Rangers draft preview: Defensemen they could target

Shakir Mukhamadullin #27 of the U17 Russian Nationals (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

The strength of the New York Rangers is their blueline so drafting a defenseman won’t be a priority for the Blueshirts, but there are some defenders worth considering.

The New York Rangers have a fabulous collection of young defenders on the major league roster as well as in their prospect pipeline. The team’s immediate need is depth at forward, so the likelihood is that they will go that route at the NHL Entry Draft. Still,there are defenseman the Rangers could be interested in.

For many years, the Rangers’ draft philosophy has been to draft the best player available, regardless of position. They went…