Rangers Hold 12th Overall Pick After Draft Lottery With A Big Decision To Make

The New York Rangers will hold the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft on June 27. 

The Rangers were slotted to get the 11th overall pick but dropped one spot during the draft lottery. 

Now that the organization knows where they stand in the lottery, there’s a big decision they’ll have to make. 

As part of the J.T. Miller trade, the Rangers have to give up either their 2025 or 2026 first-round pick. 

Despite missing the playoffs this season, the Blueshirts still seem to have championship aspirations going into the 2025-26 campaign, so there’s a good chance they finish with a better record hence a pick later in the first round. 

However, if the Rangers decide to keep their pick in this year’s draft and regress next season, that could be a costly decision that haunts the franchise. 

Meanwhile, the New York Islanders won the draft lottery and will hold the first overall pick.