Rangers top defensive prospect makes major career decision

The New York Rangers must wait another year for one of their top defensive prospects to play games for the organization. Despite encouraging him to turn pro over the past few weeks, Drew Fortescue will return to Boston College for a junior season, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post. 

The Rangers selected Fortescue with the 90th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. He had just completed a season with the U.S. National U18 Team, scoring one goal and 26 points in 62 games, and had already committed to the Eagles’ program before the draft.

Fortescue wasn’t much of a point producer in his first year with Boston College, recording only four goals and eight points in 40 games. However, his defensive awareness was impressive, and he emerged as the most efficient breakout passer on the team. He played a crucial role in the Eagles’ victory at the Hockey East tournament at the end of the season, also helping lead the team to the national championship game against the University of Denver Pioneers.

He improved nearly every metric of his game in 2024-25 and finished with 11 assists in 36 games with a +28 rating. Still, despite finishing with the best record in the Hockey East Conference, the program itself took a step back from his freshman campaign. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Hockey East Conference tournament to Northeastern University and were ousted by the Pioneers again in the national tournament, also in the quarterfinals.

The Rangers arguably have a solid case for Fortescue turning pro, but he wouldn’t have had access to meaningful hockey upon signing. Despite qualifying for the Calder Cup playoffs the past two seasons, the Hartford Wolf Pack don’t appear poised to return this year. New York theoretically could have had Fortescue join the NHL squad for the rest of the regular season, but he doesn’t offer an upgrade to any of their other options at the time.