Rangers add winger Malcolm Spence in second round during busy day at NHL draft

The Rangers’ first pick of the 2025 draft came in the second round, but the player they got was once valued as a first-round selection. 

Left wing Malcolm Spence was selected with pick No. 43 by the Blueshirts, marking the first of eight picks the organization made Saturday in Los Angeles that included five defensemen, two wings and one center. 

Considered a possible late first-rounder, Spence gave some insight into his thinking when he ultimately didn’t hear his name among the first 32 players called in Round 1 on Friday night. 

“When you have expectations for yourself, and obviously there’s expectations from the media and whatnot of where I was going to get picked, but, for me, obviously, I believe in myself,” he said on a Zoom call with reporters from the Peacock Theater on Saturday. “Just because I didn’t get picked [in the first round on Friday], I kind of changed my mindset right after and said, ‘Well, tomorrow’s a new day and you’re in a situation that not a lot of people are in.’ 

Malcolm Spence is heading to the Rangers.

“So, for me, it was New York’s first pick. I have some family out there, and it worked out really well. I’m really excited that they took a chance on me and believed in me when a lot of other people didn’t. I’m really excited to get to New York City and get to work.” 

Committed to play at Michigan next season, Spence spent the past three years playing for the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League with the Rangers’ recently acquired prospect Carey Terrance. 

While Terrance is the captain, Spence is the alternate. 

Spence hadn’t yet spoken with Terrance in the aftermath of his Rangers selection, but the 18-year-old planned to give his teammate a call as soon as he could. 

“It’s something pretty special,” Spence said of joining Terrance, who was part of the Rangers’ return for Chris Kreider in the June 12 trade with the Ducks. “Carey’s one of my closest friends. He usually spends time at my house during the summer, and will come down and hang out. And beyond hockey, we’re just really, really good friends off the ice. So, for me to be in an organization where I have one of my best friends there, it’s a pretty cool feeling, knowing that I get to be there with Carey on the daily. Just like I did the past three years, it’s pretty remarkable. Really excited to see him.”

Malcolm Spence of Erie skates without the puck during a game between Erie Otters and Saginaw Spirit at Dow Event Center on November 15, 2024 in Saginaw, Michigan.

Most — if not all — of the Rangers’ picks this weekend are expected to report to development camp on Tuesday. That includes Spence, who said he thought the plan was for him to fly to New York on Saturday. 

Having developed a reputation of taking over games and being built for the playoffs, Spence scored the game-winning goal in overtime with seven seconds remaining to win gold for Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. 

In 65 games this past season, the 6-foot-2, 201-pounder posted 32 goals and 41 assists for 73 points. 

Rangers director of player personnel and director of amateur scouting John Lilley said the organization’s selection of five defensemen was more about the players who were available at that time rather than the club specifically targeting blueliners. 

“It’s certainly not an area that you could ever have enough of,” he said. 

The Rangers made two selections in the third round, picking up 6-foot-5 defenseman Sean Barnhill at 70th overall and Russian blueliner Artyom Gonchar at 89th overall. 

Malcolm Spence stands onstage after being selected 43rd overall by the New York Rangers during Rounds 2-7 of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater on June 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

Committed to Northeastern University, Barnhill is coming off a 12-point campaign with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL last season. Gonchar, on the other hand, is the nephew of longtime NHLer Sergei Gonchar. 

After taking center Mikkel Eriksen at 111th overall, the Rangers added a player to the prospect pool with a familiar name. Left-handed defenseman Zeb Lindgren — of no relation to former Blueshirt Ryan Lindgren — was selected with the 139th pick. 

Eriksen has been playing in the Swedish Junior League, where he recorded 43 points in 40 games for Färjestad BK last season. Skating is considered to be Lindgren’s strongest asset. 

With two picks in Round 6, the Rangers took right wing Samuel Jung at 166th overall and defenseman Evan Passmore at No. 171. Defenseman Felix Färhammar capped off the Rangers’ eight selections in this year’s draft at 203rd overall in the seventh round. 

“We’re happy with the draft,” Lilley said. “We have a process in place. We prepare as if we’re going to pick No. 1, because you never know what can happen on draft day. So our process takes the entire year all the way through yesterday, we were still debating players and talking about players. 

“We had a lot of picks, and the first one started at 43 and our job is — whether we’re picking No. 1, 15 or 43 — be prepared. I think we were prepared for picks we had in every round.”