two wild-card spots.

There’s likely going to be jockeying for playoff positioning the rest of the way this season for a group of teams. So, get used to these daily updates of where the Rangers stand. Extended winning streaks or losing streaks for any of eight teams in the East (not counting the Islanders nor Buffalo Sabres) could decide who makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs and who doesn’t.

The marquee game is Rangers-Senators on Tuesday. But you’ll have to keep an eye on the Detroit Red Wings visiting the Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning, too.

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New York Rangers news

Monday was a day off for the Rangers, giving me a good opportunity to focus on the J.T. Miller trade rumors and what exactly it all means for the Blueshirts.

We also posted our three takeaways from the Rangers’ 5-4 OT loss at Bell Centre, including streaky Chris Kreider finding his game again.

Who’s hot, who’s not, plus a look at the Rangers week ahead.

Our Hartford Wolf Pack weekly features updates on Louis Domingue’s revived play and Brett Berard readjusting to life in the minor leagues after his successful 19-game run with Rangers.

NHL news

The man with a foghorn voice, two-time former New Jersey Devils coach Tom McVie, died at the age of 89.

Connor McDavid was suspended three games by NHL Department of Player Safety for a cross check to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland. From the same game, Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers also received a three-game suspension for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard.

Newly-signed Oilers defenseman John Klingberg practiced as an extra Monday and won’t be ready to play in a game for about a week.

Noah Dobson exited the Islanders’ 3-1 win against the Blue Jackets early in the third period with a lower-body injury that appeared to be an issue with his right leg. No update was immediately available.

Nashville Predators center Mark Jankowski is week to week with an upper-body injury.

The Winnipeg Jets lost a game and their captain on Monday. Adam Lowry left a 5-2 loss to Utah with an unspecified injury in the first period.

Crazy to believe, but Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin scored goals in the same game for only the third time this season in a 5-1 Pittsburgh Penguins’ win against the Los Angeles Kings.

Charlie Coyle scored twice in the third period and the Bruins rallied past the San Jose Sharks 6-3 in an MLK Day matinee game at TD Garden.

Matthew Knies had two goals and an assist to lead the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Watch Sebastian Aho score his fourth overtime goal this season, this one lifting the Carolina Hurricanes over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3.

Boasting Adam Fox, a perennial Norris Trophy contender and arguably the greatest Blueshirts defenseman since Brian Leetch, is more than enough to draw some attention.

But after a loud and uncomfortable saga surrounding Jacob Trouba this offseason — one in which trade rumors swirled around the Rangers captain in the days leading up to free agency, spawning reports of displeasure from the Blueshirts locker room — it all but guarantees that there’s going to be a spotlight on this unit.

Behind Fox, there’s exciting young talent in K’Andre Miller and Braden Schneider, but also plenty of questions surrounding the more experienced Trouba and Ryan Lindgren. Add to that, 24-year-old Zac Jones, who’s slated to take on an everyday role for the first time in his career.

The Blueshirts may very well boast the top defenseman in the Metropolitan Division, but how does the unit as a whole stack up against the rest of the division?

Related: Ranking New York Rangers forward group in Metro ahead of 2024-25 season

Where Rangers defense corps ranks in Metropolitan Division

Here are all the defense corps in the Metro ranked from worst to best.

8. Columbus Blue Jackets — Notables: Werenski, Severson, Provorov

I rated the Columbus Blue Jackets as the worst forward group in the Metro and will bestow the same lowly label upon their defensive corps. It would stand to reason a team that’s finished last in the Metro in back-to-back years would end up pretty low across the board.

In his eighth season in Columbus, Zach Werenski set a career-high with 57 points while playing 70 games for the first time since 2018-19. But the rest of the unit was underwhelming.

The first season with free agent signing Damon Severson fell flat, while Ivan Provorov and Erik Gudbranson graded out poorly defensively, despite a solid season on the offensive end from Provorov. Meanwhile, 2022 No. 6 overall pick David Jiricek struggled in his first full season, playing just 43 games between healthy scratches and a demotion to the AHL.

With Adam Boqvist and Jake Bean departing for new destinations, Jiricek will be expected to play a full season, which even still leaves one more spot to be filled. Perhaps 2022 No. 12 overall pick Denton Mateychuk gets the nod, but after tearing it up in the WHL, he didn’t see AHL action until this June.

So even with Werenski playing top hockey and possibly a stronger year from Severson, this group is significantly weaker and with much less upside than any other team in the division.

Related: Where Rangers goalie tandem ranks ahead of 2024-25 NHL season

7. Pittsburgh Penguins — Notables: Karlsson, Letang, Pettersson, Graves

10 years ago, a blue line featuring Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang would’ve been the envy of every other team in the League. It’s still a solid top two on the right side, particularly offensively, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are just too lacking on the defensive end compared to other division opponents.

Karlsson tallied 56 points with Letang right behind him at 51, making the Penguins one of two teams with multiple defensemen racking up 50-plus points (the other being the Colorado Avalanche). Both have been offensive-minded defensemen in their career, but their defensive metrics continue to decline as they reach the latter stages of their career. Karlsson will be 35 next season, while Letang will turn 38.

There’s just a lot of uncertainty with the bottom two pairs. Beyond an aging Letang, Ryan Graves is coming off an underwhelming first season in Pittsburgh and a 25-year-old Jack St. Ivany will be expected to take on an everyday role after playing 14 games in his first taste of NHL action.

Matt Grzelcyk will swap yellow jerseys, joining the Pens after eight seasons with the Boston Bruins, where he posted very ugly charts in his final season. He’d posted numerous quality seasons in the years prior to his walk year, so it’s possible he reverts back to that, but he’s coming off a campaign where he ranked in the third percentile overall.

Marcus Pettersson had an excellent season on the left-hand side next to Karlsson, leading the team with a plus-28 rating and posting excellent metrics across the board. He’s shaping up to be their most well-rounded defender going into the season, but it’s not enough to salvage a group that’s trending in the wrong direction.

Related: Rangers captain ‘happy to be here’ despite trade rumors: report

6. Philadelphia Flyers — Notables: Sanheim, Drysdale, York, Seeler

It’s a tiny gap between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Penguins, but their younger core and rising trajectory gives them an edge.

The Flyers still have some work to do in building a strong blue line, but the vision is clear, and many of the pieces may already be in place.

Travis Sanheim followed up a disappointing 2022-23 season that almost saw him traded to the St. Louis Blues that offseason with arguably the strongest year of his career, posting a career-high 44 points and positive metrics.

Nick Seeler shined next to Sean Walker, up until the latter was shipped off at the deadline, finishing the year with a team-leading plus-9 rating as their most reliable defenseman.

Youngsters Cam York (24), Jamie Drysdale (22), and Egor Zamula (24) all logged valuable minutes and should be in line to take a leap next season. Drysdale’s career has been littered with injuries, which limited him to 32 games last year, but York and Zamula both played the most games of their young career and showed clear promise.

Even Rasmus Ristolainen, who played 31 games through injuries, was reliable defensively when he was on the ice. Health will be a major factor going into 2024-25, but as this Flyers team continues to develop their identity, the blue-line should as well.

Related: Rangers veterans lament ‘friend for life’ no longer teammate

5. New Jersey Devils — Notables: Hamilton, Pesce, Dillon, Hughes

After allowing the sixth-most goals in the NHL and being plagued by defensive woes all season long, the New Jersey Devils made necessary additions to their defensive corps, bringing in Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon in free agency.

A season-ending injury to Dougie Hamilton, who played just 20 games, certainly didn’t help matters, but the issues were present well before he went down.

GM Tom Fitzgerald needed to add multiple quality defensemen and that’s exactly what he did. Pesce and Dillon do plenty to bolster the blue line with stable and experienced defensive play. A healthy Hamilton gives them an elite defenseman who scored 74 points in 2022-23 and finished sixth in Norris voting.

But don’t expect this blue line to make a complete 180. Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec experienced typical growing pains, as most rookie defensemen do, particularly on the defensive end, while Jonas Siegenthaler was one of the worst-rated blue-liners in the entire league.

In order to become one of the top defensive groups in the Metro, they’ll need to see a substantial leap from Hughes and Nemec and at least somewhat average play from Siegenthaler.

Related: New York Rangers rival revamps roster after being pushed around by Matt Rempe

4. New York Islanders — Notables: Dobson, Pelech, Puloch, Romanov

Led by Noah Dobson, who has a strong case for being a top-10 defenseman in the entire NHL, the New York Islanders have added an offensive wrinkle to their typically sturdy play on the backend.

Dobson finished eighth in Norris voting, scoring 70 points in 79 games, which ranked seventh among NHL defensemen. Entering his age-25 season, he’s just entering his prime, and his production could continue to rise.

Behind him is the ultra-reliable pair of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, who remain strong on the defensive end even into their thirties. Plus, don’t underrate the return of Mike Reilly, who played quality defense on the bottom pairing.

The 25-year-old Alex Romanov could tighten it up on the backend after ranking in the fifth percentile defensively, but he’s got clear offensive upside and led the team with a plus-23 rating.

The sixth defenseman situation isn’t great — Scott Mayfield, Robert Bortuzzo, and Samuel Bolduc could all vie for that last spot, which isn’t exactly enticing.

Like Philly, a big concern here is health. Pelech and Pulock were both limited to 58 games last season due to injury. Given the Islanders’ lack of depth on their backend, they can’t afford to lose any of their top five guys for a substantial amount of time.

But if healthy, the Islanders have a mix of playmaking and defensive stability that typically indicates a pretty good defensive corps.

Related: Rangers brief history of trades with rival Islanders

3. New York Rangers — Notables: Fox, Miller, Schneider, Trouba, Lindgren

The Rangers have one thing that no other team in the division can say — they have Fox, the best defenseman in the Metro.

With his third consecutive 70-plus point season, Fox finished fourth in Norris voting, securing his fourth straight top-five finish despite missing 10 games due to an injured right knee. He’s a brilliant offensive playmaker, the backbone of their power play unit, and despite all of his offensive prowess, is consistently excellent on the defensive end as well.

But this isn’t a ranking of individual defensemen — it’s a ranking of the defensive corps as a whole.

After coming to terms with Schneider and Lindgren and holding on to Trouba, this unit is largely the same as it was last year, minus the departure of Erik Gustafsson in free agency. But that’s not the peace of mind that it should be.

The Blueshirts have a couple of giant red flags in Trouba and Lindgren, both of whom are coming off ugly seasons.

Despite a team-leading plus-minus, Lindgren’s analytics were lower than anything he’s ever produced in his career, which affected Fox’s play as well. There are massive injury concerns as Lindgren consistently finds himself taking a beating on the ice, so even at age 26, it’s no sure thing he’s due for a bounce back.

Trouba, too, had a rough 2023-24 that was only exacerbated by a broken ankle. His physicality is a welcome presence on the backend, but if his defensive play continues to slip, it won’t matter.

Jones showed plenty of promise in his 31 games and should be able to take on a larger role, but that’s still an uncertainty.

Miller and Schneider have progressed well and provide crucial depth behind Fox. Outside of Jones, there’s plenty of experience, and it’s more than possible Lindgren and Trouba both have stronger years — it’s just too much of a question mark right now.

Related: Why Artemi Panarin already greatest Rangers player to wear No. 10

2. Washington Capitals — Notables: Chychrun, Roy, Carlson, Fehervary, Van Riemsdyk

The Washington Capitals attacked the offseason aggressively after sneaking into the playoffs with a negative-37 point differential and getting swept by the Rangers in the first round. It’s most clearly seen by a much improved defensive corps.

Signing Matt Roy in free agency and sending Nick Jensen to the Ottawa Senators for Jakob Chychrun, the Capitals acquired one of the best defensive defensemen from last season and a dynamic offensive playmaker.

Roy recorded a plus-21 rating in over 20 minutes a game with the Los Angeles Kings while ranking in the 92nd percentile defensively. Chychrun tied a career-high with 41 points and while his negative-30 rating isn’t pretty, his defensive metrics were actually positive on a 78-point Senators team.

35-year-old John Carlson is still producing, coming off a 52-point season where he played all 82 games. His defensive numbers are starting to slip as he readies for his 16th NHL season, but he’s still a quality blue-liner.

Even as you go down the line, Martin Fehervary and Trevor Van Riemsdyk graded out very highly on the defensive end, with Van Riemsdyk ranking in the 98th percentile defensively. Rasmus Sandin’s coming off a poor age-24 season, but he’s already had a few quality years and could easily bounce back.

Chychrun should boost an offense that struggled mightily last year and Roy is the elite defender this team was missing. The Capitals could still use more help, but their defensive group is in a pretty good spot entering the 2024-25 season.

Related: Why Rangers second power-play unit deserves fair shake

1. Carolina Hurricanes — Notables: Slavin, Burns, Walker, Gostisbehere, Chatfield

The Carolina Hurricanes have the best defensive unit in the Metro — and it’s not close.

For most teams, losing Pesce and Brady Skjei would be a backbreaking loss to the blue line. But after signing Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere to team-friendly deals, the Canes shouldn’t miss a beat.

Jaccob Slavin headlines the operation, receiving Norris votes for an eighth-straight year after putting together a brilliant season as an elite shutdown defenseman. He’s partnered with Brent Burns who continues to produce on both ends despite entering his age-39 season.

Gostisbehere reunites with Carolina after enjoying success as a trade deadline acquisition in 2022-23, adding another potential playmaker to the mix. Walker’s coming off the best season of his career, and if he keeps it up, will be an absolute steal at $3.6 million annually.

Rounding it out, Dmitry Orlov and Jalen Chatfield both finished the 2023-24 season ranked in the top 10 percentile defensively, per Evolving Hockey, and Chatfield was praised for his success with a larger workload in the postseason.

The blue line has been a key component of Carolina’s success in recent seasons and it should be again. Despite inconsistent goaltending play, the Hurricanes held opponents to the fourth-fewest goals in the NHL, thanks largely to their stingy defensive play.

With elite defensemen everywhere you turn and capable playmakers to help on the offensive end, this defensive corps is the crown jewel of the Metro and one of the best groups in the entire league.

Related: Rangers general manager ranked No. 1 among New York sports executives

The 2018 NHL Entry draft is almost upon us and the suspense and intrigue continue to build before the Friday night spectacle. The 31 NHL clubs will meet in Dallas with hopes to better their respective franchises for years to come. Beyond Rasmus Dahlin going first overall and Andrei Svechnikov going second overall, this draft is as wide open as it’s been in years. Will Montreal take a center? Who are the Rangers going with? What will our fierce rivals, the Islanders, and Devils, end up doing? Find out all that and more in the 2018 Forever Blueshirts Mock Draft.

1) Buffalo Sabres – Rasmus Dahlin – D – Frolunda – SHL (6’1”, 187 lbs)

2017-18 stats: 41 GP – 7 G, 13 A – 20 points

If you’re a Buffalo Sabres fan, you can have your Dahlin jersey made. The consensus number one overall pick, this kid is a generational talent on the blueline and will anchor the Sabres defense corps for years to come. A power-play unit consisting of Jack Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt and Dahlin? That’s going to strike fear into opponents in the coming years.

2) Carolina Hurricanes – Andrei Svechnikov – RW – Barrie Colts – OHL  (6’3”, 187 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 44 GP – 40 G, 32 A – 72 Points

With comparisons being made to fellow countrymanAlex Ovechkin and Finnish phenom Patrik Laine, this kid is just too good for the Hurricanes to pass up at second overall. The Hurricanes, the biggest beneficiaries of this year’s draft lottery, will get a kid who can step in right away and immediately be an impact player for their team. Great size, amazing offensive capabilities and as pure a sniper as you can find. Svechnikov is the rare, complete package franchise winger.

3) Montreal Canadiens – Filip Zadina – LW – Halifax Mooseheads – QMJHL (6’1”, 192 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 57 GP – 44 G, 38 A – 82 points

Talent will outweigh risk here. Although rumors have run wild that the Canadiens will possibly select Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, I think they will ultimately go with the best player available and that’s Zadina. Pure sniper is the best way to describe Zadina, although his playmaking skills are not to be underestimated. Acquiring a winger of this caliber doesn’t get the Canadiens the center they desperately need, but the talent of Zadina is too good to pass up. With Zadina though, exploring a possible Max Pacioretty trade for a center makes more sense.

4) Ottawa Senators – Adam Boqvist – D – Brynas IF – SHL (5’11”, 165 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 47 GP – 14 G, 13 A – 27 points (Split season between SHL, Allsvenskan and SuperElit)

Erik Karlsson will most likely be gone this summer. The Senators have basically burnt bridges with their franchise player and Boqvist will be the guy that will eventually overtake Karlsson’s place on the blueline. Boqvist has an amazing shot and is quite the puck wizard. He’s as dynamic as they come on the blueline and although he may not reach Karlsson’s heights, he is still a franchise caliber defenivse prospect. He may need a few years of seasoning but the rebuilding Sens can afford to wait.

5) Arizona Coyotes – Noah Dobson – D – Acadie-Bathurst Titan – QMJHL (6’3”, 179 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 67 GP – 17 G, 52 A – 69 points

Dobson was one of the great risers of this year’s draft class and winning the Memorial Cup with Acadie-Bathurst just proved this kid is as rock solid on defense as they come. Some scouts and analysts think he is the best 1v1 defender in this draft and he is as steady as they come in his own end. With forward prospects like Ryan Strome, Nick Merkley and Tyler Steenbergen in their system, the Coyotes should add Dobson to a defense corps that suddenly looks pretty good. Ekman-Larsson, Hjalmarsson, Chychrun, Dobson, Demers…. Not bad at all Arizona, not bad at all.

6) Detroit Red Wings – Brady Tkachuk – LW – Boston University – NCAA (6’3”, 196 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 40 GP – 8 G, 23 A – 31 points

A big, nasty and skilled winger that has NHL pedigree. All year we’ve heard how Tkachuk strikes fear into opponents and doesn’t shy away from the big moments. He was a crucial piece of the team USA’s great run at the World Junior Championships this year and scored some memorable goals against Canada. Tkachuk will give the Red Wings a highly skilled power forward that will help them for years to come.

7) Vancouver Canucks –  Quinton Hughes – D – Univ. of Michigan – NCAA (5’10”, 174 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 37 GP – 5 G, 24 A – 29 points

Possibly the smoothest skating defenseman in the entire draft, Hughes will make the rebuilding Canucks very happy. He has great vision and can take over a game with his decision making and ability to move the puck up the ice. The Canucks will gain a massive boost to their defense corps with this pick and they can afford to let Hughes continue growing in the college ranks. With reigning SHL MVP, Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Dahlen both on the way for the Canucks, they could use a good prospect to bolster their blue line.

8) Chicago Blackhawks – Evan Bouchard – D – London Knights – OHL – (6’2”, 192 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 67 GP –  25 G, 62 A – 87 points

Booming shot? You got it. Excellent vision and hockey IQ? That’s there also. Leadership qualities? He was the captain of the London Knights this past season. Evan Bouchard is everything the Chicago Blackhawks need right now. With Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook entering the twilight of their careers, the Blackhawks could use this big blueliner who can one day anchor this team’s defense. You’d be hard pressed to find a better match for the Blackhawks at this position.

9) New York Rangers – Oliver Wahlstrom – RW – USNTDP – USDP (6’1”, 207 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 62 GP – 48 G, 46 A – 94 points

The Rangers get their guy at number nine. Wahlstrom is a pure goal scorer and looked absolutely dominant this past season with the USNTDP U18 squad. He’s a shoot first player and man, can he shoot the puck. According to Cutis Joe of eliteprospects.com, Wahlstrom can be “uncontainable” in the offensive zone. He has the size, skating ability and skill to be a top line winger in the NHL. Wahlstrom is committed to Boston College next season but don’t be shocked if he makes the jump to the Rangers the year after.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVlu9dyLrxQ

10 – Edmonton Oilers – Ty Smith – D – Spokane Chiefs – WHL (5’10”, 170 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 69 GP – 14 G, 59 A – 73 points

The Oilers need to draft a defenseman and there are none better at this point in the draft than Ty Smith of the Spokane Chiefs. Regarded as the best WHL prospect this year, Smith is a crafty blueliner that has elite skating ability. Smith is a guy that could easily go higher in this draft and has a lot of the same upside as guys like Hughes and Dobson. The Oilers have some great offensive talent with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way and Smith would be a great injection of skill on their blueline.

11) New York Islanders – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – C – Assat – Liiga (6’2”, 190 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 57 GP – 10 G, 19 A – 29 points

The Islanders begin their back-to-back selections with a highly skilled, big bodied center from Finland. Kotkaniemi has shot up the draft boards in recent weeks and some scouts and analysts think he could even jump into the top-five or top-three depending on the Montreal Canadiens. Getting him at 11 will be a great pick for the Islanders as he gives them yet another great center. Regardless of John Tavares staying or leaving Brooklyn, it’s never bad in the NHL to have too much center depth.

12) New York Islanders (From CGY) – Bode Wilde – D – USNTDP – USDP (6’2”, 196 pounds)

2017-18 Stats: 61 GP – 12 G, 29 A – 41 points

With their second half of their back-to-back picks, the Islanders go for potential. Wilde seems to have a sky-high ceiling but he still makes some questionable decisions with the puck. He has a fantastic shot and shows flashes of what he can be if his game trends in the right direction. This pick could pay dividends for the Isles if Wilde pans out as one of the games next great offensive defenseman. The Islanders have great offensive talent and Wilde will be a nice addition to their young blueline.

13) Dallas Stars  – Joe Veleno – C – Drummondville Voltigeurs – QMJHL (6’1”, 194 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 64 GP – 22 G, 57 A – 79 points

The Stars get someone who many consider to be the best overall center in this draft. Veleno was granted exceptional status to play major junior hockey when he was 15 and had ridiculous pressure on him for most of his career. A mid-season trade from the St. John Sea Dogs to the Voltigeurs seemed to awaken a sleeping giant and Veleno began to demolish the competition. The Stars get their second line center of the future here to line up behind Tyler Seguin. Veleno also gives them the flexibility to move Jason Spezza.

14) Philadelphia Flyers (From STL) – Joel Farabee – LW – USNTDP – USDP (6’0”, 168 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 62 GP – 33 G, 43 A – 76 points

The Flyers get a winger that was part of the dangerous three-headed monster on the USNTDP’s top line. Farabee, joined by (likely) 2019 first overall pick Jack Hughes and Oliver Wahlstrom formed an absolutely dominant top line this past year. Farabee has a deadly shot and knows where to be to get his chances on the ice. Farabee playing on Nolan Patrick or Sean Couturier’s wing will be too good for the Flyers to pass up.

15) Florida Panthers – Rasmus Sandin – D – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds – OHL (5’11”, 190 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 51 GP – 12 G, 33 A – 45 points

Not the best skating defenseman in the draft but one who clearly makes up for it in other areas. He led all OHL rookies in plus-minus with a +35 and led all first-year defenseman in the OHL with 51 points. He can shoot the puck well, makes great passes and would look great on a Florida Panthers defense corps that includes Keith Yandle, Aaron Ekblad and Mike Matheson. Skilled puck-moving defensemen are never a bad choice.

16) Colorado Avalanche – Barrett Hayton – C – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds – OHL (6’1”, 185 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 63 GP – 21 G, 39 A – 60 points

Hayton is a fantastic two-way center with nice offensive skills. Many scouts and analysts see him as the next Morgan Frost in the sense that he is just reaching the potential he has and could explode next year. The Avalanche are in the middle of a great rebuild and Hayton will look great playing center for the Avs. A center corps consisting of Nathan Mackinnon, Hayton, Alexander Kerfoot and Carl Soderberg is really good; and if Hayton blooms like he’s projected to, the Avs will be set at center for years to come.

17) New Jersey Devils –  Ty Dellandrea – C – Flint Firebirds – OHL (6’1”, 190 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 67 GP – 27 G. 32 A – 59 points

The Devils shocked everyone this year with their fast play and a surprising wild card berth in the playoffs. Taylor Hall had an MVP season and Nico Hischier is looking like he is going to be a great center in this league. The Devils take a bit of a chance here on Dellandrea but make no mistake: Dellandrea is an excellent skater and had to drive almost all of the offense on a not so good Firebirds team. Surround him with some better talent and Dellandrea could blossom. Hischier, Dellandrea and Zajac down the middle ‘ain’t too shabby for the Devils. Dellandrea has great size as well.

18) Columbus Blue Jackets – Isac Lundeström – C/LW – Lulea HF – SHL (6’0”, 183 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 42 GP – 6 G, 9 A – 15 points

Considered one of the best two-way players in this draft, Lundeström maks perfect sense for the Blue Jackets at 18th overall. The Jackets have great depth on their wings and on the defensive side of the puck but their center depth could use some help. Lundestrom would look great in their lineup behind Pierre-Luc Dubois. Lundeström is a jack-of-all-trades type player and a fairly safe pick, all things considered. Lundeström also has a sneaky good shot.

19) Philadelphia Flyers – Grigori Denisenko – LW – Loko Yaroslavl – MHL (5’10”, 165 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 31 GP – 9 G, 13 A – 22 points

A bit of a wild child, but one that could pay dividends for the Flyers in the near future. The kid has an immense amount of skill and untapped potential. He knows how to finish his chances and he knows how to make plays. He dazzles with the puck on his stick and would be a welcome addition on Sean Couturier or Nolan Patrick’s wing in the near future. He has some maturity and consistency issues to work out but since the Flyers have multiple first round picks they can afford to take a chance on this Russian puck wizard.

20) Los Angeles Kings – Serron Noel – RW – Oshawa Generals – OHL (6’5”, 209 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 62 GP – 28 G, 25 A – 53 points

This hulking power forward has all the raw potential in the world. Scouts wonder where he will fall in this draft but the Los Angeles Kings would be wise to take him at 20th overall. Imagine a guy with his size and hands playing with Anze Kopitar? That’s a deadly combination for the Kings to think about and Noel seems like he is only going to get better after putting up fantastic numbers in his second year with the Generals. Noel could prove to be one of the better value picks in this draft.

21) San Jose Sharks – Rasmus Kupari – C – Karpat – Liiga (5’1”, 163 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 39 GP – 6 G, 8 A – 14 points

Kupari is being compared to fellow countryman Sebastian Aho (the Carolina Hurricanes winger, not the Islanders defenseman), and boy does he look like he could be something in this league. Although he will have to bulk up before he makes a run to the NHL, Kupari already looks like he has the smarts and skill to take on the big leagues. He had a great season in the low-scoring Liiga playing against much older competition. Along with Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture, Kupari would be a great addition to the Sharks center depth in the coming years.

22) Ottawa Senators (From Pittsburgh) –  Akil Thomas – C – Niagara IceDogs – OHL (6’0”, 170 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 68 GP – 22 G, 59 A – 81 points

Thomas will be a great addition to the rebuilding Senators. Along with fellow centermen Logan Brown and Matt Duchene, the Sens can have nice depth down the middle of the ice in the coming years. While undersized, Thomas has excellent vision, great speed and would fit well with guys like Mark Stone and Colin White. Thomas probably needs another year or two to fill out his frame and bulk up for the rigors of the NHL, but he will be a welcome addition to the Sens pipeline as the rebuild goes on.

23) Anaheim Ducks – Ryan McLeod – C – Mississauga Steelheads – OHL (6’2”, 190 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 68 GP – 26 G, 44 A – 70 points

Ryan Getzlaf light? Ryan Getzlaf light. McLeod, the younger brother of Devils prospect Michael McLeod, is a brilliant skater that excels in all aspects of the game and when he has the puck, good luck getting it from. McLeod posses a great shot and can beat goalies from both near and far. You’d be hard pressed to find a more tenacious guy on the puck in this draft. The Ducks will count their lucky stars when they get McLeod at 23rd overall.

24) Minnesota Wild – Jacob Olofsson – C – Timra IK – SHL (6’2”, 192 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 43 GP – 10 G, 11A – 21 points

The Wild get the best rookie from Sweden’s minor league, the Allsvenskan. Olofsson beat out both Filip Hallander and Jonathan Dahlen to claim the Golden Cage award. Olofsson is as good a two-way center prospect as they come; and as the Allsvenskan season went on, he just kept getting better. Olofsson also possess a great shot to go with his exceptional two-way ability. Olofsson could go higher than this on draft day, but if he falls to the Minnesota Wild, they should grab him. Mikko Koivu and Eric Staal aren’t getting any younger so Olofsson would be welcome in the State of Hockey as soon as he’s ready to make the jump.

25 – Toronto Maple Leafs – Jared McIsaac – D – Halifax Mooseheads – QMJHL (6’1”, 194 lbs)

2017-18 Stats – 65 GP – 9 G, 38 A – 47 points

Rock solid. That’s what McIsaac brings on defense. A big, reliable defensemen who the Maple Leafs desperately need in their system. McIsaac is smart in his own zone and doesn’t take many risky chances. He has shown flashes of being more dynamic than he currently is. He can skate extremely well and knows how to make that nice pass to begin a breakout or just take the puck up the ice himself. The Leafs could opt to take a chance on someone like Ryan Merkley or K’Andre Miller here, but with their window now open for a cup run, they stick with a defenseman who they know will be solid in his own end.

26 – New York Rangers (From Boston) – K’Andre Miller – D – USNTDP – USDP (6’5”. 205 lbs)

2017-18 Stats – 58 GP – 9 G, 20 A – 29 points

Speaking of K’Andre Miller, the New York Rangers will take him with the 26th overall selection in the draft. Miller, a converted forward, is one of the swiftest skaters in the draft, and when all is said and done, could end up being the best skating US defenseman in the draft. That’s how intriguing his ceiling is. He is a big kid and as the Rangers rebuild he could be an incremental piece of their new look blueline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqGbLmjnmP0

27) Chicago Blackhawks (From Nashville) – Dominik Bokk – Vaxjo Lakers HC – SHL  – (6’1”, 179 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 51 GP – 17 G, 28 A – 45 points (Split between SHL, SuperElit, J18 Elit)

The Blackhawks grab a skilled winger from the SHL to play in their top-six forward group when he’s ready. After getting the powerful Bouchard earlier, the Blackhawks get a great value pick down at the end of the first-round with Dominik Bokk. Bokk can beat defenders one-on-one and possesses a shot that opposing goalies need to be aware of. High ceiling, but can he reach it?

28) New York Rangers (From Tampa Bay) – Vitali Kravtsov – RW – Traktor Chelyabinsk – KHL (6’2”, 183 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 35 GP – 4 G, 3 A – 7 points

The Rangers aren’t afraid to take Russian kids. Pavel Buchnevich and Igor Shestyerkin are recent examples of that and with their last pick of the first-round, the Rangers get someone with sky high potential. Kravtsov, according to eliteprospects.com, “can play up and down the lineup and provide scoring in a number of roles,” and “has the potential to develop into a staple top-six forward that can produce at the next level.” Sounds like someone definitely worthy of a late first round pick.

29) St. Louis Blues (From Winnipeg) – Jett Woo – D – Moose Jaw Warriors – OHL (6’0”, 205 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 44 GP – 9 G, 16 A – 25 points

With forward reinforcements coming in the form of Robert Thomas, Klim Kostin and Jordan Kyrou, the Blues decide to get a big, tough defenseman with the 29th pick in the draft. Woo won’t wow anyone with his offensive acumen, but he is as solid as they come and has the size to make the jump to the NHL whenever he is ready. Adding Woo to a blueline that already has standouts in Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko and Jay Bouwmeester makes the Blues an even bigger threat in the coming years.

30) Detroit Red Wings (From Vegas) – Scott Perunovich – D – Minnesota-Duluth – NCAA (5’9”, 195 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 42 GP – 11 G, 25 A – 36 points

The Red Wings already have the powerful Brady Tkachuk and now at the bottom of the first-round they add one of the drafts biggest risers in Scott Perunovich. Perunovich was passed over in last year’s draft but made a huge impression this year on scouts with his superb play for Minnesota-Duluth. Perunovich is a great puck moving defenseman and will be a nice piece as the Red Wings move forward with their rebuild.

31) Washington Capitals – Ryan Merkley – D – Guelph Storm – OHL (5’11”, 170 lbs)

2017-18 Stats: 63 GP – 13 G, 54 A – 67 points

The reigning Stanley Cup champions decide to take one of the biggest gambles in the draft, but one that could pay off in spades. Merkley has top-five level talent. He can move the puck like not many others can, and his offensive capabilities are through the roof. This is a kid that can drive the play and make you pay for your mistakes. The problem scouts have with Merkley is his commitment to the defensive side of the puck, and he needs to keep working on that since, you know, he’s a defenseman. If Merkley puts it all together – watch out. He could be the largest steal of the entire draft.

The New York Rangers season ends this week and with it, fans now look to the draft and the offseason as the biggest moments coming up for the franchise. Since the letter was released just a few months ago, fans and analysts have been discussing and debating about which players they want to target in the draft, which players they feel should be signed, if trades should be made and so on. Going forward, the Rangers could follow many paths on their road back to becoming Stanley Cup contenders; but one team in particular sticks out as a model and that’s the Nashville Predators.

Now, why the Predators? Well, it’s simple. They have built the best defense in the NHL, they have some of the best depth in the league at the forward position, without a true number one center or true superstar, and they have a slightly older goalie who still puts up fantastic numbers. This is a formula the Rangers can pull off and one that could ultimately pay off at the end of this retool.

GOALTENDING

Anthony J Causi

If we start from the net out, its simple: The Rangers still possess one of the most elite players to ever play the position in Henrik Lundqvist. Even though he is getting up there in age for an NHL player, Lundqvist has proven that he can steal games and that if he is in net there is a chance for his team to win night in and night out. At this point in his career, he can be considered an all-time great. From the Predators side of things, they have Pekka Rinne, who is also on the older side but is still a great goalie capable of making a big stop at the right time. Part of the reason the Predators are cup favorites this year is the play of Rinne.

DEFENSE

Moving on to the defense and that’s where this year’s draft comes heavily into play. The Nashville Predators did an absolutely excellent job of drafting, as well as making key signings and trades, to create the best defense in the NHL. A blueline consisting of a top-four of Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis is nothing but spectacular. Also, a point to remember is that the Predators at one point had Ryan Suter, Seth Jones, and Shea Weber. One they lost to free-agency but for the other two, they got back players that were better fitted for their team. You can never have too many good defensemen; whether to actually have them play for you or to use as trade chips.

Barring some extreme luck or a trade that none of us see coming, the Rangers will most likely not pick in the top-three but will most likely have a mid-first-rounder and two at the end of the first round. With those three picks, there will still be some nice prospects available. Specifically on the defensive end.

With the Rangers first pick falling in the middle of the first round somewhere, possibly top ten, they should look at one of these three defensemen: Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson or Bode Wilde. All three have immense potential to be elite defensemen in the NHL.

Evan Bouchard

Bouchard is 18-years-old, captain of the London Knights, and has 87 points (25G, 62A) in 67 games this season. Those are ridiculous numbers for a defenseman to have. The cherry on top here is that Bouchard began performing better once he was given more responsibility and some of his star teammates were traded away at the deadline. The kid can play. Curtis Joe of eliteprospets.com had nothing but good things to say about the young man from Oakville, Ontario.

“A highly intelligent all-around defenceman that plays with poise and can shift the pace of play in a multitude of ways. Showcases smooth four-way skating ability and loves to get involved in all situations – especially when that situation happens to be an up-ice rush. Has a polished offensive skill-set which includes well-timed passes and a sneaky, erratic shot. Goes with the high percentage play and makes smart decisions. Could work on strength behind his shot. Defensively active, cutting off lanes and always staying in excellent positioning. Reads cues well in all three zones and seems to stay a step ahead. All-in-all, a well-rounded defender with great hockey sense and work ethic.” – EliteProspects

That sure sounds like a solid piece for the Rangers defense going forward and here’s a sweet highlight video of Bouchard tearing it up for the London Knights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksi13vyhK40

Bode Wilde

Bode Wilde is, pardon the pun, a wild card. As Steve Kournianos (@TheDraftAnalyst) said when he was on the podcast just a few weeks ago, he could turn into the next P.K. Subban; an intense, electric and elite puck-moving defenseman, or he could turn into a player like John Moore who failed to really put it all together. Wilde played for the U.S National Development Team this past season and is committed to the University of Michigan in the fall. He has a fantastic shot and great on-ice vision and would be a worthy addition to the Rangers blueline.

The 18-year-old is a high risk, high reward pick but it could pay off in spades for the Rangers if they select him. Here’s Steve Kournianos’ report on Wilde:

“A defender with arguably the highest upside of any of his talented NTDP teammates, this [Michigan]-bound blueliner is a phenomenal skater with a blistering shot. Big, thick defensemen that look graceful while carrying the puck simply don’t grow on trees, and you’d probably hear more about him if his draft year wasn’t loaded with cornerstone-type defenders. Wilde is one confident teenager, maybe sometimes to a fault, as doing “too much” with the puck is something he’ll have to limit. Especially considering how talented the NTDP forwards are. Still, he is perfectly capable of playing a variety of roles with aplomb — power play quarterback, crease-clearer on the penalty kill, and even neutralizing top opponents. Wilde loves to hammer the disc thanks to a heavy shot, and he has the ability to either create his own shot from up high or finish in a speed rush to the net. Once he crosses center, he is as close to the complete package as they come, and his size and right-handed shot make him an extremely tantalizing prospect with star potential. Wilde’s risk-taking can put his mates in jeopardy, so you’d like to see him go through stretches when he puts a premium on sound positioning and is willing to refrain from deep attacks every single shift.” – TheDraftAnalyst

Finally, he’s a nice highlight reel of Wilde’s recent play in the NTDP:

Noah Dobson

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Noah Dobson has shot up the rankings this year as he’s proved he can be an all-around defenseman and can be counted on to be one of the leaders on his team. He’s a great two-way defenseman, he eats up minutes and he is extremely reliable in his own end. Playing for Acadie-Bathurst Titan this season, he put up 69 points (17G, 52A)  in 67 games. Clearly, he has the offensive instincts to go with his solid defensive play. Curtis Joe of eliteprospects.com had nothing but good things to say about Dobson:

“A talented two-way defenceman that can play in all situations and stay productive. Uses his edges well and is, for the most part, a very smooth skater; however, as he gets stronger and adjusts to a more up-tempo style of hockey, he will need to work on his speed in gap-closing. Offensively, he utilizes his keen sense of awareness to be in the right spot at the right time, every time. Soft hands and a deadly shot accentuate his ability to get creative, on occasion. Rock solid defensively, his strong positioning severely limits time and space for the opposition. All-in-all, a well-rounded, reliable, and consistent defenceman that can log a lot of ice time and provide his team with a stable presence on the back end.” – EliteProspects

Dobson, like Bouchard and Wilde before him, would be an excellent addition to the Rangers blueline and here’s another highlight video for you all to check out on Dobson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZFszNblc-I

Moving on to the bottom two picks the Rangers have in the first round and one big name keeps sticking out, that name is K’Andre Miller; and if reports are to be believed, he could turn out to be the best skating North American defenseman to come out of this draft. Miller played for the USNTDP this past season and is committed to the University of Wisconsin this coming fall. While he doesn’t have the crazy numbers that Bouchard or Dobson have, he skates extremely well and is extremely smart with the puck. An interesting fact about the guy is that he’s a converted forward. Steve Kournianos, has a nice report on the 6’3”, 200-pound D-man:

“Talented two-way defenseman with top-pairing upside who is committed to the University of Wisconsin. A strong skater with very good speed, Miller generates a lot of power into his stride and is starting to beat both opposing forwards and defenders to the outside. His stick and body positioning in the neutral zone are exceptional, and you can count on Miler to intercept more than a handful of cross-zone passes that he quickly transitions into rushes the other way. His ability to make clean passes on either his forehand or backhand, plus the manner in which he sharply pivots his way into bigger openings might explain how such a big and physical defenseman is only a few years removed from being a forward.

 

 

Watching Miller smother in one end and skate effortlessly in the other makes me think his learning curve is not steep at all — he plays a clean, composed game in his own zone and looks fantastic when he’s unbridled. Miller can be physically intimidating, and his strong lower half makes rubbing out forwards of any size look easy. One thing to consider is that this group of NTDP defensemen is deep with offensively-gifted puck movers, so it’s natural for a cerebral kid like Miller to focus on his defensive-zone play and act decisively with the puck only when the opportunity makes sense. This type of approach reduces haphazard tendencies to a bare minimum. Choosing your favorite draft-eligible defensemen from this year’s version of the under-18 NTDP is a lot like being asked to pick your favorite child, but don’t be surprised if a less-heralded kid like Miller has the best NHL career out of any from his defense corps.” – TheDraftAnalyst

Everything about this kid sounds like he’s got the complete package to be a great NHL defenseman and if the Rangers can grab him with either of their two late first-round picks, they absolutely must take him. Draft boards actually have Miller going anywhere from 15-25 so it will be interesting to see if the Rangers could grab him.

And of course here is a highlight video:

So we’re now down to our final pick of the first round for the Rangers. Who is the final target? Well… not a defensemen so it’s time to talk forwards.

FORWARDS

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At first glance, you might call me crazy to relate the Rangers to the Predators here but they are actually closer than you think. Ryan Johansen and Kyle Turris are not number one centers, but rather they form a 1A/1B tandem in Nashville. Neither is the elite of the elite, à la Sidney Crosby or Conor McDavid, but they have good chemistry with their wingers and know how to get the job done.

Now Mika Zibanejad is on the same level that Johansen and Turris are and he might be better than the both of them individually. He also has wingers that he has good chemistry with in Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. Now, going off the assumption that one of Filip Chytil or Lias Andersson turns into a second or possible first-line center, the Rangers will have great center depth while they continue this retool. Kevin Hayes can always slot over to the middle and Boo Nieves is the clear fourth line center for this team as soon as next season. He showed nice promise in that role this season.

Beyond Kreider and Buchnevich though, the wings are a bit rough in New York. Yes, Mats Zuccarello is a great playmaker but he may not be here much longer. Ryan Spooner has been a nice surprise but he is not a top-six long-term solution. The Rangers don’t have a Viktor Arvidsson type guy or a Filip Forsberg type guy. The Rangers need to finds a Forsberg/Arvidsson type player in the draft or try to find someone like Eeli Tolvanen at the bottom of the first-round. Will they trade a pick and Zuccarello for a younger more skilled winger? Possibly, but assuming they keep the pick there a few options for skilled forwards to choose from.

Two that immediately come to mind are Dominik Bokk and Akil Thomas. Both are high ceiling guys who, that if they develop properly, can be great players as the Rangers continue this rebuild. Thomas has put up the better number of the two players since he plays in juniors but Bokk is already playing against men in the SHL. Both developmental strategies can work for younger players.

Akil Thomas

Looking a little deeper at Akil Thomas we see a guy who plays natural center so he doesn’t fit the wing comparison here but he has spent time on the wings during his time in juniors. The 2016-17 was his rookie year in juniors, he plays for the Niagara Ice Dogs in the OHL, and he put up 48 points in 61 games. This year he put up 81 in 68 games so just about a 40 point increase. He’s trending in the right direction.

Thomas is a smaller player at 5’11” and 170 pounds, but he more than makes up for his lack of size with his skill and speed. But don’t just take my words for it, check out some highlights of Thomas below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN5LRkWfZLM

Dominik Bokk

As for Bokk, he is the bigger wild card of the two players here. The Hockey News prospect podcast had a featured segment on Bokk last week and spoke about how he will not be a full-time NHL player soon but he has all the tools to become a very effective player in the near future. His stats don’t pop off the page but sometimes that’s not the whole story. Bokk played in the SuperElit league in Sweden prior to joining the SHL (think AHL and NHL, respectively). Playing against men can only help him going forward.

As always, here are some highlights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va1sa9XV-9w

Thomas and Bokk would be risks in the first-round, but with three picks in round one, the Rangers can afford to take a chance on one of these guys if they’re available. Best case scenario, one of them is the next Eeli Tolvanen and becomes a steal at the end of round one. Worst case, the Rangers have another depth forward in their system.

All-world defense, a hall of fame worthy goalie and amazing depth at the forward position. Can the Rangers build like the Predators did? It’s possible, and it’s just one way the Rangers can navigate this retool going forward.