Talented Offensive Player Could Be Option for NY Rangers at 26th in NHL Draft

Which player could make sense for the New York Rangers with the 26th overall pick?

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

The New York Rangers have a very important offseason ahead of them, and the team is in need of adding some talent. 

With New York in the middle of their retool, the hope is that the franchise is going to be able to make a bit of a splash this summer and help jolt this thing. However, while they have a top-five pick in the NHL Draft and a ton of cap space, there are concerns about whether or not they will be able to pull it off. 

The Rangers would have been in a much better position if they had some luck in the NHL Lottery and stayed in the top three. However, that wasn’t the case, and while they might look to move up, being in fifth place isn’t ideal. 

While the fifth selection is the one that has received much of the attention for New York, they will also have the 26th pick in the first round. This selection won’t be the impact player that the fifth pick could be right off the bat, but it could help provide the team with some needed help for their prospect pool. Depending on what position they take with the fifth pick, one solid option for them could be a center later on. 

Tomas Chrenko Will be Option at 26

Tomas Chrenko scored a late goal for Slovakia before falling to USA 6-5.#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/tM0dU0wCIo

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) December 30, 2025

Even though there seem to be varying opinions on the young center, he should be available for the Rangers with the 26th pick, and assuming they don’t land Caleb Malhotra with the fifth pick, going with a center makes sense with their second first-round selection. 

Once the lottery picks are completed, things usually get a little wild in the NHL Draft. This year, it appears that there are a lot of wild-card prospects, and that could result in some interesting moves. 

While the 26th pick figures to be the one that New York might look to move if they make a trade, it can also help them improve their prospect pool. Chrenko has a ton of skill on the offensive end of the ice, which the Rangers would love to add, but his size would be a major concern. Currently, he is under 6’0”, weighing just 172 pounds. 

Even though he can still put on some size and strength, he is a small player in the NHL at the center position, and his getting pushed around would be a major concern. While a move to the wing could be in the cards, he does have a lot of offensive upside that could make him worth the risk despite the physical concerns.