Could Laine, Mantha give Rangers scoring boost without breaking bank?
It’s no mystery that scoring was a major issue for the New York Rangers in 2025-26. The Blueshirts were 23rd in the NHL with 235 non-shootout goals. Mika Zibanejad led them with 34, but Alexis Lafreniere (24) and Will Cuylle (20) were the only other Rangers to reach the 20-goal mark.
Even with talented 21-year-old Gabe Perreault set for his first full NHL season, it’s a given that the Rangers must find more players who can put the puck in the net on a consistent basis. Money shouldn’t be an issue — they have $25.7 million in cap room, according to PuckPedia.
Unfortunately, as of now the unrestricted free agent market has just one 30-goal scorer available when free agency opens July 1 – Alex Tuch had 33 for the Buffalo Sabres, and he’s said to be looking for a long-term deal worth eight figures per season. Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson can become a restricted free agent after a 45-goal, 96-point season, but high-scoring RFAs don’t often change teams – especially when they’re looking for $12 million-plus annually.
But that doesn’t mean there’s no help available. Patrik Laine and Anthony Mantha are two players who’ve shown they can score goals — but each veteran forward has struggled to stay on the ice over their respective careers. Here’s a look at the two, who could provide an offense-poor team with a lower-cost goal-scoring boost.
Patrik Laine
Age: 28
2025-26 team: Montreal Canadiens
Laine was the second player taken in the 2016 NHL Draft and wasted no time showing that the Winnipeg Jets made an excellent choice. He scored 36, 44 and 30 goals in his first three seasons, then had 28 (and 63 points) in 68 games in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season.
But after scoring twice in Winnipeg’s 2020-21 season opener, Laine found himself on the move; the Jets traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 23, 2021. He signed a four-year, $34.8 million contract ($8.7 million average annual value) on July 22, 2022, but never lived up to it.
Injuries were a big problem, and they’re still a major concern.
After scoring 26 goals in 2022-23 and 22 the next season, Laine was limited to 18 games in ’23-24 by a broken clavicle and later began receiving care from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He was cleared from the program in July 2024, asked to be traded and was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens on Aug. 19.
Laine scored 20 goals in 52 games for Montreal in 2024-25 after missing the first two months of the season with a knee injury. He had core-muscle surgery last October and ended up playing just five regular-season games and none during Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference Final. He did say that he could’ve played after New Year’s, and although he was given the green light to return in January, the Canadiens opted to keep him out of the lineup.
Though Laine has never been much help defensively and isn’t particularly fast, he still knows how to put the puck in the net. That alone could make him a prime buy-low high-ceiling target for the Rangers. He would give a lot of juice to the top-six forward group and could probably score 10-15 goals on the power play – if he can stay healthy.
Laine is almost-free talent. He won’t command an expensive nor long-term deal. In fact, a one-year prove-it contract suits both the player and his next team best. And despite his injury history, Laine is not an old player — he doesn’t turn 29 until April 19 — meaning he fits age-wise into what New York wants.
So, Rangers general manager Chris Drury should have a contract ready and waiting for him if he becomes a UFA – and perhaps even see if he can make a deal with the Canadiens before July 1.
Anthony Mantha
Age: 31 (turns 32 on Sept. 16)
2025-26 team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Mantha signed a one-year, prove-it contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins last July 3. He went out and proved to be worth every dollar of the $2.5 million deal they gave him. He stayed healthy (81 games played after 13 with the Calgary Flames in 2024-25, a season marred by knee surgery) and had career highs in goals (33), assists (31) and points (64), helping Pittsburgh to a surprise playoff berth under former Rangers assistant Dan Muse.
However, Mantha’s scoring touch didn’t carry over into the playoffs (one assist in six games). He’ll turn 32 during training camp and hits the open market because the Penguins were only willing to give him another one-year contract; his camp reportedly is seeking a four-year deal worth at least $5 million annually.
Like Laine, staying healthy is the biggest issue over the years for the No. 20 pick in the 2013 draft, whose scored 20+ goals four times in the NHL.
In five seasons between 2021 and 2025, he averaged 49 games played, 12.4 goals and 26 points. Any team that’s interested in Mantha must decide whether they think his 2025-26 numbers are the sign of a sustainable late-career surge – or an unrepeatable career year.
One reason for Pittsburgh’s reluctance to make that kind of commitment is that that Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are on contracts that expire at the end of 2026-27. Mantha is a good fit on a win-now team; beyond that, not so much.
The Rangers will have to make that same kind of decision. Is chasing a 32-year-old forward who’s had a career-long battle with health issues to a multiyear contract a good move for a team that’s trying to dig out after finishing last in the Eastern Conference?
The risk seems not worth it for a Rangers team looking to get younger and faster, and still further away from being a Stanley Cup contender.
