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When the NHL roster freeze ended Thursday afternoon, it was quieter than expected, but the Rangers were one of the few teams to make decisions ahead of the 2021 draft that begins Friday night. .
The Rangers announced a six-year deal with gritty forward Barclay Goodrow, which the organization acquired from the Lightning less than a week earlier in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2022. Given the activity of Chris Drury during the offseason, including his decision to offload Brett Howden in Vegas last weekend, it looks like the new Rangers president and general manager is working toward something bigger.
In addition, the Rangers plan to pass veteran defenseman Brendan Smith, according to Larry Brooks of The Post. Smith is an unrestricted free agent on hold after five seasons in a deep role.
As Drury continues to shape the Blueshirts roster ahead of the 2021-22 season, the draft presents plenty of opportunities. The Rangers have nine picks, the 15th overall pick in Friday’s first round and eight more in rounds 2-7 on Saturday.
As low-key as Drury was during his media availability leading up to the expansion, he has made it known that the Rangers front office is sparing no effort when it comes to options to improve the squad. One of those options is definitely to use that first round pick.
“It’s a piece that we have,” Drury said on Monday. “If we can improve the team by moving that pick – or another pick or players – we’ll look at everything. “
Given that speculation is rife that Drury could hatch a package that appeases the Sabers ‘absurd asking price for annoyed star center Jack Eichel, the Rangers’ No.15 pick (who is listed as 16 due to selection confiscated from the Coyotes) is guaranteed to be part of the equation.
According to Brooks, however, the Rangers still haven’t had access to Eichel’s medical records.
The Rangers have one pick in the first round, two in the third round, three in the fourth round and one in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.
Last year’s draft marked the start of the Rangers’ goal to become “harder to face,” and that mantra should once again guide their player selections. Former GM Jeff Gorton proved reinforcement a priority when he traded twice in 2020, in the first round for 6-foot-2 defenseman Braden Schneider (No.19) and in the second for the 6-3 winger William Cuylle (no.60).
The Rangers didn’t take a cross last year until the third round, but now it’s the clear position that needs to be strengthened. Filip Chytil is the only center in the franchise to have played a major role in the team last season. Morgan Barron, who has appeared in five games in 2020-21, is set to step onto the scene full-time, but the Cornell product should have a few looks on the wing instead of the center.
At No.15, the top three centers of consensus in the 2021 draft – Matthew Beniers, Kent Johnson and Mason McTavish – are unlikely to be available for the Rangers.
Finnish Liiga’s Aatu Räty, Russian Fyodor Svechkov and USHL’s Cole Sillinger are more likely to be there. There’s also forward Matthew Coronato, who is known for his hands and just finished an 85-point season with the Chicago Steel in the USHL. The New York native signed up to Harvard for the 2021-22 season, as did Adam Fox when he was drafted in 2016.
At 6-2, 185 pounds, Räty matches the big-body trend the Rangers are on in the draft. He is considered a versatile striker, but his stock has dwindled after struggling to produce for Karpat of the Finnish Liiga last season. Svechkov is a defensive-minded center with a huge advantage, which could be appealing to Rangers. In 2020-21, Sillinger posted big numbers for the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede with 46 points (24 goals, 22 assists) in just 31 games. The Columbus, Ohio native’s wrist shot is described by EliteProspects as “powerful” and is seen as a real offensive threat.
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