Final NHL Mock Draft: Rangers, Devils and Islanders Picks

The NHL Draft will be held upstate at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, but it will have a local flavor with the New York Rangers holding two picks (#5, #26) and the New Jersey Devils (#12) and the New York Islanders (#13) holding one apiece. The first round starts Friday, June 26 at 7p (ESPN, ESPN+, and Disney+).

OUR TOP 13 MOCK

1. Toronto Maple Leafs — Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State University (NCAA)
2. San Jose Sharks — Ivar Stenberg, LW, Frolunda HC (SHL)
3. Vancouver Canucks — Chase Reid, RHD, Soo (OHL)
4. Buffalo Sabres — Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL)
5. New York Rangers — Carson Carels, LHD, Prince George (WHL)
6. Calgary Flames — Viggo Bjorck, C, Djurgardens IF (SHL)
7. Seattle Kraken — Albert Smits, LHD, Jukurit (Liga)
8. Winnipeg Jets — Daxon Rudolph, RHD, Prince Albert (WHL)
9. San Jose Sharks — Keaton Verhoeff, RHD, North Dakota (NCAA)
10. Nashville Predators — Malte Gustafsson, LHD, HV71 (SHL)
11. Louis Blues — Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor (OHL)
12. New Jersey Devils — Tynan Lawrence, C, BU (NCAA)
13. New York Islanders — Ryan Lin, D, Vancouver (WHL)

RANGERS ANALYSIS
Carson Carels profiles as a shutdown defenseman with offensive upside. The Rangers haven’t had such a player since they traded Ryan McDonagh back in 2018. One could only imagine the type of partnership the former captain would’ve had with Adam Fox.

I would expect GM Chris Drury and Director of Amateur Scouting John Lilley to give lots of consideration to two prospects who played professionally in Europe last season — C Viggo Bjorck and LHD Albert Smits. In the end, I believe Bjorck maxes out as a 2C and Smits as a 3D, while I believe that Carels can be a legitimate 1D.

Pick #26
This is the pick acquired from the Dallas Stars via the Carolina Hurricanes as part of the K’Andre Miller deal last summer. With all the noise around the Rangers’ interest in LW Matthew Knies (Toronto Maple Leafs) and C Mason McTavish (Anaheim Ducks), I wouldn’t be surprised if this pick is traded before the Rangers are back on the clock.

If they retain the pick, I’m projecting them to draft RHD Tommy Bleyl from upstate New York. The 6-foot, 165-pound Bleyl is a longer-term project who plans on returning to Moncton in the QMJL for his age 19 season, before heading to Michigan State in 2027-28.

Bleyl led Moncton in scoring with 81 points (13g, 68a) and projects to be a future PP1 QB. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranks him as the fifth best skater in the draft class (he has Carels fourth), fourth best offensive defenseman (Carels sixth), and among the Top 15 smartest players in the draft.


DEVILS ANALYSIS
Tynan Lawrence, similar to Keaton Verhoeff, both played in the NCAA in their draft eligible year. Playing against bigger, older, stronger kids may have affected their draft status as they were considered to have been likely Top 5 picks earlier this year. While Verhoeff could still sneak into the Top 5 if Vancouver or Buffalo secretly covet him, Lawrence could very well drop in the New Jersey Devils’ lap.

Ironically, Lawrence is often compared to the Devils’ current captain Nico Hischier. No one doubts his two-way ability, grit, or compete. It is just a question if he is going to be able to score at the next level. Meanwhile, with Hischier entering the final year of his contract, it would be a fortuitous move for the Devils to draft his potential successor.


ISLANDERS ANALYSIS
Carels (University of North Dakota), Lawrence (Boston University), and Ryan Lin (University of Denver) will all be playing in the NCAA next year. Lin is a smaller defenseman at 5’11”, 178 pounds, but Quinn Hughes and Lane Hutson have made that more in vogue.

The Islanders will have options up front with the high-rising forward trio of Wyatt Cullen, Alexander Command, and Nikita Klepov available. But the right-handed shooting Lin fills an organizational need. Wheeler has him ranked as the fifth-best offensive defenseman in the draft, and third smartest.

ICYMI “New York Rangers 2026 Annual NHL Draft Guide”