NY Rangers Have a Looming Question Coming Out of NHL Combine

What is a big question for the New York Rangers coming out of the NHL Combine?

May 8, 2025; Tarrytown, NY, USA; New York Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury speaks during a press conference to introduce new head coach Mike Sullivan at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York May 8, 2025. / The Journal News-Imagn Images

As the New York Rangers start to prepare for the offseason, the NHL Combine recently gave them a glimpse of some of the players whom they might be targeting. 

With the NHL Draft at the end of June, the Rangers are going to be a team to keep an eye on. New York has the fifth overall pick to go along with the 26th overall pick, and they should be looking to add to their prospect pool. 

Considering they had the third-worst record in the league, New York was undoubtedly hoping to be higher in the draft. However, they were jumped by two teams and fell to fifth. This drop could end up having some ramifications for the team, as it was a significant drop. Furthermore, with them having a desire to add some help to their forward group, they might miss out on the top options. 

While that might be the case right now, plenty can change between now and the draft. 

Peter Baugh of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about the biggest question coming out of the combine for New York being whether or not the team will have one of the top forwards to choose from. 

Biggest Question From Combine for Rangers Will Be About Defensemen 

General view of a flag being waved by New York Rangers / John Jones-Imagn Images

When looking at how the top five may go, many mock drafts have only one defenseman being taken with the first four picks. In most scenarios, it has been Chase Reid who has emerged as the top defender in this class, and his going to the San Jose Sharks makes sense. 

Of the teams in the top four, the Sharks have the biggest need for help on the blue line. This is a team that features a lot of young talent on the wing, and getting a player like Reid could be a great addition. 

Furthermore, while Gavin McKenna will likely be going number one, that leaves the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks ahead of New York. If one of those two were to take a defense, it could result in Caleb Malhotra or Ivar Stenberg falling to the Rangers at five. 

As teams start to meet with players and their scouting really ramps up, things should start to become clearer on who might be available for New York. For now, the team would love to get one of the top forwards. However, things can certainly change between now and the NHL Draft.