The New York Rangers have been doing an excellent job during the 2026 NHL Draft, easily one of the biggest winners thus far.After focusing on addressing their needs at the blue line, restocking their left-handed defensive depth chart with three players and a goaltender with their first four selections, the Rangers have finally addressed one of their most glaring needs.With the No. 81 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, New York selected center Tomas Chrenko. A product of HK Nitro, he won’t turn 18 years old until Nov. 2 and is already an advanced offensive player.A right-handed player, the Rangers look to have gotten a bit of a steal with this selection. There was only one outlet that ranked him below No. 81, where he was selected, according to Elite Prospects. All the other rankings had him somewhere between Nos. 23 and 53.Dec 29, 2025; St. Paul, Minnesota, USA; Slovakia forward Tomas Chrenko (29) celebrates his goal against USA with defensemen Adam Kalman (7) and defensemen Adam Goljer (22) during the third period of Group A play in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship at Grand Casino Arena. / Nick Wosika-Imagn ImagesChrenko has middle-six upside and provides some long-term appeal for a New York team that was desperate to add talent up the middle. Coming into the offseason, the Rangers didn’t have a single center prospect who was projected to play NHL minutes during the 2026-27 campaign.A dynamic offensive player, he is always looking to make plays with the puck. This past season, in 44 games played, he registered 31 points, scoring nine goals to go along with 22 assists. He made a positive impact on the ice, finishing with a plus/minus of +11.His offensive game will always be the strength of his game, especially with his high IQ being showcased while working the half wall, but he can unlock his true full potential by improving on the defensive end. Chrenko is never going to be the most physical player, but his consistent motor is a plus, as he is going to work on that end of the ice. With Western Michigan in his future, he is worth betting on to develop under head coach Pat Ferschweiler.With the 81st pick in the 2026 #NHLDraft, the New York Rangers are proud to select Tomas Chrenko! pic.twitter.com/gstnQfFBas— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 27, 2026Chrenko joins a nice haul of young players that New York has added in the 2026 NHL Draft. With the No. 5 pick, it was Albert Smits coming off the board. He was the first of three left-handed defensemen selected, followed by Benjamin MacBeath at No. 64 and Charlie Morrison at No. 77.At No. 67, the Rangers selected goaltender Danai Shaiikov.Their biggest move was swinging a blockbuster trade for Pavel Dorofeyev with the Vegas Golden Knights. New York subsequently signed him to a massive contract extension, adding the high-upside top-six forward they coveted this offseason.