The New York Rangers hold the No. 30 overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft following their Eastern Conference Finals exit from the postseason. The Blueshirts will aim to add another exciting talent to their prospect pool this offseason and could land a power forward with rare traits in the first round.
Rangers could target power forward Dean Letourneau with their first-round draft pick
Picking late in the first round, Rangers fans should not expect their team to land an immediate superstar with their draft choice. However, they could select a high-potential prospect with traits to develop into an impactful player NHL player.
Dean Letourneau is one exciting prospect who could be targeted with pick No. 30. The 18-year-old Canadian recently joined Boston College’s 2024 recruiting class, accelerating his development. He was originally expected to join BC for the 2025-26 season.
Letourneau possesses a rare skillset with his blend of size and speed. He’s listed at 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds but possesses shockingly good skating and shooting skills for his size. Letourneau’s scouting report on Elite Prospects describes him as a freakish athlete on the ice:
“Letourneau is gigantic, but contrary to other players his size, it doesn’t feel like he’s trapped in his own body. He moves quite freely, especially because he uses crossover techniques to avoid the long, slower strides, and there’s a good upper-body/lower-body separation and some agility. A lot of his offence consists of downhill attacks where he surveys pressure, drives the net with his range and size, or leverages the attention he receives to find open teammate.”
Elite Prospects 2024 NHL Draft Guide
Letourneau is a power forward who primarily centered the line for St. Andrew’s College last season. He racked up 127 points in 56 games played last season, totaling 61 goals and 66 assists. This breakout campaign prompted Boston College to add Letourneau to their 2024 recruiting class, giving him an opportunity to accelerate his development and make an impact on an NHL roster sooner rather than later.
Dean Letourneau is already developing chemistry with another top Rangers prospect
Joining Boston College for the upcoming season, Letourneau will be joining forces with a top Rangers prospect. Letourneau will be pairing up with Rangers 2023 first-round pick Gabriel Perreault. If the Rangers were to draft Letourneau, his developing chemistry with Perreault could give the Blueshirts an increasingly exciting future.
Perreault was incredibly impressive during his first season with Boston College. He totaled 60 points in 36 games played behind 19 goals and 41 assists. The Rangers have to be excited about their first-round pick in last year’s draft as Perreault is proving to be one of their top prospects.
Adding Letourneau to the prospect pool would allow two of the Rangers’ top prospects to develop alongside one another. This rare and exciting opportunity should entice the Blueshirts to pull the trigger and select the 6-foot-6 Letourneau with their first-round pick if he is still available when they are on the clock.
