Rangers add five players in draft, Free Agency starts Saturday (2023 draft)

2023 draft

Rangers add five players in draft, Free Agency starts Saturday

By Jan Levine

Jun 30, 2023 • 9:02 am

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The Rangers completed their 2023 draft by adding four players Thursday. New York made one trade, dealing with Pittsburgh to move up one spot in the third round which cost the team a seventh round pick. Beyond that, the Blueshirts stayed pat, which pretty much was the story of the draft overall.

As seen in the very early rankings by Bleacher Report, Chris Peters, Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler below, the well-received selection of Gabe Perreault drives the overall view. Third round pick defenseman Drew Fortescue - Pearl River, NY native and originally an Islanders fan - projects as a possible third-pair blue liner after he probably spends all four years at Boston College. He will be joined on the Eagles by Perreault, who like Fortescue, played for assistant coach Don Muse on the US NTDP. Those connections played a big role on the team adding both players.

The remaining three selections all fit the normal late-round Rangers strategy, big with skating issues. You would have thought with the changeover if the scouting crew in New York we might get an alteration of the approach. Unfortunately that was not the case. Instead of taking talent, even if undersized, the Blueshirts went right back to a questionable approach. Of the three, like Pronman, I like Rasmus Larsson the most, especially if his big shot and gains offensively this past year are for real. The other two selections are major fliers.

Bleacher Report:

Grade B+ Gabriel Perreault, who was ranked on the B/R Big Board, dropped all the way to 23rd overall. He has every chance to become a top-six offensive winger in the NHL. Pound-for-pound, that was one of the best picks of the first round.

Drew Fortescue, a defenseman taken in round three, needs to work on his skating mechanics, but he plays a shutdown game and has good instincts and the ability to transition the puck from the defensive zone.

I don't love what the Rangers did in rounds five and six, taking big players with skating issues and low upside, but they hit a home run at the most important moment. That outweighs all else.

Chris Peters:

Letter Grade: B-

First rounders: Gabe Perreault, LW

Day 2 picks: Drew Fortescue, D; Rasmus Larsson, D; Dylan Roobroeck, C; Ty Henricks, LW.

Analysis: The Rangers got great value in one of the most intelligent skill players in the draft in Gabe Perreault. But they didn’t have a ton of picks after that and I don’t know that any of the guys they picked up are going to be major difference makers, but each has something they can bring to the table. This grade is largely carried by Perreault, who I ranked 11th in the FloHockey Top 100 and the Rangers got him at 23rd. I’m intrigued by both defensemen they picked, as Drew Fortescue has a lot of athletic traits I like, while Rasmus Larsson has the size.   Corey Pronman

Grade of B- In Gabe Perreault, the Rangers got a potential top-six wing of the future. I know they have plenty of those already, but Perreault has legit high-end skill and hockey sense and it would have been hard to pass up at 23. Nobody else is a sure thing to make it from this group, but I am intrigued by the tools Rasmus Larsson has and think he has a shot.

Scott Wheeler

Overtime winner: (Team I believe did well with where they were slotted, even if they might not have picked the exact player(s) I would have).

Gabriel Perreault could become one of the home runs of the first round if his strength piece comes along. He has high, high-end talent and offensive IQ.

The Rangers’ Day 2 underwhelmed me, though. They didn’t have a second- or fourth-round pick, so their assets were limited in that regard, but I don’t see NHL upside in fifth-round Swedish defenceman Rasmus Larsson, 6-foot-7 Generals forward Dylan Roobroeck or 6-foot-5 forward Ty Henricks.

Third-rounder Drew Fortescue was an honourable mention for me. His game is unspectacular but effective. If he makes it, it’ll be as a third-pairing guy after a full four years at Boston College (where both he and Perreault are headed).

I thought about making them overtime losers here, but I think the win on Perreault could be significant.

Free agency kicks off Saturday. New York is basically in the poor house with 11.7 million to fill right spots, including a back up goalie. Barclay Goodrow is a buyout candidate, which would free up $3.84 million. If he is placed on waivers at noon Friday, then the buyout is happening. If not, a second buyout window exists this summer if an arb eligible player is to have a hearing. Another option is to trade Goodrow.  Finding a team, even one with cap room, who is willing to take on four years without requiring a major asset to be sent along with Goodrow looks unlikely.

GM Chris Drury will likely need to add around the edges. The team is probably not going to be a major player on day 1 and maybe even Day 2, waiting for prices to drop with so many holes to fill. Of course as I write this, I expect some kind of unexpected big move that shakes up the team. For New York, much, if not all, will depend on Alexis Lafreniere and Kapoor Kakko taking a major step forward. If that happens, the lineup becomes deeper and the holes that exist smaller.

Backup goalie is one position that could be filled early, Jonathan Quick, who doesn't excite me, has been mentioned as a possible option. Unsure where Jaro Halak thinks he is getting $1.5 million again, but maybe that happens. If not, he still could be back in New York and aim for the five wins he needs for 300 career victories. I would love Garnet Hathaway, who played for Peter Laviolette in Washington, but wouldn't be shocked if ends up in Boston again. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is also a consideration for the fourth line and likely won't break the bank.

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