NY Rangers Wisely Land Center With 26th Pick in NHL Mock Draft

Who did the New York Rangers land 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

The New York Rangers are getting prepared for the NHL Draft, and with two picks in the first round, they will have a great chance to add some young talent. 

With the Rangers struggling last year and the team being in a retool, there is a need for the team to add some young talent. New York is a team that did see some young players contribute at the end of last season, but there is still more that is needed. 

The Rangers have struggled to develop players over the last several seasons, and that has come back to haunt them a bit. Despite some struggles when it comes to drafting, especially early on, the Rangers will have a massive opportunity to add some talent to their prospect pool. 

Having the fifth pick will present them with a chance to add an impact player, but talent can be found later on as well. New York will also have the 26th overall pick, and addressing a positional need seems to be the wise move for the team. 

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (subscription required) recently released his most recent mock draft and, with the 26th pick, had the Rangers taking Maddox Dagenais. 

Center is a Need 

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. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Due to how the draft is likely going to shake out in the top five for New York, it feels highly unlikely that the team will be able to land one of the top three forwards. Gavin McKenna is widely expected to be the first overall selection. Furthermore, Caleb Malhotra joining the Vancouver Canucks and playing for his dad, who is the new coach, makes sense. The leaves Ivar Stenberg left with both the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks ahead of the Rangers. 

Fortunately, even though New York might miss out on one of the top forwards, this looks like it is going to be a strong class for defensemen, and the Rangers will be able to land some help for their blue line. 

If that ends up being a defenseman with the fifth pick for New York, going with the talented Dafenais to fill a need up the middle makes a lot of sense. The talented forward from Quebec could be a really solid option and has some good size up the middle. 

Overall, with a need to improve their prospect pool and center being a position of need to develop, Dagenais makes sense for New York.