Ideal NHL Draft Target is Unlikely to Fall for NY Rangers

Which player is an ideal trade target for the New York 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

With the NHL Draft less than a week away, the New York Rangers will soon have some new faces joining the organization. However, as the team gets closer to the start of the draft, more intel about who may or may not be available for them at five will continue to come out. 

Coming off a dreadful campaign, the Rangers should be eager for the opportunity to make two picks in the first round. As of now, the team has the fifth and 26th overall picks in the draft. This will present them with the opportunity to land some talented players that could be building blocks for the future. 

While New York should be able to get a good prospect with the fifth overall pick, they likely wish that they had been higher in the draft. The team had the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the third-worst record overall. However, they were jumped by two teams, and that could take a perfect target off the board for them. 

Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote that center Caleb Malhotra has been highly coveted by the Rangers. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that he will be available for them with the fifth pick. 

Malhotra Unlikely to Fall 

Manny Malhotra / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

For a number of reasons, it appears unlikely that Malhotra is going to be one of the players to fall in the NHL Draft. From a skill standpoint, he is widely seen as the best player at the center position, which has become a position of need around the league. 

Furthermore, with the third overall pick, the Vancouver Canucks will be on the clock. Recently, the Canucks named Caleb’s dad, Manny Malhotra, their head coach. Manny was a former pick of the Rangers, and prior to the Canucks adding their new coach, Caleb seemed like it could be something in the cards for New York. 

With it seemingly likely that Malhotra is going to be off the board when the Rangers are on the clock, they will likely have a few talented defensive players to choose from. Coming off the bad year, New York should be thinking about adding the best player available and not reaching for a position of need. 

While it would be great to have Malhotra, it seems unlikely that he is going to fall in this draft. He has been a rising prospect, and with his dad being the coach of the team with the third overall pick, it would be a shocker if he fell out of the top three.