Rangers have plenty of money to spend, but are there UFAs worth buying?
The New York Rangers have plenty of money to go shopping this summer as they try to build a team capable of returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after back-to-back postseason misses. But while GM Chris Drury is sure to be willing to open his checkbook when free agency begins on July 1, the pickings look pretty thin.
The NHL’s salary cap is projected to rise to $104 million in 2026-27, an increase of $8.5 million from this season. According to Puckpedia, the Rangers will have nearly $27 million to shop with. That’s a lot of money; the problem is that there’s not much in the way of impact talent among unrestricted free agents to spend it on.
One year ago, Rangers fans were likely salivating at the thought that megastar Connor McDavid would be available, as well as impact players such as Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel and Kyle Connor. Instead, all re-signed with their teams. McDavid inked a two-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers that begins next season; Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild), Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights) and Connor (Winnipeg Jets) each signed eight-year contracts worth upwards of $12 million with his respective team.
Add in Artemi Panarin (two years, $23 million) with the Los Angeles Kings after they acquired him from the Rangers in February, Adrian Kempe (eight years, $85 million) with the Kings, and Martin Necas (eight years, $92 million) with the Colorado Avalanche, and the ranks of impact talent are pretty thin.
So, who’s out there? Let’s take a look (we won’t look at goalies because the Rangers are set with Igor Shesterkin in net).
Semi-impact players
Alex Tuch, RW, Buffalo Sabres
Tuch’s 33-goal, 66-point season played a key role in the Sabres’ advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011. He’s scored at least 33 goals in three of the past four seasons and is a combined plus-63 during that time. Tuch also had three goals and six points during Buffalo’s first five playoff games this spring.
However, Tuch reached the 70-point mark just once in his NHL career (79 points in 2022-23). He’s not going to carry a team and turns 30 on May 11, meaning that his best seasons might be behind him.
Tuch expressed a strong desire to stay in Buffalo before the season started, and the fact that the Sabres not only ended their playoff drought but won a division title won’t hurt their odds of keeping him. Buffalo can give him an eight-year deal, more than anyone else, and that figures to be another factor in its favor.
No Rangers forward has a cap hit bigger than Mika Zibanejad’s $8.5 million. But with the cap rising, Tuch figures to get at least $10 million per season from someone on a deal that will carry him well into his 30s.
Solid defensemen
Rasmus Andersson, D, Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights acquired Andersson from the Calgary Flames in January without a contract extension in place.
Righty-shooting defensemen with talent who can play big minutes and have leadership skills don’t grow on trees, so Andersson’s value is high. Both sides reportedly want to make a deal, but GM Kelly McCrimmon has less than $5 million in cap room if Alex Pietrangelo ($8.8 million cap hit), who spent all of this season on long-term injured reserve, can play next season.
The Rangers spent big on free agent D-man Vladislav Gavrikov last summer to play with Adam Fox on the first pairing. The bottom two pairs were spotty, but whether Drury would hand out another big-bucks, long-term contract on the blue line is a question mark.
Darren Raddysh, D, Tampa Bay Lightning
The older brother of Rangers forward Taylor Raddysh was the most productive of all pending UFAs, racking up 70 points (22 goals, 48 assists) with a plus-21 rating, 10 power-play goals and six game-winners. The 30-year-old did all that while earning just $975,000 – less than his kid brother ($1.5 million).
Tampa Bay is expected to have more than $14 million in cap space next season, and his partner, J.J. Moser, makes $6.75 million. One complication for the Bolts is that star forward Nikita Kucherov can become a free agent next summer and is eligible to sign an extension on July 1.
The younger Raddysh would add a blue-line bomber to the Blueshirts – if he’s available and they’re interested.
Useful forwards
Charlie Coyle, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
The 34-year-old picked the right time to have a 20-goal, 58-point season while averaging a career-high 18:06 of ice time and becoming one of new coach Rick Bowness’s more dependable players during the Jackets’ playoff push.
GM Don Waddell resisted trading Coyle at the deadline despite a market hungry for centers and said he’s willing to explore keeping Coyle and fellow pending UFA Mason Marchment.
The Rangers already have three centers in their 30s. Adding another doesn’t make sense – unless they opt to trade Vincent Trocheck to add young talent and draft capital, in which case a player like Coyle could be a fit.
Anthony Mantha, LW/RW, Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pens bought low on Mantha and hit the jackpot. The 31-year-old had career highs with 33 goals and 64 points, helping Pittsburgh to a surprising second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division – albeit with a 21.7 shooting percentage that dwarfs his career average of 13.8.
Mantha’s history of injuries and inconsistency could hold down his salary and term. But in a market without a lot of big names, he’s sure to attract plenty of interest. That could include the Rangers, who need scoring from their wings.
Bringing back ex-Rangers
Mats Zuccarello, RW, Minnesota Wild
Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings
Jacob Trouba, D, Anaheim Ducks
All three former Blueshirts showed this season that they still have some gas in the tank.
Zuccarello was a crowd favorite at the Garden before the Rangers traded him to the Dallas Stars in 2018. He signed with the Wild that summer and has been a consistent point producer during his seven seasons in Minnesota, though injuries have been an issue. He helped the Wild reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
Kane, the all-time NHL scoring leader among U.S.-born players, had a brief stint with the Rangers in 2022-23 but didn’t impress. Injuries were a factor, and he’s been productive in three seasons with the Wings. He’s expressed an interest in staying put.
Trouba had a messy divorce with the Rangers in December 2024 but has been solid with the Ducks, helping them end an eight-year postseason drought. His 10 goals and 35 points this season were his best offensive numbers since he had 11 goals and 39 points for the Rangers in 2021-22. He and another ex-Ranger, Chris Kreider, helped the Ducks defeat the Edmonton Oilers in the opening round of the playoffs.
All three could be of some short-term help to the Rangers; whether any would want to come to a team in a “retool” is another question.
Oldies but goodies
Alex Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals
Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
These two Russian future Hall of Famers have tortured the Rangers during the past two decades. Each is a free agent after spending his entire career with the same team – and each showed this season that he still has some game left.
Assuming they decide to play next season, neither is likely to move to another NHL team (there have been rumors Ovi might finish his career back home in the KHL). It would be fun to imagine one or both with the Blueshirts, but realistically it’s not going to happen.
