Ideal NHL Draft Target For NY Rangers Will Likely Be Gone Before 5th Pick

Who is an ideal target for the New York Rangers in the NHL Draft?

Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; The video board shows the 20th overall pick for the Columbus Blue Jackets is about to be announced in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With the NHL Draft about a month away now, the New York Rangers will have their work cut out for themselves to get it right. 

Due to the Rangers' fumbling their lottery picks over the last 10 years, there is a lot of concern about whether the team will get things right this year. While it does appear like Gavin McKenna is going to be the number one overall pick at this point, even he doesn’t seem like a slam-dunk prospect. 

With that being said, the pressure will be on New York to do a good job scouting, and they will have a number of possibilities. When looking at the needs of the organization, help appears to be the most pressing for the team. However, due to them falling to the fifth pick, they might not have the opportunity to grab one of the top three forwards. 

Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently polled some NHL scouts and executives about where center Caleb Malhotra would be taken. Unfortunately for the Rangers, in a nearly unanimous decision, almost everyone had the Vancouver Canucks taking him third. 

Malhotra Would Be a Perfect Fit for the Rangers

Nov 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; General view of a flag being waved by New York Rangers staff during the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden. / John Jones-Imagn Images

Seeing it being a nearly unanimous decision that Malhotra will be drafted by the Canucks, it is certainly disappointing for the Rangers. The talented center has been one of the biggest risers of late in the NHL Draft, and with a need for the best player available, Vancouver going with the talented center makes sense. 

For New York, they will be hoping for a little bit of luck that he might fall to them. Of all the needs that the team has, improving their prospect pool at the center position is one of the top ones. Obviously, landing Malhotra would be great, but it might end up being the 26th pick that the team uses to try and address the position. 

If Malhotra is indeed off the board, what direction the team goes in will be interesting to monitor. There are going to be some good defenseman on the board when New York is on the clock, and while that might not be a pressing need to use a top-five pick on, it could be the best course of action. 

Overall, the Rangers would love to see Malhotra still on the board when they are selecting, but it doesn’t appear that will be the case.