Why Brian Dumoulin reunion with Mike Sullivan could make sense for Rangers
Could a Brian Dumoulin and Mike Sullivan revival hit Broadway for the New York Rangers next season? Though not the sexiest offseason option, it’s one the Rangers should pursue if the new coach deems it worthwhile.
There’s history there, of course. Dumoulin’s rise as an NHL defenseman coincided with Sullivan’s arrival as Pittsburgh Penguins coach in 2015-16. Dumoulin was a blue line regular when the Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017, and he played eight seasons under Sullivan before signing with the Seattle Kraken in 2023-24.
Though the Rangers are reportedly interested in Los Angeles Kings free-agent defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, they may not have enough salary-cap space to make such a big move, even after the anticipated trade of Chris Kreider. Dumoulin is an intriguing and affordable second-pair option should the Rangers re-sign K’Andre Miller and move him up to play with Adam Fox.
The Rangers have approximately $8.4 million to spend right now, though that’d jump to around $15 million if the Kreider trade goes through. A chunk of that money will go to re-signing restricted free agents Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe, Adam Edstrom and Miller.
If the recent rumors are true and the Rangers decide to trade Miller, then they could consider signing a bigger ticket player like Gavrikov to pair with Fox (if they don’t receive a defenseman in return) and still add Dumoulin on the second pair next to Will Borgen.
Dumoulin will be 34 entering the 2025-26 campaign and is coming off a contract with a $3.15 million salary-cap hit. He began last season with the Anaheim Ducks before being traded to the New Jersey Devils ahead of the deadline in exchange for a prospect and a second-round pick. He has 706 regular-season games and 86 more in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on his resume.
Most importantly he can still play. The left-shot defenseman had 22 points (three goals, 19 assists) last season, and still brings plenty of size (6-foot-4, 214 pounds) and bite. It’s likely Sullivan would trust him more on the second pair than Carson Soucy (who also could be traded) or Urho Vaakanainen.
Related: Why Mike Sullivan’s ‘know-how and high demands’ should get Rangers back into playoffs next season
Brian Dumoulin ‘great person and leader’
Expect Sullivan to have Drury’s ear regarding who he wants on the roster. The new Rangers coach already holds sway apparently, considering he convinced Drury to hire David Quinn as an assistant, this after the GM fired Quinn as coach back in 2021.
Dumoulin would give the Rangers stability on the back end. He won’t put up huge offensive numbers — he had a career-high 25 points in the 2022-23 season — but has proven that he can be a shutdown defender. Too often this past season, defensive lapses plagued the Rangers, who struggled under Peter Laviolette’s man-to-man system, allowing the fifth-most high-danger chances in the League, according to Clear Sight analytics.
Dumoulin is already familiar with Sullivan’s zone coverage on defense, which prioritizes quick puck movement on breakouts. Plus, he’d be an ally for Sullivan in the locker room.
“He was such a big part of the teams that won the Stanley Cup. He’s a great person and leader off the ice and in the locker room … I can’t say enough about his contribution to making the Penguins what we are,” Sullivan said about Dumoulin two years ago.
Brian Dumoulin still ‘thrives in the playoffs’
When Dumoulin arrived in New Jersey on March 6, the Devils blue line was depleted by injury. Dougie Hamilton returned to the lineup one game before their first-round playioff series against the Carolina Hurricanes, and Jonas Siegenthaler returned in the middle of the series.
Luke Hughes, Johnny Kovacevic, and Brenden Dillon each was injured against the Hurricanes and never returned in an early first-round exit, leaving Dumoulin as the only constant on the blue line.
Dumoulin rose to the occasion and averaged 29:21 TOI in the series, which the Devils lost in five games. Two of the contests were decided in double overtime and Dumoulin logged more than 36 minutes in each.
“I think he showed the rest of the hockey world that he is a playoff player; he thrives in the playoffs,” Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said at his end-of-year press conference. “There were a lot of games where I was like, Thank God we made that move, how much he helped us and helped this group continue to grow and believe and get to the playoffs.”
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