No matter how you look at it, the New York Rangers’ run of making a top-10 selection in the NHL Draft each year from 2017-20 will go down as a disappointment. How much of one is still to be determined – and the 2025-26 season has to potential to make it considerably worse.
That’s because Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick in 2019, enters his first full season with the Seattle Kraken after showing signs that he could be a more productive player following a trade with the Rangers in mid-December. Additionally, Vitali Kravtsov, the No. 9 overall pick in 2018, signed a one-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks after a successful run in the KHL.