NEWSLETTER
The Rangers were knocked out in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Florida Panthers and have a late first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Let’s look at potential options for the Rangers as they look to add more talent.
Mock: No. 30 – Charlie Elick – D (WHL, Brandon)
Elick is a big defenseman who is a strong skater with great speed along with balance. He moves well in all directions and uses his strength to provide a physical presence. He can also make plays in the offensive zone to go along with his great defensive skills. He had 4 goals and 22 assists in 65 games with 71 penalty minutes. Elick battles with consistency and makes good decisions in the defensive zone.
Rangers Looking for Defensive Upgrade
One of the positions the Rangers are looking to upgrade is at defenseman. There was a lack of scoring that was evident in the series vs the Panthers and it might have been because of an inability to sustain possession. Most of the problems unfortunately started on defense. Breakouts were an on-and-off problem for the squad and it’s clear the team will target defensemen in the offseason and the 2024 draft.
More Options for the Rangers in Round 1
There are other solid defensemen the Rangers could consider with the pick or target depth at the center position. Check out a few more options for New York in the 1st round.
Henry Mews – D (OHL, Ottawa)
Mews scored 15 goals and had 45 assists in 64 games last season while registering 65 penalty minutes. While primarily a defenseman, he showed versatility filling in at right wing because of injuries. He’s more of an offensive-minded defenseman with solid vision and a high hockey IQ. He is patient with the puck and has smooth skating ability.
Colton Roberts – D (WHL, Vancouver)
Roberts is another defenseman the Rangers could target and he is rising through the prospect rankings. He has great size and is a solid skater. He can provide secondary offense for the Rangers with sneaky playmaking skills. Roberts is capable of jumping through seams and has the physical tools to defend effectively at the NHL level.
Cole Beaudoin – C (OHL, Barrie)
Beaudoin is looking like a hidden gem for whatever team is able to grab him late in the first round. He is a playmaker with good vision that helps him consistently find teammates in open areas. He scored 28 goals and had 34 assists in 67 games last season. He also had 2 goals and 3 assists for Team Canada in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He’s big and his strength helps him keep the puck.
Rangers 2023-24 Season Recap
It was a successful season for the New York Rangers but fell short of the ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup. The Rangers were 55-23-4 and fell to the Florida Panthers 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Rangers saw a strong season from Artemi Panarin who had 120 points thanks to 49 goals and 71 assists in 82 games. Vincent Trocheck had 77 points, Chris Kreider had 75, and Adam Fox followed with 73. Panarin was the team leader in goals and assists for a team that was well above the league average in goals scored.
In goal, Igor Shesterkin played 55 games with a record of 36-17-2. He had a save percentage of 91.2% and registered 4 shutouts on the year. Jonathan Quick started 26 games in goal with a record of 18-6-2. He had a save percentage of 91.1% and recorded 2 shoutouts. As a unit, the goalies gave up 2.57 goals per game for the Rangers.
The Rangers are still looking for their first Stanley Cup since 1994. That season, they went 52-24-8 and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-3.
