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The dust has mostly settled on NHL free agency, with 203 contracts signed totaling over $910 million as of Monday morning, according to PuckPedia.
The Rangers were responsible for a handful of them, headlined by defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and extending to forwards Justin Dowling, Trey Fix-Wolansky and Taylor Raddysh and D-man Derrick Pouliot. They also re-signed restricted free agents Brendan Brisson, Will Cuylle, Adam Edström, Matt Rempe and Matthew Robertson while trading another – K’Andre Miller – to Carolina in exchange for draft picks and defenseman prospect Scott Morrow.
Some of those players will start the 2025-26 season with AHL Hartford, but there will be at least a couple newcomers to the Blueshirts’ lineup.
Development camp observations: Forward prospects knocking on the door
We can’t dismiss the possibility that more will be added this summer. The Rangers have around $1.5 million in remaining salary cap space with our projected 22-man roster, which we will detail in this story. That number could be stretched close to $2.5 million by removing a player to make room for a new addition.
That’s enough to consider one of the lingering UFAs as a depth piece, with Cam Atkinson, Nathan Bastian, Michael Carcone, Robby Fabbri, Luke Kunin, Tyler Motte, Victor Olofsson, Max Pacioretty, Daniel Sprong and Jakub Vrána the most appealing remaining forwards while Matt Grzelcyk and Jon Merrill stand out among a shallow pool of defensemen.
Trades also remain an option. Dallas and Florida are currently over the cap and presumably need to shave, while many others continue to search for ways to rework their rosters.
A few of the players we identified as possible targets last month may still end up available before the summer is through. That could be tricky, though, because the Rangers can’t add substantial salary without simultaneously subtracting. (A little birdie told me not to rule them out as a possibility for 2024-25 Hobey Baker Award winner Isaac Howard, who wants out of Tampa and could comfortably fit under the cap on an entry-level contract.)
The third and final option is to stand pat with the moves they’ve made. That would create opportunities for prospects in their pipeline, with young wingers Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault itching to show they’re NHL ready.
It would also allow the Rangers to accrue cap space for the trade deadline. That $1.5 million would put them on pace for around $6 million by March.
If standing pat is the route they choose, new head coach Mike Sullivan will have some interesting lineup decisions to make. By my count, there are 18 spots locked up, which leaves four up for grabs.
Here’s the breakdown:
Forwards (10): Sam Carrick, Cuylle, Edström, Alexis Lafrenière, J.T. Miller, Artemi Panarin, Raddysh, Rempe, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad
On the bubble: Berard, Brisson, Jonny Brodzinski, Dowling, Fix-Wolansky, Othmann, Juuso Pärssinen and Perreault
Defensemen (6): Will Borgen, Adam Fox, Gavrikov, Braden Schneider, Carson Soucy and Urho Vaakanainen
On the bubble: Connor Mackey, Morrow, Pouliot, Robertson and Brandon Scanlin
Goalies (2): Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick
On the bubble: None
Some might put Edström and Rempe on the bubble, but I believe they're both very likely to break training camp with the NHL club and team with Carrick on a heavy forechecking fourth line. That's a combination the Rangers were quite pleased with before a lower-body injury cut Edström's season short on Feb. 1.
I also counted Raddysh among the locks. Team president Chris Drury handed the 27-year-old power winger a two-year, $3 million contract for a reason, hoping he'll infuse the third line with size, speed and secondary scoring. He grouped him with Gavrikov at the top of his July 2 Zoom call, calling them "two veteran players who will help our team, both on and off the ice." That was telling.
The sentiment is similar for Vaakanainen on defense. He's fresh off a two-year, $3.1 million contract extension after appearing in 46 of 52 possible games from Dec. 17 on. He'll have competition for a bottom-pair role, particularly if Morrow has a strong camp, but should be no worse than the seventh defenseman.
As for the players listed on the bubble, those competitions will be dictated two prevailing factors. First and foremost, performance. The opportunity is there for several young players to train hard this summer and seize a spot in the fall. But positional needs will also be a consideration.
The biggest decision centers around Zibanejad − get it? − which will have a domino effect on the rest of the lineup. He's played center his entire life, but his effectiveness in the middle has diminished in recent years.
The 32-year-old hit a new low in the first half of last season, with only 21 points through his first 36 games (including just three goals at five-on-five) and a 44.51% xGF, according to Natural Stat Trick. But his play improved markedly in the second half (41 points in 46 games and a 52.06% xGF), which coincided with a switch to right wing.
Zibanejad's best minutes came with J.T. Miller as his center, with the temptation surely there to see if that chemistry will carry over (and grow) in a new season. But it would leave the Rangers perilously thin at center and force them to rely on either Brodzinski or Pärssinen in an important third-line role.
Drury danced around questions about which way they're leaning, insisting the decision will be Sullivan's. That left us to wonder for a few more months, but I took the liberty of laying out two options for how the lineup could fall into place, depending which direction they choose:
Forwards
Top line − Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Miller (C) ⋄ Zibanejad (RW)
Second line − Panarin (LW) ⋄ Trocheck (C) ⋄ Lafrenière (RW)
Third line − Berard/Othmann/Perreault (LW) ⋄ Pärssinen/Brodzinski (C) ⋄ Raddysh (RW)
Fourth line − Edström (LW) ⋄ Carrick (C) ⋄ Rempe (RW)
13th forward − Brodzinski/Pärssinen
Defensemen
Top pair − Gavrikov (L) ⋄ Fox (R)
Second pair − Soucy (L) ⋄ Borgen (R)
Third pair − Vaakanainen (L) ⋄ Schneider (R)
Seventh D − Morrow/Mackey/Pouliot/Robertson
Forwards
Top line − Panarin (LW) ⋄ Miller (C) ⋄ Lafrenière (RW)
Second line − Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Othmann/Perreault (RW)
Third line − Berard/Othmann (LW) ⋄ Trocheck (C) ⋄ Raddysh (RW)
Fourth line − Edström (LW) ⋄ Carrick (C) ⋄ Rempe (RW)
13th forward − Brodzinski/Pärssinen
Defensemen
Top pair − Gavrikov (L) ⋄ Fox (R)
Second pair − Schneider (L) ⋄ Borgen (R)
Third pair − Soucy (L) ⋄ Morrow (R)
Seventh D − Vaakanainen
If the goal is to stack their best forwards and form the most potent top six, then Option A is the way to go. But if Sullivan wants to build a third line that can play in all situations and take on difficult matchups, playing Zibanejad at 2C and shifting Trocheck into that versatile 3C role makes a lot of sense.
I slightly lean Option B, largely because of the balance it would provide but also because Zibanejad might benefit from not having to shoulder 1C responsibilities. We know Miller will embrace that challenge, and there are reasons to believe his "compete and tenacity" would open space for Panarin's all-world skill. That would be a necessary arrangement in this scenario, seeing as Panarin and Zibanejad have never really clicked.
A key will be whether Drury and Sullivan believe any of the kids are ready for top-six minutes.
In Option A, with either Pärssinen or Brodzinski occupying a lineup spot, there would be room for only one of Berard, Othmann or Perreault. But in Option B, two of those three could break camp with the team.
Giving Pärssinen a two-year, $2.5 million extension suggests they may be eyeing 3C for the 24-year-old Finn, but that's far from a foregone conclusion. He was a healthy scratch in 12 of 23 games after being acquired from Colorado, and if the Rangers decide to send him to the minors, they could save $1.2 million of his $1.25 million cap hit.
As for the defense, we can safely assume that Gavrikov was signed to play alongside Fox. That would give New York its best top pair in recent memory − and arguably one of the best in the league.
On the second pair, my hunch is that Soucy will get the first crack at playing with Borgen. There's a history there, with that duo logging 581:31 across two seasons together in Seattle from 2021-23. The results were middling (54.17% goal rate and 48.05% xGF), but Drury targeted Soucy at the trade deadline and will give him an opportunity to bounce back.
The fallback plan is laid out in Option B. The Rangers have let it be known they're comfortable shifting Schneider to his off-hand side, if necessary, in which case Soucy could play sheltered minutes on the bottom pair. That option becomes more feasible if Morrow plays well enough to convince them he's ready to assume a regular role on the right side.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY Rangers projected lineup: First look following NHL free agency
Continue reading...
The Rangers were responsible for a handful of them, headlined by defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and extending to forwards Justin Dowling, Trey Fix-Wolansky and Taylor Raddysh and D-man Derrick Pouliot. They also re-signed restricted free agents Brendan Brisson, Will Cuylle, Adam Edström, Matt Rempe and Matthew Robertson while trading another – K’Andre Miller – to Carolina in exchange for draft picks and defenseman prospect Scott Morrow.
Some of those players will start the 2025-26 season with AHL Hartford, but there will be at least a couple newcomers to the Blueshirts’ lineup.
Development camp observations: Forward prospects knocking on the door
We can’t dismiss the possibility that more will be added this summer. The Rangers have around $1.5 million in remaining salary cap space with our projected 22-man roster, which we will detail in this story. That number could be stretched close to $2.5 million by removing a player to make room for a new addition.
That’s enough to consider one of the lingering UFAs as a depth piece, with Cam Atkinson, Nathan Bastian, Michael Carcone, Robby Fabbri, Luke Kunin, Tyler Motte, Victor Olofsson, Max Pacioretty, Daniel Sprong and Jakub Vrána the most appealing remaining forwards while Matt Grzelcyk and Jon Merrill stand out among a shallow pool of defensemen.
Trades also remain an option. Dallas and Florida are currently over the cap and presumably need to shave, while many others continue to search for ways to rework their rosters.
A few of the players we identified as possible targets last month may still end up available before the summer is through. That could be tricky, though, because the Rangers can’t add substantial salary without simultaneously subtracting. (A little birdie told me not to rule them out as a possibility for 2024-25 Hobey Baker Award winner Isaac Howard, who wants out of Tampa and could comfortably fit under the cap on an entry-level contract.)
The third and final option is to stand pat with the moves they’ve made. That would create opportunities for prospects in their pipeline, with young wingers Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault itching to show they’re NHL ready.
It would also allow the Rangers to accrue cap space for the trade deadline. That $1.5 million would put them on pace for around $6 million by March.
Four spots up for grabs
If standing pat is the route they choose, new head coach Mike Sullivan will have some interesting lineup decisions to make. By my count, there are 18 spots locked up, which leaves four up for grabs.
Here’s the breakdown:
Forwards (10): Sam Carrick, Cuylle, Edström, Alexis Lafrenière, J.T. Miller, Artemi Panarin, Raddysh, Rempe, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad
On the bubble: Berard, Brisson, Jonny Brodzinski, Dowling, Fix-Wolansky, Othmann, Juuso Pärssinen and Perreault
Defensemen (6): Will Borgen, Adam Fox, Gavrikov, Braden Schneider, Carson Soucy and Urho Vaakanainen
On the bubble: Connor Mackey, Morrow, Pouliot, Robertson and Brandon Scanlin
Goalies (2): Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick
On the bubble: None
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Some might put Edström and Rempe on the bubble, but I believe they're both very likely to break training camp with the NHL club and team with Carrick on a heavy forechecking fourth line. That's a combination the Rangers were quite pleased with before a lower-body injury cut Edström's season short on Feb. 1.
I also counted Raddysh among the locks. Team president Chris Drury handed the 27-year-old power winger a two-year, $3 million contract for a reason, hoping he'll infuse the third line with size, speed and secondary scoring. He grouped him with Gavrikov at the top of his July 2 Zoom call, calling them "two veteran players who will help our team, both on and off the ice." That was telling.
The sentiment is similar for Vaakanainen on defense. He's fresh off a two-year, $3.1 million contract extension after appearing in 46 of 52 possible games from Dec. 17 on. He'll have competition for a bottom-pair role, particularly if Morrow has a strong camp, but should be no worse than the seventh defenseman.
Two directions for the lineup
As for the players listed on the bubble, those competitions will be dictated two prevailing factors. First and foremost, performance. The opportunity is there for several young players to train hard this summer and seize a spot in the fall. But positional needs will also be a consideration.
The biggest decision centers around Zibanejad − get it? − which will have a domino effect on the rest of the lineup. He's played center his entire life, but his effectiveness in the middle has diminished in recent years.
You must be registered for see images attach
The 32-year-old hit a new low in the first half of last season, with only 21 points through his first 36 games (including just three goals at five-on-five) and a 44.51% xGF, according to Natural Stat Trick. But his play improved markedly in the second half (41 points in 46 games and a 52.06% xGF), which coincided with a switch to right wing.
Zibanejad's best minutes came with J.T. Miller as his center, with the temptation surely there to see if that chemistry will carry over (and grow) in a new season. But it would leave the Rangers perilously thin at center and force them to rely on either Brodzinski or Pärssinen in an important third-line role.
Drury danced around questions about which way they're leaning, insisting the decision will be Sullivan's. That left us to wonder for a few more months, but I took the liberty of laying out two options for how the lineup could fall into place, depending which direction they choose:
Option A
Forwards
Top line − Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Miller (C) ⋄ Zibanejad (RW)
Second line − Panarin (LW) ⋄ Trocheck (C) ⋄ Lafrenière (RW)
Third line − Berard/Othmann/Perreault (LW) ⋄ Pärssinen/Brodzinski (C) ⋄ Raddysh (RW)
Fourth line − Edström (LW) ⋄ Carrick (C) ⋄ Rempe (RW)
13th forward − Brodzinski/Pärssinen
Defensemen
Top pair − Gavrikov (L) ⋄ Fox (R)
Second pair − Soucy (L) ⋄ Borgen (R)
Third pair − Vaakanainen (L) ⋄ Schneider (R)
Seventh D − Morrow/Mackey/Pouliot/Robertson
Option B
Forwards
Top line − Panarin (LW) ⋄ Miller (C) ⋄ Lafrenière (RW)
Second line − Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Othmann/Perreault (RW)
Third line − Berard/Othmann (LW) ⋄ Trocheck (C) ⋄ Raddysh (RW)
Fourth line − Edström (LW) ⋄ Carrick (C) ⋄ Rempe (RW)
13th forward − Brodzinski/Pärssinen
Defensemen
Top pair − Gavrikov (L) ⋄ Fox (R)
Second pair − Schneider (L) ⋄ Borgen (R)
Third pair − Soucy (L) ⋄ Morrow (R)
Seventh D − Vaakanainen
Final analysis
If the goal is to stack their best forwards and form the most potent top six, then Option A is the way to go. But if Sullivan wants to build a third line that can play in all situations and take on difficult matchups, playing Zibanejad at 2C and shifting Trocheck into that versatile 3C role makes a lot of sense.
I slightly lean Option B, largely because of the balance it would provide but also because Zibanejad might benefit from not having to shoulder 1C responsibilities. We know Miller will embrace that challenge, and there are reasons to believe his "compete and tenacity" would open space for Panarin's all-world skill. That would be a necessary arrangement in this scenario, seeing as Panarin and Zibanejad have never really clicked.
A key will be whether Drury and Sullivan believe any of the kids are ready for top-six minutes.
In Option A, with either Pärssinen or Brodzinski occupying a lineup spot, there would be room for only one of Berard, Othmann or Perreault. But in Option B, two of those three could break camp with the team.
Giving Pärssinen a two-year, $2.5 million extension suggests they may be eyeing 3C for the 24-year-old Finn, but that's far from a foregone conclusion. He was a healthy scratch in 12 of 23 games after being acquired from Colorado, and if the Rangers decide to send him to the minors, they could save $1.2 million of his $1.25 million cap hit.
You must be registered for see images attach
As for the defense, we can safely assume that Gavrikov was signed to play alongside Fox. That would give New York its best top pair in recent memory − and arguably one of the best in the league.
On the second pair, my hunch is that Soucy will get the first crack at playing with Borgen. There's a history there, with that duo logging 581:31 across two seasons together in Seattle from 2021-23. The results were middling (54.17% goal rate and 48.05% xGF), but Drury targeted Soucy at the trade deadline and will give him an opportunity to bounce back.
The fallback plan is laid out in Option B. The Rangers have let it be known they're comfortable shifting Schneider to his off-hand side, if necessary, in which case Soucy could play sheltered minutes on the bottom pair. That option becomes more feasible if Morrow plays well enough to convince them he's ready to assume a regular role on the right side.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY Rangers projected lineup: First look following NHL free agency
Continue reading...
