Pro Hockey Rumors

Free agency is under a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. Even with the UFA crop being thinned out in recent months, there will be some quality veterans set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Rangers.

Key Restricted Free Agents

D Braden Schneider – The 24-year-old has missed just three regular season contests for the Rangers over the past four seasons, most recently coming away with 18 points in 82 games. Schneider’s possession metrics aren’t glowing, starting most of his work on his own end with a -4.6 corsi for percentage (relative). Even then, durable young right-handers capable of playing over 20 shutdown minutes a night don’t grow on trees, and Schneider is a big asset for the Rangers to handle carefully. It’s been speculated the righty would fetch a surprising amount on his next contract, at least $4MM but as much as an $6MM AAV on a long-term pact. A name floated around trade rumors this season, on paper the defenseman is the exact player the Rangers should not be moving out, but facing a large commitment, it’s more about New York’s belief in him as a long term piece, and hopefully not another near-sighted trade which would make them older. If Schneider is able to obtain as much as $6MM, it would put him alongside the likes of Sean Durzi, Mike Matheson, and Martin Fehérváry. The 6’4″ rearguard should have no problem doubling his expiring $2.2MM AAV, and if it won’t be from general manager Chris Drury, other teams would line up to trade and do so themselves. 

G Dylan Garand – Long mentioned as a standout prospect, the 24-year-old has had to wait patiently for his time in the NHL. Finally making his debut late this season after several years with AHL Hartford, Garand was excellent, coming away with two wins of his three starts with a .948 save percentage and 1.62 goals-against-average. Too small a size of work to fairly judge yet, thankfully the door has finally opened for the 2020 draftee (103rd overall). With Jonathan Quick‘s retirement, it’s already thought that Garand will take over backup duty, fitting nicely into their direction. A two-year deal at the NHL level worth around $1MM per year is most likely. Playing in nearly 150 regular season AHL contests, at least New York has not rushed the netminder in his development, and they can benefit from having a promising #2 who hardly takes up anything against the cap.

D Scott Morrow – A talented righty as a standout character in the Rangers plan to get younger, Morrow had a slow start to his New York tenure in 2025-26. In 29 games, the 23-year-old came away with six points, averaging 15:40 a night. Facing more of a challenge than his early days in Carolina, Morrow’s zone starts were less sheltered, effectively a split between both ends. Even then, he came away with a corsi-for percentage at just over 50% at five-on-five, when things could have certainly been worse. Watching K’Andre Miller‘s impact in the Stanley Cup Final has to sting for New York, and they’ll need Morrow to step up next season into a full time NHL role. With his ELC now in the past, the defender should fetch a two-year contract worth around $1.75MM.

F Brett Berard – Another youngster who has generated hype but struggled to find his stride yet, the 23-year-old looked to be a useful piece for head coach Mike Sullivan coming off notching six goals in his first 35 NHL games. Instead 2025-26 was a year to forget for the 2020 fifth rounder, bouncing between the NHL and AHL all year, only making 13 appearances for the Rangers and coming away scoreless. It would be a different story if he was rolling for the Wolf Pack, but Berard had 22 points in 41 games, not very encouraging for a player who’d been expected as a real third line contributor. Unable to improve his stock, the winger should expect under $1MM in a prove-it deal, with optimism that he’ll do exactly that.

Other RFAs: G Talyn Boyko, F Brendan Brisson, F Karl Henriksson, D Vincent Iorio, G Hugo Ollas, F Lauri Pajuniemi

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Jonny Brodzinski – Drafted by the Kings back in 2013, the veteran who will soon turn 33 found a home in New York, playing in over 50 games for the Rangers over the past three seasons, originally joining the franchise in 2020. Working on contracts around the league minimum throughout that time, AFP Analytics projects that Brodzinski is worth just over $1MM on a hypothetical one-year deal for next season. The Rangers have no shortage of young candidates for their bottom six, and it’s already thought that a departure is coming. Assuming so, the Minnesota native should have an opportunity to add veteran depth elsewhere, proving scrappy penalty killing with a knack for timely goals.

F Conor Sheary – The 34-year-old reunited with Sullivan on Broadway, needing 27 games to find the back of the net for the first time, but coming away in the end with 18 points in 62 games. It was solid production for the veteran considering that he came in on a tryout agreement. At times drawing the ire of fans for his continued placement in the lineup over younger players, Sheary started to find the score sheet more and more by the spring as a glue winger, even appearing on the power play at times. Still needing a few veterans in the mix, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Rangers brought him back for another year on a contract somewhere around a $1MM AAV. The Sullivan connection aside, though, those minutes would probably be best served to players such as Noah Laba, Tye Kartye, among others.

Other UFAs: F Trey Fix-Wolansky, D Casey Fitzgerald, D Connor Mackey, G Jonathan Quick (Retired), D Brandon Scanlin

Projected Cap Space

The Rangers enter this offseason with $26.57MM in cap space, 11th most in the NHL, and good enough where they’re sometimes thrown out as a suitor for top free agents. If they do move on from Schneider, the potential exists to sign a puck moving righty to help out their top four. Still, if Drury has learned anything from previous years, it’s probably best to stay the course on the retool and proceed with caution on July 1. Either way, there’s plenty of space to take care of an RFA class which is abundant with the exact type of players who fit into the youth movement. Next, there’ll be no issue mixing in veteran depth however they please. Depending on what happens with Vincent Trocheck this summer, and his $5.625MM AAV, the options are wide open for Drury, who won’t have a quiet summer one way or another.  

Photos courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images (Garand) and Danny Wild-Imagn Images (Brodzinski). Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.