Breaking Down Drew Fortescue’s Path To Longstanding Role With NY Rangers

Drew Fortescue is a hometown kid for the New York Rangers, but how does he go from being a budding young talent to a longterm key figure for the franchise?

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Drew Fortescue (45) skates against the Washington Capitals during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

For the New York Rangers, Drew Fortescue wants it; he has the desire and dream of being with the Rangers long-term.

Fortescue is a Pearl River, N.Y., native and grew up around 30 minutes from Madison Square Garden. His NHL debut on Mar. 27 in front of a large group of family and friends clearly represented a dream coming true for the budding young defenseman.

The blueliner concluded the 2025-26 season with two points (two assists) and saw action in nine games for a plus-4 rating. He was fairly steady on the defensive side of the puck, with opposing teams averaging a mere 1.83 goals per 60 minutes when Fortescue was on the ice.

However, the 2023 third-round pick was not a big point producer and is only 21.

So, what's his path to a longstanding future with the New York organization?

Drew Fortescue Focused on Getting Bigger and Better

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Drew Fortescue (45) awaits a face-off against the Washington Capitals during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Fortescue is from nearby Pearl River, New York. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

At the 2026 Exit Day interviews, Fortescue said while he was content with his first season in the league, he does recognize he has a long way to go.

“I was happy with the way I played,” Fortescue had said. “There’s a lot of work that I need to do, but I thought just kind of breaking the puck out and stuff like that, I thought I did a decent job in it. But there’s obviously a lot of work to do, and I’m just kind of excited to get started with all that this summer.”

Currently standing and weighing in at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Fortescue does have a way forward; he would not have made it to the NHL and be where he is now if not. The Rangers are light on defensemen — especially on the left side — in the prospect pipeline.

For Fortescue, a huge asset is his ability to remain cool under pressure while also possessing an innate ability to find open teammates during defensive-zone exits.

But, he needs to get bigger.

For Fortescue — he recognizes this.

"The biggest thing for me is definitely getting bigger and stronger. I'm just sticking around here, training at Prentiss — I'll be going there. I'm excited for it and just excited for it to start and for me to get to work," Fortescue said.

Fortescue's way forward for the Rangers is all about his size. Given his age, if he puts on some serious muscle, he can really stand out amongst the rest of the prospect pool and get a leg up. Training at Prentiss Hockey Performance in Stamford, Conn., over the summer and focusing his efforts there will be key for Fortescue — who could very well turn out to be a star defenseman for the franchise in due time.