With 25 games left in their season, the Rangers have come to terms with the likelihood that the playoffs are out of reach. They've started a "retooling" phase, trading key players like Artemi Panarin and Carson Soucy. More trades might be on the horizon before the March 6 deadline.
But is there more they can do to accelerate their rebuild? Could tanking the remainder of the season to secure a higher draft pick be a viable strategy?
Tanking is a hot topic in the NBA, with the league recently fining the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for prioritizing draft position over winning. However, the NHL doesn't see tanking as a problem.
"NHL teams don't tank because of our weighted lottery," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman back in 2023. That year, four teams were neck-and-neck at the bottom, vying for the chance to draft Connor Bedard. "Losing games to slightly increase your lottery odds is just not worth it."
The past three years have seen some exceptional talent taken with the top draft pick. Bedard went to Chicago in 2023, Macklin Celebrini to San Jose in 2024, and defenseman Matthew Schaefer to the Islanders last year, who jumped from the 10th spot to win the lottery. It marked the biggest leap to the top pick since the lottery began in 1995.
"The hockey gods smiled on us," said Islanders legend Ken Morrow during the lottery broadcast.
Last year, the Rangers were in the 11th spot, just behind the Islanders, with a 3.0% chance at the top pick. Winning could have changed their trajectory significantly.
The Rangers have had lottery luck before, moving from sixth to second in 2019 and winning the top pick in the unusual 2020 draft. However, changes in 2021 limited teams to moving up no more than 10 places and winning the lottery no more than twice in five years.
Currently, the Rangers sit third in the draft order with an 11.6% chance of snagging the No. 1 pick, according to Tankathon.com. Vancouver holds the worst record, with an 18.5% chance, followed by St.
Louis at 13.6%. Calgary and Winnipeg round out the bottom five.
As the season resumes, the Rangers expect defenseman Adam Fox and potentially goaltender Igor Shesterkin back from injuries, which could bolster their performance and decrease their lottery odds.
This year's draft might not feature a game-changer like Bedard or Schaefer, but there are promising prospects. Penn State's Gavin McKenna, Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg, and defensemen Keaton Verhoeff and Chase Reid are among the top names that could become future stars.