The New York Rangers got off to a hot start in the NHL Draft on Friday night and were looking to carry that momentum into Saturday. It was a big night for the Rangers on Friday. New York was able to land their top six forward in the massive trade with the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev will come in and make a major impact for the team on the offensive end of the ice and checks a lot of boxes for their needs this summer. Furthermore, they were able to hold on to their fifth pick and selected Alberts Smits. The left-handed defenseman appears to be one of the most NHL-ready players in the draft, and that was appealing for New York. After the first round, the Rangers had to wait until the last pick in the second round to make another selection, but they added another defenseman in Benjamin MacBeath. It was a bit of a surprise to see two left-handed defensemen taken with the first two picks for New York, but MacBeath has a really high upside. Following the 64th overall selection, the Rangers were back on the clock quickly and landed goalie Danai Shaiikov. Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; The video board shows the 20th overall pick for the Columbus Blue Jackets is about to be announced in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. / Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesFollowing two straight selections of left-handed defensemen to start the draft for the Rangers, taking a third was another shocker. However, with the Rangers seeking to improve their prospect pool, Morrison is another player who they might have gotten some value on, with him being selected 77th overall. Morrison has some good size, and while he does play a physical brand of hockey, he also has some skill on the offensive end of the ice. With his ability to make the right decisions and move well for his size, there is some upside for him as he continues to develop. For the Rangers, they have now added a ton of depth to the left side of their blue line for their prospect pool. This was a need for the team, and while drafting three was a surprise, they are clearly focused on addressing it. New York, being a team that needed to add young talent, really shouldn’t be worrying too much about the position, and focusing on the best players available should be the priority. So far, it appears like they are getting some good value with their picks and also addressing an organizational need as well.