The New York Rangers currently own five picks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. After going without a first-round pick last season, the Rangers will take the 23rd pick this year. The Rangers have had some recent success recruiting players in that range. In 2017 they selected Filip Chytil 21st overall and in 2018 they selected K’Andre Miller 22nd overall. Who are the Rangers taking this year? According to the needs of the organization, it would be necessary to think that he will be an offensive player. I sat down with two of the top draft analysts, NHL(.com)’s Adam Kimelman and Byron Bader, the creator of Hockey Prospecting, to learn more about potential prospects available in the Rangers’ draft range.
Here are nine prospects who could be available to the Rangers when their pick arrives Wednesday night:
David Edstrom, C, Frolunda Jr. (SWE-JR)
Adding young ability in the middle could be the best option for Rangers at the moment, with Mika Zibanejad at 30 and Vincent Trocheck turning 30 before next season begins. Edstrom (6-3, 185) is a big, intelligent player who averaged one point per game (28 points in 28 games) in the Swedish youth league. –Adam Kimelman(NHL.com)
Otto Stenberg, C, Frolunda Jr. (SWE-JR)
Stenberg has leadership qualities and a tremendous two-way game. A gifted player offensively with quick hands and an accurate shot, Stenberg scored 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in seven games for Sweden at the Under-18 World Cup. He is a complete player with a strong work ethic and the ability to excel in difficult situations. He’s also versatile enough to play wing or center. –Mike Morereale (NHL.com)
Gabriel Perreault, OR, USA Under-18 (NTDP)
Perreault (5-11, 163) led the NTDP in goals, assists and points and was second to the United States at the Under-18 World Cup with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in seven games. The son of former NHL center Yanic Perreault has great instincts, intelligence and knows how to position himself in good areas to create offense. –Mike Morereale (NHL.com)
Brayden Yager, C, moose jaw (WHL)
Yager (5-11, 170) is a strong, fast skater and puck hound with a dynamic shot. He needs to get stronger, but the advantage is a frontline center who can improve the players around him. –Adam Kimelman(NHL.com)
Samuel Honzek, LW, Vancouver (WHL)
Honzek’s strength and hockey IQ stood out this season, his first in the Western Hockey League after coming from his native Slovakia. He showed that he could make run plays and use his big body (6-3, 195) to hold off defenders to create time and space to use his fast, heavy shot. He missed nearly two months due to a bad skate cut on his left calf suffered during the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships, but he appeared to be on the mend when he returned, and his trials at the NHL Scouting Combine removed any lingering doubts about his quickness. and power. –Adam Kimelman(NHL.com)
Gavin Brindley, C, Michigan (NCAA)
Brindley is a high-motor player who excels on the defensive side of the puck. He is a tenacious and reliable forechecker in defensive zone coverage. He is always on the move, always attacking lines, bouncing between defenders to find them, especially on the power play. He anticipates plays early and moves to support them. – Elite prospects
Daniel Butt, LW, Yaroslavl Jr. (RUS-JR)
A big wing, but he’s 6-5 and 203 pounds. The first thing that strikes you with Pero, once you get over how he towers over everyone else on the ice, is how coordinated, dexterous, and creative he is with the puck on his stick. His ability to chain difficult pass receptions into drive moves and drive moves into passes or shots is truly remarkable. Not even for someone his size. On top of that, But is a powerful finisher, capable of shooting with either leg with a quick release and almost textbook mechanical form. – Elite prospects
Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury (OHL)
He brings a little bit of everything to the table and does so in an imposing 6-foot-2 projecting frame. Better yet, he’s not shy about leveraging every bit to strip opponents of the puck, wreak havoc along the backboards and in front of the net, and launch down the run wing. His vision is top-notch, and he’s equipped with the cunning and passing ability necessary to connect with layered feeds around skates and sticks. – Elite prospects
Andrew Cristall, LW, Kelowna (WHL)
Cristall was an offensive catalyst for Kelowna this season, leading them in goals (39), assists (56) and points (95) in 54 games. He is offensively talented and contributes to the power play (nine goals, 24 assists) due to his great vision and skill. With proper development, Cristall has top-six NHL potential in the next 3-5 years. –Mike Morereale (NHL.com)
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