Pro Hockey Rumors

With training camps underway, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason.  Next up is a look at the Rangers.

A triumphant President’s Trophy-winning campaign in 2023-24 preceded a jarring nosedive in Manhattan last year. It was the second time in franchise history the team missed the playoffs entirely after having the best regular-season record in the trophy’s existence and just the fourth time it’s happened altogether. That resulted in some drastic in-season trades and some notable offseason movement as well as the Rangers aim to return to playoff contention in 2025-26.

Draft

2-43 – F Malcolm Spence, Erie (OHL)
3-70 – D Sean Barnhill, Dubuque (USHL)
3-89 – D Artyom Gonchar, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
4-111 – F Mikkel Eriksen, Färjestad (Sweden U20)
5-139 – D Zeb Lindgren, Skellefteå (Sweden U20)
6-166 – F Samuel Jung, Kärpät (Finland U20)
6-171 – D Evan Passmore, Barrie (OHL)
7-203 – D Felix Färhammar, Örebro (Sweden U20)

The Rangers held the No. 12 pick in the draft but needed to pick between sending this year’s or next year’s first-round pick to the Penguins to complete the conditions they attached when they sent the pick to the Canucks for J.T. Miller (Vancouver flipped the pick to Pittsburgh in the Marcus Pettersson deal). They opted to retain the unprotected 2026 selection and part ways with a lottery pick in what was viewed as a weaker 2025 class.

Nonetheless, they managed to snag a player in Spence that many prognosticators believe has first-round talent anyway. The physical winger was once viewed as a potential top-10 selection and saw his stock tumble somewhat, but most still had him as a top-25 choice – or at least a late first – heading into the draft. He was among the Otters’ top scorers last year with a 32-41–73 line in 65 appearances and is now heading to the University of Michigan. He already slots in as the No. 4 prospect in their system, according to NHL.com.

The Rangers’ depth picks had a European slant to them aside from a pair of big North American defenders. Barnhill was a combine standout and fits New York’s ethos of drafting for size – the righty clocks in at 6’6″ and 214 lbs. The Arizona native only had 12 points in 54 USHL games last year, but projects solely as a shutdown threat at the NHL level anyway. Like Spence, he’s making the jump to a Big 10 school and will suit up for Michigan State this fall. Passmore has nearly the exact same frame and is also a righty.

Gonchar, the nephew of longtime NHL star Sergei Gonchar, headlines the European contingent. He’s comparatively undersized at 6’0″ and just 157 lbs but was the first left-shot rearguard the Blueshirts took. He had a 7-18–25 scoring line in 50 Russian junior games last year, his first real showing at the country’s top U20 flight, and has already made the jump to North America with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves for 2025-26.

Eriksen was one of two Norwegians taken in the draft and was the country’s top player at the Division 1A World Juniors last year, also posting 43 points in 40 Swedish junior league games. Lindgren is a mobile 6’1″ lefty who’s already off to a great start back in juniors with Skellefteå this year, recording five assists through his first five games. Jung is a Polish-born Czech national who checks in at 6’3″ and 172 lbs and went undrafted in 2024. He transitioned from Finland’s U18 league to its U20 one last year and will remain with Kärpät’s junior program for 2025-26, already notching a 4-4–8 line through seven games. Färhamar, a 6’1″ lefty, also looks like a promising depth puck-mover and has four assists through his first four games this year.

None outside of Spence are legitimate needle-movers in the Blueshirts’ pool, but it was among the better classes they’ve roped in over the past few years among its depth contingent.

Trade Acquisitions

D Scott Morrow (from Hurricanes)
F Carey Terrance (from Ducks)

The Rangers didn’t pick up any bona fide NHLers via trade this summer but did land Morrow, who’s trending toward a spot on the opening night roster, as the principal piece of the return from Carolina for K’Andre Miller. The 2021 second-rounder was offensively dominant during his time in college with UMass and looked mostly comfortable in the pro environment last year, his first after three years in school.

He has just 16 NHL games to his name, 14 coming in multiple call-ups with Carolina last year. He already looked like a capable third-pairing piece and power-play option with six points while averaging 15:48 per game. Whether his defensive game develops enough for him to be a top-four piece remains to be seen, but the Rangers don’t really need him to be one with Adam Fox, William Borgen, and Braden Schneider all chewing up time on the right side for the near future.

Terrance was the only other player who changed hands in the Chris Kreider deal, which also included a pick swap. His two-way game down the middle made him the No. 7 prospect in the organization after his pickup, per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. He’s already under contract and will jump to the pro level with AHL Hartford this year. The New York native captained the OHL’s Erie Otters last year, skating with Spence, and had a 20-19–39 line in 45 games.

UFA Signings

F Justin Dowling (two years, $1.55MM)*
F Trey Fix-Wolansky (one year, $775K)*
D Vladislav Gavrikov (seven years, $49MM)
D Derrick Pouliot (two years, $1.55MM)*
F Taylor Raddysh (two years, $3MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Rangers were already close to the contract limit with existing deals entering 2025-26, so their number of signings was understandably limited. They did have one of the largest-magnitude deals of the UFA period by landing Gavrikov, who was the top defenseman to actually reach the market on July 1, to a max-term deal. The 29-year-old has been a quality two-way piece since entering the league six years ago but broke out in a big way with the Kings last year, averaging north of 23 minutes per game while Drew Doughty missed significant time. Those were high-quality minutes too, with Gavrikov churning out 30 points and a +26 rating with a 53.7% Corsi share at even strength in heavy defensive deployment.

Gavrikov will serve as the best partner Fox has ever had on his left flank, a significantly more stable and offensively capable option than his longtime partner Ryan Lindgren. He’s the clear No. 1 ahead of a rather thin left side behind him and will see a similar workload in 2025-26, with greater potential for point production playing with one of the league’s best offensive threats from the blue line in Fox.

Raddysh was the only other pickup with a seven-figure cap hit. The 27-year-old was a 20-goal threat with the Blackhawks a couple of years ago but has fallen on harder times since. He skated in 80 games with the Capitals last year, averaging 12:22 per game and contributing 27 points. He’s brought in as a higher-ceiling bottom-six piece than some of the other names they already had and could challenge for a consistent top-nine role depending on how many minutes New York’s younger wingers push for.

Dowling, Fix-Wolansky, and Pouliot are all AHL depth, although the former could work his way onto the roster as a veteran fourth-liner or press box fodder.

RFA Re-Signings

G Talyn Boyko (one year, $775K)*
F Brendan Brisson (one year, $775K)*
F William Cuylle (two years, $7.8MM)
F Adam Edstrom (two years, $1.95MM)
G Dylan Garand (one year, $775K)*
F Juuso Pärssinen (two years, $2.5MM)
F Matt Rempe (two years, $1.95MM)
D Matthew Robertson (two years, $1.55MM)*

*-denotes two-way contract

While the Rangers had a few NHL-caliber RFAs to re-up, none of them reached the magnitude of Cuylle, who many feared might have been at risk for an offer sheet. While it wasn’t a long-term marriage, they did get that all-important bit of business done right on July 1 to keep that from looming over either side’s heads over the summer, understandable as they looked for a drama-free offseason to lead into a calmer regular season.

A 2020 second-round pick, Cuylle emerged as a true top-nine piece and potential long-term top-six fixture in 2024-25. In his second full NHL season, he managed 20 goals and 45 points in 82 games to tie for fifth on the team in scoring while racking up 301 hits, fourth in the league and the most by a Rangers player since the stat started being tracked in 2005. He’s back for two more years at an extremely team-friendly $3.9MM cap hit and could be in line to at least double that in 2027 if his current trajectory continues.

Edstrom, Pärssinen, and Rempe were the other notable RFA skaters in need of new deals. They all received cap hits in the $900K-$1.25MM range but all project to play bottom-six roles for the club on opening night. Edstrom and Rempe are towering fourth-line wingers who averaged under 10 minutes per night last year but combined for 17 points, 211 hits, and 94 PIMs. Pärssinen was a late-season trade pickup from the Avalanche and closed out the year with five points in 11 games. He’ll look for more consistent time in the lineup this year, potentially starting the season as the club’s third-line center.

Boyko and Garand will comprise the Blueshirts’ primary AHL tandem in Hartford this year. Brisson and Robertson slot in as organizational depth as well, although the former was a first-round pick by the Golden Knights in 2020 and requires waivers to head to the minors.

Departures

F Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (signed with Wild, one year, $775K)*
D Calvin de Haan (signed with Rögle, SHL)
D Zachary Jones (signed with Sabres, one year, $900K)*
F Arthur Kaliyev (signed with Senators, one year, $775K)*
F Chris Kreider (traded to Ducks)
D K’Andre Miller (sign-and-trade with Hurricanes)
D Chad Ruhwedel (retired)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Rangers spent much of the season trading away big-name talent in hopes of a locker room refresh. That continued into the summer with Kreider, who spent 13 years and nearly 900 games in New York. A nightmarish 2024-25 campaign saw the three-time 30-goal scorer manage only 22 tallies and eight assists for 30 points in 68 appearances, though, and the Rangers weren’t keen on keeping him at $6.5MM per season for two more years after that. He’ll look for a resurgence in Anaheim while the Rangers opened up flexibility to retain younger names like Cuylle, sign Gavrikov, and graduate younger forwards to meaningful minutes.

Miller is also a considerable departure. He’d been their second-pairing lefty for quite some time, essentially stepping into the role out of the gate in 2020 after being a first-round pick two years prior. He was coming off an underwhelming 7-20–27 scoring line in 74 games, though and, with questions around his individual defensive skills looming over what might have been a considerable payday as an RFA this summer, the Blueshirts opted for a sign-and-trade with Carolina. The Canes get Miller locked in long-term on an eight-year deal with a $7.5MM cap hit as a result.

All the other names were fringe pieces who wouldn’t have had an impact on their 2025-26 opening night lineup had they stayed in the organization. Jones was once a promising puck-mover but never advanced beyond a No. 7 role in parts of five NHL seasons. Ruhwedel, de Haan, and Kaliyev spent most of their time in the press box last year while Aubé-Kubel was in the AHL after getting picked up from the Sabres at the trade deadline.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Rangers are very nearly in forced emergency recall range, with their projected 23-man opening night roster projected to leave them with $778K in cap space, per PuckPedia. That’s enough for a league-minimum recall in the event of an IR placement, but nothing else, at least to start the campaign while their cap space slowly accrues.

Key Questions

Can Igor Shesterkin Return To Form?

Shesterkin signed an eight-year, $92MM extension midway through last season, the largest deal ever handed out to a goalie. That was given to him during the worst campaign of his six-year NHL career by a considerable margin. His numbers were only slightly above average at a .905 SV% and 2.86 GAA, leading to him not receiving any Vezina consideration despite starting a career-high 61 games. Advanced numbers were much kinder to him, attributing a good portion of his decline to woeful team defense in front of him. His 21.6 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck, still ranked seventh in the league but didn’t quite reach the heights of his two-year window of utter dominance from 2021-23. With question marks still around the Rangers’ depth on the blue line behind Gavrikov and Fox, he might need to build on that GSAx figure again to get New York back in the playoff picture.

What Will A Full Season Of J.T. Miller Bring?

Only Artemi Panarin had more points per game for the Rangers last year than Miller, whose second stint in Manhattan began with a blockbuster trade in January. His 35 points in 32 games to close the season worked out to 1.09 per game, much closer to the level of offensive production he’s set as his expectation over the last few years in Vancouver. Now newly minted as the club’s captain, a full season of that production ahead of the aging Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad could get the Rangers’ offense back into top-10 range and help along names like Cuylle and Alexis Lafrenière to resurgences.

Is Gavrikov A One-Hit Wonder?

The Rangers committed a lot of resources to Gavrikov, and the pressure is on him to perform like a true top-pair talent for a second straight season. But aside from last year in L.A., Gavrikov’s untested with that kind of responsibility and always played a more sheltered second-pairing role. He also played in a much more adept defensive system with the Kings, although a new head coach in Mike Sullivan might address a good portion of those woes for the Rangers. Nonetheless, there could be a significant swing in the team’s results depending on if Gavrikov repeats his standout, first-pair play from last year or is simply an average-to-above-average complementary piece for Fox.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.