- Earlier this week, Rangers prospect Artyom Gonchar has committed to play for OHL Sudbury next season, the junior team announced. The defenseman, who is the nephew of long-time NHLer Sergei Gonchar, was a third-round pick last month, going 89th overall. Gonchar spent last season with MHL Magnitogorsk, tallying 25 points in 50 games.
Rangers Rumors
Riley Nash Announces Retirement
Longtime depth center Riley Nash has retired from the NHL, he told Tyler Lowey of Castanet Kamloops.
Nash, 36, was an unrestricted free agent after spending 2024-25 under contract with the Rangers. He didn’t play at all last season while rehabbing what he told Lowey were a “variety of knee injuries” he sustained during the previous year while on assignment to AHL Hartford, spending his final professional season on the non-roster list.
“With three wonderful young kids and the way my body has behaved over the past few years, it was time to take a step back as an older guy and let others chase their dream the same way I did,” he told Lowey. “I consider myself very fortunate to have played in front of my kids over the last few years. They helped me regain the passion and love for the sport I had as a kid. Now was the right time to step away.”
The 6’2″, 187-lb pivot was the No. 21 overall selection in the 2007 draft by the Oilers, although he elected not to sign with one of the two clubs from his native Alberta. After winning an ECAC championship with Cornell in his junior campaign in 2009-10, he saw his signing rights flipped to the Hurricanes for a second-round pick.
Nash signed with Carolina a few weeks later. While he ended up having a true journeyman’s career, he did have some stability early on in the Hurricanes organization. He spent six seasons there, seeing NHL ice in the latter five, recording 31 goals, 50 assists, and 81 points in 242 games before reaching free agency in 2016.
Nash went on to see NHL ice for the Bruins, Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs, Jets, Lightning, Coyotes, and Rangers. He spent nearly a decade as a full-time AHL piece, going from 2013-14 to 2020-21 without seeing a minor-league assignment, frequently anchoring third and fourth lines. His best season came on a high-powered Bruins squad in 2017-18, setting career-highs across the board with 15 goals, 26 assists, 41 points, and a +16 rating while averaging 15:25 per game.
He spent the last few seasons of his career as a complementary AHL piece, serving as an alternate captain for the Charlotte Checkers in 2022-23 before spending his final healthy campaign with the Rangers’ affiliate in Hartford in 2023-24.
Nash concludes his pro career with 628 NHL appearances, scoring 63 goals, 113 assists and 176 points with a -11 rating in 13:09 of ice time per contest. He also scored 193 points in 312 AHL games in parts of seven seasons.
All of us at PHR wish Nash the best in retirement.
Rangers Re-Sign Brendan Brisson
July 7: The Rangers confirmed Brisson’s contract Monday morning.
July 6: The Rangers have taken care of one of their remaining restricted free agents. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that New York has signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay $775K in the NHL, $100K in the minors, and contains a guaranteed salary of $125K, meaning he took less than his qualifying offer to secure more guaranteed money.
The 23-year-old was a first-round pick by Vegas back in 2020, going 29th overall after a promising season with USHL Chicago. Brisson continued to be a strong producer in college, averaging a point per game over two seasons at the University of Michigan before turning pro in 2022.
Unfortunately for Brisson and Vegas, his production slowed after that. He picked up 37 points in 58 games in 2022-23 with AHL Henderson but wasn’t able to build off of that too much the following year with 38 in 52. Brisson did, however, get into 15 games with the Golden Knights that season, notching two goals and six assists, providing some hope moving forward.
This season, things didn’t go as well. Brisson was held off the scoresheet in seven games to open the season before being demoted back to the Silver Knights and didn’t notch a point in a two-game stint in January either. In between, Brisson was limited to just five goals and 14 assists in 49 games in Henderson. That was enough for Vegas to make him available at the trade deadline as they sent him and a third-round pick to the Rangers for Reilly Smith, a pending UFA at the time who ultimately re-signed last month. Brisson didn’t get any looks with New York down the stretch but managed just two goals and four assists in 16 games with AHL Hartford.
Brisson is now waiver-eligible and while his 2024-25 performance wouldn’t be enough on its own to justify a potential claim, teams have been known to take flyers on fairly recent first-round picks in the hopes that a change of scenery could get them going. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rangers take a long look at Brisson in training camp to see if he can land a spot on the fourth line or at least break camp as a reserve forward.
The Rangers now have two remaining restricted free agents to deal with this summer, goaltenders Dylan Garand and Talyn Boyko.
Rangers Sign Trey Fix-Wolansky To Two-Way Deal
The Rangers are signing free agent winger Trey Fix-Wolansky to a two-way contract, sources tell Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers. Fix-Wolansky is listed on the Rangers’ roster on the NHL media site despite the lack of an official announcement. He’ll earn the league minimum of $775K in the NHL, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today. PuckPedia reports he’ll receive a $450K AHL salary with a $500K guarantee. The team has since confirmed the deal.
Fix-Wolansky, 26, makes the jump to the Rangers organization after spending the last seven years in the Blue Jackets’ system. A seventh-round pick in 2018 from the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, he’s long been an explosive scorer at the junior and AHL levels but has been held back from being a legitimate NHL threat by his 5’7″, 191-lb frame.
The Edmonton native got into NHL action in three straight seasons with Columbus from 2021-22 to 2023-24 but did not see a recall this season after clearing waivers during training camp. He’s totaled four goals and two assists for six points with a minus-six rating in 26 career appearances at the top level, averaging 10:35 per game.
As such, he projects more as an impact addition for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack and isn’t necessarily expected to be a legitimate competitor for an NHL roster spot. The three-time AHL All-Star has 259 points in 289 career minor-league games, including 26 goals and 60 points in 65 games with the Cleveland Monsters last year.
Rangers Sign Taylor Raddysh To Two-Year Deal
The Rangers have added some additional bottom-six depth, with PuckPedia reporting last night they’ve signed winger Taylor Raddysh to a two-year deal worth $3MM, carrying a $1.5MM cap hit. His deal includes $250,000 in upfront signing bonuses, according to PuckPedia.
The 6’3″, 200-lb Raddysh now heads to his third team in as many seasons after reaching outright unrestricted free agency for the first time. He’s coming off a one-year, $1MM contract with the Capitals that he signed after being non-tendered by the Blackhawks in the 2024 offseason.
In 2024-25, Raddysh posted seven goals, 20 assists, 27 points, a minus-seven rating, and 18 PIMs in 80 appearances while averaging 12:22 per game. The 27-year-old is now two years removed from his 20-goal breakout with the Blackhawks and has seen his overall effectiveness decrease in the years since, recording a career-low 93 shots on goal and 59 hits with the Caps.
Raddysh joins Justin Dowling as New York’s lone forward signings in unrestricted free agency. Most of their available cap space was used to bring in top UFA blue-liner Vladislav Gavrikov on a seven-year, $49MM deal and to secure a two-year, $7.8MM contract for RFA winger William Cuylle.
If Raddysh doesn’t pan out with the Rangers and is placed on waivers and buried in the minors, he would still count for $350,000 against the cap, at least in 2025-26. That figure would decrease in 2026-27 with an expected increase in the league minimum salary and, in turn, a higher maximum buriable salary. Given the Rangers’ lack of offensive depth on their bottom two forward lines, though, he should get the chance for a regular role out of the gate and potentially see increased minutes compared to his time in Washington.
Hurricanes Acquire K’Andre Miller In Sign-And-Trade With Rangers
5:51 p.m.: The trade is official as reported, the team announced.
4:33 p.m.: The deal will be a sign-and-trade with the Rangers, per Friedman. It will be an eight-year deal for Miller worth a total value of $60MM for $7.5MM per season. He’ll be Carolina’s highest-paid defenseman by a significant margin as a result. A 2026 first-round pick will be part of the return, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today. The deal is split evenly across this season and is paid entirely in base salary aside from a $2MM signing bonus up front, per PuckPedia. It also includes a 10-team no-trade clause beginning in 2027-28. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports the full return is a conditional first, the Hurricanes’ 2026 second-round pick, and right-shot defender Scott Morrow. The condition on the 2026 first is that the Rangers will receive the better of Carolina’s or Dallas’ 2026 first-rounders, and it’s top-10 protected, per PuckPedia.
4:16 p.m.: The trade has been agreed to in principle but has yet to be executed because Miller and the Hurricanes are still in talks on a new contract, per Friedman. He adds the trade was made in lieu of an offer sheet Carolina was preparing for Miller.
11:56 a.m.: The Hurricanes are acquiring the signing rights to defenseman K’Andre Miller from the Rangers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The trade return will center around draft pick compensation, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today.
After a season full of trade rumors, the Rangers have finally moved on from Miller and brought in Vladislav Gavrikov as his immediate replacement. Since the return package consists of draft pick compensation, this trade closely resembles the 2020 deal in which the Rangers traded defenseman Brady Skjei to the Hurricanes for a first-round pick.
Carolina will assuredly bank on the 2022-23 version of Miller, which was arguably the best season of his young career. During that campaign, Miller scored nine goals and 43 points in 79 games for the Rangers with a +12 rating, averaging nearly 22 minutes of ice time per game. Unfortunately, the Rangers only had the financial flexibility to sign Miller to a two-year bridge deal, but the belief at the time was that they would have liked to have retained him for longer.
Hindsight being 20/20, the Rangers were thankful that they didn’t sign Miller to a longer-term agreement. Since his breakout campaign in 2022-23, Miller has scored 15 goals and 57 points in 154 contests with a +5 rating. His possession and defensive metrics have also dropped, falling from a 51.5% CorsiFor% at even strength to 49.2%, and an 89.8% on-ice save percentage at even strength to an 88.7%.
Still, he has maintained a high level of physicality and continues to block over 100 shots each season. There is reason for optimism that many of his advanced metrics will improve in Carolina, considering that the team has a very deep defensive core and is one of the top possession teams in the league.
The trade also carries implications for the Hurricanes’ unrestricted free agents from their defensive core. Given that the team is planning on making Alexander Nikishin a full-time defender beginning in the 2025-26 season, there is little chance that Dmitry Orlov or Brent Burns will return to Carolina. Due to the trade protection given to the team’s other defensemen, the Hurricanes are likely to move out any of their current blueliners to clear a pathway for Orlov or Burns to return.
Rangers, Will Cuylle Agree To Two-Year Deal
The Rangers and winger William Cuylle have agreed to terms on a two-year contract worth $3.9MM per season, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Cuylle’s deal is back-loaded to give him a $4.68MM salary and corresponding qualifying offer upon expiry in 2027, per PuckPedia, where he’ll also have salary arbitration rights
Cuylle was a second-round pick by the Rangers back in 2020, going 60th overall and certainly has outperformed his draft stock. In 2023-24, he cracked New York’s lineup on a full-time basis and while his playing time was limited, he chipped in with 13 goals and eight assists in 81 games while also recording 248 hits.
There was some optimism that he could find another gear offensively heading into last season and Cuylle did just that. In 82 games, he potted 20 goals and 25 assists, good for a share of fifth in team scoring. He also saw his playing time jump up by nearly four minutes a game to a little over 15 minutes a night while also notching 301 hits, tied for the third-most in the NHL behind only Kiefer Sherwood (Vancouver) and Mathieu Olivier (Columbus).
Power forwards are hard to come by and coveted by many teams, making Cuylle a speculative offer sheet target, especially with the uncertainty with K’Andre Miller (who has since been traded to Carolina). While New York created some cap space earlier this offseason with the trade of Chris Kreider to Anaheim, they went and spent that money to lock up Vladislav Gavrikov on a seven-year, $49MM contract that was one of the biggest of the day.
That meant that a long-term pact for Cuylle was out of the question. Instead, the two sides have settled on a bridge deal that allows New York to stay cap-compliant while setting him up for a better deal two years from now. With the Upper Limit set to jump to around $113MM by the time this deal expires, Cuylle will be well-positioned for a big raise, assuming he continues to play at the level he did last season.
With the signing and today’s other movement, the Rangers find themselves with a little over $1.4MM in cap space, per PuckPedia, with a full roster. That gives GM Chris Drury a little wiggle room should the opportunity arrive to upgrade a depth player over the rest of the summer or, alternatively, keeping that space into next season would buy them some flexibility if injuries arise.
Josh Erickson also contributed to this post.
Rangers To Sign Justin Dowling To Two-Year Deal
The Rangers are signing center Justin Dowling during free agency, as first reported by Brennan Klak on X. The contract is a two-year deal at league minimum salary, featuring a one-way structure for the 2025-26 season and a two-way structure for the 2026-27 season, according to PuckPedia.
Dowling comes to New York from their division rival, the New Jersey Devils. Despite spending the first year of his two-year arrangement with the Devils’ AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, Dowling received a larger opportunity at the NHL level this past season due to injuries.
In 52 games, the 34-year-old center scored two goals and seven points, averaging 10:13 of ice time with a 48.3% success rate in the faceoff dot. Although that’s tepid production, even for a fourth-line player, it was the best individual output of Dowling’s seven-year NHL career.
Even after a transitional year for the Rangers, it’s hard to imagine Dowling finding much playing time at the NHL level unless there are struggles with injuries. He would be better utilized with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, especially considering he is two years removed from scoring 14 goals and accumulating 40 points in 57 games with AHL Utica. Given the nature of his contract, along with Dowling’s contract shifting to a two-way agreement in the second half of the season, it seems the Rangers share this perspective on his future potential.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.
Rangers To Sign Vladislav Gavrikov To Seven-Year Contract
As expected, the New York Rangers are finalizing a contract for unrestricted free agent defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun was the first to announce the news. Shortly thereafter, LeBrun shared that it’ll be a seven-year, $49MM agreement for Gavrikov in the Big Apple.
PuckPedia was quick to report the financial breakdown of Gavrikov’s new deal with the Rangers:
- Year 1: $1MM salary, $8MM signing bonus
- Year 2: $1MM salary, $8MM signing bonus
- Year 3: $1MM salary, $6.65MM signing bonus
- Year 4: $1MM salary, $5.55MM signing bonus
- Year 5: $1MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
- Year 6: $3.4MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
- Year 7: $5.4MM salary
Additionally, PuckPedia shared that Gavrikov will have a full no-movement clause in the first five years of the deal, before transitioning to a 20-team modified no-trade clause in the sixth year, and a 15-team modified no-trade clause in the seventh season.
Due to the contract being paid out mostly in signing bonuses, it explains why Gavrikov signed for nearly $11MM less than comparable defenseman Ivan Provorov. He’ll now move to the third organization of his career and become the top-four shutdown defenseman that the Rangers have coveted for some time. And he’s one of the better shutdown blue liners, at that.
Over the past three years, Gavrikov has scored at a moderate pace, managing 22 goals and 105 points in 311 games between the Blue Jackets and Kings. Averaging over 22 minutes a night over that stretch, Gavrikov also totalled 507 blocked shots and 303 hits.
Although he maintained quality defensive metrics throughout his tenure in Columbus, Gavrikov improved dramatically upon his move to Los Angeles. During his two-and-a-half-year run with the Kings, Gavrikov managed a 53.5% CorsiFor% at even strength and an on-ice save percentage of 91.4% at even strength.
Gavrikov’s signing looks even better for the Rangers, considering they already employ one of the league’s top netminders. Last season, the Rangers produced the sixth-worst shots against total, but were able to finish around the mid-way point of the league in GA/G. Similarly, New York finished with the 11th-best penalty kill, meaning Gavrikov will help the team dramatically at even strength with a man disadvantage.
PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.
Rangers Interested In Nikolaj Ehlers
After today’s flurry of moves, Nikolaj Ehlers has arguably become the top pending free-agent forward available. Commanding plenty of interest already, Murat Ates of The Athletic lists the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, and Washington Capitals as known suitors. He also mentioned the Tampa Bay Lightning, but it’s incredibly unfeasible given their salary cap circumstances.
It’s unlikely to be an exhaustive list, but, notably, the three prominent teams listed come from the Metropolitan Division. It’s been known for several weeks that the Hurricanes were looking to make a significant addition this summer after falling short in another postseason appearance. With limited cap space themselves, the Capitals and Rangers may be engaging in some gamesmanship, and merely making life more difficult for their intra-division rival.