Tonight at 7PM is Round 1 of the NHL Draft and the Rangers have the following picks:
The Rangers are expected to select Alexis Lafreniere with the #1 overall pick.
Rounds 2-7 begin on Wednesday morning.
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The Rangers have qualified RFAs Tony DeAngelo, Brendan Lemieux and Alex Georgiev but have not made a decision yet on Ryan Strome. Strome would become a UFA if not qualified by the Wednesday at 5PM deadline.
Adam Rotter: Well the big night is finally here and Alexis Lafreniere will officially become a Ranger by, probably, around 7:15. The Rangers have never had any intention of trading this pick, even for Jack Eichel, and will add another major young player to a group that already has Kaapo Kakko, Adam Fox, Filip Chytil and an “older” core with Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Jacob Trouba and Artemi Panarin.
Things though will get interesting for the Rangers shortly after the Lafreniere pick and there are many around the league that believe the Rangers will trade #22, either in a deal similar to them trading #20, and Neal Pionk, for Trouba last year, or to move up and be closer to where they had been planning to pick in the 11-15 range. To move up the Rangers could try and package #22 and Ryan Strome, to a team looking to get a head start on signing him, or Lias Andersson so that saga could end. Neither appear to have much value on their own and while it’s tough finding a match, things can change as the draft shakes out. Tony DeAngelo could be in play as well but it is believed that if the Rangers are going to trade him it will be in a “hockey trade” for a player, likely a center.