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With less than one week until the start of the 2026 NHL Draft, it appears that the New York Rangers are more likely to pick a defenseman at the fifth overall pick as opposed to a forward.
If defensemen including Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, or Alberts Šmits are available for the Rangers to take at the No. 5 selection, it may be difficult for the team to pass up on.
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However, if the Rangers opt to go in a different direction, there is one obvious forward who would be their top choice.
Peter Baugh and Vincent Mercogliano of The Athletic call center Viggo Björck a “dark horse” candidate to be drafted by the Blueshirts at fifth overall.
Björck is considered to be the consensus No. 2 center in the draft, only behind Caleb Malhotra, who is projected to be selected before the Rangers’ pick.
This past season, Björck played 42 games in the SHL for Djurgårdens IF, recording 15 points and finishing the season in a top-line role.
“While his numbers will be nothing to lose your mind over, the fact that Björck played on the first line – often skating in more than 20 minutes a night – as a 17-year-old in one of the top leagues in the world is bonkers,” Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff wrote. “Björck was electric at the World Juniors, showing a high-end blend of hockey sense and raw skill.”
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The 17-year-old 5-foot-9 center made a name for himself competing for team Sweden at the 2026 World Championship, as he held his own against some of the top NHL’ers.
Despite his smaller frame, Björck doesn’t let it affect his game, making up for it with his high hockey IQ and elite-level playmaking.
“He’s the guy who can survive everywhere he goes, even though he’s a smaller body,” NHL Director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. “He showed that in the Swedish Hockey League and also on the men’s national team. … He’s like a Sidney Crosby-type player, and his hockey intelligence shows through with clever movement and spatial awareness in tight areas, which will, in my mind, help him adjust to the NHL in the future.”
If the Rangers do decide to take a forward with the No. 5 pick, keep an eye out for Björck.
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