Rangers' Second 2026 First-Round Pick Locked In After Completion Of Second Round

The Montreal Canadiens’ Game 7 second-round victory over the Buffalo Sabres actually had implications for the New York Rangers. 

The results of the game locked the Rangers into the No. 26 pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. 

The pick originally belonged to the Dallas Stars, but was dealt to the Rangers as part of the trade that sent K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes. 

The Rangers also hold the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft after dropping two spots in the NHL Draft Lottery. 

On top of these two first-round picks, the Blueshirts have one second-round pick, four third-round picks, one fifth-round pick, two sixth-round picks, and one seventh-round pick. 

With a fresh wave of young talent coming in, the Rangers made sweeping changes to their developmental staff, moving on from director of player development Jed Ortmeyer and promoting Tanner Glass in place of Ortmeyer, while also bringing back Kevin Maxwell as the pro scouting and director of player personnel.

At the American Hockey League level, coaches Grant Potulny, Jamie Tardif, and Paul Mara were all relieved of their duties with the Hartford Wolf Pack.