Editor’s note: This is the second story in a week-long series looking at prospects under consideration for the New York Rangers with the No. 5 pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft. Read about Keaton Verhoeff here.Meeting with Chase Reid after the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League season, Soo Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis sensed a chip on his player’s shoulder. The defenseman believed he had room to grow as a two-way player and aimed to prove it.“He took it upon himself to really work on the defensive side of the game,” Raftis said.In 2025-26, his lone full season in the OHL, Reid had 18 goals and 48 points in 45 regular-season games, plus six more points in 10 playoff games. He shot up draft rankings — colleague Corey Pronman put him as the No. 1 prospect in the draft, and Scott Wheeler has him at No. 3 — and Raftis saw defensive improvements in his play.“He has a lot of physical gifts and plays quickly,” the GM said. “And early on, he was taking the time and having to defend too much, and right from the start of this year, he closed on opposing players very (quickly), and then he was off to the races the other way.”Listed at 6-foot-2.5, Reid is committed to Michigan State for the 2026-27 NCAA season. There’s a lot there for the Rangers to like. The question is: Will he even be available at No. 5 for them to take?The case for ReidReid’s size and skating make for an impressive package.“Physically, he looks like a man,” said a Western Conference scout, who was granted anonymity to speak freely about the prospect’s game. “He’s just one of those players who can be as active as he wants because he’ll be back in position no problem because of his skating.”An Eastern Conference scout compared Reid to Noah Dobson, a core piece of a Canadiens club that reached the Eastern Conference final this year. Dobson also has an eighth-place Norris finish to his name from his time with the Islanders.