NHL Entry Draft: 2026 NHL Draft pick watch: Rangers with 5th pick after Lottery

[NYRFANMANI]

I really like Aaram-Olsen as a potential target for our late 1st. We don’t need wingers but he skates well, especially first step and direction change and he can snipe from range already. Probably not someone we’re looking at. I just like his tools and think he’ll succeed well at this level.

Looking at the combine stats, his name popped up a lot at the top of many categories. One of the best athletes in the draft apparently.

Anybody got tape on Charlie Puglisi? Could be a nice pickup in the mid rounds.

Niko Tournas, over-ager, but quite good.

 

[Jacques Strap]

Hugh Jessiman grew up a Rangers fan too. So did Al Montoya and Bobby Sanguinetti. All 1st round picks we made. All busts. I forget whether the Ferraro twins were Rangers or Isles fans but my point here is that being a Rangers fan growing up is not really a qualifier.

We have Fox now and Fortescue--both Rangers fans too....also both 3rd round picks by the way. Fox might not be the greatest skater but he defends very well for his size and he's arguably top 10 hockey IQ's in the league.

I like Bleyl but I like a lot of others who might be available at 26 too. I want the Rangers to make as good a pick as possible. I wouldn't be necessarily pissed if we select him but he might not be the best pick at that spot. It is a bit subjective when we get to that point though.

Another way to look at is we have Fox who is getting towards his later 20's but who should be good for a bunch of years running our 1st power play unit. If we pick someone like Carels or Smits with our 5--that's a defenseman you'll want to find power play time for in 2 to 3 years too. Then there's Morrow and Gonchar and what becomes of them so would a player like Bleyl who's main thing is his offensive game be a bit superfluous. If we take a 2nd defenseman in the first round it might be better if it were a Hakansson, Piiparinen, Shcherbakov or Sokolovskii. But also a D with our first pick---might be better to take a C with the 2nd like Command, Dagenais, Rogowski or Hextall.

Fortescue is an Isles fan. Google Search

 

[RangersFan1994]

If we pick this undersized meh-ass prospect late in the first, I'm going to riot. I don't need another Nils Lundkvist.

So you wouldn't pick Point, Hutson bros, Stankovin, Marchand because of their height. Im sure you'd pick the next McIlrath or Jessiman just because their size. Bad way to scout a player because they're big

 

[n8]

Interesting family situation since Brian Burke and Vancouver put in a good amount of work to draft the Sedins 2-3. We also traded to #4 in the draft for Brendl.

Why u bringing up old trauma for no reason???

 

[NickyFotiu]

Why u bringing up old trauma for no reason???

2 reasons.

1. That years draft had multiple trades in the top 10 and included 2 Rangers picks in the top 9.

2. Brendl will be our Mike Bossy. We just have to stop telling our younger guys they have to play defense lol.

 

[n8]

I really like Aaram-Olsen as a potential target for our late 1st. We don’t need wingers but he skates well, especially first step and direction change and he can snipe from range already. Probably not someone we’re looking at. I just like his tools and think he’ll succeed well at this level.

I'm hoping for Cullen (dream), Klepov, Command, Hulbert, or Bleyl (especially if we draft Malhotra) at 26. I will also be happy with some other highly rated players dropping to 26 (e.g. Lawrence, Rudolph, Hemming), or somehow trading down for two early 2nds like VAN 33 + 41 or CAL 35 + 36 of CHI 34 + 37 (plus a later pick add from us).

 

[NickyFotiu]

So you wouldn't pick Point, Hutson bros, Stankovin, Marchand because of their height. Im sure you'd pick the next McIlrath or Jessiman just because their size. Bad way to scout a player because they're big

Size is never the only factor but it can be one of many factors. It really comes down to each player individually. I remember Zibs who is not a small guy trying to defend Barkov in the playoffs. Zibs looked like a little brother getting thrown off his bigger brothers back. Not saying smaller players can not have great careers. Just saying that size (or strength) is a factor just like speed. We need to look at everything.

 

[NYR Viper]

Bleyl would be really interesting later in the 1st round. His point totals as a rookie in the QMJHL are sensational. It would be great if he had chosen to proceed to the NCAA level

 

[leetch99]

Rangers draft him with their late 1st


He unlike Fox is actually a pretty good skater

Draft Profile: Tommy Bleyl

The QMJHL's defenseman of the year could sneak his way into being a first-round selection.

thehockeynews.com

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View attachment 1250661

Bleyl was probably the most well coached kid in Major Junior hockey last season and he certainly benefited from that . They have a great major junior hockey program going there .The Moncton team has the money to hire the best and they did in Gardiner MacDougall.....the best coach not in the NHL.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

So you wouldn't pick Point, Hutson bros, Stankovin, Marchand because of their height. Im sure you'd pick the next McIlrath or Jessiman just because their size. Bad way to scout a player because they're big

Way to cut out the "meh-ass" part and misconstruing what I wrote. Sure I like size more personally, but you listing off the crème de la crème of small players - of which not one has been drafted in the 1st round mind you, lol - is no point it favor of drafting Bleyl late in the 1st round. Maybe with our last 3rd rnd pick.

 

[pld459666]

We're going to lose out on Stenberg by 1 pick and it will sting.

We weren't getting Stenberg anyway, why would this sting?

If he's available you take him, but falling to five made that a near impossibility unless SJ, VAN and CHI overthink things.

 

[eco's bones]

If you're a smaller D whose main strength is point production then you're really going to have to show it when you hit the NHL and not everyone can. Sometimes the reasons might be to some degree beyond their control---like they might really need power play time but they're not first in line for it. With the Rangers Fox is going to get the bulk of that time. Zac Jones got scraps of that but in pretty much 100 games with us he put up two power play assists. So the best part of his game never really got off the floor for us. He's a talented guy but if his offense isn't there he's not a good enough defender and his size was part of the problem.

Guys like Bleyl or Villeneuve if they were drafted by say Montreal or Colorado (just for two examples) would be effectively blocked by guys like Hutson and Makar. Really they'd be blocked by bigger guys like Dahlin or Matthew Schneider. I don't know how high the Rangers are on Gonchar but if they're really high I don't know if they'd go another route than Bleyl, Villeneuve just because of that that but Fox would be in their way too. Just that might lead the Rangers in another direction as far as our second first rounder.

 

[RangersFan1994]

​

Maddox Dagenais Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics of Maddox Dagenais, a hockey player from Montreal, PQ born Mar 27 2008 who was active from 2024 to 2026.

www.hockeydb.com

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

If you're a smaller D whose main strength is point production then you're really going to have to show it when you hit the NHL and not everyone can. Sometimes the reasons might be to some degree beyond their control---like they might really need power play time but they're not first in line for it. With the Rangers Fox is going to get the bulk of that time. Zac Jones got scraps of that but in pretty much 100 games with us he put up two power play assists. So the best part of his game never really got off the floor for us. He's a talented guy but if his offense isn't there he's not a good enough defender and his size was part of the problem.

Guys like Bleyl or Villeneuve if they were drafted by say Montreal or Colorado (just for two examples) would be effectively blocked by guys like Hutson and Makar. Really they'd be blocked by bigger guys like Dahlin or Matthew Schneider. I don't know how high the Rangers are on Gonchar but if they're really high I don't know if they'd go another route than Bleyl, Villeneuve just because of that that but Fox would be in their way too. Just that might lead the Rangers in another direction as far as our second first rounder.

This is basically the NYR philosophy for building the defense. “Oh PP1 is already taken? No more skill allowed!”

 

[Clark Kellogg]

 

[TGWL]

We weren't getting Stenberg anyway, why would this sting?

If he's available you take him, but falling to five made that a near impossibility unless SJ, VAN and CHI overthink things.

You basically said what i said.. falling to 5 made that a near impossibly.

If for some reason he goes 4th and we miss out by 1 pick, it's going to sting since we moved down 2 spots in the draft. There's a real good possibility that Vancouver and SJ go in a different direction whether that actually happens or not. I believe SJ should draft him, but maybe that doesn't happen.

 

[eco's bones]

This is basically the NYR philosophy for building the defense. “Oh PP1 is already taken? No more skill allowed!”

So you'll understand me better. We have Fox yes and Morrow in Hartford or with the Rangers next year and Gonchar sitting in Sudbury.

The likelihood unless Malhotra or Stenberg drops is we'll use our No. 5 pick on a defenseman---one of Reid (not all that likely) or Carels (more likely) or Smits or even Verhoeff or Rudolph. They are all two way D's who bring some offense---all larger framed, stronger and better defensive presences than either Bleyl or Villeneuve happen to be. I wouldn't be against Villeneuve or Bleyl at No. 26 however if the Rangers take a forward at No. 5. Then it would make much more sense to me. To me taking Carels at 5 and then Bleyl/Villeneuve at 26 would not be very smart. If we're taking Carels for instance the Rangers will one day want him to be a No. 1D who plays heavy minutes in all situations like 5v5, power play, shorthanded. To some day maybe take Fox's job away from him like McDonagh pushed Staal out of the No. 1 spot for us long long ago.

And if Carels/Smits is the guy at 5---I'd prefer we take a forward and preferably a center at 26. Like a Command or a Dagenais or a Hextall or a Rogowski. But if they took another defensemen there I'd prefer a bigger more physical and defensive player like Hakansson, Piiparinen, Goljer, Shcherbakov, Sokolovskii. You need guys like that too. What make a team good is a diversity of types that are good at what they do.

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

To me taking Carels at 5 and then Bleyl/Villeneuve at 26 would not be very smart.

Why not? They have as much upside as any D in the draft and will be available late in the first round too. I’d be thrilled to get both of them. Our NHL D outside of Fox is a war crime and none of the current prospects are any good

 

[RangerBoy]

The top 4 picks are expected to be McKenna, Sternberg, Malhotra and Reid in no specific order.

Wheeler said Carels is being considered at #2 or #4. He thinks Carels doesn't go past 5/6. Carels interviewed very well.

Smits didn't interview very well at all.

 

[kovazub94]

Why not? They have as much upside as any D in the draft and will be available late in the first round too. I’d be thrilled to get both of them. Our NHL D outside of Fox is a war crime and none of the current prospects are any good

Because the Rangers have other needs besides D. If there’s a clear BPA (if someone they had much higher on their board) then yeah, they should take him regardless. But if there’re a few players in the same range - then whom the Rangers take at 5 will influence whom they take at 26.

 

[kovazub94]

Wheeler said Carels is being considered at #2 or #4. He thinks Carels doesn't go past 5/6. Carels interviewed very well….

So they could have included Carels and say top 5 picks in no particular order. (though probably we know who’s #1, and then 2-5 in no specific order).

 

[cheech70]

 

[RangerBoy]

So they could have included Carels and say top 5 picks in no particular order. (though probably we know who’s #1, and then 2-5 in no specific order).

Verhoeff could go #2.

Those are the top 6 picks. Projected.

 

[kovazub94]

Verhoeff could go #2.

If SJS are taking their D there then I’d expect ability to be 1PP quarterback would be a significant factor.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Because the Rangers have other needs besides D. If there’s a clear BPA (if someone they had much higher on their board) then yeah, they should take him regardless. But if there’re a few players in the same range - then whom the Rangers take at 5 will influence whom they take at 26.

Is this a needs draft year? I was thinking maybe we might go BPA with all our picks.