Spence scored 10 goals and totaled 25 points in 40 games for the University of Michigan (NCAA) as the Wolverines stormed to a Big Ten Championship and a run to the Frozen Four during the 2025-26 season. The college hockey scene should help Spence get ready for life in the pros with stiffer competition from teams building stronger rosters due to NIL funding. Spence is a prospect to keep your eye on, but he is expected back at Michigan to be an important piece of a repeat conference title bid during the 2026-27 campaign.

Spence is a competitor. Slipping out of the first round, where many scouts had him going, the Rangers were able to grab him 43rd overall in this year’s draft. I had a chance to watch him play at the World Junior Summer Showcase a few weeks ago, and there’s a lot to love about his game. He battles for pucks by throwing his weight around and getting under sticks. He has a constant motor and skates hard every shift, whether it’s transitioning for offensive plays or backchecking to his own end. His shot is heavy and, combined with his quick release, adds some scoring to his game. Spence plays hard to the net with his stick down, ready to jam in any rebounds or backdoor opportunities. He’s a force to be reckoned with and a prototypical power forward with some bite to his game. Spence is headed to the NCAA next season to play for Michigan. There’s no doubt he has translatable NHL assets and should be making his debut with the Rangers in the near future. He projects as a top-six winger, with PP2 upside.

Selected at forty-third overall, Malcolm Spence is now a member of the New York Rangers .

Spence brings a very pro-style game to the 2025 draft with his size, tenacity, and work rate. The 6’2” winger from the OHL has a solid cycle-possession game down low and can be a pain for other teams to play against. He owns a winning pedigree, having played instrumental parts in both Hlinka gold and WJC-u18 gold. Concerns of offensive upside have stagnated his climb up the rankings, so for now he slots somewhere in the mid first-round. Spence appears to be a safe bet to someday crack an NHL lineup and play a role in varying capacities.

Final Rankings – Malcolm Spence has clear tools—physicality, a strong shot, and two-way upside—but an underwhelming draft year raised concerns. Once seen as a high-motor competitor, his off-puck disengagement and lack of offensive evolution are the main worries. There’s still potential for a middle-six forward, but Spence needs to get back to what made him so highly coveted in the first place.—