NY Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan introduced in Tarrytown
Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan is introduced during a press conference at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York, May 8, 2025.
The Rangers entered a bitterly long offseason with plans to revamp a disappointing roster, but as of Sunday evening, they’ve yet to acquire any new NHL players.
Sure, shipping franchise staple Chris Kreider to Anaheim on June 12 represented a big change. But team president Chris Drury’s efforts to bring impact additions to New York have been thwarted thus far.
That should change some time after noon on July 1, when the league calendar officially flips to the 2025-26 season and free agents are, well, free to sign with new teams.
The frustration with an uncooperative trade market will put the onus on Drury to seek upgrades on the NHL’s busiest day of transactions.
He’s not exactly flush with cap space, but the Kreider trade created some maneuverability. PuckPedia projects $12.2 million in available space, but the real number is more like $15 million when you consider that at least a few of the players listed will likely start the season in the minors.
Complicating the situation is the ongoing saga with defenseman K’Andre Miller. It’s no secret that the Blueshirts have been shopping the 25-year-old restricted free agent, but leverage doesn’t appear to be on their side. We can only assume that offers have been underwhelming, otherwise a deal would have happened prior to or during last weekend’s draft.
The Rangers can’t afford to pay both Miller and top RFA forward Will Cuylle and still make the kind of signing many believe they’re aiming to make. Something will eventually have to give, but they don’t have time to wait around. Unless a trade materializes in the coming hours, they’ll have to proceed with their free agency plans and sort the rest out later.
A critical look at this year’s unrestricted free agents would lead many to conclude it’s better to save the cap space for next summer, when a much higher profile collection of players have contracts set to expire. The 2025 UFA class was lackluster to begin with and is getting weaker by the day, with Sam Bennett (Florida) and John Tavares (Toronto) re-signing with their respective teams to take arguably the top-two centers off the board. Meanwhile, multiple reports indicate that Mitch Marner − widely considered the top UFA at any position − already has his sights set on Vegas as his next home.
The Rangers couldn’t meet his high demands anyway, but there isn’t much appetite for standing pat. There’s a top-down desire to make moves that will change the narrative following last season’s embarrassment, which is why they’re believed to be eyeing defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov as their top target. (Presumably to replace Miller.) They’re also seeking forechecking forwards who fit new head coach Mike Sullivan’s aggressive system, with a middle-six right wing and third-line center specific positions to address.
I suppose we can’t rule out the RFA possibility, either. Executives and agents are wondering if there will be an increase in offer-sheet activity this summer after St. Louis successfully pried Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway from Edmonton last year. Drury opted to keep his 2026 first-round pick as the final condition from the J.T. Miller trade, which leaves him with the required compensation to offer a RFA up to $7.02 million per season.
Consider that a long shot, though. Some of top restricted free agents have been re-signed or traded in recent days, most notably Morgan Geekie (Boston), Matthew Knies (Toronto), JJ Peterka (Utah) and Nic Hague (Nashville), and the Rangers already have their own RFAs to deal with in Cuylle and K’Andre Miller. Expect them to keep their focus on UFAs and trades — and while we’ve gone over potential trade targets, now is as good of a time as any to examine the free-agent possibilities.
Below I’ve compiled an extensive preview of UFAs either connected to New York through my reporting or who would make some sense based on need and style. It’s not meant to be a list of the top players available − you can find those in many other places − rather a look at those who could be on the Blueshirts’ radar. It should also help paint the picture of how shallow the pool is at the spots they’re trying to fill: Center, right wing and left-handed defensemen.
Let’s dive in.
Centers
Nick Bjugstad: The Rangers showed previous interest in the 6-foot-5, 205-pounder, but the asking price was too high at the 2024 trade deadline while he was in the midst of 22-goal, 45-point campaign. Now the 32-year-old is hitting free agency after a down season (19 points in 66 games) and could come at a discounted rate.
Christian Dvorak: The 29-year-old has been hampered by injuries in the past, but he played all 82 games last season as the Canadiens’ third-line center. That’s the exact role the Rangers are looking to fill, with the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder also a plus contributor on faceoffs and the penalty kill.
Lars Eller: He’s an older player at 36, which is not the direction the Rangers want to go. But the 6-foot-2, 208-pounder still grades out as an above-average skater (74th percentile in speed bursts over 20 mph, according to NHL EDGE) and has been an effective forechecking center and penalty killer in Washington for years, including the 2018 Stanley Cup win.
Sean Kuraly: We know the Rangers want to get bigger, stronger and more physical, with the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder checking all those boxes. The 32-year-old is a banger who defends hard, kills penalties and wins faceoffs. The drawback is that he doesn’t contribute enough offense (only 17 points in 82 games last season) to play on the third line and New York already has a fourth-line center in Sam Carrick.
Steven Lorentz: This description is going to sound a lot like Kuraly. Lorentz is big (6-foot-4, 213 pounds), skates well and plays physically, but he’s limited offensively and likely no more than a 4C.
Pius Suter: Of the feasible center targets out there, Suter probably has the highest upside. The 29-year-old just posted career highs in goals (25) and points (46) and has made big strides defensively, with the Canucks often using him in a matchup role on their third line. That’s exactly what the Rangers need, but the price tag (likely in the $5 million per season range) may be a bit too high.
Wingers
Mason Appleton: The 29-year-old has been an effective role player in Winnipeg for years, taking on both third- and fourth-line assignments while often being used in a shutdown capacity. He’s a strong forechecker and reliable defender, and while he’s never eclipsed 36 points in a season, that should keep the price tag within range.
Joel Armia: The 32-year-old Finn is another option for a third-line RW who brings size (6-foot-3, 216 pounds), defensive acumen and PK experience. He’s three years older than Appleton but should come a bit cheaper.
Nathan Bastian: The 27-year-old never quite locked down a full-time role with the rival Devils, but he was at times a pain for the Rangers to deal with. This would purely be a depth signing, with the 6-foot-4, 205-pounder expected to be a forechecking force.
Anthony Beauvillier: New coaches like bringing in players who know their system, and Beauvillier is one of the few available forwards who meets that criteria. The Rangers know him well from his days with the Islanders and Sullivan showed faith in the 28-year-old by using him all over Pittsburgh’s lineup last season.
Brock Boeser: If the Rangers miss out on Gavrikov or clear more cap space and decide to take a swing at one of the higher profile UFAs, Boeser seems more likely than some of the other big names. The odds are long, but he’s the best non-Marner option for a proven 1RW. Boeser has scored 23 goals or more six times in his career and has a connection with J.T. Miller from their time in Vancouver.
Connor Brown: After missing nearly all of the 2022-23 season due to ACL surgery, the 31-year-old has been healthy the past two seasons and became a key bottom-six cog for the two-time Western Conference champion Oilers. His point totals are modest (30 last season), but he brings the checking and defensive elements needed in Sullivan’s system.
Tanner Jeannot: The Lightning paid an exorbitant price for the power winger at the 2024 deadline, which inflated the perception of his game. The 28-year-old didn’t live up to the steep acquisition cost, resulting in a trade to L.A., where he underwhelmed with only 13 points (six goals and seven assists) in 67 games. His 24-goal season in 2021-22 may have been an anomaly, but he’s a 6-foot-2, 220-pounder who brings the edge Drury wants more of and could be worth a flyer.
Gustav Nyquist: Age is a concern with Nyquist (he’ll be 36 in September), but he’s only one year removed from a 23-goal, 52-point season and could be a buy-low option for the middle six. A one-year deal with veteran performance bonuses probably gets it done and would maintain cap flexibility for next summer when the Rangers are looking to make a bigger splash.
Defensemen
Brian Dumoulin: No UFA at any position is as familiar with Sullivan as the 33-year-old who spent his first 10 seasons in Pittsburgh, eight of them with the new Blueshirts’ bench boss. He’s slipped a bit from those Penguins’ days, but could be viewed as a solid fallback option if New York’s prime target on D doesn’t materialize.
Vladislav Gavrikov: Kings GM Ken Holland told reporters he expects the top LHD UFA to hit the open market, with multiple sources labeling the Rangers as the favorite to land his services. One went so far as to call it “a done deal.” We’ll see about that, but let’s just say the interest is considered mutual. The 29-year-old is expected to receive an AAV in the $7 million-to-$8 million range.
Matt Grzelcyk: While he doesn’t have Dumoulin-level experience, Grzelcyk did play all 82 games under Sullivan last season while logging an average of 20:37 per game. The 31-year-old is a good puck distributor, as evidenced by 39 assists in 2024-25, but doesn’t qualify as the biggest (5-foot-10, 180 pounds) or toughest option out there.
Jon Merrill: Even if the Rangers land Gavrikov (or another top-four option), they’ll still need additional depth. (Especially if they still intend to trade Miller.) Merrill would fit the bill as a 33-year-old veteran who’s generally put up quality metrics and played both sides throughout his 10-year career.
Ivan Provorov: Some prefer the 28-year-old to his Russian counterpart Gavrikov. The Rangers don’t seem to feel that way, but perhaps they view Provorov as a solid Plan B if something goes awry with Gavrikov.
Nate Schmidt: The Florida Panthers picked the 33-year-old up off the scrap heap for $800,000 last year and turned him into a dependable contributor on a championship team. Cup winners usually get a free-agent bump, but how high will the 6-foot, 197-pounder with limited skill but excellent skating metrics go?
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.