Why offer sheet is vital Rangers option, who they could target in 2026
For the first time in a long time, the New York Rangers are in position to weaponize an offer sheet to make a splash in NHL free agency this coming offseason.
The unrestricted free agent class is watered down considerably after Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild), Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights), Martin Necas (Colorado Avalanche), Kyle Connor (Winnipeg Jets), and now Artemi Panarin (Los Angeles Kings) each re-signed with his current team.
With PuckPedia projecting the Rangers to have nearly $30 million in salary cap space entering the offseason, general manager Chris Drury very well could pivot to target a restricted free agent with an attractive offer sheet. Though such a move would cost the Rangers future draft picks as well as money, it fits with their stated plan to retool the roster by acquiring young, talented NHL players — or those on the verge of being NHL-ready — to join the core for years to come.
Of course, we’re still just under five months from July 1, so a lot can change between now and then, especially with the Rangers expected to be active ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline. But, as of right now, New York’s biggest in-house piece of business this offseason is to re-sign Braden Schneider. The 24-year-old defenseman is an RFA with arbitration rights and due a decent raise over his current $2.2 million AAV.
Scott Morrow, Brett Berard, and Brennan are RFAs coming off entry-level contracts and won’t cost that much to retain — assuming each remains after the trade deadline. The Rangers already traded their two biggest UFAs — Panarin to the Kings and defenseman Carson Soucy to the Islanders — so that leaves Jonathan Quick, Jonny Brodzinski, and Conor Sheary as the only vets heading toward the open market July 1.
Rangers must overcome many obstacles to land RFA with offer sheet
Offer sheets to restricted free agents aren’t often a thing in the NHL for a couple of reasons. First, most GMs are cautious about pissing off their counterparts in the League and fear retaliation down the road by signing young talent away, even though it’s perfectly allowed under the guidelines of the NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement. It’s widely reported that the Montreal Canadiens, for example, remain furious with the Carolina Hurricanes for poaching center Jesperi Kotkaniemi in August 2021, even though he hasn’t exactly become the star many predicted he’d be.
The other thing is that quite often, a team puts in a lot of effort to work out a deal that won’t be matched by the player’s current team, only to have it matched. However, the St. Louis Blues delivered a perfectly executed double strike when the Edmonton Oilers chose not to match offer sheets to defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway two summers ago.
So, there’s recent proof that this could work. And it’s up to Drury and Co. to target the right player(s) and right team(s) to come away with the perfect offer sheet.
Pavel Dorofeyev among RFAs Rangers could target with offer sheet
The sexiest RFA out there this summer is Jason Robertson. But it’s hard to believe the Dallas Stars won’t find a way to re-sign their high-scoring forward to a long-term contract, since he can become a UFA in 2027. Plus, to even have a chance at luring Robertson away, it’d likely cost the Rangers an AAV of at least $11 million, which would mean they’d be required to send two first-round draft picks to the Stars, along with a 2027 second- and third- rounder, as compensation.
If the Rangers offered more than $11.7 million per season, it’d cost them four first rounders to compensate the Stars. Unlikely. Especially since it’s hard to see the Rangers paying anyone more than star goalie Igor Shesterkin, who makes $11.5 million per season.
So, which RFA is a more likely target, and one that could move the needle in New York’s rebuild? How about Pavel Dorofeyev? The 25-year-old Golden Knights forward scored 35 goals last season, has 26 so far in this one, and combined for 27 power-play goals the past two years.
Dorofeyev can’t be a UFA until 2028, but a Rangers deal could be big-time two-year offer, or one that buys out some years of unrestricted free agencv. Right now, Vegas has a League-low $5.14 million in projected cap space ahead of the summer, with defenseman Rasmus Andersson becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Would an offer sheet averaging $6 million or $7 million per season get this done for the Rangers? That would also cost them a first- and third-round draft pick in 2027. Well worth it. Vegas often finds a way to free up the money and stay under the cap, maybe that’s the case here, too. But what if the Rangers went above the $7 million AAV and kept it under $9.36 million? That really puts the squeeze on Vegas, and would ultimately cost the Rangers a first-, second-, and third-round pick in 2027. Note that the Rangers must acquire a 2027 second-round pick first to make such a deal work.
We’re just guessing here, because we don’t know how Drury and the Rangers scouts and coaches view Dorofeyev’s overall game and value. But he sure seems like an attractive fit for what the Rangers are trying to do.
There are other more affordable RFAs who might intrigue the Rangers for one reason or another. If the Stars do re-sign Robertson for big bucks, could the Rangers swoop in and snag forward Mavrik Bourque? He’s an interesting young (24) center with first-round pedigree whose best days are ahead of him.
Like the Blues with Broberg and Holloway, or the Hurricanes with Kotkaniemi, it’s a crapshoot offering sizeable contracts to young players that haven’t popped yet in the NHL. Such would be the case with Bourque, or with any one of, say, Mackie Samoskevich (Florida Panthers, 23, F); Nicholas Robertson (Toronto Maple Leafs, 24, F); Zach Bolduc (Montreal Canadiens; 22; F); and Zach Benson (Buffalo Sabres; 20; F).
It’d be fun — though unlikely — if the Rangers tried to poach one of these defensemen from a Metropolitan Division rival: Alexander Nikishin of the Hurricanes or Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils.
