Rangers trade top draft pick to Penguins with eye on tantalizing 2026 possibilities
NY Post
The Rangers reached a decision on what to do with this year’s first-round draft pick.
By opting to send Pittsburgh the No. 12 pick in Friday’s NHL draft, instead of deferring the transfer to 2026, president and general manager Chris Drury completed the J.T. Miller deal and will keep the unprotected 2026 first-rounder that projects to be much more valuable if the Blueshirts are contending like they hope to.
The decision, first reported by The Post’s Larry Brooks, bodes well even if the Rangers aren’t as competitive as they plan to be.
Not only is the 2026 draft class said to be a much deeper pool of talent, but the possibility of a Connor McDavid-headlined free agency class next summer is one the Rangers are going to want to have flexibility for.
The Rangers also considered that the 2026 pick would be of much greater value than a 2027 pick at the trade deadline. It could be an asset they use to upgrade if they are gearing up for a return to the playoffs.
Shipping this year’s No. 12 pick — which is the Penguins’ to use this Friday in Los Angeles after they acquired it from the Canucks in exchange for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor — means the Rangers added Miller at $8 million per over the next five seasons for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and a first-rounder.
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