With the 2025 NHL Draft a week behind us, it is time to grade each pick that the New York Rangers made, as well as to give the team an overall grade. We will go over each pick in depth, discussing the pros and cons of each player, and the potential they can bring to the Rangers.
Ranked by many as a potential first-round pick, the Rangers selected Malcolm Spence with the 43rd overall pick. He had a fantastic season with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), playing alongside first-overall selection Matthew Schaefer. In 65 games, Spence recorded 32 goals and 41 assists for an impressive 73 points. At 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds, the left-winger from Mississauga is described as having an exceptional motor and playing with relentless defensive intensity.
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What stood out most to me was his laser-accurate shot and quick release, which makes it difficult for goaltenders to react in time. Combined with his strong physical presence and high hockey IQ, Spence looks like a potential steal for the Rangers. With a few more years of development in the OHL, followed by some seasoning in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Spence has the tools to grow into a key power forward at the NHL level.
Sean Barnhill: C-Minus
With most scouting agencies ranking Sean Barnhill in the third round, it was surprising to see the Rangers select him with the 70th overall pick. Even after taking a closer look into Barnhill’s style of play, I still don’t fully understand the selection. Yes, he stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 205 pounds, and he’s regarded as a strong skater for his size. He is also a right-handed defenseman, which is a valuable asset in the NHL. But Barnhill managed only a mere four goals and 11 points in 54 United States Hockey League (USHL) games with the Dubuque Fighting Saints.
Committed to Northeastern University for the 2026-27 season, he will most likely play another season in Dubuque before making his way over to Boston. Given his development timeline, I expect the Scottsdale, Arizona, native to play a full four years with Northeastern, so it may be quite a while until we see him in a Rangers uniform. However, I think there is a lot of room for Barnhill to improve offensively, which is why I am giving this selection a C-minus.
Artyom Gonchar: B-Minus
The first Russian player the Rangers have drafted since Vitali Kravtsov in 2018, Artyom Gonchar was selected 89th overall out of Magnitogorsk Stalnye Lisy in the MHL, Russia’s equivalent of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The nephew of NHL great Sergei Gonchar, Artyom stands at 6 foot, which is average, but he is 156 pounds – well below the average weight of a prospect. The good news is, as someone only a few months older than Gonchar, putting on weight at 18 isn’t much of an obstacle. What is positive is that Gonchar put up an impressive 25 points in 50 games as a left-handed defenseman, and was fifth in points on his team. Additionally, Gonchar was selected 29th overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Sudbury Wolves, which means he could transition to North American hockey as early as next season. Known as a skilled playmaker from the blue line, Gonchar has the tools to grow into a reliable middle-pairing defender in the NHL if he develops properly over the next few years.
Mikkel Eriksen: B-Plus
While born in Norway, Mikkel Eriksen made his name playing in Sweden’s junior league, the J20 Nationell. In 40 games with Färjestad BK, he scored 22 goals and added 21 assists for a total of 43 points. At 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, Eriksen has a solid frame for his age and may make the jump to North America next season, as he was selected by the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in the CHL Import Draft. It’s also worth noting that he is one of the youngest players in the 2025 draft class, which could give him more runway to develop. The Rangers clearly see a sky-high ceiling with Eriksen, but also recognize there’s a very low floor. He’s the definition of a high-risk, high-reward pick. Let’s hope the Rangers can ultimately reap the rewards.
Zeb Lindgren: B
Ranked as high as 73rd overall by FCHockey, Zen Lindgren slipped all the way to 139th overall on draft day. Like the aforementioned Eriksen, Lindgren played in the J20 Nationell, where he tallied 19 points in 38 games as a defenseman for Skellefteå AIK. Physicality was clearly a big part of his game, as he racked up 76 penalty minutes over that span. Lindgren also appeared in five Swedish Hockey League (SHL) games with Skellefteå but did not register any points.
Scouting reports note that his skating is his biggest asset, and I think he has the potential to develop into a reliable bottom-pairing defenseman in about five years. As a fifth-round pick, expectations are naturally modest, but based on what I’ve seen so far, Lindgren has all the makings of a potential steal. That’s why I’m giving this selection a solid B.
Samuel Jung: D
This pick makes no sense to me. Samuel Jung, an overage Czech winger playing in Finland’s junior league with Kärpät, put up very mediocre numbers this past season. Considering he was already eligible for the 2024 Draft, that’s not an encouraging sign—especially since he has no professional hockey experience yet. In 44 games with Kärpät’s U20 team, Jung scored 22 goals and totaled 32 points. It’s also worth noting that the Finnish junior league isn’t particularly strong compared to other junior circuits around the world. So why would the Rangers use a pick on a 19-year-old who didn’t produce much in that environment? If there’s any silver lining, it’s that when you’re selecting 166th overall, it’s reasonable to take a gamble on a long shot, which the Rangers clearly did here. But based on his limited production so far, I just don’t see the upside, which is why I’m giving this pick a grade of D.
Evan Passmore: C-Minus
With the 171st overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Rangers turned to the OHL again, selecting Evan Passmore from the Barrie Colts. At 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds, Passmore certainly checks all the boxes for size, grit, and physicality. In 62 OHL games last season, he recorded 58 penalty minutes, reflecting the rugged style of hockey he’s known for. However, he managed just three goals and eight assists over that span.
Although he is a right-handed defenseman—always a valuable asset—I don’t see Passmore cracking an NHL roster unless he takes significant steps forward in his development. That’s why I’m giving this pick a C-minus.
Felix Farhammar: B-Minus
With their final selection, the Rangers opted to take another defenseman, picking Felix Farhammar out of Örebro in Sweden. Like Lindgren, Farhammar split last season between the J20 Nationell and the SHL. In 43 games with Örebro’s J20 team, he scored three goals and added 18 assists for a total of 21 points. He also appeared in two SHL games but did not register a point. Considering this was the 203rd pick in the draft, the Rangers could have done much worse, and Farhammar was selected right around where most projections had him.
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With enough development, he should be able to make the jump to North America and play in either the AHL or the ECHL. Hopefully, he can continue to progress and eventually grow into, at best, a reliable seventh or eighth defenseman for the Rangers.
Overall Grade for the Rangers: B
I think the Rangers had a rather average draft in 2025 for a few reasons. First, aside from the Spence selection, they didn’t pick anyone who could be considered a true “steal” in the later rounds. Second, many of their choices seemed based more on height and size than on pure skill and efficiency. Although this trend is becoming more common across the league, the Rangers probably should have targeted a few more players with higher offensive upside. With an average weight of 190 pounds among their eight picks (and that’s even with the 156-pound Gonchar lowering the number), it’s clear size was a major focus.
Additionally, I was surprised by how many defensemen they selected. Five of the eight picks were defensemen, which was more than I expected. While shoring up the blue line is certainly a priority for the Rangers, I didn’t think they would commit quite so heavily to drafting defenders.
Overall, this was a decent draft for general manager Chris Drury, and I hope the majority of these prospects develop well and eventually become solid contributors at the NHL level.
