Perhaps this is not a dilemma for Chris Drury so he does not see the new York Rangers fall more in the ranking next year. But the most Cartesian of his advisers could nevertheless warn him to avoid the infamy for having escaped the next Connor McDavid…
Posted at 11:27 a.m.
The Rangers fell with one rank following the lottery on Monday evening. They will in principle recover at 12e row. This choice was sold to the Vancouver Canucks, with Filip Chytil and Victor Mancini, to get JT Miller, but New York has the privilege of keeping it if it is in the top 13. If the rangers record to 12e Row at the end of June, they will have to sell their first choice of 2026 without the slightest protection.
Despite their disappointing season, it would be surprising to see this training run out of the ranking next year with such a solid nucleus. But it is no longer enough to finish in the classification cellar to recover first. The New York Icelanders have just won the lottery despite a 35-35-12 file and a 23e Make way in the general classification … a row behind the Rangers.
And in recent years we have also seen powerful clubs tumbled in the ranking. San Jose Sharks did not expect to go from 6e au 29e Rank in the general classification from 2019 to 2020 after acquiring Erik Karlsson a year earlier. The Ottawa senators drafted Tim Stützle in third row with the choice of San Jose.
These same senators were aims to reach the Stanley Cup final in 2017. A few months later, they occupied an advantageous place in the ranking at the start of the season when they gave a first -round choice in 2019 to the Avalanche du Colorado to obtain Matt Duchene.
Less than two years later, senators finished last rank in the general classification. If Ottawa had won the lottery, Jack Hughes would play Colorado today. But the Devils, the Rangers and the Blackhawks won the first three lots. Colorado has nevertheless drafted Bowen Byram in the fourth row.
The number one hope in 2026 makes many teams salivate. Gavin McKenna was still 16 years old in mid-December. He has just raised 129 points, including 41 goals, in 56 games at Medicine Hat, in the Western Junior League. It is even more impactful in the playoffs with 35 points in 13 games … for an average of 2.6 points per game! At 17!
Medicine Hat finds herself in the final against the Chiefs of Spokane, with Berkly Catton in mind, Choice of first round of the Seattle Kraken in 2024, and Andrew Cristall, choice of second round of Washington Capitals.
Four victories and the young McKenna, the best hope since Connor McDavid in 2015 according to several, will be at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski at the end of the month.
Unfortunately for them, Vancouver cannucks can no longer dream of an collapse of the Rangers to get their hands on McKenna, unless you have an awful season. They sold the choice of rangers to Pittsburgh’s Penguins the day after the departure of JT Miller to obtain defender Marcus Pettersson.
The director general of the Rangers finds himself in a delicate position. If he plays prudence and gave in his choice of 2025 to the Penguins in June, he sends a appalling message in terms of confidence to his team and also, above all, to his new head coach Mike Sullivan. Team supporters are also likely to digest the thing badly: are we already announced a difficult season next year?
But if the improbable ever happened, Chris Drury would pass for one of the worst general directors of history, the one who saw Gavin McKenna escape for a gifted center, certainly, but 32 years old and paid 8 million per season up to 37 years …
Logically, the Rangers will recover at 12e Rank and will once again access the series next year, under the leadership of Sullivan, one of the best in his profession, with the Panarin, Zibanejad, Miller, Kreider, Trocheck, Lafrenière, Fox, Miller and Shestterkin.
We wish them, especially if they keep their first choice this summer. Penguins are already winners. They will recover at the 11e et 12e ranks at the end of June, or otherwise will be satisfied with 11e Choice in 2025 and will dream of seeing the rangers flow.
Imagine only Pittsburgh finish in the classification cellar in the company of New York…
Chris Drury will have to announce his decision 48 hours before the draft.
The figure of the day (1): 2 min 47 s
Playing time remaining in the third period when Martin St-Louis withdrew his goalkeeper Jakub Dobes thanks to a sixth attacker with an opposing regional game in an attempt to provoke equality during the fourth match of the series against capital. This decision was criticized by several colleagues in the following days: the withdrawal of Jakub Dobes was considered too hasty after seeing the capital score in a deserted net.
The figure of the day (2): 2 min 55 s
Playing time remaining in the third period when the Florida panthers head coach Paul Maurice withdrew his goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky thanks to a sixth attacker with an opposing set-up to try to provoke equality in the second match of the series against the Maple Leafs. The panthers threatened for a few minutes and Toronto did not score in a deserted net, but nevertheless won the 4-3 match. Amptiness of controversy in Florida: zero.
