Why Carson Carels Is a Good Fit for NY Rangers in 2026 NHL Draft

Is Carson Carels a good fit for the New York Rangers with the fifth overall pick?

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 Lottery completed, the New York Rangers now know where they will be selecting with the first of their two picks in the opening round. 

Coming into the lottery, the Rangers were undoubtedly hoping for a little bit of luck to move up to either the number one or two spot. However, it ended up being a worst-case scenario for the team, with them falling as low as they were allowed to go at number five. 

Even though it was highly disappointing to see the drop in the lottery, being a Top 5 pick will present the team with a chance to land a good player in June. While New York will be seeking improvements both in free agency and on the trade market, the draft will be important to help them secure some young talent for the future. 

When looking at the needs of the franchise, landing a scorer or a center would be ideal in the draft. However, depending on how things shake out in front of them, ideal targets could be off the board. Fortunately, there are some other players who could fit some needs as well. 

Why Carson Carels Makes Sense at No.5 

The draft board is seen following the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When looking at some of the needs for the Rangers’ organization, help on the left side of the defense is one area that needs to be addressed. While New York doesn’t have to use the fifth overall pick to address a need, and they should be taking the best player available, Carels might be a bit of a combination of both. 

The talented young defender is coming off a strong year in the WHL, averaging over a point per game. Furthermore, with him being a left-handed defender, he would fill a need for New York on that side of the ice. 

On both sides of the ice, there is a lot to like about Carels, and being a point-per-game player is a major plus. The young defenseman carries a good shot and has nice vision to be able to help facilitate offense. These are important traits if he is going to become a No.1 defenseman one day, and there is certainly an avenue for him to develop into that. 

As the draft process really starts to take shape, it will be interesting to see where Carels gets ranked. Currently, he should be there for New York at number five if they want him, but it could be a slight reach.