One name to keep an eye on is Vladislav Gavrikov. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound defenseman made a name for himself this season with the Los Angeles Kings and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in three weeks. Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported that the Rangers may be interested in Gavrikov and could be looking to shake up their roster after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Heard around the NHL combine this week:

— #NYR among a handful of teams (BUF, UTA, SEA) looking to shake up their roster soon
— Shesterkin, Fox and Panarin may be only #NYR untouchables in trade talk
— Keep an eye on Vladislav Gavrikov and #NYR if Chris Drury can free up space

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNHL) June 7, 2025

Gavrikov is a big left-handed defenseman who has established himself as someone who can play top-four or even top-pair minutes. Drury shipped out Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7, but the Rangers have yet to find the perfect partner for Adam Fox on the top defense pair. Gavrikov may just fit the bill.

The 29-year-old is not known for his offensive prowess, but he did put up 30 points (five goals, 25 assists) this season with the Kings, three short of his career high. Where the 29-year-old did impress was in plus-minus — he finished plus-26, far surpassing his previous career best of plus-12, set in 2022-23.

Gavrikov also averaged a career-high 23:05 of ice time, led the Kings with 140 blocked shots and took just 28 penalty minutes. Although some of Gavrikov’s success was likely a byproduct of the Kings’ tight-checking, defense-first system, it’s likely he would be a good fit under new Rangers coach Mike Sullivan and his staff as well.

Related: Rangers ‘team to keep an eye on the next few weeks’ as offseason heats up: NHL insider

Rangers need to free up cap space, identify ‘untouchables’

In order to make this happen, Drury would have to free up some cap space. Gavrikov’s cap hit came in at $5.875 million last season, and he’ll likely be looking for a raise after the year he just had with the Kings.

The Rangers have roughly $8.4 million in cap space for next season, according to PuckPedia, and they still need to make decisions on signing restricted free agents Will Cuylle (likely the top priority), Matt Rempe, Adam Edstrom, K’Andre Miller, and Zac Jones. If Drury really wants to reshape the roster for next season, he’ll have to let some of those players walk or find ways to create cap room before free agency begins.

According to Staple, the only untouchables on New York’s roster are Igor Shesterkin, Artemi Panarin, and Adam Fox. But what does that mean for everyone else?

Rumors have swirled since the season ended in April regarding the status of forward Chris Kreider, the longest-tenured Ranger, and his longtime running mate Mika Zibanejad. Though Zibanejad has a full no-move clause and has expressed his desire to stay, Drury has worked around that situation before and surely would be willing to do it again. Kreider, who’s 34 and has a 15-team no-trade clause, had just 22 goals and 30 points this season. He also missed 14 games and said on breakup day that he might need offseason hand surgery.

A more likely option is to move restricted free agent defenseman K’Andre Miller. He’s still young (25) with lots of potential. However, each year Miller seems primed to explode into a top-pair defenseman, but it doesn’t pan out that way. He’s also an RFA who will be looking for a raise from a contract that carried an average annual value of $3,872 million. The Rangers may want to move on from him while they can still get a decent return, and it seems like that time might be now.

Reports have come out that the Rangers are open to moving Miller, and would rather take that route than give him an extension. They do not want to let him walk for nothing, as he would bring in a good return at this point in his career given his skill and potential. This could open the door to bring in someone like Gavrikov, who could be a much better fit.

It seems like more change is on the horizon in New York. Now that the coaching staff is set for 2025-26, changes to the roster are sure to follow.

The Rangers claimed the 23-year-old forward off waivers on Monday. He landed on waivers because the Los Angeles Kings needed to clear space on their roster for the return of forwards Trevor Lewis and Trevor Moore from injured reserve.

Kaliyev, who has yet to play in the NHL this season after breaking his clavicle in September, did not dress in New York’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars, although he did participate in both the morning skate and pregame warmups.

He might not be playing, but #NYR Arthur Kaliyev is taking warmups tonight. pic.twitter.com/3YsmIcvltq

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) January 7, 2025

With Chytil sidelined by an upper-body injury sustained against the Stars and Chris Kreider already on IR with an upper-body issue, a path is cleared for Kaliyev to play on the third line against the Devils. He’ll slot in alongside Jonny Brodzinski and Brett Berard. Will Cuylle moves up from that line to take Kreider’s spot to the left of Mika Zibanejad and Reilly Smith.

Kaliyev also took Chytil’s spot on the second power-play unit at practice Wednesday.

With no Chytil, Kaliyev takes his spot on the right half boards on PP2. Also, on PP1, Panarin goes back on the right, and Laf on the left.

— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) January 8, 2025

The scouting report on Kaliyev tells of an imperfect player, but one that may have some untapped potential.

“Arthur has a great shot,” LA-based hockey insider Dennis Bernstein told Forever Blueshirts’ executive editor Jim Cerny on the Rink Rap podcast. “But the problem is, not a great skater, doesn’t really play defense, the attention to detail really isn’t there. I don’t think ‘Artie’ is a 25-goal scorer in this league because I don’t think he can play top-six minutes because of his speed and defensive game.”

Bernstein labeled Kaliyev as a “one-dimensional player,” with that one dimension being his strong shooting ability.

Still, the former second-round pick (No. 33 overall) in 2019 played at a half-point-per-game pace just two seasons ago, tallying 28 points and 56 games in 2022-23 and scoring 14 goals as a rookie in 2021-22.

With all that on the table, here’s why this season provides the perfect opportunity to experiment with Kaliyev in the top six.

Related: Joining Rangers is ‘dream come true’ for Arthur Kaliyev

Why Rangers should give Arthur Kaliyev extended run

Bernstein’s evaluation of Kaliyev doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that the Rangers stumbled on a hidden gem. But the truth is, nobody knows for sure.

Kaliyev was drafted in the early second round for a reason — an exciting offensive profile headlined by excellent shooting ability.

Granted, the Rangers of all teams should know that draft position does not automatically equate to NHL production. Look no further than former Blueshirts draft picks Lias Anderson (seventh overall in 2017), Vitali Kravtsov (ninth overall in 2018), or even the recently-traded Kaapo Kakko (second overall in that same 2019 draft) — all of whom disappointed in comparison to their pre-draft scouting profile.

But it’s not Kaliyev’s once-valued prospect status that makes this a worthwhile endeavor. It’s a combination of his skillset and the Rangers’ current position in the Eastern Conference that makes it worth doing.

Playing Arthur Kaliyev is low-risk, high-reward situation for Rangers

Even with earning points in three of their last four contests (2-1-), the Rangers currently sit four points out of the last wild card spot in the East and 18 points shy of first place in the Metropolitan Division.

A playoff appearance is still plausible, but the on-ice performance over the last two months (6-16-1) does not scream postseason contender.

To further that point, MoneyPuck gives the Rangers a 6.3 percent chance of making the playoffs and lists them as one of nine teams with a zero percent chance of winning the Stanley Cup. That’s a far fall from grace for the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners who entered the season with a “Cup-or-bust” mindset.

HOLY SHIT. Arthur Kaliyev! American Hero! pic.twitter.com/zU4quH5ljH

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 5, 2021

Being a non-contender for the Stanley Cup isn’t a good thing, but it does afford the Rangers more flexibility and creativity with their lineup.

As long as Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, and Alexis Lafreniere are inked long-term, it’s unlikely the Blueshirts enter a full-on rebuild. In fact, with savvy moves by general manager Chris Drury, the Rangers could leap right back into contention next season.

Which makes this season a unique opportunity to take risks that could yield long-term rewards. Case in point — Arthur Kaliyev.

If Kaliyev continues to disappoint, it’s no skin off the Rangers back. His cheap one-year, $825,000 contract expires at the end of the season and New York can release him at any point this season without suffering any cap penalty.

If Kaliyev struggles, it won’t be the reason the Rangers miss the playoffs. They’ve already put themselves in this hole and have far bigger culprits to address from that perspective.

But if Kaliyev does take a leap and becomes a player Drury wants to keep long-term, they’ll have first crack at retaining a relatively young forward who’s still a restricted free agent at season’s end and likely wouldn’t command an exorbitant contract.

“I would advocate [for it] — who cares,” NHL insider Frank Seravalli told Morning Cuppa Hockey on Tuesday. “You’re the Rangers, you’ve got tons of cap space, find out. Let’s take a risk.”

Unless Kaliyev is blocking the path of a homegrown prospect, say Brennan Othmann for instance, it’s hard to see how giving him playing time would come back to bite the Rangers in any meaningful way.

Rangers could benefit from another shoot-first player

The Rangers have plenty of skaters who, when playing at their best, are excellent facilitators.

Fox is one of the best playmaking defensemen in the game and Artemi Panarin is as smooth with the puck as can be. But it does feel like the Blueshirts could use one or two more skaters with shoot-first attitudes.

And when they have gotten players who fit that bill, it’s typically worked out pretty well.

Chytil, who currently leads all Rangers skaters with 9.33 shots on goal per 60 minutes, has been a bright spot when healthy and has been rightfully lauded for how aggressive he plays on the offensive end.

Panarin’s career-best season, recording 49 goals and 120 points in 2023-24, came with a team-best 11.02 SOG/60, a marked leap from the season prior where he finished ninth on the squad with 7.61.

Even take Frank Vatrano, who became a fan-favorite after coming over to New York via trade halfway through the 2021-22 season and thrived next to Kreider and Zibanejad. Vatrano ranked second on the team with 10.0 SOG/60 in 22 games, trailing only Kreider, who tallied 52 goals that season.

Granted, these are all established NHL players with more complete careers than Kaliyev, but the correlation between production and shot volume should not be ignored.

With increased playing time compared to his usage with the Kings, perhaps he can take on a role similar to that of Vatrano’s tenure. It’s worth noting that Vatrano has carved out a very solid NHL career for himself thanks to an elite shot and high shot volume, despite very poor defensive metrics each of the last three seasons. Vatrano just landed a new three-year, $18 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks last week.

Rangers may be sellers at NHL trade deadline

Barring an inspired turnaround, the Rangers are trending to be sellers when the NHL trade deadline rolls around on March 7.

One could argue they’ve already begun to sell. The trading away of Kakko and Jacob Trouba might just be the start of a roster overhaul.

Drury reportedly made Kreider, the longest-tenured Blueshirt, available for trade in a memo sent to 31 NHL GMs. Jimmy Vesey is 32 and has been floated in trade rumors with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, and the same can be said for offseason acquisition Reilly Smith.

There’s even been some rumblings surrounding Zibanejad, with the Vancouver Canucks reportedly rejecting a one-for-one trade for J.T. Miller.

Canucks declined a Zibanejad for Miller trade one for one 👀

Let’s hear your offers for JT Miller with the Rangers’ roster ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9fRRRjcJvT

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 7, 2025

Point being, it certainly sounds like the Rangers may subtract from their forward group come March, leaving major openings to be filled.

Even if playoff hopes dwindle, you’d still like to see those spots be filled in a meaningful way. That could mean a couple of call-ups from the Hartford Wolf Pack, but it could also mean giving a once-revered prospect like Kaliyev a chance to shine in the top six.

If an exodus is coming, the Rangers will need young, unproven depth to slot in, and even with 188 NHL games already under his belt, I’d still throw Kaliyev under that umbrella.

Related: New York Rangers trade rumors: Canucks ‘adore’ young defenseman — NHL insder

Change of scenery can be good

Sometimes all a player needs is a change of scenery to regain confidence and unlock his full potential.

The Rangers have been on the opposite end of this with Pavel Buchnevich thriving in a top-line role with the St. Louis Blues after being traded away from New York. Perhaps now they can benefit from it.

Kaliyev, a Staten Island native, returns home to New York City where he’ll look to find greater success than his disappointing four-year tenure in Los Angeles.

Arthur Kaliyev, who moved to Staten Island when he was two years old, rooted at least in part for the Rangers growing up

Rick Nash was his favorite Ranger pic.twitter.com/ecGe2siL1v

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) January 8, 2025

Kaliyev struggled to escape a fourth-line role, averaging just 12:08 TOI per game in his 188-game Kings career. That’s on top of being in a more conservative system to begin with as Los Angeles primarily utilized a 1-3-1 neutral zone trap during Kaliyev’s tenure.

Neither is a great fit for an offense-minded forward who struggles on the defensive end.

Based on the morning skate, Kaliyev looks to slot in with the third line, which was receiving ample ice time prior to Chytil’s injury. If he’s able to stay in the lineup consistently, he may even graduate into a top-six role if there are major trade departures to the forward group.

And although the Rangers have primarily played a 1-3-1 under Laviolette, they’re more aggressive and take more risks offensively compared to the Kings.

So though Kaliyev is not likely to blossom into a superstar now that he’s joined the Rangers, there’s no harm in giving him a chance to carve out a role for himself and become a potential piece of the future.

Kaliyev, a second-round pick (No. 33) in the 2019 NHL Draft, had a hard time finding consistency during three-plus seasons with the Kings. He scored 35 goals and had 71 points in 188 games in Los Angeles, including a career-high 14 goals in 2021-22 and career-best 28 points in 2022-23.

“I didn’t expect it obviously, but it’s kind of like a dream come true,” Kaliyev said Tuesday. “We grew up watching (the Rangers) obviously living down here for a long time. I didn’t expect it but I’m really excited, and a little bit nervous, it was awesome … I used to come watch games here too, so it’s crazy — not much more words you can say.”

HOLY SHIT. Arthur Kaliyev! American Hero! pic.twitter.com/zU4quH5ljH

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 5, 2021

Kaliyev was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, but his family moved to Staten Island when he was young — and he spent most of his childhood as a Rangers fan.

He also has some familiarity with the current Rangers. Kaliyev was a teammate of backup goaltender Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles; he also played with Brett Berard and K’Andre Miller for the United States at the World Junior Championship in 2020 and 2021.

“Quick was the first one to text me,” Kaliyev said, “and obviously I played with Berard and (Miller) at World Juniors, so it was awesome seeing those familiar faces.”

Related: New York Rangers injury update: Chris Kreider lands on IR, Igor Shesterkin practices

Rangers coach looks for Arthur Kaliyev to be 3-zone player

While things may not have worked out in Los Angeles, where Kaliyev ultimately asked for a trade last season, he’s getting a fresh start playing with the team he grew up rooting for.

When asked what he brings to the Rangers, his response was simple.

“Pretty much everything,” he said. “Obviously offensive side of the game, making plays, scoring, creating chances. Just try to do my best overall game, playing hard, having great effort in all three zones, playing good D-zone obviously and just trying my best everywhere.”

But his best skill is obvious. He’s got a really good release and did score 51 goals in 67 games with Brantford of the Ontario Hockey League in 2018-19 and then 44 in 57 OHL games the next season.

Where Kaliyev fits into the lineup is yet to be determined. He didn’t suit up for the Rangers’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, despite taking part in the morning skate. There’s a chance that Kaliyev makes his Rangers debut against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

With Chris Kreider placed on injured reserve Tuesday, there is a need for offense in the lineup, one that Kaliyev might be able to fill. Jonny Brodzinski did a fine job in Kreider’s place in New York’s 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, tying the score 1-1 with his third goal of the season in the first period, but Kaliyev might be more of a long-term solution, depending on how long Kreider is out.

“Young player, he’s big, he’s strong,” coach Peter Laviolette explained after the morning skate. “New opportunity for him; we got him out on the ice today for the first time, and we’ll see where he fits in. You’ve got to get to the point where the puck is on your stick and you can shoot it. So there’s more that goes into it, from getting out, getting through the neutral zone, getting into the offensive zone. But there’s no question he’s got a heavy shot, and he’s capable when the puck is on his stick.”

While Kaliyev brings a high upside for offense, it sounds like he’ll have to earn the trust of Laviolette in all three zones if he wants to be a regular in the lineup.

He’s eager to show he’s up to the challenge.

“This is going to be really exciting, to get a new fresh start and opportunity to prove yourself as a player,” Kaliyev said. “I’m really excited for this opportunity.”

That’s the opinion of Dennis Bernstein, the NHL insider for The Fourth Period who’s based in Los Angeles and got a close-up look at the first four seasons of Kaliyev’s NHL career with the Kings.

“The player is a one-dimensional player,” Bernstein told the Rink Rap podcast presented by Forever Blueshirts. “Now, one-dimensional players play in this league. But they have to be elite one-dimensional players, and Arthur has a great shot, he does. But the problem is, not a great skater, doesn’t really play defense, the attention to detail really isn’t there.”

It’s that shot, though, that helped Kaliyev get selected in the second round (No. 33) of the 2019 NHL Draft. That shot produced 51 goals in 67 games with Brantford of the Ontario Hockey League in 2018-19 and another 44 goals in 57 games the following OHL season. That wicked release produced his game-winning goal for the United States against Finland in the semifinals of the 2021 World Junior Championship. He had three goals and eight points in seven games to help lead the U.S. to the gold medal that year.

So, though he had his struggled in three-plus seasons with the Kings, there’s still something to like about Kaliyev and his greatest skill: his shot. Though Bernstein acknowledges that specific skill, he held firm on his overall take with Kaliyev.

“I don’t think Artie is a 25-goal scorer in this league because I don’t think he can play top-six minutes because of his speed and defensive game,” he stated.

Bernstein compared Kaliyev to Daniel Sprong, who’s scored 87 goals in 363 NHL games for six teams since 2015-16 — someone who can add production in a bottom-six role, and help out your power play. Kaliyev has 35 goals in 188 NHL games, never more than 14 in his rookie season in 2021-22. Half those goals (17) were scored on the power play.

Arthur’s first skate as a #NYR. ☑️ pic.twitter.com/gzLASe5eA9

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 7, 2025

With Chris Kreider landing on IR on Tuesday, there’s a chance Kaliyev could get an opportunity on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Reilly Smith, at least to start. He won’t be in the lineup against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, though, despite participating in the morning skate at Madison Square Garden. Jonny Brodzinski skates in Kreider’s spot Tuesday. But Thursday against the New Jersey Devils? There’s a chance.

“I think the best-case scenario is you put him in the bottom six, you give him some power-play time and maybe he gives you some production,” Bernstein said. “I think at best, Artie is what he was at his best with LA, a 12-13 minute a night guy who gave you 10-12 goals.”

Related: Rangers receive major boost from healthy Filip Chytil

Rangers must ‘manage … expectations’ with Arthur Kaliyev, insider believes

Though it appears Bernstein isn’t high on the Kaliyev addition, the veteran reporter did note that a change of scenery was needed in this case. He also said he expects a “super motivated” Kaliyev to be re-energized returning to New York, where he grew up on Staten Island and played a year with the Jr. Rangers.

A fresh start is needed after Kaliyev asked the Kings for a trade last season, which made the forward “persona non grata” with the team. According to Bernstein, the Kings tried to trade Kaliyev at the 2024 draft in Las Vegas but couldn’t.

“Trust is a two-way street. You want to talk about players trusting coaches, there’s also coaches trusting players, and the trust wasn’t there (last season with Kaliyev),” he explained. “Remember, there were two different (Kings) coaches last season. At the beginning of the season, it was Todd McLellan, and the second half with Jim Hiller. They’re two very different personalities, and Artie couldn’t seem to get through to either one of them.”

Another important factor this season is that Kaliyev has yet to play an NHL game. He sustained a broken clavicle the first day of training camp and has only played five games on an AHL conditioning stint, collecting one goal and one assist.

That won’t make it easy for him to jump right into the Rangers’ lineup either.

“You’ve just got to manage your expectations with him,” Bernstein concluded.

By claiming the 23-year-old forward, the Rangers add a low-risk, high-reward player that can provide depth and scoring to their roster. Kaliyev is a shoot-first player with good size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), and could be an intriguing piece moving forward.

Welcome to New York, Arthur! #NYR have claimed forward Arthur Kaliyev: https://t.co/yc3X2y8vqg pic.twitter.com/uzmwsTdypJ

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 6, 2025

In a corresponding move, the Rangers assigned Matt Rempe to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. The towering 22-year-old forward has one game remaining on his eight-game suspension for boarding and elbowing Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars. Rempe is pointless in five games with the Rangers this season.

Kaliyev was a second-round pick (No. 33 overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft. He played in parts of three seasons with the Kings, scoring an NHL career-high 14 goals in 80 games during the 2021-22 season, and a career-best 28 points in 56 games in 2022-23.

Overall, he has 35 goals and 71 points in 188 regular-season games in the NHL.

Related: Predicting Rangers quarter century team from 2000-2025

Arthur Kaliyev brings offensive upside to Rangers

Kaliyev had a hard time staying in the Kings lineup, except in 2021-22. He played 56 games the next season, then 51 in 2023-24, when he finished with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists). Coming into this season, Kaliyev sustained a fractured clavicle during training camp, and did not play in any games with the Kings.

However, it looks like Kaliyev is ready to return to NHL action. Prior to being placed on waivers, he had a conditioning stint with the Ontario Reign, Los Angeles’ AHL affiliate. In five AHL games, he recorded one goal and one assist.

The next step for the Rangers will be finding a place in the lineup for Kaliyev. The Rangers are off Monday, coming off of a back-to-back over the weekend when they split against the Washington Capitals, a 7-4 loss, and Chicago Blackhawks, a 6-2 win.

So, we’ll have a better idea of Peter Laviolette’s plan for Kaliyev come Tuesday, when the Rangers will have a morning skate prior to their game against the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden.

Perhaps Kaliyev will be filling in for Chris Kreider, who is currently day to day with an upper-body injury. Kreider didn’t play against the Blackhawks, and missed time earlier in the season due to back spasms, and was open with the media about how he has been dealing with the issue for a prolonged amount of time.

Against the Blackhawks on Sunday, it was Jonny Brodzinski who filled in for the injured Kreider, and did a nice job by scoring a goal to get the Rangers on the board in the first period. Though Brodzinski is a good placeholder, it’s possible that the Rangers want a more offensively-driven player like Kaliyev in the lineup.

Jonny Brodzinski ties it up! pic.twitter.com/ykjSNU5c5C

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) January 5, 2025

Kaliyev scored 51 goals (in 2018-19) and 44 goals (in 2019-20) for Brantford in the Ontario Hockey League. So, he’s got goal-scoring capabilities.

However, he was in need of a change in scenery, not unlike Kaapo Kakko, whom the Rangers traded to the Seattle Kraken a couple weeks ago. Kaliyev has some familiarity with the Rangers, playing with Brett Berard on the United States National team at the 2020 and 2021 World Junior Championship. He and Berard helped the U.S. win the gold medal at the 2021 WJC.

As a youngster, Kaliyev also played for the Jr. Rangers in 2013-14.

Now we’ll see if Kaliyev can make an impact on this Rangers team that’s won two of its past three games and is trying to dig out from the basement of the Metropolitan Division standings.

For sure, the Rangers seek a better result when they skate against the St. Louis Blues to begin a three-game road trip Sunday. But that starts with having a better effort. Yes, their compete level was that lacking against the Kings, who chased Igor Shesterkin after he surrendered five goals on 21 shots in just 25:04.

It’s a winnable game against a mediocre opponent Sunday — and one that had to travel after losing 2-1 in overtime at Dallas on Saturday night. But the Rangers (15-13-1) must find the resolve and will to actually win the contest. Tightening things up defensively wouldn’t hurt either.

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New York Rangers news

Here are three things to look for when the Rangers skate against the Blues on Sunday, including issues with New York’s depth on defense.

And here are three Rangers takeaways from that loss to the Kings at MSG, including a horrid all-around effort.

We also posted a list of the all-time most expensive goalie contracts in NHL history, highlighted by Shesterkin at the top of the list.

Related: How to Watch the NHL Winter Classic in 2024

NHL news

A week after reportedly being offered to the Rangers, defenseman Cam Fowler was traded to the Blues by the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. He made his Blues debut, playing 17:57 TOI, in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Stars.

Oliver Wahlstrom was claimed off waivers by the Boston Bruins from the Islanders, who selected the forward in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft. Pierre Engvall cleared waivers Saturday but was in the Isles’ lineup Sunday; Bo Horvat didn’t play because of a lower-body injury.

Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford appeared on Sportsnet and said that they are still “evaluating” Brock Boeser and their plans for the impending unrestricted free agent.

The New Jersey Devils erupted for four goals in the third period to rally past the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1.

WATCH Brady Tkachuk scores an overtime game-winner to lift the Ottawa Senators past the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Florida Panthers were shut out for the second straight game, this time by Dustin Wolf and the Calgary Flames, 3-0 at Scotiabank Saddledome.

The matinee is the first of consecutive games this weekend for the Rangers (15-12-1), who travel to St. Louis to play the Blues on Sunday evening. It also begins a stretch of three games in four days, which concludes Tuesday when they visit the Nashville Predators.

This is the third back-to-back set for the Rangers this season. They are 0-2-0 in the first game and 1-1-0 in the second game, so far. Last week, they lost 7-5 to the Seattle Kraken on Sunday and followed by losing 2-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.

The Blueshirts did get back on the winning track, though, when they skated to a 3-2 road victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. Still, they are 3-8-0 in their past 11 games, tied for fifth in the crowded Metropolitan Division.

Defenseman K’Andre Miller was placed on injured reserve by the Rangers on Friday due to a lower-body injury he sustained against the Sabres. Connor Mackey was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League and will replace Miller in the lineup.

The Kings (17-9-3) are second in the Pacific Division, though they’re coming off a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday that ended a season-high six-game winning streak. This will the third of a seven-game road trip for the Kings, who are only 7-7-2 away from Crypto.com Arena this season.

Related: Relentless rookie Brett Berard making most of Rangers opportunity

3 things to watch for when Rangers host Kings

1. Mackey in for Miller

The Rangers’ defense corps will be tested by a solid Kings lineup. Minus Miller — and Jacob Trouba, who was traded last week — the Rangers’ depth at the position will be seriously challenged. Not only must Mackey and his partner Braden Schneider step up, but much responsibility falls on the top pair of Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren, not to mention youngster Victor Mancini on the third pair with Zac Jones.

You can bet coach Peter Laviolette is preaching that the Rangers must work as a five-man unit, asking for more effort defensively from the forwards than they’ve given this season.

As for Mackey, the 28-year-old is a rugged blueliner with 40 games of NHL experience, including a solid performance in his one game with the Rangers last season, and has the confidence of his coach.

“The time we had him up here, he was good,” Laviolette said Friday. “He’s a big, strong, reliable defenseman. He can play heavy and physical, and he moves the puck.

2. Going fourth

Rookie Brett Berard remains in the lineup for the third straight game in place of scratched veteran Jimmy Vesey because Laviolette is really pleased with how well the fourth line is playing right now. In fact, the coach went out of his way to praise the play of Berard, Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom following the win in Buffalo.

Edstrom drew the penalty that led to Mika Zibanejad’s power-play goal. Carrick drove hard to the net to create scoring chances more than once, including on Reilly Smith’s greasy third-period goal, which he assisted on. Berard was a whirling dervish with speed and energy, and that’s making him a fan favorite after just six games in the NHL.

“I just think they’ve been as effective line,” Laviolette noted Friday. “They play fast … they’re a hard line to contain.”

3. Get ready to work

Not only must the Rangers band together in the defensive zone, they’re going to have to work hard for their scoring chances at the other end of the ice. The Kings allow a League-low 24.2 shots per game and are tied with the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs allowing 2.55 goals per game, fewest in the NHL.

LA’s goalies have been good, but not great. In fact, David Rittich has an .890 save percentage (Darcy Kuemper’s is .910). But the key is that the Kings’ commitment to team defense really limits the number of scoring chances their goalies face.

The Rangers haven’t exactly earned the reputation as a team willing to work consistently hard to earn their opportunities, so this will a stiff test for them.

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New York Rangers projected lineup

Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere

Kreider – Zibanejad – Smith

Cuylle – Chytil – Kakko

Edstrom – Carrick – Berard

Lindgren – Fox

Mackey – Schneider

Jones – Mancini

Shesterkin

Quick

Rangers vs. Kings: When, where, what time, how to watch

Who: New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings

When: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

Click here for New York Rangers complete 2024-25 schedule and game results

The Rangers appeared to be on their way to stringing together consecutive wins when they followed a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday by taking a 3-1 lead with less than six minutes left in the middle period against the Kraken. But Seattle scored three times before the end of the period and twice more to begin the third period. The Rangers never caught up, and instead of back-to-back wins, they enter the new week having lost seven of their past nine games.

The slump has dropped the Rangers (14-11-1) to the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference standings; they’re even in points with the New York Islanders but have played three fewer games.

Happily for the Rangers, this week’s schedule offers the opportunity to right the ship, with only one of the four games against a team that begins the week with a winning record. They host the League’s worst team, the Chicago Blackhawks (8-17-2), on Monday night, followed by a trip to Buffalo for a Wednesday night meeting with the struggling Sabres (11-13-3). The Los Angeles Kings (16-8-3), who are second in the Pacific Division, make their only Garden visit on Saturday afternoon, followed by a quick flight and a game at St. Louis against the Blues (13-13-2) on Sunday.

Who’s hot

Artemi Panarin has five points in his past two games after assisting on two goals Sunday. He leads the team in goals (15) and points (34), and he’s on pace to become the first player in franchise history to have back-to-back 100-point seasons. He has eight points (three goals, five assists) on a four-game point streak.

Vincent Trocheck scored again Sunday and has four goals in his past five games, matching his total for the first 21 games.

Who’s not

Sunday was a tough day for Jonathan Quick, who was shelled for six goals on 21 shots after being pressed into service when Igor Shesterkin was  unavailable because his wife went into labor before the game. Quick started the season 4-0-0 but is 1-2-0 in his past three starts and has allowed 15 goals

Related: Rangers trade rumors: Ducks reportedly wanted Cam Fowler included in Jacob Trouba deal

Rangers lookahead this week includes …

The completion of a stretch that has the Rangers playing five games in eight days and concludes with a nasty weekend back-to-back with the Los Angeles Kings at the Garden on Saturday followed by a flight to St. Louis for an early-evening game with the Blues on Sunday.

Chicago Blackhawks at Rangers (Dec. 9, 7 p.m. ET; MSGSN/NHL Network)

If there was a team the Rangers would want to face after a discouraging loss the day before, it’s the Blackhawks.

Not only is Chicago (8-17-2) last in the overall standings and mired in a five-game losing streak, they are without starting goaltender Petr Mrazek, who’s on injured reserve after leaving a 4-2 loss against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday with a left groin injury. That leaves backup Arvid Soderblom (1-6-1 despite a 2.60 goals-against average and .915 save percentage) and rookie Drew Comesso, who’s likely to make his NHL debut at some point during their three-game swing through the Metropolitan area this week.

The Rangers have won three in a row and seven of eight against the Blackhawks, who are 30th in the League in scoring with 66 goals in 27 games. It will be the second game for new coach Anders Sorensen, who was elevated from Rockford of the AHL when Luke Richardson was fired Thursday.

Read More: What to know about Urho Vaakanainen, the Rangers’ newest defenseman

Rangers at Buffalo Sabres (Dec. 11, 7 p.m. ET; MAX, TruTV, TNT)

Rest assured that coach Peter Laviolette will have his team primed for this one. Not only is the game on national TV, the Rangers undoubtedly have vivid memories of being embarrassed 6-1 by the Sabres in their own building on Nov. 7.

Buffalo hasn’t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011, and the Sabres will have to kick their play up a few notches to avoid an NHL-record 14th consecutive failure to make the postseason. They enter the week on an 0-4-2 slide and are the only team to lose a game after leading by four goals; Buffalo led 4-0 less than 12 minutes into its home game against the Colorado Avalanche last Tuesday but allowed one goal in the second period and four more in the third to lose 5-4.

That game also cost the Sabres their best defenseman, Rasmus Dahlin. He left that game with back spasms and as of Sunday had yet to resume skating – making it sound unlikely that he’ll be ready to go when the Rangers come to town.

Los Angeles Kings at Rangers (Dec. 14, 1 p.m. ET; MSG)

With a weekend back-to-back, don’t be surprised if Quick gets the call against his old team in this Saturday matinee at the Garden. He is 1-1-0 all-time against the Kings, having split two decisions against them last season after joining the Rangers. If Quick starts and wins one of the Rangers’ two games before the Kings come to town, he’d be trying to become the first U.S.-born goaltender to win 400 games by defeating the team for which he earned 370 of those victories.

The Rangers are 4-1-0 in their past five games with the Kings and 6-0-2 against them at the Garden since a 4-2 loss on March 24, 2015. Overall, the Rangers are 43-20-2 with six ties against Los Angeles at MSG.

Rangers at St. Louis Blues (Dec. 15, 6 p.m. ET; MSG)

Revenge will be on the Rangers’ minds when they take on the Blues in an early-evening game at Enterprise Center after St. Louis used a three-goal third period to leave the Garden with a 5-2 win on Nov. 25.

St. Louis has had its ups and downs, with most of the downs coming because of a lack of offense – the Blues enter the week having scored 73 goals, the sixth-lowest total in the NHL. However, they’ve gotten a boost with the return of forward Robert Thomas, who had six points (two goals, four assists) to help the Blues go 2-1-0 last week in the first three games of a four-game trip that ends Tuesday in Vancouver. Former Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich is among those who’ve struggled to score, though he’s perked up recently with a five-game point streak (two goals, three assists).

Chris Kreider has enjoyed success in his limited opportunities against the Blues with eight goals and 17 points in 18 career games.

Prior to the game, defenseman Ryan Lindgren was ruled out with a shoulder injury and the team planned to not play defenseman Braden Schneider and forward Ryan Carpenter. The Blueshirts intend to send both players down to fit in Patrick Kane by Wednesday, which you can’t do if a player is injured.

The Rangers announced that Schneider assigned to Hartford after the game (paper transaction). Carpenter will go down once Kane trade announced.

K’Andre Miller faces suspension

As the team played with just five defenders, K’Andre Miller was given a match penalty with less than five minutes left to play in the first period for spitting at Drew Doughty. This forced the Rangers to play with just four defensemen for the rest of the game.

“I said before the game to the guys back in your minor hockey days everybody loved playing every second or third shift and the defense rolled,” Gerard Gallant said. “You get into the game that way. Fortunately for us we got away with it. The guys played one of their better games in a long time… I thought our team was excellent tonight.”

K'Andre Miller has been awarded a match penalty for spitting on Drew Doughty. pic.twitter.com/bNY5fp63Tx

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 26, 2023

K’Andre Miller’s match penalty automatically comes with a hearing so he may be suspended. Per multiple reports, Miller said it was unintentional and reconciled with Doughty after the game.

“The kid feels bad about it and said it was an accident,”Gallant explained. “I didn’t see it, but he didn’t deny it.”

If Miller is suspended, the Rangers can call up a defenseman for Wednesday game, but likely push Kane trade to Thursday.

Rangers beat Kings with gutsy performance

Alexis Lafreniere opened the scoring for the Blueshirts in what felt like the first time in ages. After Filip Chytil made a strong play in the offensive zone, Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko played catch before beating a downed Jonathan Quick 14 minutes into the match.

ohhh yes, LAFFFY gets the Rangers going!! pic.twitter.com/3O0LKCu9bM

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) February 26, 2023

Miller’s match penalty taken at the end of the first bled into the second. Soon after killing it off, Vincent Trocheck’s pass attempt deflected in for a 2-0 lead.

TROCHECK..watch closely or you might miss it👀

Rangers up 2-0 pic.twitter.com/MYjKG0PB1X

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) February 26, 2023

Trocheck then added his 19th of the season just 95 seconds later as his shot from the slot was slightly tipped by a Kings defender. The goal chased Quick from the net replaced by Pheonix Copley.

MAKE THAT 2 FOR TROCHECK!!! 

back-to-back goals pic.twitter.com/upeCiGrxkp

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) February 26, 2023

Viktor Arvidsson scored a questionable power-play goal when it appeared his stick was above the crossbar. However a quick review let the it stand to make it 3-1.

Of course, hearts dropped when Mika Zibanejad took a serious Doughty slap shot off the ankle that dropped him like a ton of bricks leaving his coach sick. He needed to be helped off the ice but was able to return for the third period to cheers of “Mika! Mika!”

“It’s obviously cool hearing the chants,” Zibanejad admitted. “Special fans, special building, and a special organization. I appreciate it…give you an extra boost for sure.”

The Kings would make things uncomfortable just 1:27 into the final frame when Matt Roy beat Igor Shesterkin after a bad defensive play by Artemi Panarin.

However, Gallant kept him out there after the tally and watched him restore the two goal lead just 44 seconds later. On the play, Panarin simply stuck with it and scored on a rebound.

OURTEMI. pic.twitter.com/AIjAzr03UC

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 27, 2023

If fans loved seeing Mika return after a huge shot block, they lost it when he scored a power play goal with his patented one-timer at the 5:26 mark.

MIKA MIKA MIKAAA!!!

Rangers up 5-2 pic.twitter.com/Xp1fj0ID1r

— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) February 27, 2023

From there, the Rangers kept things simple and battened down the hatches on defense. Shesterkin finished the game with 26 saves and looked like his old self in the process.

“We talked about it as a team, at least as a d-core to keep it simple,” Fox said about rotating 4 d-men. “It almost made our jobs easier letting the forwards play that side of the puck and we focused on defense.”

New York’s next game Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers on the road. Patrick Kane is expected to be on the team by then.

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores right here.

New Jersey Devils trade for Timo Meier. Read more.

Patrick Kane returns home awaiting trade. Read more.

Coming off a third straight lopsided regulation loss, the Rangers hope to avoid a fifth consecutive loss overall Sunday night when they host the Los Angeles Kings.

Yesterday against the Washington Capitals, the team once again were careless on the defensive side of the puck. That led to questions regarding the team being distracted by all the trade speculation surrounding the team.

“It sure looked like something was going on in there,” Gerard Gallant said. “We didn’t play the game we needed to play.”

Here’s tonight’s game and broadcast info:

New York Rangers (33-17-9) vs. Los Angeles Kings (33-19-8)
Date/Time: February 26, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET
Arena: Madison Square Garden
TV: MSG
Radio: ESPN 98.7

New York Rangers take on Kings

New York’s front office spent part of Saturday trying to find a third team to absorb any salary cap hit in a potential trade for Kane. By the latter portion of their 6-3 loss to the host Washington Capitals, they had dealt seldom-used forward Vitali Kravtsov, a former first-round draft pick, to the Vancouver Canucks.

The rumblings about Kane agreeing to join the Rangers were occurring as New York tied a season high with a fourth straight loss. Since storming back for a 5-4 shootout win at Edmonton on Feb. 17, New York has not led at any point during its past four games.

After a 3-2 overtime loss at Calgary on Feb. 18, the Rangers dropped consecutive 4-1 decisions at home to Winnipeg and at Detroit before turning in a clunker Saturday afternoon. After Barclay Goodrow scored a tying goal, New York allowed the next four goals.

Saturday’s nightmarish showing continued a troubling trend for the Rangers, who allowed the first goal for the sixth straight time and have allowed 37 goals in 10 games since the All-Star break.

“Our job is to go out there and play,” Goodrow said. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on around us or what’s going on on the internet. Once the puck drops, it’s our jobs to go out there and play. We have to be better in all facets of the game.”

Aside from the ugly performance in front of goalie Igor Shesterkin, who has allowed 17 goals in his past four appearances, the Rangers also lost defenseman Ryan Lindgren to an upper-body injury. Lindgren did not return after appearing to injure his left shoulder on a hit from Washington’s T.J. Oshie in the first period. He was wearing a sling afterward and is day-to-day.

Los Angeles is 8-2-2 in its past 12 games since a three-game losing streak Jan. 14-21. The Kings have scored seven goals and are 1-1-1 during the first three games of their five-game trip that ends Tuesday in Winnipeg.

The Kings, who have 74 points, are two points ahead of Edmonton for second place in the Pacific Division after the Oilers were handed a 6-5 loss by Columbus on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

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NHL Recaps. All the latest scores right here.

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