New York Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton, along with Director of Player Personnel Gordie Clark, oversaw the club’s activity at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Blueshirts, who held seven picks in the draft, selected five forwards and two defensemen.
The Rangers made two of their selections on Friday and five of their selections on Saturday. On Friday, the Blueshirts selected forward Lias Andersson with the seventh overall pick and forward Filip Chytil with the 21st overall pick.
Andersson, 18, skated in 42 games with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) this past season, registering nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points, along with a plus-21 rating and 18 penalty minutes. He established SHL career-highs in several categories in 2016-17, including games played, goals, assists, points, and plus/minus rating. Andersson ranked eighth in the SHL – and led all junior players (younger than 20 years old) in the league – in plus/minus rating this past season. He also ranked second among all junior players in the SHL in goals and assists, and tied for second among all junior players in the SHL in points in 2016-17.
The 6-0, 200-pounder registered five points (four goals, one assist) and 18 penalty minutes in 16 playoff games while helping HV71 win the Le Mat Trophy as Swedish Hockey League Champions this past season. He tied for fifth on HV71 in goals in the playoffs, and he also ranked second among all junior players in the SHL in playoff goals this past season. Andersson played seven games in the Champions Hockey League with HV71 in 2016-17, recording one assist and two penalty minutes. He has skated in 64 career SHL games over parts of two seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17), registering 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists), along with a plus-14 rating and 24 penalty minutes.
Internationally, the Smogen, Sweden, native has represented his country at several tournaments. Most recently, Andersson registered three goals and posted a plus-two rating in seven games while representing Sweden at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Chytil, 17 (turns 18 years old on September 5), skated in 38 games with PSG Zlin in the Czech Extraliga this past season, registering four goals and four assists for eight points, along with 16 penalty minutes. Chytil was one of 21 players younger than 18 years old who played in the Czech Extraliga in 2016-17, and he ranked second among players younger than 18 years old in the league in games played, goals, and points during the season. He skated in two relegation games with PSG Zlin, recording two points (one goal, one assist). In addition, Chytil played two regular season games and one playoff game with PSG Zlin’s junior team in 2016-17.
The 6-2, 192-pounder has played in Zlin’s organization since the 2012-13 season. Chytil skated in 30 games with PSG Zlin’s U18 team during the 2015-16 season, registering 28 goals and 22 assists for 50 points, along with a plus-23 rating and eight penalty minutes, and he tied for 10th in the league in goals during the season.
Internationally, the Kromeriz, Czech Republic, native has represented his country at several tournaments. Most recently, Chytil registered five points (two goals, three assists) and two penalty minutes in five games at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championship.
The Rangers acquired the 123rd and 174th overall picks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft from San Jose in exchange for the 102nd overall pick. The Blueshirts selected defenseman Brandon Crawley with the 123rd overall pick.
Crawley, 20, skated in 61 games with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), registering seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points, along with a plus-55 rating and 114 penalty minutes. He established OHL career-highs in several categories in 2016-17, including goals, assists, points, plus/minus rating, and penalty minutes. Crawley ranked fourth in the OHL – and ranked second among OHL defensemen – in plus/minus rating this past season.
The 6-1, 203-pounder has skated in 187 career OHL games over three seasons with London (2014-15 – 2016-17), registering 16 goals and 45 assists for 61 points, along with a plus-77 rating and 299 penalty minutes. The Glen Rock, New Jersey, native helped the Knights win the OHL Championship and the Memorial Cup during the 2015-16 season.
In the fifth round, the Blueshirts used the 145th overall pick to select defenseman Calle Sjalin. Sjalin, 17 (turns 18 on September 2), skated in 34 games with Ostersund of HockeyEttan in Sweden this past season, registering five goals and 10 assists for 15 points, along with a plus-12 rating and 26 penalty minutes. He led all junior players (younger than 18 years old) in the league in points during the past season.
The 6-1, 179-pounder has also skated in several international tournaments. Most recently, the Ostersund, Sweden, native posted a plus-four rating in six games while representing his country at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championship.
The Rangers held two selections in the sixth round of the draft. The Blueshirts used their first pick in the sixth round (157th overall) to select forward Dominik Lakatos. Lakatos, 20, skated in 41 games with Bili Tygri Liberec of the Czech Extraliga this past season, registering 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points, along with a plus-11 rating and 80 penalty minutes. He led all junior players (younger than 20 years old) in the Czech Extraliga in points in 2016-17.
The 6-0, 178-pounder also registered 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in 16 playoff games. Lakatos has played in the Liberec organization since 2010-11. In 2015-16, the Liberec, Czech Republic, native was selected as the Czech Extraliga Rookie of the Year, and he helped the team win the Czech Extraliga Championship.
With their second pick in the sixth round (174th overall), the Rangers selected forward Morgan Barron. Barron, 18, skated in 56 games with St. Andrew’s College this past season, registering 34 goals and 26 assists for 60 points, along with 22 penalty minutes. He helped St. Andrew’s College win the CISAA Championship in 2016-17.
The 6-2, 200-pounder is committed to play at Cornell University in 2017-18. The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native also played seven games with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) this past season. In 2015-16, Barron led the CISAA in goals (14) and points (25) while helping St. Andrew’s College win the CISAA Championship.
In the seventh round, New York used the 207th overall pick to select Patrik Virta. Virta, 21, skated in 49 games with TPS in Liiga this past season, registering 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points, along with a plus-nine rating and 22 penalty minutes. He also recorded six points (five goals, one assist) in six playoff contests.
The 5-11, 180-pounder registered 75 points (29 goals, 46 assists) in 43 games in his final season in Liiga’s junior (U20) league in 2014-15. Virta won the Saku Koivu Award as the best forward in the league and the Teemu Selanne Award as the best player in the league in 2014-15. The Hameenlinna, Finland, native also led the league in playoff goals (10) and playoff points (15).
