According to my calculations it comes down to the Rangers only being able to protect two of the following four players... Strome, Blackwell, Gauthier, Ronning.

Whom the Rangers protect, It’s hard to predict. Strome and Blackwell are very solid NHLers that could play centre and wing, but Gauthier and Ronning (8 goals in 9 AHL games) are looking like very solid prospects.

Maybe the Rangers trade their 2021 1st round pick to Seattle, so they could keep everyone? Until yesterday I had no idea how well Ronning has improved himself into a solid prospect.

Rangers won't give up a 1st to Protect bottom tier players.

If Seattle doesn't bite on Deangelo (likely won't), then they'll pick between Gauthier and Howden.

I firmly thought a while ago that they would protect Gauthier over Blackwell, but that has changed. Blackwell has excelled greatly wherever he is in the lineup. Gauthier continues to struggle with consistency, and has seemingly now lost out on a Top 9 spot long term. Rangers would still prefer to keep him, but no desperation to give up a Top Pick for him.

Hopefully Seattle takes Howden. Everyone is done with the Howden experiment. No way they use a protection spot on him.

No way they protect Ronning, who does little if he's not scoring and isn't going to find a spot on the Rangers top six. Seattle won't take him either. Strome will be protected. At least one and probably two of Gauthier, Blackwell and Howden will be exposed. And since every Ranger fan hopes it will be Howden who is picked, it will be one of the other two. Francis drafted Gauthier in Carolina, so maybe him

Thank you, those are great points you both make.