Prospect Info: 2025 DRAFT Discussion

[Ryder71]

If it is 2025... I would agree.

That's what I was speaking to. Beyond that I seriously doubt in a loaded draft next year we'll move our 2026 1st either. It'd have to be an insane offer. That could be a top five pick. And you don't play around with that.

 

[Jared Grayden]

You can't compare the two as equal. The NYR's have the better depth and is much younger, and the better goalie. They are far closer to be able to flip things around next season. They are not a 1-line team.

I agree. The point is potential is there for both teams to be on a sustained decline regardless of how much the management teams try to fight it. In which case Dubas holding both 1sts could be very beneficial. I don't think he should consider trading either until at least the rough draft position is known.

 

[Ugene Magic]

That's what I was speaking to. Beyond that I seriously doubt in a loaded draft next year we'll move our 2026 1st either. It'd have to be an insane offer. That could be a top five pick. And you don't play around with that.

It's not moving ours; it is moving the NYR's 1st.

 

[Ryder71]

It's not moving ours; it is moving the NYR's 1st.

I'd be careful about doing that as well. Who knows where the Rags will be next season.

Look at the canucks, I'll bet they wish they traded us their 1st instead in hindsight.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I agree. The point is potential is there for both teams to be on a sustained decline regardless of how much the management teams try to fight it. In which case Dubas holding both 1sts could be very beneficial. I don't think he should consider trading either until at least the rough draft position is known.

But that just makes the NYR's 1st that more valuable in a trade.

Most likely the NYR's rebound and float in the low 20's range. I mean, I've been looking at the 2026 rankings and I'm not sold on it being deeper.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I'd be careful about doing that as well. Who knows where the Rags will be next season.

Look at the canucks, I'll bet they wish they traded us their 1st instead in hindsight.

They were both sitting right outside the wildcard tied in points wise with the #2 wildcard team.

NHL Hockey Standings | NHL.com

They still are right there.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm not keeping the Rangers 1st because of a 1% chance it ends up McKenna, which I think is a pretty accurate estimation for how likely that pick is to become McKenna. That said, the 1st looks pretty likely to be at minimum in the 10-20 range and you can obviously get core players with that kind of pick. I'd trade it if you can get an equivalent upside player that's in the NHL already, like the Dougie Hamilton example that I already mentioned, but I'd be extremely picky with that pick if I'm trading it.

Either a C with fringe 1C/2C upside or a top-4 D with #2/3D upside is the only thing I'd trade it for. The only player I see in the RFA market this year that I may pull that trigger on is Rossi. McTavish (isn't good enough yet), Byram (isn't good enough yet) and Peterka (doesn't play the position I want) are also close that I could probably be convinced of, but Rossi is the only one that fully hits it.

 

[Ryder71]

They were both sitting right outside the wildcard tied in points wise with the #2 wildcard team.

NHL Hockey Standings | NHL.com

They still are right there.

Still, it's dicey as to where the Rangers finish. Before the year started no one thought they might miss the playoffs.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I'm not keeping the Rangers 1st because of a 1% chance it ends up McKenna, which I think is a pretty accurate estimation for how likely that pick is to become McKenna. That said, the 1st looks pretty likely to be at minimum in the 10-20 range and you can obviously get core players with that kind of pick. I'd trade it if you can get an equivalent upside player that's in the NHL already, like the Dougie Hamilton example that I already mentioned, but I'd be extremely picky with that pick if I'm trading it.

Either a C with fringe 1C/2C upside or a top-4 D with #2/3D upside is the only thing I'd trade it for. The only player I see in the RFA market this year that I may pull that trigger on is Rossi. McTavish (isn't good enough yet), Byram (isn't good enough yet) and Peterka (doesn't play the position I want) are also close that I could probably be convinced of, but Rossi is the only one that fully hits it.

None of those will be available, but maybe Trevor Zegras can shake loose. He just turned 24 on the 20th.

A good by low high reward risk.

 

[Empoleon8771]

None of those will be available, but maybe Trevor Zergas can shake loose. He just turned 24 on the 20th.

A good by low high reward risk.

I wouldn't trade the 1st for Zegras. Would definitely rather keep it than send it out for him.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Still, it's dicey as to where the Rangers finish. Before the year started no one thought they might miss the playoffs.

And they could still make it.

 

[Ryder71]

And they could still make it.

I get that, but it's still dicey. I mean before the year started they were one of the favorites in the east. There's no guarantee next year will be any better. Once teams reach their expiration date it can slip away quickly. Maybe not but that trade looks like good value from a Pittsburgh perspective. At worst it looks like a mid 1st rounder.

 

[Gurglesons]

flyers firing torts has been huge for our chances.

hopefully the youngins look good but we still have prime Jarry in net.

 

[Mr. T]

I think Shesterkin is bound to bounce back, and while Kreider isn’t a 50 goal scorer anymore he’s better than the 19 he’s gotten this year. Lafreniere fell off too but that doesn’t seem sustainable especially given his age. Then add a full season of J.T. Miller.

They’ll probably be a very middling team next year. They won’t be in the bottom 8 I don’t think.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Regarding the Rangers pick, I saw someone argue that they'd rather keep the 2025 pick and send the Penguins the 2026 pick as an attempt to spend the pick to get better now in an attempt to get better next year. I'd actually argue the opposite, I think the unprotected 2026 pick would have more value than the 2025 pick at like #10 overall. If their focus would be to maximizing the value of the pick to trade for win-now help, I think they'd be more likely to keep the 2026 pick in that case.

We'll see, though. The Rangers giving up that pick if it's #8 feels a lot different than the Rangers giving up that pick if it's #11. That said, it's pretty wild Dubas got a potentially top-10 pick for a rental Marcus Pettersson.

 

[Jacob]

Is Schaefer done for the year? Can’t seem to find any news on him. He’s been out 3 months.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Is Schaefer done for the year? Can’t seem to find any news on him. He’s been out 3 months.

Yes.

Edit: Actually, I'm not really sure.

@Jacob

What I could find.

Top 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Nearing Return

They are currently in playoffs game 2 up 3-2 and already beat Misa's team 8 to 5 in game one. No sign of Schaefer.

 

[Ulf5]

Rossi could maybe be that player, Guerin seems really keen to get rid of him. Id be trying to see if they'd take Rakell for him first though

Russo who seems to be in tune with the Wild's going ons put the odds about 70% that Rossi is moved in the off-season.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I've said it before but it's a damn shame there's no Michkov or Demidov in this draft. A dude who looks to be a superstar talent that drops to like 5-7 purely because of the Russian factor. Would really come in handy for a team like this.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I've said it before but it's a damn shame there's no Michkov or Demidov in this draft. A dude who looks to be a superstar talent that drops to like 5-7 purely because of the Russian factor. Would really come in handy for a team like this.

Kyle Dubas seems like the exact kind of GM that would shy away from someone like Michkov for those reasons.

Dubas is too much of a Canadian boy for me to think he'd take that chance.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Kyle Dubas seems like the exact kind of GM that would shy away from someone like Michkov for those reasons.

Dubas is too much of a Canadian boy for me to think he'd take that chance.

Bleak.

 

[Ryder71]

If we lose enough these final eight games we could very well end up with our two best prospects in the system. Which is why losing ATM is so important.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Bleak.

but not wrong.

 

[chethejet]

Rangers in a declining Metro may not be a top 10 pick nest year. But my guess is the Rangers will be in flux here with older players not giving it all and wanting out. Add in the failures of their rebuild and high end picks and you have a recipe for disaster. Pens pick 14 or have the lottery pick next year. I take 2026 pick and hope it becomes a top 5 pick. Miller trade may be a bad move and Caps, Canes, and NJ look to be the best 3. Pens who knows. But would I prefer another top 5 or 6 pick in 2026? Of course.

 

[Ugene Magic]

The Rangers are currently #15 and in the #2 wildcard spot. They also hold the better RW and ROW over the other teams and is right there with P%.