The New York Rangers, as was well documented, went into the 2018 NHL entry draft holding three first-round selections and two second-round selections. Many were speculating as to what general manager Jeff Gorton was going to do with his multitude of high draft picks. Would he use his excess of draft capital to maneuver his way around the first round? Would he trade down to accumulate more picks? Would he stand pat and do the old, best player available thing? Well, Gorton stayed true at number nine to draft the skilled Russian, Vitali Kravtsov.
When he was getting ready to walk up to Commission Bettman’s podium for his second of the three picks, Gorton decided that there was a defenseman from the United States Developmental Program that may not have remained on the board at slot 26.