Rangers getting ‘speed, hands, scoring’ in Jack Roslovic
The New York Rangers are getting a very excited Jack Roslovic, who is escaping another season without playoff action in Columbus.
“We think he’s a real good player,” general manager Chris Drury said Friday. “He’s obviously a right-handed shot and could be a fit on the right wing with [Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider]. But that’s for [coach Peter Laviolette] to figure out.”
Whether or not the 27-year-old will slot on that line or start with newly acquired center Alex Wennberg and left wing Will Cuylle on the third line remains to be seen. One thing is clear, he’s a straight-line player that’s effective in gaining the zone thanks to his wheels.
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What the Rangers are getting in Jack Roslovic
The Blueshirts acquired Roslovic for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. If the team gets to the Stanley Cup Final, it becomes a third-round selection. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets retained 50 percent of the pending UFA’s $4 million cap hit in order to make the deal work.
So just what are the Rangers getting in Roslovic?
“Speed, hands, scoring,” Roslovic’s agent Claude Lemieux told Forever Blueshirts after the deal went public. “And able to play with any of the top players they have!”
Currently, Roslovic is heating up with points 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in his past 12 games. For the season, he’s potted six goals and 17 assists for 23 points in 40 games, while missing significant time with an ankle injury. Oddly enough, that injury occurred Nov. 12 against the Rangers when he blocked a shot.
The former first-round pick (2015, 25th overall) has registered 213 points in 426 career games to date. He’s considered a gamer, who has a very strong skill set and can play both center and wing.
As for how Roslovic will fit, there’s no doubt he will get a chance to play with Zibanejad and Kreider. New York’s best two-way pivot having speedy north-south players as passing options may be just the right mix to get him going 5-on-5. Roslovic’s style is similar to Frank Vatrano’s and that was a nice blend back in 2022, when the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.
In the locker room, Rolsovic has familiarity with some players. For two season with the Winnipeg Jets, he played with captain Jacob Trouba. Prior to that, he teamed up with Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren when the U.S. won gold at the World Juniors in 2017.
Although the Rangers were big game hunting on Jake Guentzel and Vatrano ahead of the deadline, Drury did not like the asking prices set for those players.
“We looked at a lot of different situations with varying price points,” Drury explained via Vince Mercogliano. “This was the deal we were most comfortable making.”
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