The 2025 NHL Draft is coming up in just a few days and the New York Rangers still have a significant decision to make regarding their 12th overall pick.
As part of the J.T. Miller trade with the Vancouver Canucks, the Rangers either have to give up their first-round pick this year or in 2026.
Speculation has been rising on what route Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury may take.
One idea that hasn’t been discussed much, but is very well a possibility is the Rangers keeping their first-round pick and using it to move up in the draft.
“I wonder if the Rangers try to move up,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said. “That’s another one I’m kind of wondering there.”
There are rumors floating around that a couple of teams could be willing to move down and there could be a lot of action in terms of trades before and during the draft.
“I really think this one (draft) has a chance to be crazy,” Friedman said. “I think there are some teams that could really set tones… There are some teams here that could really set the draft on its ears.”
It’s unclear if the Rangers are leaning toward keeping their first-round selection or giving it away.
If they decide to keep it, they'll have the option to either sit at their current selection and pick the best prospect on the board, trade the pick to move up in the draft, or for an already established player to help give the roster a boost.
Flyers Trade For Trevor Zegras, Taking A Rangers Target Off Of The Market
Trevor Zegras has been traded from the Anaheim Ducks to the Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Poehling, the 2025 45th overall pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick.
On the other side of things, if Drury gives it up and keeps the team’s 2026 first-round pick, the Rangers will have a security blanket if their season goes off the rails and they regress or if the Blueshirts are in playoff contention, he can use that pick at the trade deadline to acquire a win-now player.
It’s a dilemma with pros and cons on both sides, so Drury has a very difficult yet crucial choice to make that could impact the franchise in a major way.