The Rangers were among the eight teams eliminated from the qualifying round still in the running for the top spot, each franchise had a 12.5% chance of getting the No. 1 pick.
The Rangers earned the top pick in the NHL draft lottery phase on Monday night.
Quebec native Alexis Lafreniere is widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in this year's draft. The 18-year-old left wing was the leading scorer in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 112 points (35 goals and 77 assists) in 52 games. Lafreniere could immediately make an impact on the team.
The Rangers were among the eight teams (along with Oilers, Panthers, Wild, Predators,, Maple Leafs, Penguins and Jets) still in the running for the top spot and each franchise had a 12.5% chance of getting the No. 1 pick.
The remaining teams will be slotted into picks 9-15.
But wait, didn't the NHL already hold the draft lottery?
Yes, the league held Phase 1 of the draft lottery on June 26 before the NHL resumed in Canada. This year's draft lottery was a little different amid the coronavirus pandemic. In a typical season, a Stanley Cup champion would have been crowned by late June, but the playoffs had yet to begin due to the league's suspension since mid-March.
After "Team E" won the First Draw, it meant one of the eight teams that were eliminated in the NHL's postseason play-in stage would pick again for No. 1. With that stage over, they finally learned their draft spots on Monday night.