Rangers Daily: Live podcast after Draft Lottery; Chaos in Toronto
One of the more significant dates on the New York Rangers offseason calendar arrived Tuesday, May 5. The NHL Draft Lottery takes place, and the Rangers have an 11.5 percent chance of moving up to land the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, per Tankathon .
Those are the third-best odds, behind only the Vancouver Canucks (25 percent) and Chicago Blackhawks (13.5 percent). The Rangers have 115 out of 1,000 possible combinations when the ping pong balls start doing their thing Tuesday night at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
There’s no Matthew Schaefer nor Macklin Celebrini nor Connor McDavid heading the 2026 Draft Class. So, landing a generational talent is unlikely. But the consensus top North American skater, forward Gavin McKenna, and top International skater, forward Ivar Stenberg, each is considered a high-end talent with star potential in the NHL.
So, you better believe the Rangers want to win the lottery, just as they did in 2020, the year they landed Alexis Lafreniere with the No. 1 overall selection.
Of course, there’s the chance the Rangers hold steady at No. 3 overall when the draft lottery is completed Tuesday night. They are guaranteed a top-5 pick even if they fall back in the lottery. Simply, there will be a very talented player and important organizational building block there for the taking no matter if the Rangers select first overall, or fifth, or somewhere in between.
But, yes, the Rangers want to win the lottery, with the hope that they land a player that can step right into their top-nine at age 18 next season and grow into a top-six force for years to come.
Considering the importance of the event, we will stream the Rink Rap podcast live from Mustang Harry’s at 31st Street and 7th Avenue, steps from Madison Square Garden, on Tuesday night. We will have instant reaction and analysis immediately after the draft lottery is over. You can expect a special guest or two to join the conversation, as well, and I’ll be reacting to your questions and comments in the live chat.
So, if you can, please join us at Mustang Harry’s. Or if you’re at home, make sure to catch the Rink Rap live stream on YouTube right after the draft lottery results are in.
Rangers news and analysis
Breaking down what’s next for the Rangers after they fired AHL coach Grant Potulny and his staff from the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Liam Greentree concluded his impressive junior career this past weekend, and our John Kreiser delves into what lies ahead for the key Rangers prospect who turns pro next season.
Our Tom Castro unpacks why the future of the Rangers fourth-line might no longer feature the Twin Towers.
ICYMI: John Kreiser analyzes the Rangers options in NHL free agency — plenty of money to spend, but is anyone worthy of a big deal?
ICYMI: Jeff Gorton sets out to dispel the myth that it was so easy for the Rangers to acquire Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin in the same 2019 offseason, even if each desired to play on Broadway.
NHL news and rumors
The Athletic ($$): It was a bizarre and surreal introductory press conference when the Toronto Maple Leafs introduced the controversial John Chayka as general manager, and popular returning hero Mats Sundin as a front office adviser Monday.
X: If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s an absolute ambush by noted columnist Steve Simmons during the Toronto press conference:
Sportsnet: After the press conference, Elliotte Friedman conducted a hard-hitting 1-on-1 with Chayka.
Daily Faceoff: Victor Hedman explained Tuesday morning, in a statement, that he missed much of this season and the Tampa Bay Lightning ’s entire first-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens to address his mental health issues .
NHL.com: Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig was suspended for the first two games of the 2026-27 season for roughing Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Dan Kingerski makes the case for the Penguins to move on from franchise legend Evgeni Malkin , who’s an unrestricted free agent his summer.
NHL.com: Tyler Seguin expects to be ready for Dallas Stars training camp in the Fall after having major knee surgery in December and missing the rest of the season.
Philly Hockey Now: The Flyers were better in Game 2 than in the opener of their best-of-7 second-round playoff series, but they still lost 3-2 in overtime and now trail the Hurricanes 2-0.
Carolina Hockey Now: Rachel Barkley dives into whether or not Flyers broadcaster Jim Jackson said that Philly should try and injure Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen to gain a competitive advantage.
TSN: Darren Dreger reported that former NHL general managers Kevyn Adams and Pierre Dorion are among those being considered by the Vancouver Canucks to replace fired GM Patrik Allvin.
Vegas Hockey Now: A controversial call helped the Golden Knights take Game 1 of their second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks .
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