NY Rangers Land Talented Winger in Very Early 2027 NHL Mock Draft

While the 2027 NHL Draft is a year away, the New York Rangers were able to land a talented player in an early mock 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. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the offseason continuing for the New York Rangers, the team is hoping that the upgrades that they have made so far will help them snap their playoff drought. However, the franchise will also be looking toward the future as well. 

As expected, this summer has been a very busy one for the Rangers. This is a team that was positioned well to make some noise this summer, and that has certainly been the case. New York has made a number of signings and trades so far this offseason, with a balance of trying to win now and building toward the future. 

Of the moves the Rangers made, one of the most notable was the addition of Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights. Scoring was a major issue for the team last season, especially after they traded Artemi Panarin. However, the 25-year-old forward is coming off a 37-goal campaign and could be exactly what the team is looking for. 

While the team will be hoping to be better, they will also continue to keep their eyes on the future as part of the retool. 

Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently released a very early 2027 mock draft. With the eighth pick, he had the Rangers land a talented winger in Timothy Kazda. 

New York Lands Offensive Help

Alberts Smits reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the 2026 NHL Draft, the main focus of the Rangers was to improve on the left side of their blueline. New York ended up selecting five defensemen, all of whom were left-handed. This was a need of the organization to improve, and they certainly did that. 

Now, in the very early 2027 mock, they were able to address their offense with Kazda. Adding a winger that can put the puck in the net is never a bad thing, and the Rangers will be hoping that some of their moves this summer will help with that. 

However, what is a bit disappointing to see is that New York is still in the NHL Lottery based on this mock draft. The Rangers will certainly be hoping to be a playoff contender with some of their upgrades from this offseason, but having the eighth pick in the draft doesn’t indicate that. 

With the retooling continuing, it will be important for the Rangers to continue to draft well. This is a team that has parted ways with a few first-round picks over the next several years to upgrade, and they will need to make sure they add talent in the years that they do have them.