The New York Rangers will have one pick In the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft. This pick is their own and will be the 139th overall pick. So far in my draft series, I have given options for goaltenders in the seventh round and forwards in the sixth round, so it seemed fitting to dedicate Rangers 5th round draft targets to defensemen. After this round it’s unlikely that the options will be position-specific, but because the later rounds of the draft are more unpredictable, this seemed like a good way to do it.
2025 NHL Draft Series recaps:
Francesco Dell’Elce (UMass Amherst), Overager
After watching a lot of Hockey East this season, I can’t help but have Francesco Dell’Elce on my list of targets for the Rangers. The soon-to-be 20-year old defenseman is 6’1” and 185 lbs. Dell’Elce is currently ranked 82nd by Mckeen’s Hockey and 82nd by NHL Central Scouting for North American skaters.
He is an offensive defenseman in every sense of the word. Dell’Elce is not only a shoot-first guy, he also just loves to shoot the puck in general and he is great at it. He can trick his opponents into giving him the space he needs to get a lethal shot off. He is also an outstanding skater; I would even argue that his skating and separation speed is closer to NHL level than a lot of other defenseman in this draft. Combine those things with good vision, and it’s not surprising that Dell’Elce has caught the eye of more people this season, even after being passed over previously in the draft.
Like Charlie Cerrato, whom I mentioned in my sixth round write up, this is the last year of NHL draft eligibility for Dell’Elce, even though he was one of the younger players in his initial year of eligibility. This past season was his freshman year at UMass Amherst and he made an immediate impact on the Minutemen, not only by playing big minutes for the team right away but also by being one of their most dependable blueliners. He ended the season with 24 points (7 goals and 17 assists) in 40 games. Dell’Elce was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie team at the end of the season, which speaks to just how good of a season he had.
Maddox Labre (Victoriaville Tigres)
Maddox Labre, a 6’2″, 179 lb defenseman, is one of the younger players available in the draft this year — he turns 18 on June 15th. He is currently ranked 68th by Elite Prospects, 221st by FCHockey and 105th by NHL Central Scouting for North American skaters. With such a wide discrepancy in his rankings, it’s hard to accurately judge what his real ranking should be, but I believe based on his age and underlying skill, he is between the EP and the Central Scouting ranking. Labre was on a very bad Tigres team; the team was last in the QMJHL. Despite that, Labre put up decent numbers, with 19 points (3 goals and 16 assists) in 61 games.
Labre is definitely one of the more raw players in the draft, which is more common with the younger players that are available. He is a strong skater; his puck control has improved greatly throughout this season, as well as his awareness. I think his shot could use some work and his reaction time needs to be a bit better, but he has plenty of time to work on those things.
Last month, Labre announced he was committing to Ohio State, and I think that the pace of play in the NCAA will help him improve even more in both the offensive and defensive zones. He might not be the flashiest player, but he works hard and has already shown that he can improve any areas in his game that might be lacking.
Linus Funck (Luleå HF J20)
Linus Funck will likely go higher than the fifth round, but the 18-year old Swede isn’t on as many radars as I assumed he would be. The 6’3”, 187 lbs defenseman had 30 points (6 goals and 24 assists) in 51 games this season in the top junior league in Sweden for the Luleå HF J20 team. Funck is ranked 53rd by FCHockey and 39th by NHL Central Scouting for European skaters.
One of things I first noticed about Funck’s game is that he doesn’t cheat offensively; he also does all the little things right defensively and can be trusted in every situation. Funck is a pretty strong skater, which helps him carry the puck in and out of the zone in a really effective way. He is the ideal two-way defenseman; he plays a calm and reliable game.
Funck is pretty much a coach’s dream when it comes to a young prospect. While he isn’t the most physical player, he is a player who can make a difference with or without the puck, which makes him a threat across the ice. His lack of physical play doesn’t stop him from engaging in board battles either; he just doesn’t have the type of presence other defenders of his size have in terms of playing the body. I would consider him one of the top low-risk, high-reward players available in the draft.
From what I have seen of his game, Funck could play on an NHL team’s bottom defensive pair at this very moment. Given the time and space, he has the raw skills to be an impact player for whatever team drafts him. I could see a player like Funck going late in the third or in the fourth round, but he is the type of player that if he is still available when the Rangers pick in the fifth round, there shouldn’t even be a discussion; they should just pick him.
Next week will likely be one of my longest installments of the series, with the Rangers having two picks in the fourth round. They have the 104th pick from the Anaheim Ducks, which was acquired in the Jacob Trouba trade and the 111th pick from the Colorado Avalanche, which was acquired in the Ryan Lindgren trade. As we get closer to the top 100 spots in the draft, the players’ names will start to get more recognizable, so get ready!
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