NY Rangers Prudently Address Organizational Need With 26th Pick in NHL Mock Draft

Which need did the New York Rangers address with the 26th pick in a recent NHL mock draft?

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 at the end of the month, the New York Rangers will be working hard over the next couple of weeks to scout a lot of prospects. 

Due to their poor record, the team will have the fifth overall pick in the NHL Draft. That is the pick that most are focused on, with the chance for the franchise to land an impact player. New York certainly was hoping to have a higher selection based on their record, but fifth can still land them a good prospect. 

Furthermore, while the fifth pick has received a bulk of the attention, the Rangers also have the 26th pick later on in the first round. Even though this pick isn’t as valuable as the first, it will give them another option to improve their prospect pool. Also, with a desire to improve this summer, the pick could be used in a trade package. 

Due to the team’s desire to get younger, trading draft picks doesn’t help in that area, and New York will likely use it to address organizational needs. 

Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently released a new mock draft and had the Rangers addressing a pressing need with their second first-round pick. 

Brooks Rogowski Is Appealing Center Prospect 

New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

As expected, the Rangers went defense with their first pick in the mock draft, landing the left-handed Carson Carels. The top three forwards all went off the board, going with Carels makes sense to fill a need on the left side of the blue line. While they would certainly love to get one of the top three forwards, that seems unlikely unless they trade up. 

If they do end up going defense with the fifth overall pick, they must address the forward spot with their second first-rounder. A very appealing option for them will be the towering Rogowski. At 6’7”, he has some massive size to play up the middle and some good speed as well. 

Having a big body like that is something that the Rangers have historically liked from their centers, and Rogowski would provide that. One of the reasons why a player with this size is being projected toward the end of the first round is because of some concerns about whether or not he will be able to score. Overall, picks at this stage are ones to develop for the future, and Rogowski would be an interesting prospect with his size at the center position.