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.
Rangers To Send 12th Overall Pick To Penguins
The New York Rangers have decided to send the 2025 12th overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The Rangers were on the hook for sending either their 2025 or 2026 first-round pick to the Penguins to complete a mid-season trifecta of trades. New York originally traded the pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for J.T. Miller, as part of a multi-player trade. The Canucks then flipped the pick to the Penguins in a move that landed them defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor in another multi-player deal.
The Rangers landed on this decision after finding more value in holding onto their 2026 first, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. It’s not necessarily a statement on New York’s behalf that they’re resigned to missing the postseason again in 2026 after falling out of the playoff frame this past season. Even an early elimination and a pick in the 16-20 range in 2026 likely holds equal or more value than this year’s No. 12 selection due to an anticipated deeper class of prospects to choose from next year.
Pittsburgh’s own pick is No. 11 overall, so they’ll have the opportunity to make back-to-back selections to add depth to a middle-of-the-pack prospect pool amid their retool. The Penguins’ system was labeled 20th in the league by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler in January. However, they’ve since added 2024-25 SHL Rookie of the Year Melvin Fernström and 2021 first-rounder Chase Stillman to their pool in separate trades, although the latter has really struggled to adjust to the pro game.
Now equipped with two picks in the top 15, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Pittsburgh at least consider packaging the two selections or parting ways with one of them to move higher up in the draft order. They’ve got a fair amount of depth in their pool in the form of a few mid-to-late first-round choices and some high-value second-round picks, but lack a true blue-chip piece. While there likely won’t be one available to them at 11th or 12th overall, they could snag one if they manage to sneak into the top seven or eight selections.
Penguins Believe Rangers Are Leaning Toward Keeping 12th Pick
- While the order for the draft has now been set, there is still one pick whose status is in flux. That would be the 12th overall selection, presently held by the Rangers, who have until Wednesday to decide if they’re conveying it to the Penguins or keeping it, allowing Pittsburgh to get New York’s 2026 unprotected pick. Josh Yohe of The Athletic notes (subscription link) that at this moment, the belief inside the Penguins organization is that the Rangers will keep the selection and defer ceding the first rounder until next year. Even if that happens, Pittsburgh will have a late-lottery pick as they already have the 11th selection.
Rangers Sign Adam Edstrom To Two-Year Extension
The Rangers and pending RFA forward Adam Edstrom have agreed to terms on a two-year extension, the team announced Monday. The deal is worth $975K per season for a total value of $1.95MM, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post.
Edstrom took over full control of New York’s fourth-line center role as a rookie this season. His responsible and physical play in a 6-foot-7 frame was a perfect compliment to the all-out bruiser role of 6-foot-9 Matt Rempe on his wing. Edstrom earned nine points, 27 penalty minutes, and a minus-five through the first 51 games of New York’s season – until a lower-body injury ended his season on February 1st. He underwent surgery soon after sustaining the injury, and plans to be fully healthy before next season’s training camp.
Edstrom appeared in the first 11 games, and scored the first two goals, of his NHL career last season – after posting a hardy 11 goals and 16 points in 40 AHL games. He spent the five seasons prior filling a depth role throughout Sweden’s SHL, including netting 19 points in 42 games with Rogle BK in the 2022-23 season. The Rangers originally drafted him out of the Mora IK program with a sixth-round pick in 2019.
With a new contract in place, Edstrom should be well set on returning to his spot on New York’s fourth-line. He hasn’t yet found much of a scoring stride throughout pro hockey. But at just 24-years-old, he could be due for a small breakout with his feet under him in an NHL role.
Rangers Among Vladislav Gavrikov’s Preferred Destinations
If Vladislav Gavrikov reaches the open market next week, there will be a high level of mutual interest between him and the Rangers. His preference remains to iron out an extension with the Kings, but if he’s unable to do so, New York is on a “short list of teams he is interested in joining,” writes David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
Gavrikov has already been tagged as one of the Rangers’ top free-agent targets as they look to reshape a blue line that’s already undergone major surgery since the beginning of 2024-25. If signed, he would presumably come at the expense of pending RFA K’Andre Miller‘s signing rights being traded elsewhere. New York has received strong interest on the trade market regarding the young defender, and with Gavrikov projected to command nearly $8MM per season on a long-term deal, they’d only have around $5MM in cap space left over after signing him with RFA winger William Cuylle in need of a new deal as well.
While Gavrikov’s puck-moving ability may be a step back from Miller’s ceiling, the veteran has been far more consistent over the past few years and offers greater defensive upside. That two-way presence – this past season was his second time hitting 30 points in his NHL career – combined with spectacular impacts and a willingness to get involved in the play physically would give Adam Fox the bona fide No. 2 defenseman and potential long-term partner he’s missed over the last few years with Ryan Lindgren‘s decline and subsequent trade.
The Rangers would obviously end up paying a premium for Gavrikov’s services coming off a stellar platform year, but they’re in a position of need. There’s nothing resembling even a fringe first-pairing lefty in the organization, particularly if Miller isn’t re-upped, and Gavrikov has a highly desirable track record with his combination of heavy deployment and good two-way play over his six-year NHL career. Poor possession play has plagued the Rangers throughout the past few seasons, so much so that it may make more sense for new head coach Mike Sullivan to deploy Fox, who routinely boasts above-average possession impacts regardless of who his partner is, on a separate pairing from Gavrikov if he’s brought in.
Still, a long-term agreement with Gavrikov isn’t something the Rangers should rush into. They’ve had to make some undesirable cap dumps in the past few months because of similar moves. They already have two lengthy contracts on the books for defenders – Fox’s rather desirable $9.5MM cap hit through 2029 isn’t much of an issue, but William Borgen‘s $4.1MM cap hit through 2030 could be a tricky one if he can’t manage to hold onto a consistent top-four role on the right side with the younger, more dynamic Braden Schneider breathing down his neck entering a contract year.
Strong Market Developing For K’Andre Miller
While the Rangers opened up over $6MM in cap space when they moved Chris Kreider to Anaheim, they’re still expected to continue shaking up their roster. One of the potential casualties has long been speculated to be defenseman K’Andre Miller. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that between 12 and 15 teams have inquired about the 25-year-old.
Miller is a pending restricted free agent and is coming off a bridge contract that saw him carry a cap charge of $3.872MM. However, the back-loaded structure of that agreement makes it that his required qualifying offer is $4.646MM while also giving him salary arbitration eligibility. The belief has been that the Rangers aren’t prepared to give him a long-term deal while a short-term agreement takes him that much closer to testing unrestricted free agency, something he’s eligible for in 2027.
Before the Kreider trade, Miller was a speculative offer sheet candidate, knowing that New York still needs to re-sign winger Will Cuylle while wanting to add via free agency or trades. The Kreider trade lessens that risk to an extent as the Rangers now have $13.1MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.
Two years ago, it appeared as if the 25-year-old had taken a big step toward becoming an all-around key piece on New York’s back end. That season, Miller notched a career-best 43 points (including 38 at even strength) while logging nearly 22 minutes per game. But their cap situation at the time necessitated the bridge deal, something that might ultimately have worked out for the best for the team given what has happened since then.
Miller’s play took a step back in 2023-24 with his production dropping to 30 points while there were more defensive miscues than desired. This season, it was more of the same. His output dropped to just 27 points in 74 games while the defensive slipups were more frequent as the Rangers went from a projected preseason contender to a team that ultimately missed the playoffs altogether.
Despite that, Miller has five NHL seasons under his belt as a top-four defender. He’s willing to throw the body around (with over 100 hits in four straight seasons) and block shots, and as his 2022-23 performance showed, he has some offensive skills. Between that, a 6’5 frame, and being a strong skater, there’s a lot to work with which is why close to half the league has apparently kicked the tires on his availability, believing that a change of scenery and a new coach could help him get back to his previous form.
That certainly bodes well for GM Chris Drury. With the UFA market for defensemen not being particularly deep and Miller heading toward his prime years, it appears that the Rangers should be able to get a strong trade return for the blueliner although they’ll have an additional key roster spot to try to fill if and when a move gets made. But with a goal of continuing to shake up the core group in New York, this appears to be an increasingly viable way to do just that.
Rangers Begin Contract Talks With Will Cuylle
- Although all eyes are on the status of restricted free agent defenseman K’Andre Miller, the New York Rangers have another quality RFA to worry about. According to a new article by Peter Baugh in The Athletic, the Rangers have initiated talks with Will Cuylle, and both parties are interested in a contract extension. Baugh expects the Rangers and Cuylle to agree on a three-year, $10MM contract (or near it), which would allow them to optimize their salary cap this offseason while also establishing a multi-year commitment.
[SOURCE LINK]