After the 2026 NHL Draft, between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers, the Devils were more successful with their draft picks, while the Rangers acquired some of the league’s better players.
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils went into this draft season with one objective: to get better puck control to help Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. This past season, the Devils only relied on Hischier and Hughes for ice control. The new prospects for the Devils could help the two defensemen get a break from the pressure.
In the first round with the 12th overall pick, the Devils drafted Alexander Command, a center who played for the Swedish Junior Hockey League. Command is no stranger to helping the offense; as a center, he has assisted on 27 goals this past season. The second round showed bigger success for the prospects.
The Devils would draft winger Matias Vanhanen and defenseman Nikita Shcherbakov; both are good offensive players. Vanhanen also had a plus-58 in his time with the Everett Silvertips.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers, on the other hand, were able to acquire players from other NHL teams. The Rangers were calculated and strategic in who they wanted on their roster.
The Rangers were able to snag strong players from the Pacific Division. The players that they acquired were Marcus Petterson and Pavel Dorofeyev. The Central Division was the Rangers’ luckiest. The team acquired Sean Durzi, Cole Beaudoin, and Massimo Rizzo. The Atlantic Division would also see players go to the Rangers, including Joonas Korpisalo and William Trudeau.
In the Upcoming Months
Both the Devils and the Rangers had to do what they had to do going into the draft. Whether that meant getting younger talent to help current players or acquiring players from dominant teams to the roster. The results will speak volumes as the season starts in September.
