Rangers, Islanders and Devils first round draft targets

2 of 5

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA – SEPTEMBER 30: Oliver Wahlstrom (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

New York Rangers: The Ninth Pick

Oliver Wahlstrom: Left Wing, USNTDP

Oliver Wahlstrom, 18, is viewed as one of the best shooters in the entire draft. Ranked as the seventh best North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, Wahlstrom spent last season playing for the USNTDP Juniors and US National Team U18, scoring a combined 70 goals and 139 points in 88 games. Wahlstrom is a commit to Boston College for next season.

More from Empire Writes Back

He is an outstanding skater who is able to bring the puck up from the back end of the neutral zone all the way towards the net in order to unleash his wicked shot, a-la what Connor McDavid does night in and night out for the Edmonton Oilers. I’m not saying he is going to be McDavid, but he has skills comparable to him.

He is an outstanding fit for the New York Rangers. They need that one last impact forward to play with the future top-six including last year’s first-round picks Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Pavel Buchnevich.

Adam Boqvist: Defenseman, Brynäs IF

You can’t go wrong with an offensive defenseman. Adam Boqvist, 17, is one of the youngest players in the draft, almost qualifying to not be drafted until the 2019 Draft. Ranked as the second best European skater by NHL Central Scouting, Boqvist spent last season with three different teams including the SHL’s Brynäs IF, scoring 14 goals and 27 points in 47 games this season.

The part of Adam Boqvist’s game that is the most highly-touted is his stick-handling on both sides of the game. He is very good with the puck on his stick and is able to bring the puck up and pass it through opponents using his elite vision, and he is also talented with the stick in the aspect of his ability to produce countless turnovers. A player that I can see as a comparison for Boqvist’s game is Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators.

He would be a fit for the New York Rangers, playing alongside young defensemen such as Brady Skjei, Neal Pionk, and Ryan Lindgren as well as veterans like Kevin Shattenkirk.

Barrett Hayton: Center, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Barrett Hayton, 18, is the ranked as ninth best North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. Hayton spent last season as part of the dominant Sault Ste. Marie team, who was the best team in the entire Canadian Hockey League, scoring 21 goals and 60 points in 63 games, ranking sixth on the whole team in points.

Hayton was not the top center on the team this season, but he did play shutdown minutes for the Greyhounds down the stretch. He is a very creative player, having the ability to deke around defenders and is able to make flashy passes through defenders. Others; however, view him as more of a two-way forward, digging into the corners to fight for the puck. A good comparison for him is Connor Brown of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

If picked by the Rangers, it seems like he would slide in as a future second-line center behind Andersson and would play alongside players like Namestnikov.

Home/New York News