There are plenty of scenarios when there are so many picks involved. The Rangers can keep all their 10 picks or package some in deals for either more or less, or to add a player to the roster.
But as of Thursday night, Gorton said he did "not have a trade in place," but that can change when 31 teams are under one roof and the clock is ticking.
"If you said today, are you going to use [the three first-round picks] right now? Yes," Gorton said. "Nothing is there that we're doing, so we're going to use the picks. But on the floor as the draft evolves and players are going and we like somebody, maybe we move up, maybe we move down. Those things are all in play and there's a lot of conversations right now."
No matter the possible deals, Gorton knows how important this weekend in for the future of the organization, one that's in the midst of a rebuild that began a year ago in Chicago when the Blueshirts acquired young forward Tony DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick, which it used to take forward Lias Andersson.
That plan continued into season and came to a head in earnest at the trade deadline, when the Rangers stocked up on two additional 2018 first-round picks from Boston and Tampa, as well as a second-round pick from New Jersey this year, and a conditional first round pick next year from the Lightning.
Gorton and company also added forward Brett Howden and defensemen Libor Hajek and Ryan Lindgren to the fold as part of those deals that added depth to the team's prospect pool.
"[There's] a lot of opportunity to make our team better for the future and build pieces that we need," Gorton said. "It's a vital time for us."
Gorton again stated that while it's unrealistic to have a team full of players under 20 years old, there also must be players on the team to help its youngest members mature to be impact pieces down the road.
"We're not looking for a bunch of older players right now where we're at," Gorton said. "[But] we have to have the necessary people on our team that can help some of these guys learn the game and help us do everything we can to try and win every night. I think that's pretty clear where we're at."
And according to Gorton, players like that can be found throughout this year's draft to help set the team up for the future.
"I think our scouts have said that from Day 1 that it's [a] really deep [draft]," he said. "Our pick at No. 9 - we're really comfortable if we stay there with what's there. Later in the first round - we think it's a good first round. There will be good players [at 26 and 28]. Second, third round, I think there's opportunity to find players."
