Several Kitchener Rangers, local players available to be selected during 2024 NHL Entry Draft
Posted Jun 27, 2024 11:39:41 AM.
Last Updated Jun 29, 2024 06:28:16 PM.
Three current Kitchener Rangers players are eligible for selection for the first time in the 2024 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft that is taking place this weekend.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, forward Luke Ellinas, defenseman Max Dirracolo and Carson Campbell are available to be selected by NHL teams.
Former Rangers forward and overager from the 2023-24 season Trent Swick will have another opportunity to be selected in the draft.
In the final NHL Draft rankings on NHL Central Scouting’s list, Ellinas is the highest ranked Rangers player available for selection at 88 among North American skaters. He finished the 2023-24 season with 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points in 67 games played.
He was also named the Rangers top playoff performer scoring five goals and three assists including the overtime winning goal that eliminated the Erie Otters from the first round of the OHL playoffs.
Swick is ranked 109th finishing the season with 25 goals and 37 assists for 62 points in 63 games played. That was good for fourth-most points on the Rangers last season. Dirracolo is ranked at 220. He signed with the Rangers in December 2023 and was put into the lineup right away for the remainder of the season. These rankings are among North American skaters that are available to be selected.
Carson Campbell was not ranked in that final ranking despite being available to be selected. Campbell finished the season with eight assists in 58 games played.
The Rangers have had 168 players selected in the NHL Entry Draft since 1969. The highest two selections from a Rangers squad was Gabriel Landeskog from 2011 and Brian Bellows from 1982. They were both selected second overall in their respective drafts.
Seven Rangers players were selected in the draft in 1989. That’s the most in franchise history.
Last season, the Rangers had four players selected in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft who have also signed with their respective NHL teams. Carson Rehkopf and Eduard Sale both signed with the Seattle Kraken while Hunter Brzustewicz was drafted by Vancouver then traded to Calgary and signed with the Flames. Matthew Andonovski also signed a deal with the Ottawa Senators.
Two local players from Waterloo Region could be selected during NHL draft
Two Waterloo Region-born players are available to be selected over the weekend.
Oshawa Generals goaltender Noah Bender who was born in Waterloo is ranked as the 19th North American goaltender on NHL’s Central Scouting’s final ranking. He played in 12 games for the Generals during the 23-24 season posting a 3.26 goals-against average (GAA) and a .894 save percentage.
Sarnia Sting defenseman Mitchell Young who was born in Elmira is ranked as the 203rd ranked North American skater. He scored 11 goals, 19 assists for 30 points in the 2023-24 season in 65 games played for the Sting.
