The New York Rangers used their four remaining selections on Day two of the NHL Draft by grabbing two defensemen and two forwards as they look to the future success of the organization.
Day 2 of the NHL Draft saw the New York Rangers organization looking towards the future as the selected four players they hope one day will get the time to shine at Madison Square Garden.
The Rangers traded up one spot and chose Drew Fortescue from the USA NTDP in the third round (90th overall).
To secure this selection, the Rangers traded the No. 91 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and a 2024 seventh-rounder to Pittsburgh.
The defenseman was the second selection by the Blueshirts from the United States National Team Development Program. He joined the team’s first-round pick Gabriel Perrault who was coached by Rangers assistant coach Dan Muse.
Fortescue, a Pear River, NY native, along with Perreault, helped Team USA win a gold medal at the IIHF World U18 Championship at the end of April. Both will attend Boston College in the fall.
In round 5 (152nd overall), the club choose defenseman Rasmus Larsson from Vasteras IK.
The 6’ 3” defenseman had 34 points in 50 games with Västerås IK J20, a junior team in Sweden.
The team had two selections in round six, first choosing center Dylan Roobroeck (178th overall) from the Oshawa Generals. He recorded 53 points,15 goals, and 38 assists in 68 OHL games this season, along with 60 penalty minutes.
With the 183rd overall selection in the same round, the Rangers choose Ty Henricks from the Muskegon Lumberjacks. The left wing had 19 points over 47 USHL games last season.
The “Future Blueshirts” will not be NHL-ready for a few years, but the Rangers organization addressed foreseen needs they felt all be vital to the organization’s success in the upcoming years.
Surprisingly, general manager Chris Drury did not make himself available to the media following the draft to address how he felt the draft concluded.