NY Rangers' 2026 NHL Draft Lottery Guide

Here is a quick guide for the New York Rangers with the NHL Draft Lottery approaching.

Jan 12, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman along with Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula announce that the 2026 NHL Draft will take place in Buffalo at KeyBank Center. / Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Following a terrible campaign this year for the New York Rangers, the team will be hoping to have a strong offseason and get things back on track. 

To the surprise of many, the Rangers ended up having the worst record in the Eastern Conference this year. New York got off to a really poor start and was never able to build momentum. Furthermore, with it being clear that the team was going to be missing the playoffs, they elected to shop some of their top talent. 

Trading away Artemi Panarin did not help things, but with a solid return, it could be what’s best for the team long-term. Now, as they head into the offseason, there will be some stages for them. 

The first stage will be coming up on Tuesday night, and that is the NHL Draft Lottery. With one of the worst records in the league, the Rangers will be watching the ping pong balls intently, hoping to secure a top pick. 

Even though New York might not have had a ton of success drafting at the top of the draft the past couple of times, the team will be aiming to bring in a new impact player. 

Rangers Draft Lottery Guide

NY Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury / Peter Carr/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York will be hoping for some favorable luck in the NHL Draft Lottery, with the team currently having the third-highest odds for the first overall pick. The Rangers currently sit behind the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks with an 11.5 percent chance of being on the clock first. 

While New York will be hoping that they can secure the first overall pick, they know for sure that they will be drafting in the Top 5. That is certainly some good news for the team, which will likely be able to land a young impact player with its first of two first-round picks. 

There are a couple of notable prospects that figure to be the first three selected in some sort of order. Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Keaton Verhoeff figure to have their names called early. 

While defense doesn’t appear to be a top priority for New York, they would likely love to be able to land McKenna or Stenberg to help solidify their Top 6 for the future. With the Lottery set to take place on Tuesday night, the Rangers will be hoping for some luck with the ping pong balls to secure one of the top picks in the upcoming draft.