Rangers Fifth Pick: Carson Carels

**Corey** (0:00)
On June 3rd, so, the New York Rangers are in the off season, and the fans are waiting to see what moves they'll make to get back in the running. Things didn't start off great though, because after having a pretty good shot at the lottery, they ended up with the fifth overall pick.
That means they're likely out of the running for some of the top forward prospects, like Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg. But this fifth pick does open the door for them to grab one of the top defensemen available. One name that's been buzzing around the Rangers is Carson Carels, a defenseman from the Prince George Cougars. He's known for his defense, but he's also shown he can put the puck in the net. There's been some talk comparing Carroll's game to the legendary Nicklas Lidstrom. Now, nobody's saying he's going to be Lidstrom, but the way he controls the game, plays big minutes and contributes on both ends of the ice, those are some similar qualities. Lidstrom had an incredible career, a Hall of Famer with multiple championships and awards.
Carroll's put up some solid numbers this past season with the Cougars, scoring 20 goals and getting 53 assists and 58 games. He also added 10 points in 10 playoff games. Even with his offensive skills, he'd likely be on the second power play unit, which could really help the Rangers special teams. Ultimately, while the comparison to Lidstrom is interesting, it's up to the coaching staff to help Carroll's develop and reach his full potential. If the Rangers decide to draft him, it'll be interesting to see how they use that fifth pick. This has been New York Rangers News Today, powered by AI.
I'm Corey with the story.