NY Rangers Wisely Fill Defensive Need in Recent NHL Mock Draft

Who did the New York Rangers land in a recent NHL mock draft?

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan speaks to reporters after an 8-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers are getting set for the offseason, and the pressure will be on to make it a successful one. 

Coming off a terrible year, the Rangers are a team that has expectations of getting better this summer. Fortunately, they have a lot of cap space to be able to pursue free agents. However, with this class not being the strongest, whether or not it makes sense for them to spend is yet to be determined. 

As New York tries to figure out whether or not they will make a splash in free agency, they do have some good assets for the NHL Draft. Due to their poor record, the team will be on the clock with the fifth overall pick. This was a selection that they likely were hoping was going to be higher, but they had some bad luck in the lottery. However, this is still a top-five pick, and New York should be able to land a talented player to add to their prospect pool. 

Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) recently released a new mock draft in which the Rangers selected defenseman Carson Carels with the fifth overall pick. 

Carels Make Sense for New York

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

Based on how the top of the draft went ahead of the Rangers, seeing them take the talented left-handed defenseman here makes sense. The first four picks were Gavin McKenna, Chase Reid, Caleb Malhotra, and Ivar Stenberg in that order. 

It is a bit unfortunate that one of the top three forwards didn’t fall to the Rangers with the fifth pick, and the team could entertain the possibility of moving up to try and grab one of them. 

However, if things stay as they are, the Sharks going with a defenseman makes sense with their plethora of wing players. However, if New York is going to move up, that seems like the most logical pick to try and grab. 

When looking at the needs for the Rangers, getting a forward and more specifically a center would be ideal. However, based on how this draft could go, defense might make the most sense for New York with the fifth overall selection. While the team still has a star in Adam Fox on the right side, help on the left does make sense for the second line. Even though they would love to land one of the top forwards, Carels is a very good player and could help the team as well.