New York Rangers 2019 Draft

Sunday night and Monday were exciting times for the Rangers.

They made 20 picks in the 2019 EHE Draft, including the first overall pick, the highest they’ve picked ever in EHE.

With a full day to digest the draft, which was more than just Jack Hughes, we can adequately evaluate how the Rangers did.

1st overall - Jack Hughes, C

There has been plenty of debate over who should be the first overall pick this year. Martin Auzins and the Rangers opt for American centre Jack Hughes. His dynamic skating and offensive ability give New York a franchise player down the middle. Hughes will be a dynamic as the next one. It's something the Rangers couldn’t pass up.
Hughes marries his elite skating with the soft and quick hands to handle the puck and make quick moves while skating at that top speed. With the way the NHL continues to emphasize speed and skill, Hughes is the perfect player to take advantage of those conditions. Hughes is an outstanding playmaker. He has great vision and anticipates the movements of teammates. His hockey IQ is extremely high. Hughes can make a tape-to-tape pass through tight areas. His skating ability allows him to speed up the play or slow it down, creating time and space for his linemates. Hughes also has an accurate shot and quick release. Hughes quick hands allow him to change the angle of his release and fool goaltenders.

7th overall - Alex Newhook, C

Alex Newhook is highly-skilled forward who played in the BCHL. He is headed to the NCAA next year. As talented as he is, he might need time before reaching the EHE, moving up slowly and adjusting to facing tougher competition. The Rangers can afford to give him that time, as they embed other young players in the team.

Newhook combines his sublime skating with the hands to make plays at top speed. He also has the smarts to seemingly always make a smart play with the puck. He has the ability to beat defenders with his finesse, and the power game to play in the dirty areas of the ice. Newhook sees the ice well and can find teammates to create a scoring chance. He has the passing skills through tight areas on both his forehand and backhand. Newhook is a playmaker both working the cycle game and off the rush. A multi-faceted offensive threat, Newhook also has a great shot and a quick release. His one-timer is a real weapon in the faceoff circles.
 

37th overall - Nolan Foote, W

Foote has very good size and plays with a blend of skill and power in his game. His size helps him to protect the puck on the cycle, and control the puck down low below the hash marks. He keeps the puck moving with smart passes to teammates and moves to get himself open and take it back. Foote has an excellent wrist shot and a very quick release. When teammates have the puck, he finds open areas to get that shot off. He is also quick to get in on the forecheck, causing pressure and creating turnovers. He can also play the role of playmaker.
 

42nd overall - Matt Robertson, D

Robertson took his game to another level this season. It started in the summer when he scored four points in five games for Team Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. He came home with a gold medal. Robertson also had a strong WHL season, picking up seven goals and 33 points in 52 games, greatly improving his points per game. Robertson has great size at 6-foot-4 and pairs this with excellent mobility. He skates well in both directions and has the pivots to transition from offence to defence quickly and vice versa. Robertson has above-average speed and acceleration. The skating ability is paired with smart positioning and has become the foundation of his two-way game. He could work on his agility to keep up with particularly shifty forwards. Robertson is strong on his skates. He has very good balance. This helps him to win battles in the corners and in front of the net.

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This was a very solid draft for the Rangers. It was easy for them to get complacent after landing Hughes, but they followed it up with a good amount of strong picks. Overager picks are a little questionable, and they have some projects from the later rounds, but they swung for speed and talent instead of safety. That’s what you want to see. The Blueshirts now have one of the best, if not the best, farm system in hockey.