Rangers have a big decision to make about No. 12 pick

After what was an exciting and rather intriguing 2025 edition of the NHL Draft Lottery, the team on Broadway has something to ponder in the near future.

As a result of the ping-pong balls popping up the way they did, the New York Rangers were granted the 12th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

It’s a little bit of a downer for the Blueshirts, as they were leapfrogged by the Utah Hockey Club in the first round, with their longtime rivals, the New York Islanders, winning the lottery for the third time in franchise history.

However, that gives Rangers general manager Chris Drury some options. He could hang on to the pick, having the possibility to draft someone like Rdam Mrtka, Carter Bear or Kashawn Aitcheson, or he could offload it to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins have the conditional first-round pick, which initially went to the Vancouver Canucks in the J.T. Miller trade. If the Rangers hold onto the pick, and they have another down year, Pittsburgh would hold the cards of having an unprotected first-round pick in 2026.

There’s definitely some pressure in the Big Apple, as the Rangers missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs one year removed from winning the President’s Trophy.

On Tuesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli explains what the Rangers might do with their first-round pick in June.

Frank Seravalli: They have until 48 hours before the draft begins to decide whether or not they want to convey that pick, essentially to Pittsburgh. I would do it solely because I think if things do go sideways next year, which I think they’re primed for a bounce back, but let’s just say on the off chance that it does go sideways, you definitely don’t want to have your team win the lottery, and it’s the Pittsburgh Penguins that hold a 2026 unprotected first-round pick, which is one of the huge boons of the deal.

I think in this uncertainty of the draft, which is a way thinner and more average draft, let the 12th overall pick go, be happy with J.T. Miller, and live to fight another day in 2026 with the uncertainty and unknown that surrounds it in a much, much better draft.