2025 NHL Draft Series: Rangers 2nd round draft targets

In the second round of the 2025 NHL entry draft, the New York Rangers have the 43rd overall pick, which is their original pick, even though it has been traded three times. This is one of the hardest rounds to predict what a team is going to do, doubly so for the Rangers because it depends on whether or not they give the Penguins their 2025 first-round pick (12th overall) or their unprotected 2026 first-round pick. Any of the Rangers 2nd round draft targets should focus on the two biggest needs for the organization: centers and defensive depth.

2025 NHL Draft Series recaps:

The Rangers seem to be willing to make some big moves, so there is a significant chance they will end up with more picks in this draft than they currently have. All of these players have moved up in the rankings throughout this season, so I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these potential Rangers 2nd round draft targets get taken off the board early. Though I think that these players would be best available to the team in their draft pick range.

Eric Nilson (Michigan State University) 

I have said it before and I will say it again: Eric Nilson is one of the most underrated center prospects available in this draft class. I understand some of the question marks — the Swede is 6’0” and 166 lbs. Despite that, I believe that Nilson is one of the most dynamic and complete centers in his draft class outside of the top ten. He played at a few different levels this year, first with the Djurgårdens IF J18 team(8-16-24 in 14 games). Then he played with the Djurgårdens IF J20 team (18-33-51 in 46 games).

Nilson also briefly played for Djurgärden’s top team in the HockeyAllsvenskan, notching one assist in four games. He also represented Sweden in 29 total international games (10-16-26).

Nilson is a smart player, his hockey IQ is outstanding and gives him the ability to see the ice in a way other players can’t, anticipating plays and creating offense. Nilson is also a very responsible defensive player; he can be trusted in all zones. He plays aggressively, forcing many turnovers.

Another strength of his game is his passing ability; he knows exactly where to find his teammates. However, he also knows when to shoot the puck himself, which ties into his on-ice intelligence. It’s no secret Nilson is a small and lanky guy, but he isn’t adverse to physical play; he is not only willing to take a hit to make a play, he is willing to lay them, too. He will definitely need to put on weight and get stronger if he wants to make it to the NHL, but he has already put on 12 lbs this past season, so I have no doubt he is putting in the work.

Jakob Ihs-Wozniak (Luleå HF)

Jakob Ihs-Wozniak is probably one of the most realistic of the Rangers 2nd round draft targets, simply because I believe his ranking is pretty spot-on. The Australian-born Swede is 6’2” and 190 lbs and spent the majority of this past season playing with the Luleå HF J20 team, where he had 61 points (26 goals and 35 assists) in 43 total games.

Ihs-Wozniak also played 8 playoff games with the Luleå HF J18 team, where he had 4 goals and 10 assists for a total of 14 points. He did spend some time up with the main Luleå HF team, tallying 2 points — a goal and an assist — in 15 total games between the regular season and playoffs. Ihs-Wozniak also represented Sweden in a total of 29 international games, where he had 29 points (18 goals and 11 assists). 

Ihs-Wozniak is a true goalscorer, something that the Rangers prospect pool is lacking, even if the need for a right-winger, which is his position, isn’t as high as for a center. I would consider him a real power forward because of how he uses a combination of size and strong puck-handling to create scoring opportunities, not only for himself, but for his teammates as well.

Another area most Rangers prospects aren’t particularly strong in is puck possession — having the ability to enter and exit a zone while maintaining possession of the puck — and that’s where Ihs-Wozniak excels. While there are many aspects of his game that allow him to create the large amount of scoring chances that he does, one of the biggest reasons is his shot.

Ihs-Wozniak has a sneaky good shot, with a deceptive release that allows him to create a high-danger shot out of a bad pass or from what seems like it should be an impossible shooting angle. One of the only knocks on his game is his tendency to play along the outer edge of the ice; he doesn’t utilize the middle of the ice enough to generate even more offense than he already is, but I don’t see it as much of a concern. 

Sascha Boumedienne (Boston University)

Sascha Boumedienne is one of my favorite defensemen available in the 2025 draft class. He is also one of the scouts’ favorites as well, so while it may be wishful thinking that he’ll be available, he is someone that I wouldn’t hesitate to pick at #43. The left-shot defenseman is 6’2” and 183 lbs. This past season, Boumedienne played for Boston University, where he had 13 points (3 goals and 10 assists) in 40 games. He also represented Sweden in 15 international games and put up 17 points (2 goals and 15 assists). 

I spent a lot of time watching the NCAA, but more specifically Hockey East this season, so I saw plenty of Boumedienne, and the first thing that stood out to me about him is his skating. While I wouldn’t consider him the most powerful skater, he is a great skater in the sense that he looks like he is moving effortlessly down the ice. Boumedienne uses his skating to join the rush, allowing him to create plenty of offensive opportunities for his teammates.

Boumedienne is always a threat with the puck on the blueline heading into the offensive zone; although his shot selection can lead to some risks, as when his shot is blocked, it can result in dangerous rushes up the ice into the defensive zone. With continued development, he will learn to pick his shots better, even if it will limit his creativity with the puck a bit.

Before his freshman year at Boston University, one of the things he needed to work on more was his physical play and learning when to play the body. His reach allows him to break up plenty of plays, but his hesitancy to be more physical gave opponents more time to make plays. That is something he has improved on this year with the Terriers, though. Obviously there are still areas of his game that need some improvement, but he has already made great strides and if a defenseman like him is available at #43, you take him.

Blake Fiddler (Edmonton Oil Kings)

Blake Fiddler is what I would consider the Rangers’ ideal type. He is a big, physical presence on the ice, something the organization seems to really value. The American defenseman stands at 6’4” and 220 lbs and is the son of former long-time NHLer Vernon Fiddler. This past season, Fiddler played for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL, where he had 34 points (10 goals and 24 assists) in 71 total games. He also represented Team USA at U18 Worlds, ending the tournament with 3 points (2 goals and 1 assist) in 7 games and a bronze medal.

If we were going down a checklist for what the Rangers want in a player, he pretty much already covers everything you’d think of, but then he adds strong skating and puck movement to the mix as well.

Fiddler isn’t afraid to use his size to battle for the puck, but he also has the ability to break up plays with his stick as he has great reach and strong stickwork. You would think with his size, Fiddler would likely be a bit of an awkward skater, yet he is a strong skater with a powerful stride and pretty strong edgework that allows him to not only be mobile in transition, but also to create space between himself and others.

With his willingness to play physically, he has gotten into a bit of trouble and taken more undisciplined penalties than the average player. I think that is something relatively easy to teach and get under control, but a more pressing area for improvement for Fiddler is on the offensive side. While he doesn’t struggle to generate offense completely, he could improve his shot selection and with that the ability to make plays under pressure. That would help his individual offense to more closely match the rest of his game.

Fiddler is a great combination of the tools and skills the Rangers like, so if he is available at #43, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them scoop him up.

I tried to cut my second round targets down to three, but I really like all four players for a range of different reasons, so I decided to keep them all. From an organizational standpoint, it’s more likely the team will go with a center or a defensemen closer to the beginning of the draft because those are immediate needs, but I don’t work for the team, so in this space, I get to make the rules. 

As of this writing, I have only found confirmation that the Rangers interviewed a few players at the Combine, with their consolidated rankings putting most of them in the second round: Benjamin Kindel (20), Cole McKinney (34), Will Horcoff (45), Peyton Kettles (61) and Jan Chovan (89). I’m sure at some point more names will come out, though.