Summer Synopsis: New York Rangers

A tight cap squeeze and minimal draft picks forced the New York Rangers into a quiet summer, focused largely around the extension of four pending RFAs and a looming deal for superstar goalie Igor Shesterkin. With those moves in mind, the Rangers were only able to bring in one notable new face, otherwise spending their summer rounding out depth and hoping to carve out meaningful roles for top prospects. They’ve seemingly done just that, though it’ll now be on their few stars and promoted depth pieces like William Cuylle and Alexis Lafreniere to carry New York back to Stanley Cup aspirations.

Draft

1-30: D EJ Emery / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
4-119: F Raoul Boilard / Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
5-159: F Nathan Aspinall / Flint Firebirds (OHL)
6-191: F Rico Gredig / HC Davos (National League)

The Rangers clearly prioritized size in this year’s draft, selecting players at every height between six–foot-one and six-foot-three, then putting the cherry on top with six-foot-seven Nathan Aspinall. New York gets everything they could have wanted out of their newly-added giants, with Emery boasting plenty of upside as a mobile and effective defensive-defenseman, while Raoul Boilard and Rico Gredig have shown a clear ability to outperform opponents with size and skill. The latter is a particularly interesting draft pick, having established a bottom-line role in Switzerland’s top league last season – but only managing four points in 28 games. 2024 marked his second year of draft eligibility – part of the reason he fell so low despite pro experience – and Gredig will now use the pick as inspiration to find a stronger scoring streak this year.

None of the new additions seem set for pro roles in the next few seasons, but they each offer well-rounded skillsets and clear paths to a pro role. Aspinall will be the wariest of the bunch, largely thanks to a lanky frame, though even he could find success in a Rangers organization that’s made good worked of players like Matt Rempe and Adam Edstrom.

Trade Acquisitions

F Reilly Smith (acquired from Pittsburgh)

New York’s trade action was limited to a draft-day swap of late-round picks, and a July 1st acquisition of Reilly Smtih. The Rangers gave up a second and fifth round draft pick for the scoring-winger, but could find the answer to their missing piece in the top-six. Smith has continued to be effective in his minutes, recording 26 goals and 56 points on Vegas’ second-line two seasons ago, then notching 13 goals and 40 points in a mixed role with Pittsburgh last year. The step down in scoring may be sign of the 13-year pro’s age, though New York should offer better linemates than a declining Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell, where Smith spent most of last season. When he wasn’t with that tandem, he was playing alongside Lars Eller and Valtteri Puustinen – again, weaker company than New York should provide. That could set Smith up for a bounce-back year as he gets ready to play for the sixth team of his career.

UFA Signings

F Sam Carrick (three-years, $3MM)
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx (one-year, $775K)*
D Casey Fitzgerald (two-years, $1.6MM)*
D Chad Ruhwedel (one-year, $775K)*

New York’s cap sinch forced them to be quiet in the free agent market, with their biggest splash coming through the multi-year signing of fourth-liner Sam Carrick. Carrick served dutifully in Anaheim for the last six seasons, though he stayed limited to a career-high of just 19 points recorded in 2021-22. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers alongside Adam Henrique at this year’s Trade Deadline, where he continued to serve his responsible but unproductive role to the tune of six points across 26 games.

Carrick will step into competition for one of New York’s final roster spots, a situation shared by the rest of the team’s UFAs. That includes Chad Ruhwedel, who will return to competition for the Rangers’ seventh-defender role, after joining the team via trade at the 2024 deadline. Ruhwedel has only recorded nine points across his last 99 games, though he continues to offer stout, veteran depth.

RFA Re-Signings

F Kaapo Kakko (one-year, $2.4MM)
D Braden Schneider (two-years, $4.4MM)
D Matthew Robertson (one-year, $775K)
D Ryan Lindgren (one-year, $4.5MM)

The Rangers’ off-season was entirely focused around their RFA signings – none more important than the extension of Kaapo Kakko. It’s now been five years of disappointing play for the former second-overall pick, with 18 goals and 40 points in 2022-23 standing as his sole career-year. He failed to reach even half that scoring last season, and received a measly extension as a result. Kakko signed just a one-year deal, seemingly getting a message from New York that it’s time to show-up or shut-up. He recorded 22 goals and 38 points in 45 Liiga games in his draft season, and could be at risk of losing an NHL role if he can’t return to that production this season.

Luckily, New York found a silver lining by quickly solidifying their defense depth. Ryan Lindgren will return to the team on a big raise – set to be paid $1.5MM more than he did last season –  though a one-year deal will give him the chance to earn even more. He’s emerged as the de facto partner to superstar Adam Fox, serving as a reliable physical presence and shutdown-defender that lets Fox jump into the rush. Braden Schneider – the partner of locked-in #2 defender K’Andre Miller – was placed in the same spot, receiving a notable raise but on a short-term deal that should help him earn more soon. He and Lindgren have their roles cut out for them, and now need to prove they can stay on their feet for a full 82-games.

Meanwhile, Matthew Robertson signs a deal that returns him to the mix of depth defenders fighting for time, after serving as a top option on the Hartford Wolf Pack blue-line last year. Robertson has yet to make his NHL debut, though he’s considered by many as one of New York’s next up and could even win out an opening-day spot, if he’s able to outperform competition like Ruhwedel and Zachary Jones.

Departures

F Oliver Tarnstrom (AIK, HockeyAllsvenskan)
F Karl Henriksson (Vaxjo, SHL)
G Olof Lindbom (Lahti, Liiga)
F Barclay Goodrow (claimed off waivers by San Jose)
F Bobby Trivigno (Brynas, SHL)
F Alexander Wennberg (San Jose, two-years, $10MM)
F Blake Wheeler (unsigned)
D Erik Gustafsson (Detroit, two-years, $4MM)
F Jack Roslovic (Carolina, one-year, $2.8MM)
D Mac Hollowell (Pittsburgh, one-year, $775K)*
F Nic Petan (Kazan, KHL)
D Nikolas Brouillard (Seattle, one-year, $775K)*
F Tyler Pitlick (unsigned)

A quiet summer often means teams lost more than they gained, but that may not be entirely true for New York – who’s biggest departures come through depth pieces like Roslovic, Wennberg, and Goodrow. The Rangers traded for the former two at the 2024 Trade Deadline, collectively giving up a second-round pick and two third-round picks. That’s a hefty price to spend for a duo that only spent half of a season in the lineup, though Roslovic provided some assurance with eight points across 16 playoff games. Wennberg couldn’t provide that same support, instead recording just two points in 16 postseason games and five points in 19 regular season games. Despite their feature in the rotating door that is New York’s middle-six, both Roslovic and Wennberg managed to earn confident deals this summer, and should continue to earn ice time with effective depth scoring.

Erik Gustafsson carries a similar story on the back-end, joining the Rangers for a brief 76 games last season but ultimately moving on this year. He was productive when he did play, recording six goals and 31 points – the third-highest scoring season of his career. He’s now headed for a Red Wings defense that should provide all of the ice time he needs, especially with his offensive upside.

Outside of that trio, New York’s departures largely feature moves to Europe, headlined by Nic Petan’s signing in the KHL. Petan is a veteran of nine NHL seasons, totaling 170 games and 35 points across four different clubs. He never managed any ice time in New York, instead spending all of his time in the Rangers organization in Hartford, where he scored eight points in 15 games. He stands alongside Goodrow, Pitlick, and Wheeler as notable departures from down New York’s depth chart, though none so big that they can’t be replaced.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Rangers have been bound by the cap all summer long, and will now enter the season with a stressful $623,476 remaining per PuckPedia. That’s narrowly enough to handle the day-to-day cost of running a team, though the Rangers could be forced into some cap gymnastics in the event of injury or call-up. That could quickly be tested, as Ryan Lindgren continues to struggle with an upper-body injury.

Key Questions

Did Enough Change? The Rangers have been stuck in a bit of perpetuity over the last few seasons, routinely cycling out pieces of their middle-six but yet to find an impact that’ll stick. That forced them to give up draft capital for Roslovic and Wennberg last Trade Deadline, but that tandem quickly walked out of the door they came in, only replaced by Reilly Smith. The return of Filip Chytil could be enough to support New York’s vacant roster spots, though it still seems one of Edstrom, Jimmy Vesey, William Cuylle, or prospect Brennan Othmann will need to step up to keep New York’s third-line dangerous. Both Vesey and Cuylle topped 20 points last season – scoring 26 and 21 respectively – though the latter seems much more likely to be the one to earn a bigger role. Their progress will be the focus of training camp, as New York asks the question of if they’ll need to beef up their depth at the Deadline once again.

Can Lafreniere’s Growth Continue? In a year headlined by Kaapo Kakko’s one-year contract, it will be Alexis Lafreniere under the most scrutiny. He scored a career-high 28 goals, 29 assists, and 57 points last season – his first year playing in all 82 games. It was an impressive step up for the young winger – nearly 20 points more than his 2022-23 totals (39) – but he needs to keep going if New York wants to rival the top-end depth of teams like Carolina and Toronto. Lafreniere looked significantly more poised on the puck last year, and could finally vindicate his first-overall selection in 2020 with a breakout year this season. He’ll have every chance at ice time, ahead of a Rangers depth with plenty of question marks.

What Will Shesterkin Get Paid? The Rangers’ focus is undoubtedly on the postseason, but they also face the daunting task of finding a value for perhaps the top goaltender in the league. Igor Shesterkin has managed a save percentage above .910 in all five of his NHL seasons to date, including a .935 in 53 games during the 2021-22 season, which earned him both the Vezina Trophy and a finalist spot for the Hart Trophy. That’s an impressive statline, eerily close to the peak years of Montreal Canadiens star Carey Price, who currently stands as the most expensive goalie in the leauge with a $10.5MM cap hit. Price’s playing days are behind him, but his eight-year, $84MM extension will be the bare minimum for Shesterkin’s looming extension. He could even earn more, and will effectively set the precedent for players like Jake Oettinger and Linus Ullmark as they prepare for extensions of their own.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.