John Lilley compared it to an exam, the Rangers director of amateur scouting insisting that thorough preparedness leads to comfort in the NHL Draft, no matter where a team is picking.

It’s for that reason, he said, that despite the Blueshirts not getting on the clock until the 43rd selection, he was pleased with the prospects they landed on June 28.

“The staff is diligent in doing their homework,” Lilley said, referring to the Rangers having to pivot several times as players they targeted came off the board ahead of them. "We’re happy with the draft. We think it was a successful day, and we checked a lot of boxes with players we think have the potential to be Rangers in time.”

Erie Otters forward Malcolm Spence, left, shoots against the London Knights during an Ontario Hockey League playoff game at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie on April 15, 2025.

Beginning, of course, with their first selection in Malcolm Spence, a second-rounder who was regarded as a first-round talent. The 18-year-old left winger falling to the Rangers at No. 43 was, perhaps, a serendipitous start.

“He’s an excellent winger,” Lilley said of Spence, a Mississauga native who starred for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League. “We’ve watched him for some years. He does well on the power play and (penalty kills), and plays the game the right way… He was there at 43 and he was projected to go higher. We were thrilled to get him in that spot.”

Spence honoring college commitment

Spence is committed to the University of Michigan and is expected to play there immediately as a freshman.

He totaled 177 points, including 110 assists, in 195 games over three seasons in the OHL and has had success playing for Team Canada. But, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound standout believes college will allow him the time to further develop his body and prepare for the physicality he anticipates in the NHL.

“However long it takes for me to jump in and be an impact player, that’s what I want to do,” he said Saturday after he was drafted. “I don’t really have a timeline on it.”

Lilley said the Rangers don’t mind being patient.

“There's a chance (to gain) more strength and conditioning with less games,” he said of prospects playing collegiately. “He was in a good program in Erie and they did a good job developing him.”

Defense… defense

The Rangers used five of their eight picks on defensemen. They chose Sean Barnhill, Zeb Lindgren, Evan Passmore, Felix Farhammar and Artyom Gonchar, who is the nephew of former defensive standout Sergei Gonchar. But, they insist, defense wasn’t deliberately emphasized.

“It was more about players that were available,” Lilley said. “There were circumstances where we had forwards in position that got taken. It wasn’t something we targeted, but it's an area you can never have enough of. (The draft) was heavily loaded with defensemen, and these were players we valued.”

Nevertheless, the Rangers ranked 19th in allowing 3.11 goals per game last season, down from seventh in the NHL the year before, so defense is an area worth addressing.

‘Raw potential’

The Rangers selected Sean Barnhill with their third-round pick and Lilley raved about the 18-year-old’s athleticism and size, and what those natural abilities could eventually translate into.

The 6-foot-5, 214-pound defenseman has been lauded for his mobility, instincts and aggressive playing style, and Lilley believes he eventually can develop some offensive skills.

“He’s a big kid with lots of upside,” he said of the 70th overall selection, who is committed to Northeastern University. “He makes a good first pass. He wasn’t a guy leading the rush, but we think there’s more offense coming with physical maturity. He's got raw potential and, like all these prospects, he needs time to develop.”

Mikkel Eriksen, a fourth-round pick, also excited the scouting staff with his potential, although he lacks ideal size.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound center from Norway isn’t the “biggest player, but he’s feisty,” Lilley said. Granted, he is the youngest player in the draft and won’t turn 18 until September, so there still is time and literal room for growth.

“He's a talented player and the European scouts think highly of him,” Lilley said. “He’s someone we think has upside. He plays with skill and plays well away from the puck.”

The Rangers used the 166th pick on Samuel Jung, a 19-year-old center from Czechia who played for a season in the Finnish Under-20 league.