Three-Most Realistic Options for NY Rangers With Fifth Pick in NHL Draft

Here are the three-most realistic options for the New York Rangers with the fifth overall pick.

Jan 14, 2021; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers players huddle around the center ice logo as they prepare for the home opener against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. / Pool Photo-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers are getting set for the NHL Draft starting on Friday night and they will have a big decision to make when it comes to the fifth overall pick. 

Following a terrible campaign, the Rangers will be on the clock at number five, hoping to make an impact addition. New York certainly was hoping to be higher in the draft with the third-worst record in the league, but they were jumped by two teams and fell to fifth. 

However, even though they fell, there are still going to be some talented players for them to choose from with the fifth overall pick. While New York doesn’t know what will happen ahead of them with the first four picks, there at the very least should be some talented defenders available. 

As the order of who will be picked has started to take shape, here are three realistic targets for the Rangers at number five. 

Viggo Bjorck 

Assuming that there won’t be four forwards taken with the first four picks, New York should be able to land Bjorck with the fifth overall pick. As the consensus second-best center in the draft, he would fill a positional need for the Rangers up the middle. There might be some concern about his size, but he is a strong playmaker and a good skater. If New York is prioritizing help upfront, Bjorck is going to be the most realistic target. 

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

Carson Carels 

With a strong likelihood that the Rangers are going to be taking a defenseman with the fifth overall pick, one of the best fits for the team is Carels. The talented young player could end up being the most complete player in this class, and with his ability to play on the left-side, he fills an organizational need for New York. 

Albert Smits

With a left-handed defenseman being a need for the team, perhaps the most NHL-ready player will be Albert Smits. As the Rangers try to decide on who to take, Smits’ potential ability to come in and help right away could be appealing. Even though he might not have the same ceiling as some of the other prospects, he’s got a high floor and that is worth something as well. 

Overall, New York is going to have some talented players to choose from and the fifth overall pick is going to be an important one to make sure that the team  gets right.