Roslovic, who helped the Rangers get within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Oilers late on Wednesday night. He won’t be in the lineup Saturday when the Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks after missing all of training camp, but he’s looking forward to being teammates with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two of the NHL’s biggest stars.

“It’s fun seeing those guys go to work,” Roslovic said Friday after his first practice with his new team. “You kind of have two guys like that on every team that drive and lead the way. Obviously, these two are a little bit different caliber, but it’ll be fun. Going back to opportunity, it’s going to be great to see how these guys perform not just on the ice but see them off the ice and in practice.”

"An opportunity to win, an opportunity to play with great players."

Jack Roslovic speaks with the media after signing a one-year deal with the #Oilers & taking part in his first practice with the team.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/9CtZaHOFpB

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 10, 2025

The signing ends Roslovic’s wait to join a new team after he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1; he was arguably the best UFA remaining on the market. The 28-year-old switched agents after going unsigned for multiple months and was skating in Columbus, waiting to join a new team. He signed late Wednesday and was not in the lineup for the Oilers’ season-opening 4-3 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.

The Rangers acquired Roslovic on March 8, 2024, sending a fourth-round pick in 2026 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“We think he’s a real good player,” general manager Chris Drury said after making the deal.

Jack Roslovic makes it 3-2! pic.twitter.com/RQjI4Vp7fh

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) April 2, 2024

In 19 regular-season games with New York after the trade, the 2015 first-round pick (No. 25 overall) by the Winnipeg Jets, had eight points (three goals, five assists). He also played in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games, finishing with eight points (two goals, six assists).

The best-known of the playoff assists came on Alexander Wennberg’s overtime winner in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers. That goal gave the Rangers a 5-4 win and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series, but they lost the next three games.

Alex Wennberg’s first goal of the playoffs was a BIG ONE!@NYRangers | #NYR | #StanleyCup
pic.twitter.com/IU66heOk7X

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) May 26, 2024

However, Roslovic averaged just 13:27 of ice time during his brief time on Broadway, and the Rangers didn’t re-sign him. He started out on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider but finished his tenure on Broadway on the fourth line.

Roslovic inked a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes for 2024-25. He played 81 games with Carolina, matched his career high with 22 goals (largely because of a career-best 15.8 shooting percentage) and finished with 39 points. He was first on the ‘Canes with 34 points at 5-on-5 despite averaging just 13:49 of ice time.

But he played in just nine playoff games for Carolina, finishing with one goal and four points. The Hurricanes didn’t re-sign him — likely because he’s something of a liability defensively. Though his xGF was 50.28 percent last season, per Natural Stat Trick, the Hurricanes were outscored 55-46 with him on the ice at 5-on-5 and out-chanced 205-173 in high-danger opportunities.

Jack Roslovic excited to have new opportunity with Oilers

Roslovic has 260 points (102 goals, 158 assists) and is minus-37 in 526 regular-season NHL games. He has 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 45 Stanley Cup Playoff games. But he has struggled at times with consistency during his career, a big reason that he’s spent most of his time as a bottom-six forward.

“Speed, scoring,” Roslovic said when asked what he brings to the Oilers. “Try to be a buzzsaw out there, make plays – kind of the thing that everyone already knows me for – and then be a good guy in the locker room, come in and fit well, don’t disrupt and gel.”

The Oilers, who need depth scoring, see him playing a bottom-six role, likely on the wing, when he’s ready for action — he could face his old team when the Oilers come to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. That’s OK with Roslovic, who’s eager to get a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup. Joining the Oilers, who’ve lost to the Florida Panthers in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, is a good bet to get that opportunity.

“That’s going to be the theme here, is opportunity: an opportunity to win, an opportunity to play with great players,” Roslovic said. “They have been to the [Western] Conference Final the last two years, and obviously, they want to go all the way, and the fire is in me, too. I want to win. I know how hard it is, and it’s a great opportunity.”

Officially signed ✍️ #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/PZklk9oWiv

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 9, 2025

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said after the loss to the Flames that Edmonton had been in touch with Roslovic dating back to the summer, and that talks picked up in September.

“(I told his agent) ‘We love the player, but we don’t have a whole lot of money to spend right now. So, if he wants to come here and kind of bet on himself and get a bit of a chance to play, we’d love to have him.’” Bowman said. “I think he was weighing his options and came to the decision that this is the place he wanted to be.”

The move ends Roslovic’s wait to join a new team after he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 – he was arguably the best UFA remaining on the market. The 28-year-old changed agents after going unsigned earlier in the summer and was skating in Columbus, waiting to join a new team. He signed late Wednesday and was not in the lineup for the Oilers’ season-opening 4-3 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.

The Rangers acquired Roslovic on March 8, 2024, sending a fourth-round pick in 2026 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“We think he’s a real good player,” general manager Chris Drury said after making the deal.

Jack Roslovic makes it 3-2! pic.twitter.com/RQjI4Vp7fh

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) April 2, 2024

In 19 regular-season games with New York after the trade, the 2015 first-round pick (No. 25 overall) by the Winnipeg Jets, had eight points (three goals, five assists). He also played in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games, finishing with eight points (two goals, six assists).

One of the assists came on Alexander Wennberg’s overtime winner in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers. That goal gave the Rangers a 5-4 win and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series, but they lost the next three games.

Alex Wennberg’s first goal of the playoffs was a BIG ONE!@NYRangers | #NYR | #StanleyCup
pic.twitter.com/IU66heOk7X

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) May 26, 2024

However, Roslovic averaged just 13:27 of ice time during his brief time on Broadway, and the Rangers didn’t re-sign him. He started out on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, and finished his Rangers tenure playing on the fourth line.

Roslovic inked a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes for 2024-25. He played 81 games with Carolina, matched his career high with 22 goals (largely because of a career-best 15.8 shooting percentage) and finished with 39 points. He was third on the ‘Canes with 37 even-strength points, averaging just 13:49 of ice time.

However, he played in just nine playoff games for Carolina, and finished with one goal and four points. The Hurricanes didn’t re-sign him — likely because he’s something of a liability defensively. Though his xGF was 50.28 percent last season, per Natural Stat Trick, the Hurricanes were outscored 55-46 with him on the ice at 5-on-5 and were out-chanced 205-173 in high-danger opportunities.

Roslovic has struggled at times with consistency during his career. He can bring fans out of their seats, but tends to overhandle the puck and turn it over — a big reason that he’s spent most of his career as a bottom-six forward.

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said after the loss to the Flames that Edmonton was in touch with Roslovic dating back to the summer, and that talks picked up in recent days.

“(I told his agent) ‘We love the player, but we don’t have a whole lot of money to spend right now. So, if he wants to come here and kind of bet on himself and get a bit of a chance to play, we’d love to have him.’” Bowman said. “I think he was weighing his options and came to the decision that this is the place he wanted to be.”

Officially signed ✍️ #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/PZklk9oWiv

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 9, 2025

Bowman didn’t say when Roslovic could make his Oilers debut; their next game is Saturday, when they host the Vancouver Canucks. Though Roslovic was skating on his own, he missed all of training camp and may need some time to get into game shape.

Roslovic has 260 points (102 goals, 158 assists) and is minus-37 in 526 regular-season NHL games. He has 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 45 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Alexandar Georgiev and Jack Roslovic remain on the market, with options dwindling by the day.

This is a far cry from what Georgiev envisioned last summer, when he projected to be the top goalie on the UFA market in 2025. However, the 29-year-old cratered this past season. He began the season as the No. 1 for the Colorado Avalanche, a legit Stanley Cup contender, and finished it with the lowly San Jose Sharks, his numbers equally as poor for each team.

Georgiev, an NHL All-Star in 2024, combined to post a terrible 3.71 goals-against average and .875 save percentage in 49 games for those two teams this past season. He ranked 65th out of 66 goalies who played at least 15 games with an atrocious -17.9 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. Only Sam Ersson of the Philadelphia Flyers was worse (-19.9).

After an outstanding first season with the Avalanche in 2022-23 (62 GP; 40-16-6, 2.53 GAA, .919 save percentage), Georgiev started to show some cracks in his game the following season with them (63 GP; 38-18-5, 3.10 GAA, .897 save percentage). But no one predicted what happened this past season. And now there’s a massive question mark about his future.

Roslovic scored 22 goals with the Carolina Hurricanes last season, tying his career high set in 2021-22 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, Roslovic played fewer than 14 minutes a night because he’s largely a liability defensively. Though his xGF was 50.28 percent last season, per Natural Stat Trick, the Hurricanes were outscored 55-46 with him on the ice 5v5 and were out-chanced in high-danger opportunities 205-173.

The 28-year-old appeared in nine of Carolina’s 15 postseason games and scored one goal. The year before, Roslovic had two goals in 16 playoff games with the Rangers, and ended the postseason on the fourth line.

In a sheltered role, though, Roslovic should be of interest to some teams out there. Remember, Roslovic didn’t land his one-year, $2.8 million contract with Carolina until July 4 last summer. So, this isn’t unchartered UFA territory for him.

Related: Scott Morrow ‘going to be really good player’ with Rangers, but there’s catch: NHL insider

Former Rangers still have options in NHL free agency

Let’s explore where Georgiev, who played with the Rangers from 2018-22, and Roslovic, a trade-deadline acquisition by the Blueshirts in 2024, may land this summer.

Alexandar Georgiev

Georgiev’s best bet appears to sign a one-year prove-it contract and re-enter the open market next summer. No one is handing him either a long-term nor big-money contract after his dismal season. But that doesn’t mean Igor Shesterkin’s former partner isn’t worth taking a shot on in a bounce-back situation.

The Edmonton Oilers missed out on John Gibson, who was traded to the Detroit Red Wings by the Anaheim Ducks, but could have interest in an upgrade over the Stuart Skinner-Calvin Pickard goalie tandem. They are right up against the salary cap, but if the Oilers could land Georgiev for the veteran’s minimum or perhaps as much as $1 million, who says no?

The Chicago Blackhawks have cap space, though they also have a No. 1 goalie to build around after acquiring Spencer Knight late last season. So, this would be a No. 2 role or 1A at best. Perhaps a better No. 2 role could be in Calgary with the Flames, who have Dustin Wolf entrenched as their top goalie, but have the room to add Georgiev as his backup, if interested. Last season’s backup, Dan Vladar, signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Complicating matters for Georgiev are the dearth of NHL opportunities — even as a backup — and the fact that veterans James Reimer and Ilya Samsonov are also still on the market.

Related: Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin named top Russian goalie in NHL by friend, local rival

Jack Roslovic

Roslovic should have more options this summer than Goergiev. In fact, Elliotte Friedman stated on a recent 32 Thoughts podcast that Roslovic could be a fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who would love to add a middle-six scoring forward and are roughly $5 million under the cap — more if they trade RFA Nicholas Robertson.

Friedman added that the Washington Capitals have shown some interest in Roslovic. The Sharks have plenty of cap space and could use a middle-six forward to support their growing young core and add some scoring depth. The Islanders, Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens also make some sense as potential fits for Roslovic, and one can’t rule out the Blackhawks.

After scoring 20 goals the past two seasons combined (!), Roslovic netted his 20th this season for the Carolina Hurricanes in their 4-1 win Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s the second time in eight NHL seasons that the underachieving winger scored at least 20, having potted 22 with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022-23.

But that’s not all. That goal Tuesday was the 100th of his NHL career, ending a long wait to reach the milestone. Nine games and more than a month since scoring No. 99 on Feb. 8 against Utah, Roslovic wired a shot past the glove of Lightning goalie Andre Vasilevskiy to score a pretty rush goal after a slick feed from Taylor Hall.

What a way to score your 100th NHL goal as Jack Roslovic scored his 20th of the season! What a pass from Taylor Hall as it’s now 3-0 Hurricanes! #RaiseUp pic.twitter.com/sTFExOk70C

— Zachary Martin (@OneTrueZach) March 12, 2025

“It took a while,” Roslovic deadpanned after scoring his 20th goal of the season and 100th of his career on the same shot.

“Yeah, yeah. I mean, you know, as long as the opportunities come — and I feel like they’ve been coming — you don’t get too upset. You just try to keep on shooting.”

Roslovic is third on the Hurricanes behind Seth Jarvis (26) and Sebastian Aho (24) in goal scoring and tied for seventh with 31 points. Nineteen of his 20 goals are at even strength.

Sounds like something the Rangers could use, 5v5 goal scoring. But the Rangers have been there, done that with Roslovic and let him walk as a free agent after his brief tour on Broadway last season.

Acquired ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline to play on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, Roslovic made very little impact, and even was a healthy scratch late in the regular season. He finished with eight points (three goals, fiver assists) in 19 games.

Roclovic scored his first Stanley Cup playoff goal in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Washington Capitals after 21 postseason games without a goal. He scored again two games later when the Rangers finished their sweep of the Capitals. And then a goose egg the final 12 postseason games.

When the Rangers were eliminated in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, Roslovic was buried on the fourth line, logging just 9:09 TOI. He closed out the playoffs with eight points (two goals, six assists) in 16 games.

Related: Ryan Strome chirps Henrik Lundqvist in playful TNT moment

Former Rangers forward lands Rolex watch, gets number back after Mikko Rantanen trade

Roslovic signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Hurricanes last July 4. He can be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Flying out of the gate with his new team, Roslovic scored nine goals by Nov. 7, 12 games into the season. He had a three-game goal streak later in November and a two-goal game against the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 28, but has largely slowed his pace the past few months.

Several weeks ago, Roslovic handed over his No. 96 to Mikko Rantanen after the star forward was acquired by the Hurricanes from the Colorado Avalanche. For his troubles, Roslovic received a Rolex watch from Rantanen.

Roslovic became a two-time winner, when Rantanen was flipped ahead of the trade deadline to the Dallas Stars. That allowed Roslovic to reclaim No. 96 and keep the Rolex!

Days later came the milestone goal. Roslovic is no doubt living large.

As for the Hurricanes, they’re second in the Metropolitan Division, 12 points behind the first-place Washington Capitals and six ahead of the third-place Devils. The Rangers? They’re tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference, two points out of the second wild card.

Roslovic was acquired by New York ahead of the 2024 trade deadline from the Columbus Blue Jackets, with hopes that he would add a scoring boost to the top-six as the Rangers prepared to make a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Rangers also had hopes that he would fill a hole on right wings on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, which was something they desperately needed.

Instead, Roslovic scored just three goals and had five assists in 19 regular-season games with the Rangers. He added two goals and six assists in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games before the Rangers were eliminated in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final by the Florida Panthers. It is very safe to say that Roslovic did not live up to the expectations with the Rangers.

Not surprisingly, the Rangers elected not to re-sign Roslovic, who was a UFA this past offseason. The 27-year-old instead signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Hurricanes and has had quite the comeback. In 33 games, Roslovic has 14 goals and five assists, and after potting one against the Rangers in the second period on Sunday, is now tied for the Hurricanes lead in goals with Martin Necas.

Related: 3 Rangers takeaways after 3-1 loss to Metro Division rival Hurricanes

Jack Roslovic’s goal ends up as game-winner against Rangers

Roslovic’s goal came on an expiring four-minute, double-minor assessed to Alexis Lafreniere for high-sticking. Lafreniere went to lift the stick of Roslovic and missed, clipping him in the mouth and drawing blood at 10:34 of the second period. After a quick trip to the dressing room, Roslovic came back and scored what turned out to be the game-winner at 14:32 during a miserable second period for New York.

Jack Roslovic gives the @Canes the lead! #CauseChaos | #NHLNShowcase pic.twitter.com/CEbtBcIMQZ

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) December 22, 2024

“We didn’t get the puck to the next level in the second period,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said postgame. “I thought the battles went their way. One goal on the power play and another with a guy coming out of the box, and that’s the difference in the game. I thought they were better than us in the second period.”

The second period for New York really was a let-down after a near-perfect start to the game. The Rangers scored just 17 seconds into the first period on a Jimmy Vesey goal, and seemed to dominate play early. They got off to a very fast start, which is something they’ve struggled to do over the past several weeks.

Unfortunately, they were not able to turn their excellent start into a 60-minute performance. This was largely due to penalties that took the momentum out of the game for the Rangers. Starting the second period on the penalty kill gave the Hurricanes early momentum, and the Rangers were never really able to gain it back.

“The start was good, but it slowly slipped away from us after that,” defenseman Adam Fox explained. “Penalties, and then they get chances. Their goal there at the end of the penalty and again on the second one as well. We got the start we wanted, but got to keep going like that for the whole game.”

As for Roslovic, the goal was his first in seven games and second since Nov. 25, after a fast start with the Hurricanes. The 14 goals are already second most in his NHL career, behind the 22 he scored with the Blue Jackets in 2021-22.

He’s played a big role for the Hurricanes (20-11-1), who are third in the Metropolitan Division, eight points ahead of the Rangers, who’ve they already defeated twice this season.

The 27-year-old forward was at it again Thursday night, scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist in Carolina’s 5-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. So, that’s six goals in his past five games, including another two-goal outing against the Boston Bruins on Halloween.

“I don’t know what’s going on there,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said with a laugh postgame Thursday. “He’s got a great release … and guys are finding him and he’s making the best of it.”

Jack Roslovic with his 8th of the season to lead the Canes in goals (as we definitely all predicted) 🚨 pic.twitter.com/WsaOFtAYAn

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 8, 2024

Rangers fans may want to cover their ears for this next part. Each of Roslovic’s nine goals is at even strength this season. Remember, the Rangers traded for him ahead of the deadline last season to try and help get Mika Zibanejad going 5v5. That didn’t quite pan out. Yet here he is, leading the Hurricanes in goal scoring and crushing it at even strength.

It doesn’t hurt that he skates on a line with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov these days. But is that really much more different than being on a line with Zibanejad and Chris Kreider?

For some reason, the chemistry Roslovic couldn’t find in New York, he’s discovered in Carolina.

“Obviously, two unbelievable players and I’m grateful to be out there playing with those guys and trying to bring an extra weapon, get open and be available for them when they need to make a nice play,” Roslovic said Thursday.

Related: ‘Don’t think we were too ready to play’ Rangers captain says after brutal loss

Jack Roslovic struggled with Rangers, thriving with Hurricanes

Roslovic is notoriously streaky. But this is his best run offensively since he scored 22 goals for the Blue Jackets in 2021-22, the only time he’s eclipsed 20 goals in the NHL. He followed that up with 11 goals the following season and then nine in 2023-24.

After being traded to the Rangers, Roslovic scored three goals in 19 games, scratched for one along the way. He had eight points, all but one at even strength.

Roslovic had a five-game point streak (two goals, three assists) to start the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the Rangers winning each game. He had three assists in the final 11 games of the postseason, eventually dropping to the third then fourth line in the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers.

The Rangers made no move to sign him in the offseason. In fact, there was hardly any market at all for him. But the Hurricanes handed him a one-year, $2.8 million contract, giving Roslovic the opportunity to land a bigger deal next summer at the age of 28.

So far, so good with that decision.

Despite losing key free agents Jake Guentzel, Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei, the Hurricanes (10-2-0) are tied for first in the Metro with the New Jersey Devils, who’ve played four more games. Their points percentage of .833 is tops in the Eastern Conference and second to the Winnipeg Jets (.929) in the NHL.

In the midst of a 3-3-0 stretch, the Rangers (8-3-1) are fourth in the division with 17 points.

Let’s see if Roslovic remains on his heater when the Rangers and Hurricanes meets for the first time this season, Nov. 27 in Raleigh.

In fact, they haven’t reached the Cup Final since 2014, their lone appearance since their most recent Stanley Cup title 30 years ago in 1994. Of course, each of those precede his tenure as GM, but while Drury has built some competitive and successful rosters, he’s made a few critical mistakes that have prevented New York from reaching their peak.

As we’re currently in the midst of arguably his most important offseason to date, let’s take a look at his worst moves as general manager of the Rangers.

It’s way too early to tell with this current offseason so none of those transactions are on the table, but everything else since he took charge in June of 2021 is fair game.

Related: 5 best moves by Rangers GM Chris Drury

Worst moves by Chris Drury as Rangers GM

5. Acquiring Patrick Kane before 2023 trade deadline

Acquiring Patrick Kane was a dream come true for many Rangers fans and seemingly a no-brainer when the Rangers acquired the forward ahead of the 2023 NHL trade deadline. With the future Hall of Famer all but forcing his way to New York, all it took was a second and fourth-round pick, which made the move even more appealing.

Kane did not impress in the regular season (five goals, 12 points in 19 games), and although he’s not to blame for a first-round playoff exit to the New Jersey Devils, scoring a goal and six points in the seven-game series, the addition of the injured superstar only made things more complicated.

A hip injury that ultimately required surgery in the offseason greatly limited Kane’s effectiveness. While the name still carried plenty of cache, a visibly hampered Kane didn’t do much to move the Rangers in the direction of Stanley Cup contender.

Drury had already acquired a talented veteran scoring winger in Vladimir Tarasenko, so Kane was less of a need and more of an added bonus. Perhaps there’s something to the expression “too many chefs in the kitchen” because what resulted was a disjointed forward grouping that never truly found its footing.

Kane is not to fault for a disappointing first-round exit but, in retrospect, Drury should’ve stayed away from the injured superstar.

4. Signing Barclay Goodrow in 2021 offseason

One of Drury’s first moves as Rangers GM was signing Barclay Goodrow to a 6-year, $3.64 million AAV contract.

Fresh off helping the Tampa Bay Lightning to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021 as part of a dynamic third line with Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman, Goodrow was a desirable target League-wide. But Drury overpaid to acquire his championship pedigree and veteran leadership, giving a hefty contract with a lot of term to a bottom-six role player.

Goodrow largely saw a fourth-line role as the center of New York’s top checking line. Despite getting top penalty kill minutes as well, Goodrow’s ATOI dipped from 16:43 in his first season down to 12:34 in 2024.

After back-to-back 10-plus goal, 30-plus point seasons with New York, his production fell off a cliff in 2024, when he scored just four goals and finished with 12 points in 80 games while recording a minus-13 rating. He proved to be a valuable asset in the postseason, though, when he scored six goals in this past spring’s run to the Eastern Conference Final, but it wasn’t enough to get the Rangers to the Cup in any of his three seasons.

His impact on the penalty kill and postseason should not be overlooked, but it’s overshadowed by his AAV that was simply too high for someone who only played a bottom-six role. The fact that Drury put him on waivers after his strong postseason is a telling indictment of the contract, and the GM was fortunate the San Jose Sharks claimed him and the final three years of that deal.

3. Trading for Jack Roslovic before 2024 deadline

Drury’s first trade deadline was a resounding success, but the next two have left something to be desired. After failing via the superstar route in 2023, Drury opted for a quieter trade deadline in 2024, trading for Alex Wennberg, Nic Petan, Chad Ruhwedel, and Jack Roslovic.

While Wennberg was ultimately a solid move to bolster depth down the middle, Roslovic was not the answer at wing that the Rangers were searching for.

Despite a very good record and a lead in the Metropolitan Division, the Rangers faced a familiar issue with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, who struggled to mesh at even strength with a medley of right wingers that included Kaapo Kakko, Blake Wheeler, and Jimmy Vesey.

Plenty of talented wingers switched hands at the deadline. Pittsburgh Penguins star Jake Guentzel was the headliner when he was shipped to the Carolina Hurricanes, but other enticing names like Tyler Toffoli, Anthony Mantha, and Anthony Duclair were available as well. The Rangers, though, acquired the enigmatic Roslovic, who’d scored more than 12 goals once in his career, right before the deadline from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The speedy winger had just three goals and eight points in 19 regular-season games after the trade, all on the top line. After a hot start to his postseason, recording a point in each of his first five games, Roslovic’s production completely cratered. By the Eastern Conference Final, he was relegated to a fourth-line role.

Like Kane, he’s probably not the reason the Rangers fell in the postseason, but perhaps a stronger offensive winger could’ve helped turn the tide back in their favor. Drury only gave up a fourth-round pick, so the deal itself isn’t a disaster, but when there’s a Stanley Cup title in reach, it hurts to miss on a top-six add like that.

Roslovic is out the door already after signing a one-year contract with the Hurricanes this summer.

2. Signing Patrik Nemeth in 2021 offseason

Another one of the moves from his first offseason, Drury signed Patrik Nemeth to a 3-year, $2.5 million AAV deal with hopes he could be a reliable bottom-pairing defenseman.

Nemeth was 29 at the time and coming off a solid season splitting time with the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche, posting 10 points and a plus-5 rating. But Nemeth’s metrics took a deep dive as soon as he donned the Rangers uniform.

Nemeth recorded seven points and had a minus-9 rating through 63 games, grading out in the bottom one percent of all skaters in Evolving Hockey’s player charts.

With two years and $5 million still left on his contract, Drury attached a pair of second-round picks just to send him to the Arizona Coyotes and get his money off the books.

Nemeth’s lone season in New York was a disaster and the collateral of two second-round picks just to get rid of him easily makes this signing a complete failure.

1. Trading Pavel Buchnevich in 2021 offseason

The most maligned move of Drury’s tenure, unsurprisingly, is trading Pavel Buchnevich in the summer of 2021.

Buchnevich was due a significant raise as a restricted free agent, and the Rangers were tight against the salary cap. So, Drury opted to avoid a bigger payday for the then 25-year-old winger, tradsing him to the St. Louis Blues for Sammy Blais and a second-round pick.

Blais had a brutal knee injury, didn’t score a goal and had just nine points in the 54 games he played for the Rangers before ultimately getting shipped back to St. Louis in the Tarasenko trade in 2023. The second-rounder was flipped to the Winnipeg Jets for Andrew Copp, leaving the Rangers with no remnants from the trade, though Copp was a nice short-term add after the 2022 deadline.

If the lack of return wasn’t painful enough, Buchnevich has thrived since leaving New York, taking the leap that many fans envisioned he would.

After scoring 20 goals and 48 points in his last season as a Blueshirt, Buchnevich immediately made the step to elite winger, scoring an NHL career-high 30 goals and 78 points in his first season with the Blues. He’s kept up the production, posting 60-plus points and 25-plus goals in each of his first three seasons in St. Louis.

Despite Rangers fans longing for a return, Buchnevich won’t be going anywhere after signing a 6-year, $8 million AAV extension to stay with the Blues long term.

New York, meanwhile, has been left with a void at right wing that Drury has failed to fill outside of Frank Vatrano’s half-season in 2022. Even Vatrano wasn’t quite able to replicate the chemistry and production that Kreider, Zibanejad, and Buchnevich were able to develop.

This offseason’s trade for Reilly Smith marks the latest attempt to fill a gap that has lingered ever since Buchnevich’s departure. Drury’s made his share of missteps, but none quite compare to this.

Roslovic took a considerable pay cut after waiting several days from the start of free agency to finally land a deal. The 27-year-old was coming off a two-year, $8 million contract with an average annual value of $4 million, that he signed with the Blue Jackets on June 7, 2022.

Though he’s been inconsistent throughout his career and saw his production with New York and Columbus drop last season, Carolina could use Roslovic in a top-six role next season.

“Jack is a dynamic player who has been an offensive contributor for his entire career,” Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said. “Adding another right-handed playmaker capable of injecting speed and skill into the lineup will provide a boost to our forward group.”

Roslovic’s potential has never lived up to his actual production, as the Rangers found out this past season. He’s scored more than 20 goals once in seven NHL seasons with the Rangers, Blue Jackets and Winnipeg Jets (22 with the Blues Jackets in 2021-22) and never more than 12 in any other season.

The Rangers acquired Roslovic before the 2024 NHL trade deadline and he had eight points (three goals, five assists) in 19 games. Playing primarily as the top line right wing alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, Roslovic never took hold of the opportunity.

Roslovic got off to a fast start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with one point in each of the first five games, including a pair of power-play goals in the first round against the Washington Capitals. He had three assists the rest of the postseason, including two in the decisive Game 6 of the second round against the Hurricanes.

By time the Rangers were eliminated in six games by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final, Roslovic was on the fourth line. He finished with eight points (two goals, six assists) in 16 postseason games.

Related: Analytics cast doubt about Reilly Smith’s success with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider

Jack Roslovic departs Rangers to sign with Hurricanes

The Rangers did not appear to make a serious attempt to re-sign Roslovic. In fact, their biggest goal this offseason was to find a better fit with Zibanejad and Kreider. Ultimately, the Blueshirts traded for veteran forward Reilly Smith, acquiring the 33-year-old from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Smith is sure to get a chance on the right side of the top line. And youngsters Brennan Othmann and Will Cuylle could get a look too in training camp. Don’t discount Kaapo Kakko getting another chance either.

Roslovic will be a top-nine, and possible top-six, forward in Carolina. He joins William Carrier, Tyson Jost and Eric Robinson as middle-six forwards signed by the Hurricanes in free agency. Carolina lost forward Teuvo Teravainen, who signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. And restricted free agent Martin Necas filed for arbitration and reportedly is seeking a trade out of Carolina.

The Hurricanes also lost two key defensemen in Brett Pesce, who signed with the New Jersey Devils, and former Blueshirt Brady Skjei, who signed with the Nashville Predators. To fill those holes, Carolina signed free agents Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker.

Now, Carolina’s latest move is signing Roslovic, who combined for nine goals and 31 points in 59 games with the Rangers and Blue Jackets last season and blew a chance at a significant contract when he failed to produce with two star linemates in New York.

The Rangers didn’t make the sexy move ahead of the deadline. They didn’t trade for a big name like Jake Guentzel or reunite with All-Star Frank Vatrano, who was a nice fit during the 2022 postseason run.

Instead, the Rangers added complementary pieces, to varying degrees of success. They acquired center Alex Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken for a 2024 second-round pick in the NHL Draft and a fourth.-round selection in 2025. They also picked up forward Jack Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a fourth-round pick in 2026.

New York also acquired veteran depth defenseman Chad Ruhwedel for a fourth-round selection in 2027.

So, that’s two lineup regulars and Ruhwedel, who appeared in five regular-season games and none in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Each was a rental and none is expected to re-sign when they all become unrestricted free agents July 1.

The cost, by and large, was minimal, though the Rangers now don’t have a second- nor third-round pick in this draft nor do they have a second-round selection in the next three drafts. But they held on to their first-round pick and top prospects, like Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann.

The question, of course, will always remain: could the Rangers have landed Guentzel if they would’ve parted with a first-rounder and/or a key prospect or two? And if the Stanley Cup champion played for the Rangers, what difference would he have made on the top line, power play and, most importantly, against the Florida Panthers in the conference final?

We will never know. And perhaps Guentzel lands on Broadway through free agency this offseason. But that’s for another day.

Related: Rangers’ options to fill right-wing vacancy in NHL free agency

Breaking down Rangers 2024 trade-deadline acquisitions

Removing Ruhwedel from the equation, let’s examine the Wennberg and Roslovic deals made ahead of the trade deadline.

Alex Wennberg

Realistically, Wennberg performed exactly as should have been expected for the Rangers. So, really, he lived up to his billing in all areas, providing solid play on the third line, most often alongside Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko.

He’s never been much of a scorer nor good at face-offs. And that played out with the Rangers. In 19 regular-season games, Wennberg had one goal and five points, and won 45.1 percent of his face-offs. He had one goal — the overtime winner in Game 3 of the conference final against the Panthers — and two points, and won 44.1 percent of his draws in the postseason.

But what Wennberg does do well carried over with the Rangers. He’s strong on the puck, helping create positive puck possession numbers, and he’s very responsible defensively. Wennberg was, as expected, a solid addition on the penalty kill.

The Rangers needed a steady veteran to center the third line with Filip Chytil out injured and not expected to return, and Wennberg delivered that. He certainly didn’t exceed expectations — if he did, perhaps it would’ve helped the Rangers to still be playing. But he didn’t hurt the Rangers either. He just didn’t move the needle much.

Related: Where Rangers stand after NHL salary cap increases

Jack Roslovic

The Rangers desperately needed a forward to jell with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad on the top line. And perhaps general manager Chris Drury envisioned another low-cost, high-upside move would fit the bill, just as Vatrano did two years ago.

Problem is, like Wennberg, Roslovic basically was who he’s always been. But that wasn’t nearly enough for the Rangers. As a third-line right wing, which on a good team is likely Roslovic’s best role, sure. But on the top line? Just because he played first-line minutes with the woeful Blue Jackets?

Not good. Not enough.

Roslovic had three goals and eight points in 19 regular-season games. He started hot in the playoffs, with points in five straight games, including his first-ever postseason goal in 22 games. But when things got tougher against the Carolina Hurricanes and Panthers, Roslovic faded, though he did have two assists in Game 6 of the second round against Carolina.

Playing almost exclusively on the perimeter, Roslovic was a non-factor. He scored two goals, each on the power play, early in the postseason and that was it. He had eight points in 16 games, and managed just 21 shots on goal.

Roslovic finished the postseason skating on the fourth line.

His inconsistent scoring followed his career path, where he has 80 goals in 445 NHL games.

Yes, it cost only a fourth-round pick. But choosing to trade for Roslovic instead of someone with a greater pedigree was to New York’s detriment. This was a misfire, one that had ramifications in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Midseason trade acquisition Jack Roslovic and offseason signing Blake Wheeler will both become unrestricted free agents July 1, and neither is expected to be brought back. Former No. 2 overall pick Kaapo Kakko is eligible for arbitration, and could be a trade chip this summer. That means the Rangers need to acquire at least one right wing, maybe two.

The ongoing search will be particularly pertinent after an Eastern Conference Final exit that saw the offense dry up and a lack of scoring on the right side outside of Alexis Lafreniere. That on top of a years-long experiment to find the right forward to plat he right side on the top line alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, which continues to remain a massive question mark this offseason.

PuckPedia has the Rangers with the 11th-worst projected salary cap space at $12.45 million, which will likely put them out of the running for the headliners among unrestricted free agent forwards like Sam Reinhart and Jake Guentzel, unless a significant contract, like Jacob Trouba’s, is moved this summer, perhaps along with Kakko.

Prospects Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard will get a long look in training camp. Each is knocking on the NHL door, though either might start in a bottom-six role, meaning the Rangers would still need to target a more veteran right wing in the offseason. It would be risky to begin chasing the Stanley Cup next season with a rookie, even a first-rounder like Othmann, starting right away on the top line.

Still, general manager Chris Drury did say they would target all options, both internal and external, when he addressed the media on Friday.

Related: Where Rangers stand after NHL salary cap increases beyond expectations

Right-wing options for Rangers in free agency

With all that on the table, let’s take a look at some potential right-wing candidates with free agency starting in less than a month. Listed in alphabetical order.

Matt Duchene

The Dallas Stars signed Matt Duchene to a one-year, $3 million deal after the Nashville Predators bought out his seven-year, $56 million contract which was supposed to run through 2025-26. Duchene was well worth the value, scoring 25 goals to help Dallas to the best record in the Western Conference.

Now he’ll hit free agency again. He’ll be 34 years old next season, but has largely continued to produce in the back half of his career. He likely sees a jump up from the $3 million cap hit he had this past season, but by how much is the big question.

If he remains in a sub-$5 million range, it could be a fit for the New York Rangers the next few years.

He’s just two years removed from a 43-goal season and has scored 20-plus goals in each of the past three seasons. He’s a primary right winger with top-six experience, logging over 663 minutes in the regular season alongside Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. He also adds the ability to play down the middle, which he did for the majority of these playoffs. However, he scored only two goals in 19 postseason games this spring.

Again, not the biggest guy (5-foot-11, 195 pounds), but the Rangers could certainly use someone with his speed and scoring touch. It’s worth noting that 19 of his 25 goals this season came at even strength, an area the Blueshirts have struggled to excel in the past few years.

This would certainly be a needle-mover as he’d slot in on the top line immediately. Dallas would certainly like to keep him as well, so it’ll be curious to see where his AAV ends up.

Anthony Duclair

Anthony Duclair came up through the Rangers organization, debuting as a 19-year-old in the 2014-15 season. He played just 18 games and was subsequently traded to the Arizona Coyotes for Keith Yandle. He’s bounced around a lot in his 10-year career, playing for eight different teams, and will once again be available as his three-year deal comes to an end.

Duclair hit the books at an average annual value of $3 million on his most recent contract, the largest cap hit of his career. It’s hard to think he’ll make too much more than that after an up-and-down 2024 season that saw him struggle in 56 games with the San Jose Sharks before finding a spark after a trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead of the deadline. He did finish with 24 goals combined.

That’s coming after a 2022-23 season when he logged just nine points in 20 regular-season games after tearing his Achilles tendon. He did, though, rebound to help the Florida Panthers reach the Stanley Cup Final last postseason, when he had 11 points in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

That could translate to a fairly reasonable contract that the Rangers could afford, all while acquiring a player who still has plenty of upside to buy into.

Duclair scored a career-high 31 goals two seasons ago with Florida and is a four-time 20-goal scorer in the NHL. This postseason showed the Rangers could certainly use someone on the right side that has a scoring touch. And his speed would be a nice addition the Rangers lineup.

He’s not the biggest guy (5-foot-11, 197-pounds), which might be a detriment after the Rangers were outmuscled by the Panthers in the conference final, but he’s got plenty of speed and a hard shot. It could be worth a look if the contract is in range.

Danton Heinen

In a similar vein to Sprong, Danton Heinen could be a bottom-six target with potential to play on the top line if necessary.

Heinen posted 17 goals and 36 points in 74 games with the Boston Bruins, rejoining the team that drafted him after several seasons away.

The 28-year-old is primarily a left wing but has played on the right side throughout his career, including a stretch from 2018 to 2020 when he logged most of his minutes at right wing with the Bruins.

He grades out better defensively than Sprong and has gotten run on the top-six, mostly with Boston. In the 2018-19 season, he logged his most ice time to the right of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. This year he logged over 184 minutes next to David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha.

If the Rangers are hoping to recapture the spark of Frank Vatrano, who found inspired success after seeing consistent top-line minutes next to Zibanejad and Kreider after the 2022 trade deadline, Heinen is a guy who has plsayref that role before and has some offensive upside.

Heinen returned to Boston on an incredibly team friendly one-year, $775,000 deal. He’ll certainly get a pay raise this offseason, but it should still be within the Rangers range

Daniel Sprong

The Rangers would love to nab a top wing this offseason, but there’s simply not many who fit that bill, are available and that they can afford as presently constituted. Daniel Sprong might not be a flashy add, it’s the type of move Drury could make if he wants to bolster the right side, particularly if Kakko moves up to the top line or isn’t coming back.

Sprong posted 18 goals and 43 points in 76 games with the Detroit Red Wings after a 21-goal season with the Seattle Kraken the season prior.

He’s not a great defensive forward, grading out poorly in every season outside of his final one in Seattle, but his offensive rating ranks in the 77th percentile over this most recent three-year span (per Evolving Hockey).

The Rangers third line of Will Cuylle, Alex Wennberg, and Kakko was excellent down the stretch at possessing the puck, but struggled to actually score. Filip Chytil centering that line for a full season, if healthy, will likely bolster the offensive production, but an add like Sprong could also help that unit generate more chances.

The 27-year-old has signed one-year deals with the Red Wings and Kraken each of the past two seasons with $2 million in AAV being his highest cap hit. He’ll likely command a similar value again this offseason, which the Rangers could fit if they wanted to try him on a one- or two-year deal.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Here’s another target for the Rangers, who also briefly played for them. Vladimir Tarasenko was solid but by no means other-worldly in his 31 games with the Blueshirts after being acquired ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, tallying eight goals and 21 points in 31 games. However, he did play consistently with Zibanejad and Kreider, and scored three goals in seven playoff games against the New Jersey Devils.

The Rangers had very little cap space last offseason and thus were unable to re-sign Tarasenko, despite him expressing desire to stay in New York.

"I like everything. I cannot say a single bad word about my time. I enjoyed everything."

Vladimir Tarasenko, who calls the Rangers "one of the top organizations in the league, if not the best," on his time in New York: pic.twitter.com/gsaiv02FrO

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) May 3, 2023

He ended up signing a one-year, $5 million contract with the Ottawa Senators, and now he’s in the Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers after a late-season trade. He scored one goal against the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final, the series-winning goal in Game 6. And, of course, he’s a Stanley Cup champion, with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.

This season, the Rangers could have a bit more cap space to work with. If Tarasenko commands another $5 million AAV contract, it could be difficult to fit in, even with the cap going up $4.5 million this offseason. Plus, Tarasenko may be looking for one last long-term deal, which may not be a tree the Rangers want to crawl up with some noteworthy free agents on the horizon in the next few seasons.

However, if the 32-year-old remains in play for a short-term deal, it wouldn’t be a bad fit for the Rangers. He scored 23 goals with Florida and Ottawa this season, and has found success in the postseason on a very successful third line with Anton Lundell and Eutu Luostarinen.

His sharp shot and smooth hands would add a playmaking element that the Rangers lack on the right side outside of Lafreniere. He also has scored 297 goals in the NHL, including 34 just two seasons ago with the Blues.