The NHL draft lottery gods have favored the New York Rangers in the past, but not this time around.

The Blueshirts entered Tuesday with the third-best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick, then got knocked down two pegs to No. 5. That takes them out of the running for consensus top prospect Gavin McKenna of Penn State, with Frölunda’s Ivar Stenberg also looking like a long shot to make it to New York’s slot. The rest of the field is less certain, though, leaving multiple scenarios for team president Chris Drury to consider in the leadup to the June 26-27 draft in Buffalo.

Based on preliminary conversations with scouts and other league sources, as well as input from The Athletic’s resident prospect gurus Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler, I’ve come up with an initial list of players who could feasibly be available at No. 5 and should merit consideration with the pick. The Rangers would likely prefer a high-end forward to propel a drooping top six, especially one who can play center. But with the way the draft class shakes out, a defenseman may end up representing better value.

I assumed McKenna and Stenberg will be gone — if either slips, Drury might run the card in himself — then included the best remaining options at both forward and defense. We’ll readdress and dive deeper in the coming weeks, but consider this the starting point…

ForwardsViggo Björck, C

Size: 5-foot-9, 177 pounds
Primary 2025-26 team: Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
2025-26 stats: 42 games, 15 points (six goals, nine assists), plus-5 rating

The numbers may not jump off the page, but the 18-year-old center was playing against grown men in what’s considered one of the top-three leagues in the world. He returned to Djurgårdens’ J20 team for the playoffs and poured in 20 points (eight goals and 12 assists) in nine games against players closer to his age range. The year prior, he set the J20 single-season record with 74 points (27 goals and 47 assists) in 42 games.

Björck lacks the size the Rangers typically prefer, but he’s a good skater who’s strong on faceoffs and has experience on the penalty kill. More importantly, he may be the best playmaking center in the draft. Wheeler had him at No. 6 in his most recent draft rankings and wrote this: “Björck can play with the puck on a string and make plays as a natural facilitator who has a ton of poise and vision, but he also plays in and out of give-and-gos, will go to the net and finish off plays and has great overall sense on and off the puck.”

New York could have a chance to scout Björck further at the upcoming IIHF World Championships in Switzerland if he makes the final cut for Team Sweden.

Tynan Lawrence, C

Size: 6-0.5, 185 pounds
Primary 2025-26 team: Boston University
2025-26 stats: 18 games, seven points (two goals, five assists), minus-1

Some considered the 17-year-old the top center in this year’s class following a standout season for USHL Muskegon, where he posted 54 points (25 goals and 29 assists) in 56 games. But he struggled to adjust to the physicality of the NCAA as an underaged freshman at BU, while Björck and Caleb Malhotra saw their stock rise.

Lawrence’s chances of going in the top five have faded, but there’s still plenty to like about his game. He’s a strong skater and a hard worker who has the makings of a solid two-way player. A quick left-handed release suggests there’s scoring upside, as well, though Wheeler wrote “he looks like a future 2C your coach loves more than a true No. 1.”

The Rangers should probably be aiming a bit higher, but we shouldn’t discount the Terriers connection with fellow BU products Drury and coach Mike Sullivan.

Caleb Malhotra, C

Size: 6-2, 182 pounds
Primary 2025-26 team: OHL Brantford
2025-26 stats: 67 games, 84 points (29 goals, 55 assists), plus-33

Speaking of Terriers, Malhotra is also committed to BU and may be the fastest riser among potential picks in this range. If he’s available when New York goes on the clock, my early sense is that he’d be the favorite to hear his name called. The problem is, dropping to No. 5 could put him out of the Rangers’ reach.

The 17-year-old center exploded in the OHL playoffs, pouring in 26 points (13 goals and 13 assists) in 15 games before Brantford was eliminated by Barrie in Game 7 of the conference final on Monday. Scouts have taken notice, with one telling The Athletic, “His recent production in the playoffs would justify a top-five draft slot easily.” That same scout compared Malhotra’s situation to Anaheim Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke, who caught fire toward the end of his 2024 draft year and ended up being selected third overall.

Wheeler moved the son of Rangers first-round pick Manny Malhotra (No. 7 in 1998) up to No. 4 in his most recent rankings and wrote, “Malhotra is already a very mature player, with good stick detail and sound and reliable habits at an early age. He plays with pace, skates well, puts himself in good spots and has an advanced feel for the game.”

DefensemenCarson Carels, LHD

Size: 6-2, 198 pounds
Primary 2025-26 team: WHL Prince George
2025-26 stats: 58 games, 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists), plus-23

The odds of Carels landing in New York have bumped up significantly based on the lottery results. He’s a candidate to go sooner, but the initial impression I’ve gotten is that McKenna, Stenberg, Malhotra and Chase Reid are the favorites to round out the top four. A lot can change between now and draft night, though, and it’s worth noting that Carels went No. 4 in The Athletic’s first staff-wide mock draft.

The 17-year-old (he’ll turn 18 on June 23) is an all-around force with very few holes in his game. As Wheeler wrote, “NHL scouts are high on him as a future stud D who plays winning hockey.” The point production has been excellent in the WHL, where he’s also been a minutes-eater who moves well, closes hard and kills penalties. He’s also physical and highly competitive, which are traits Drury (like most GMs) values.

Pronman’s player comp was a familiar one for Blueshirts fans: Ryan McDonagh. And while positional need should be secondary to picking the best available player, it’s worth noting that the left-shooting Carels plays on the side where the Rangers’ defense has bigger holes.

Chase Reid, RHD

Size: 6-2, 195 pounds
Primary 2025-26 team: OHL Soo
2025-26 stats: 45 games, 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists), plus-27

The expectation around the league is Reid could be gone by the time the Rangers go on the clock, but he’s certainly a name to monitor if he slips. It happened in our staff mock draft, so I snagged the Michigan State commit with the fifth pick.

Drury will have to seriously consider it if the same scenario plays out in late June. Some will argue Reid is redundant with blue-line staple Adam Fox because they’re both right-handed and should be running a top power play, but if New York believes he’s the best player available, then he should probably be the pick.

Both Pronman and Wheeler view the 18-year-old as the top defenseman in this class, an opinion shared by many scouts. Pronman has him as the No. 1 prospect overall, writing, “Reid is a highly mobile, creative defenseman with the speed, hands and vision to be a leading NHL scorer from the blue line.”

Alberts Šmits, LHD

Size: 6-3, 205 pounds
Primary 2025-26 team: Jukurit (Liiga)
2025-26 stats: 38 games, 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists), minus-3

Most have Šmits pegged to go closer to No. 10 than No. 5, but there’s a lot to like about the big, sturdy defenseman who impressed during his Olympic stint with Team Latvia.

He averaged around 20 minutes per game at Finland’s highest level this season and handled it with a mature game that should translate sooner than later. The 18-year-old moves quite well for his size while playing with notable length, strength and a competitive edge. He also offers intriguing offensive upside due to a powerful left-handed shot and underrated hands.

Wheeler is higher on Šmits than most, ranking him fifth overall while writing, “He has legitimate first-pairing upside and belongs in the best-D-in-the-class conversation.” He’s another prospect who will have a chance to raise his stock at worlds.

Keaton Verhoeff, RHD

Size: 6-4, 208 pounds
Primary 2025-26 team: University of North Dakota
2025-26 stats: 36 games, 20 points (6 goals, 14 assists), plus-7

Once considered the potential first defenseman off the board, Verhoeff’s uneven freshman season could cause him to slip behind Reid, Carels and even Šmits. But all it takes is one team to fall for his combination of size, mobility and toughness, with reasons to believe the Rangers could be among the interested parties.

They’ve seen plenty of him at North Dakota, where Verhoeff is teammates with 2024 first-round pick E.J. Emery. The 17-year-old (he’ll turn 18 on June 19) may not possess the offensive upside of Carels and Reid, but he’s got a big right-handed shot and experience running a power play. The bigger selling point will be his projection as an imposing top-pair defenseman with good work ethic and leadership qualities, although one scout pointed to indecision on his defensive reads as an area where improvement is needed to be considered shutdown caliber.

Pronman ranked him third in the class, but Wheeler has him at No. 8 while noting any team that makes the pick is “betting on the potential” more than track record.