The talk of a trade has essentially evaporated. If clubs have called to inquire about the availability of the first pick, Jeff Gorton has been willing to listen. Why not? If Ottawa was prepared to offer the third-overall plus Brady Tkachuk and another young asset, well, that might even have made some sense. But there is no indication anything like that has ever been brought to the table.
So unless some lunacy descends before the 7 p.m. start of Tuesday’s NHL entry draft (and when has that ever happened in 2020?), the Rangers will announce the selection of Alexis Lafreniere as the first-overall choice.
And just like that, the Blueshirts will have the 19-year-old left wing out of Rimouski of the QMJHL, who is capable of being an immediate impact player and would be expected to be a long-term staple in proximity of the top of the NHL food chain.
There have been months since the end of Lafreniere’s season, months since the Rangers came away with the first overall pick for the first time since the NHL adopted a universal draft in 1969. Since the pingpong ball popped, it has been impossible to find a non-believer in the 19-year-old who doesn’t simply possess upper-echelon skills but also plays with a consistent mean edge.
This is exactly the type of player the Rangers need. This is the very player the Rangers will have sometime shortly after 7 p.m. unless they deviate from the plan at the last minute. They will have the young man from Saint-Eustache, Quebec who has separated himself from the remainder of the draft field and about whom one has to hunt high and low to find even a single negative review.
The New York hierarchy has gotten to know him as much as possible in this no-contact, Zoom world in which the real world lives. No meets-and-greets. No combine for testing. It’s about perception gleaned through a computer screen. But it’s all good.
“We’re really impressed with him. We’ve done a few Zooms with him and obviously have done our homework,” Gorton said. “We’ve talked to a lot of people around him. He’s a really humble kid that gives credit to everyone around him, he’s a good family kid, he works really hard. He’s really focused.
“Obviously he’s in a different situation where he’s been considered a high pick for a very long time that’s now extended into a few more months [beyond the originally scheduled draft in June] so it’s been a little bit of a crazy process for him.”
Lafreniere has been unanimously hailed for his character and work ethic. His on-ice attributes are exactly what the Rangers are seeking. Championship teams don’t merely fill their bottom six with hard-edged players, they see to it that their premier athletes also are able to play with an edge. Take a look at the Lightnings’ Nikita Kucherov, for example.
The Blueshirts also have the 22nd overall selection Tuesday. That is the pick obtained from Carolina in exchange for Brady Skjei. There is little doubt Gorton is willing to deal that selection as part of a package either for a current NHLer or to be able to move up in the order.
“I think we’ll look to do some things,” the GM said. “We’ll look at all of those scenarios.”
Could the team jump high enough ahead to select Wisconsin center Dylan Holloway or Finnish pivot Anton Lundell?
If the Rangers maintain their pick at 22, the possibilities include Chicoutimi center Hendrix Lapierre; Kamloops center Connor Zary; Shawinigan center Mavrik Bourque; incoming U of Michigan freshman center Brendan Brisson; the Brandon left wing Ridly Greig; and Halifax defenseman Justin Barron, the brother of Morgan Barron.
Columbus pending restricted free agent power winger Josh Anderson could be a trade target. The issue from the Rangers’ perspective is the 26-year-old winger, who underwent shoulder surgery in March after playing only 26 games, would be eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.
The Blueshirts would have to know they could sign him long-term immediately upon arrival. Would Tom Wilson’s $5.167 million per be fair value? It is unknown whether Columbus — from whence president John Davidson came—would allow the Rangers to negotiate with Anderson’s rep prior to a consummated trade.
There has been no resolution regarding the status of pending restricted free agent Ryan Strome, who has yet to receive a qualifying offer. The deadline for such an offer is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, rather than 5 p.m. Tuesday as was erroneously reported in this space. The MOU between the NHL and NHLPA had established Oct. 6 as the deadline but that has been changed to Oct. 7. If Strome is not qualified, the team’s third leading scorer would become eligible to hit the open market on Friday.
