2026 NHL draft: 5 best options for the Rangers at fifth overall originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The 2026 NHL draft will be a big one for the New York Rangers, as they have the fifth overall pick on Friday.
It’s been a rough last couple of seasons for the Rangers, missing the playoffs in both campaigns. Last season was particularly challenging as New York finished last in the Eastern Conference and third-last in the entire league.
This will be the highest draft pick the Rangers make since 2020 when they selected left winger Alexis Lafreniere with the first overall pick.
The Rangers lack true young star talent on their roster. At the moment, some of the top names that have appeared in the NHL include right winger Gabe Perreault and center Noah Laba. Along with some others, there are a couple of players that could be regular contributors down the road, but in terms of a young star that can change the franchise, the Blueshirts continue to search for that prodigy.
Going into Friday’s 2026 draft, GM Chris Drury and the Rangers will be looking to claim that difference-maker, who can kick-start New York’s transition out of the dark hole that is the bottom of the NHL standings.
Here are five draft options for the Rangers at fifth overall.
5. Chase Reid, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Unfortunately for the Rangers, who could really use a game-changing center on their team, their fifth-overall pick is surrounded by defensemen who are projected to get selected around their turn.
However, it’s not the worst thing in the world for the Rangers to draft an excellent defenseman, considering they aren’t loaded in that department either.
Chase Reid would be a great pick for the Rangers, not just because he’s a great defenseman, but also because he’s projected to be picked in the top three by many experts. Therefore, if he dropped to the fifth selection, he’s arguably the best player available by that point.
It’s unlikely that the Rangers get their hands on him, but it would be a big score if they somehow can.
MORE: 2026 NHL draft: Blackhawks could still be beneficiaries at fourth overall
4. Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota (NCAA)
Another defenseman to add to the list is Keaton Verhoeff.
Verhoeff is projected as high as Reid in most recent cases and would be a more natural pick for the Rangers, given the players available and valued around the time New York steps up to the podium.
Like Reid, Verhoeff is a right-handed defenseman, but earlier in the year, Verhoeff was actually ranked around the same area as Reid is now. Though some experts dropped him one or two spots lower in the draft, there is a reason why Verhoeff was projected as high as he once was.
MORE: 2026 NHL Draft: Top Five Defensemen Include Smits, Reid And Verhoeff
3. Viggo Bjorck, C, Djurgarden (Swe.)
The first center on this list and is one of the few ranked in the top end of the first round of this year’s draft.
Viggo Bjorck is a skilled right-handed center who played this past season in Sweden’s top professional league, the SHL. He also represented Sweden in the IIHF 2026 World Championship, scoring one goal and six points in eight games.
The one concern surrounding Bjorck is his size. NHL Central Scouting lists Bjorck at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, which is notably small and light for a player who would be of great importance to the Rangers’ forward group if they ended up drafting him.
MORE: 2026 NHL Draft: Top Five Centers Include Bjorck, Malhotra And Lawrence
2. Carson Carels, D, Prince George (WHL)
Carson Carels may be the ideal defenseman the Rangers could select with their fifth overall pick.
This is because Carels seems to be the complete package, and though he’s likely not NHL-ready straight out of the draft, he’d be a great fit on New York’s blueline as a left-handed defenseman with Adam Fox, William Borgen and Braden Schneider occupying the right side.
On the left, the only D-man standing in Carels’ way whenever he makes the jump to the NHL would be veteran Vladislav Gavrikov. So for Carels, there is a real path into the NHL in terms of a fit on the team’s roster.
Not to mention, he was among the top-scoring defensemen in the WHL this past year, scoring 20 goals and 73 points in 58 appearances for the Prince George Cougars. Carels is also known for his physical play, compared to players like Miro Heiskanen and Jake Sanderson.
1. Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Caleb Malhotra is probably the best centerman available in the 2026 draft. Probability shows that he won’t be selected ahead of Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, with the possibility that one of the aforementioned defensemen goes ahead of him, too. There is a real chance Malhotra is available at No. 5 for the Blueshirts.
In terms of scoring, Malhotra was a top 10 player in the 2026 draft class for points last season. He scored 29 goals and 84 points for the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs in 67 games. That production was good enough to see him finish second on his team in scoring, and tied for 11th in the OHL.
Malhotra is listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds by Central Scouting, an improvement over Bjorck, making him more suitable for a big NHL role.
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