Rangers have taken the European route in recent drafts

A year ago, the Rangers drafted Lias Andersson seventh-overall, one slot ahead of Casey Mittelstadt. This year, it was Vitali Kravtsov at ninth-overall when Oliver Wahlstrom was still available. Wahlstrom was then selected two spots later by the Islanders.

That’s a pair of Europeans rather than a pair of Americans. Beyond that, the Rangers used 11 of their 17 picks on Europeans these past two drafts, including four of their five selections over the first two rounds.

But director of player personnel Gordie Clark told The Post on Wednesday the selections do not represent a shift in philosophy for the organization that drafted Yanks Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller and Brady Skjei in the first round in 2009, 2011 and 2012, respectively.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for the U.S. Development Program, but going with Lias over Mittlestadt and Kravtsov over Wahlstrom was a matter of individual player evaluation,” Clark said at the practice rink following the first prospect scrimmage of the week. “We watched Lias and Mittelstadt go head-to-head at the Under-18’s and then after the draft at the World Juniors, and they were pretty much even-steven all the way through.

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“But we went into last year’s draft having a pretty good idea where we’d be going on a rebuild and the type of individuals we were looking for in that context. We said it last year and it’s true: Lias’ leadership and character were major factors for us, and maybe characteristics in which we were a little bit lacking.”

Andersson played the final seven games this past season with the Rangers after skating with Frolunda prior to the World Juniors and with Hartford in the tournament’s aftermath. He also played for gold medal-winning Sweden in the World Championships.

“The thing, too, about Lias is that he’s not one of those guys who’s swinging all over and playing what people might consider that stereotypical European game,” Clark said. “If we’re looking for guys who go straight line, win battles and get to the net, well, that’s Lias.

“He’s going to drive to the net and maybe run a goalie over once in a while.”

On Friday, following the first round of this year’s draft, Clark said the team had Kravtsov rated as the second forward on the board behind Andrei Svechnikov, who went second-overall to Carolina. He reiterated that on Wednesday, stating the Rangers would have taken Kravtsov even if the highly regarded Flip Zadina (sixth-overall to Detroit) had been available.

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“Yes, we would have,” Clark said. “We think Kravtsov is a special player. What he was able to do in a men’s league [the KHL], he creates and processes the game at an elite level. He has the ability to make something out of nothing.”

Kravtsov has one year remaining on his KHL deal. He can buy his way out of the contract and play in North America — the NHL, the AHL or CHL — this year if he and the Blueshirts believe that is better for his development. The decision should be made sooner rather than later.

“His body has to catch up to him,” Clark said of Kravtsov, who played the left side in the scrimmage after having played most of the year on the right. “But that’s the way it is with just about every Russian who comes over. Take [Pavel Buchnevich], for instance. When he came, he’d never seen a weight room. But after a year here, he bought in and spent [last] summer training.”