NHL Entry Draft: 2026 NHL Draft, June 26 7pm ET: Rangers with 5th pick after Lottery

[NYRFANMANI]

I have a feeling this draft is going to be wild. A lot of good potentially good players can be picked up with our late 2nd and four 3rds if we see players fall.

Seconded. Saturday is gonna be really interesting.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

I’ve read a few articles that think Smits is the most NHL ready prospect in the draft.

If that’s the case would not bat an eye if he’s the pick at 5. Given the state of the defense.

I like the player a lot but am apprehensive of the NYR even *considering* NHL readiness with where they’re at as a franchise.

 

[mrmovies779]

We need guys who live, breathe, and die hockey like Mackinnon. Carels is going to be sitting on the bench thinking about his 1,000 cows back home just like Laf is on the bench thinking about when he'll pop his next piece of Wrigley gum into his mouth. Meanwhile, Mackinnon is meticulously counting his calories and training 8 hours a day like Drago in Rocky 4.

That's a lot of cows to tip over..can't say I blame him

 

[McRanger92]

Carels-Smits-Bjorck

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

read this as Scott Boner...

Boner vs Pornman, who has the better draft expertise?

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Carels-Smits-Bjorck

lol, so vince so far has named every played in the top 8 or so as a potenital player rangers may pick.

Great reporting by the clown.

 

[mrmovies779]

Boner vs Pornman, who has the better draft expertise?

I heard Boner was a huge fan of Hyman back in the day

 

[McRanger92]

Classic Vince. Prediction skills of a weatherman

 

[GoAwayRempe]

Carels has been my guy but Bjorck would really signal a refreshing change in organizational philosophy.

Carels is very much a Ranger type of player except he's actually good.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Carsons Carels
Alberts Smits
Viggos Bjorks

 

[Filip Chytil]

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

welcome to Chicago

 

[eco's bones]

Something I'm thinking about with Carels and his cows. Some guys like the Staal's with their f***ing hay bales and Western Canada farmer/rancher families like the Kocur's and his Clark (think Wendel) cousins are stronger than f***. I've never been into weight training so I'm not going to go into all that....but here you have some characters who have spent entire summers from when they were small kids pushing and moving earth, animals and hay bales from the crack of dawn until past dinnertime. For some people it's a way of life and Carels it seems is one of them. Just from Carson's comments about it he's pretty into that life.

 

[McRanger92]

Something I'm thinking about with Carels and his cows. Some guys like the Staal's with their f***ing hay bales and Western Canada farmer/rancher families like the Kocur's and his Clark (think Wendel) cousins are stronger than f***. I've never been into weight training so I'm not going to go into all that....but here you have some characters who have spent entire summers from when they were small kids pushing and moving earth, animals and hay bales from the crack of dawn until past dinnertime. For some people it's a way of life and Carels it seems is one of them. Just from Carson's comments about it he's pretty into that life.

The Legendary Staal Sod Farm

 

[eco's bones]

Carsons Carels
Alberts Smits
Viggos Bjorks

If all of McKenna, Stenberg, Reid and Malhotra are off the board by 5 these are the 3 that would be my guys. I know (barring some unforeseen trade) we can only pick one but it should be one of these guys.

 

[TGWL]

For the #26 Klepov is atop my wishlist all along. As the season progressed felt like he started getting ranked higher putting him out of reach. I watched the Athletics mock draft the other night and he wasn't even selected in the 1st round? Weird. They went with Jack Hextall to the Rangers with pick 26. In that mock i guess they are going for position over BPA, and lack of Centers in the org is likely why.

The Rangers need talented skilled player. This kid is very talented. The size is there. He got an amazing release. He is adept at putting himself in high danger scoring chances. But also without the puck, he's a dog on a bone. I think he's going to make a lot of teams look really stupid.

I actually think he's in top 10 best players in this draft.

I think he's gone before our pick or any few spots we can climb.

 

[TGWL]

I mean McKenna has been the presumptive 1 for at least a year. Malhotra shot up the boards. I don’t think he’s better than McKenna or Stenberg. I don’t think he’s better than at least three of the top dmen. I don’t think he’s better than Bjorck. So like already we are around here. To me anyway. And like to me it’s a ceiling conversation. If he’s like a 2C ceiling that maybe could pop as a 1C in a pinch, that doesn’t scream top 5, let alone top 3 to me in a draft that is pretty strong. Matt Beniers went 2 but that was a much weaker draft

If 1c in a pinch is a disappointment for top 5, you may end up disappointed in most of them.

 

[Waltuh]

Classic Vince. Prediction skills of a weatherman

we know the rangers love their “others”. should be more like 30-30-40

 

[Savant]

If 1c in a pinch is a disappointment for top 5, you may end up disappointed in most of them.

If I am leaving potential 1D on the table in order to take one, then yeah. And again I don’t even think this is the best center in the draft

 

[will1066]

lol, so vince so far has named every played in the top 8 or so as a potenital player rangers may pick.

Great reporting by the clown.

Yeah but to be fair that's also the conversation here lol

There's just no consensus about the order of who goes for any team except that we won't pick Hugh Jessiman because he's not available

 

[McRanger92]

Yeah but to be fair that's also the conversation here lol

There's just no consensus about the order of who goes for any team except that we won't pick Hugh Jessiman because he's not available

Huge Specimen

 

[EdJovanovski]

Classic Vince. Prediction skills of a weatherman

SMITS PLS

 

[NickyFotiu]

Do we feel Malhotra rating is artificial ? Like he is only getting ranked up because his dad is going to reach for him? I would probably just take him out of the data. Cool list though

Could it be a bit risky to pick a son so high?

Coaches are hired to be fired in the NHL. You are drafting a player for hopefully 10 years but how will it be if the dad is gone in 3 years? Also will the guys in the locker room feel like they can speak freely around the son? If a guy has a gripe against the coach down the road will he also hold it against the son?

 

[NYRFANMANI]

Something I'm thinking about with Carels and his cows. Some guys like the Staal's with their f***ing hay bales and Western Canada farmer/rancher families like the Kocur's and his Clark (think Wendel) cousins are stronger than f***. I've never been into weight training so I'm not going to go into all that....but here you have some characters who have spent entire summers from when they were small kids pushing and moving earth, animals and hay bales from the crack of dawn until past dinnertime. For some people it's a way of life and Carels it seems is one of them. Just from Carson's comments about it he's pretty into that life.

That's 100 % what's up. Farm strength is real. You can see it in Carels defensive highlights, throwing opponents away.

Imo a steal at 5.

 

[bhamill]

So you are saying there are 10 guys about equal? Thats basically what I’ve said. I think Malhotra is in the back half of that ten, not the front half. My point with Malhotra - is he getting ranked high because people know he is going high, or because he is outright a top three player in the draft. I think it’s the former.

Like for example - NFL draft Quarterbacks usually go first, right? But how many of those times is the QB the outright best player in the draft? But again these same QBs often get prospect ranked at the top because people don’t want to represent otherwise.

I understand your point. I just don't see any reason to actually hold that view. He's ranked on his play his position, and his upside, and he was ranked that highly BEFORE Manny became VAN's HC. He's been a riser all year and had a monster playoff. I'm not buying that he's being ranked highly to save face for when he's selected top 5. It just makes zero sense to me. Do you really believe if Van doesn't take him at 3 that he drops to 7 or 8? I do not. If he's there at 5 we likely take him, and not because media have ranked him highly...

And no I didn't say 10 guys are "about equal," I said I'd be happy with 8 guys at our position and two more I wouldn't throw my remote over. That doesn't mean I think McK is equal to Smits... or that Reid is equivalent to Verhoeff.