Luck hasn’t been on the Rangers’ side all year, and that trend continued Monday night.
Not only did they miss out on the 2025 NHL Draft lottery − as a result of Utah jumping from No. 14 all the way up to No. 4, New York slipped back one spot from No. 11 to No. 12.
Meanwhile, the rival Islanders grabbed headlines by nabbing the No. 1 overall slot despite having the 10th-best odds.
The Rangers and team president Chris Drury must now decide whether to hold the No. 12 pick or give it up in favor of keeping an unprotected 2026 first-rounder. That was a condition from the Jan. 31 trade for J.T. Miller, with the Penguins in line to take whichever of the two picks New York sacrifices after Pittsburgh acquired the rights from the Canucks.
A final decision is due 48 hours before the start of the draft, which is scheduled for June 27.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY Rangers miss out on NHL Draft lottery, slide back to No. 12 pick
Luck hasn’t been on the Rangers’ side all year, and that trend continued Monday night.
Not only did they miss out on the 2025 NHL Draft lottery − as a result of Utah jumping from No. 14 all the way up to No. 4, New York slipped back one spot from No. 11 to No. 12.
Meanwhile, the rival Islanders grabbed headlines by nabbing the No. 1 overall slot despite having the 10th-best odds.
The Rangers and team president Chris Drury must now decide whether to hold the No. 12 pick or give it up in favor of keeping an unprotected 2026 first-rounder. That was a condition from the Jan. 31 trade for J.T. Miller, with the Penguins in line to take whichever of the two picks New York sacrifices after Pittsburgh acquired the rights from the Canucks.
A final decision is due 48 hours before the start of the draft, which is scheduled for June 27.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY Rangers miss out on NHL Draft lottery, slide back to No. 12 pick
