Zuccarello has been sidelined since the start of training camp with what is believed to be a back injury. After telling reporters earlier this month that Zuccarello could miss several days, Wild coach John Hynes extended that guesstimate Sunday.

“‘Zuccy’ is going to be out for a bit … I don’t know the timeline yet,” Hynes stated.

The Wild and their coach now know the timeline, and it’s certainly not good news for them. Zuccarello played a big role helping the Wild land the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference last season. They did so despite superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov missing 41 games with a lower-body injury that required surgery.

Zuccarello was fourth on the Wild with 19 goals and 54 points. His 16 power-play points tied for second on the club behind Matt Boldy (21).

The 38-year-old plays in all game situations and special teams for the Wild. Last season, he averaged 19:39 TOI — meaning that his absence leaves a sizeable hole in the lineup.

Earlier Tuesday, the Wild signed Kaprizov to a massive eight-year, $136 million contract extension, that begins in 2026-27. The $17 million average annual value is the most in NHL history.

Zuccarello is in the final season of a two-year, $8.25 million extension he signed in September 2023, which pays him $4.125 million annually.

Related: How J.T. Miller ‘handled taking s***’ from Mats Zuccarello as Rangers rookie

Mats Zuccarello latest ex-Rangers forward injured this preseason

This is Zuccarello’s 16th NHL season, seventh with the Wild. He’s played more games (904), scored more goals (217), had more assists (473), and totaled more points (690) than any other Norway-born player in League history.

Signed by the Rangers as an undrafted free agent in May 2010, Zuccarello was an immensely popular player for nine seasons on Broadway. The 5-foot-8 forward won the admiration of teammates, coaches, and Rangers fans alike, beginning in the 2010-11 season until he was shipped to the Dallas Stars ahead of the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline.

Zuccarello won the prestigious Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award three times. Only Adam Graves (five) and Ryan Callahan (four) won it more.

He scored an NHL career-high 26 goals and had 61 points for the Rangers in 2015-16. Zuccarello has twice scored 20+ goals for the Wild, including 24 in 2021-22, when he also registered a career-best 79 points.

Just last week, another former Rangers forward received suboptimal injury news. Kaapo Kakko sustained a broken hand after he was slashed in a preseason game for the Seattle Kraken and is out six weeks.

But with the NHL salary cap guaranteed to rise by $7.5 million, to $95.5 million for next season, teams should have more money to play with this summer.

The Rangers have just under $12.2 million available, according to Puckpedia – though some of that must be saved for restricted free agents such as forward Will Cuylle. More than half of that space came from trading veteran forward Chris Kreider and his $6.5 million average annual value contract for the next two seasons to the Anaheim Ducks. The Rangers didn’t get much in return, but they did more than double their previous cap space.

Barring a last-minute trade to free up more cap room, general manager Chris Drury may have to shop at the lower end of the market. But that doesn’t mean he won’t have options as he tries to get the Rangers back on the right track after they missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25.

Here’s a look at five of the Rangers biggest free-agent successes in the past 25 years.

Related: New York Rangers 2025 NHL Draft tracker: Selection, analysis for each pick

Artemi Panarin (2019)

The Rangers hit a grand slam on July 1, 2019, when they got left wing Artemi Panarin to sign on the dotted line.

It is the best free-agent in their history. Panarin’s recorded at least 89 points five times (his only miss was in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season), was an NHL First-Team All-Star twice, a Second-Team All-Star once and became the fastest skater to reach 500 points (165 goals, 335 assists in 384 games) with the Rangers, when he picked up an assist on Dec. 30, 2024. His 1.28 points per game are the most in Rangers history, and his 120 points in 2023-24 are the second-highest single-season total in franchise history.

Panarin didn’t come cheap – his seven-year contract, which expires after the 2025-26 season, carries an average annual value of $11,642,857. But it’s been money well-spent.

With one year left on his contract, Panarin and the Rangers must determine if they want to continue their relationship next summer, when the star winger will be 34. But there’s no question that he’s been their best free-agent signing in the 21st century.

Vincent Trocheck (2022)

Three years after signing Panarin, the Rangers found a center to go with him when they inked Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $5.625 million.

Trocheck hadn’t scored more than 22 goals or put up more than 51 points in any of his four previous seasons before signing with the Rangers. But he’ exceeded those totals in each of his first three seasons on Broadway, highlighted by a 25-goal, 77-point, plus-16 performance in 2023-24 – most of which was spent centering a line with Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. That line was key in the Blueshirts winning the Presidents’ Trophy as NHL regular-season champion.

He followed that by being arguably the Rangers best player in the postseason, finishing with eight goals and 20 points In 16 games, when the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons.

Trocheck followed that by scoring 26 goals and totaling 59 points in 2024-25, leading the team with seven game-winning goals, finishing fourth in the NHL by winning 59.3 percent of his face-offs (minimum 300 face-offs) and stepping into a leadership role after captain Jacob Trouba was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in early December.

Getting a top-six center who can play in all situations, has leadership skills and is signed for four more seasons at a very manageable salary-cap hit is a definite win for the Rangers.

Marian Gaborik (2009)

The Rangers were looking for scoring when the free agent market opened in 2009. They found it in Marian Gaborik, who spent only three full seasons on Broadway but became one of just three players in team history to hit the 40-goal mark more than once.

Ironically, the greatest night of Gaborik’s career had come against the Rangers. On Dec. 20, 2007, he became the first NHL player in more than 11 years to score five goals in a game; they came as part of a six-point night in a 6-3 win by the Minnesota Wild against the Rangers.

Less than two years later, Gaborik signed with the Rangers as a free agent on July 1, 2009. He wasted no time filling the net, finishing fifth in the NHL with 42 goals in 2009-10. Injuries limited him to 22 goals and 48 points in 62 games in 2010-11, but he stayed healthy the following season and scored 41 goals. He was MVP of the 2012 NHL All-Star Game when he scored three goals and assisted on another — and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team.

Gaborik also earned a line in the Rangers record book that spring by scoring the latest playoff goal in team history. His goal at 14:41 of the third overtime lifted New York to a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their second-round series.

But the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season was another matter. Gaborik never found his scoring touch and was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. One year later, the Blue Jackets sent him to the Los Angeles Kings, and his playoff-high 14 goals – the last two against the Rangers in the Final — helped them win the Stanley Cup.

Gaborik’s time with the Rangers was relatively short. But his impact was undeniable.

Mats Zuccarello (2010 and 2013)

The 2010 Vancouver Olympics were a coming-out party for Mats Zuccarello, who excelled for Norway. His play attracted attention from NHL teams, and the Rangers signed the undrafted free-agent forward on May 26, 2010.

Zuccarello split the next two seasons between the Rangers and the AHL Connecticut Whale. But with the NHL headed for a lockout in the fall of 2012, he signed with Magnitogorsk of the KHL before rejoining the Rangers as a free agent on March 28, 2013.

Everything finally came together for Zuccarello in 2013-14. He led New York in scoring with 59 points in 77 games, establishing himself as a top-six forward. He also scored five goals and had 13 points in 25 playoff games — as well as becoming the first Norway-born player to skate in the Stanley Cup Final, although the Rangers lost to the Kings in five games.

Zuccarello became a reliable presence up front for the Rangers — as well as a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden, where “Zuuucc” became a popular cheer. He averaged 56 points from 2013-14 through 2017-18, including NHL career highs of 26 goals and 61 points in 2015-16.

After a slow start in 2018-19, the last year of his contract, Zuccarello came alive at midseason and had 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) through 46 games. But the Rangers, in the midst of a rebuild, traded him to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 23, 2019. He’s played with the Minnesota Wild for the past six seasons, averaging 66 points in the past four.

Michael Nylander (2004)

The father of Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander was worth the wait for the Rangers, who signed the free-agent center to a three-year contract on Aug. 10, 2004. But he didn’t make his debut with the Blueshirts until Oct. 5, 2005, because of the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

Nylander had been a productive middle-six center for more than a decade in the NHL. Little did anyone know that he was about to have the two best seasons of his career.

Coach Tom Renney put the 33-year-old Swede between Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka. The trio formed one of the most productive lines in Rangers history for the next two seasons. Jagr set the Rangers’ single-season record in 2005-06 with 123 points; he got lots of help from Nylander, whose 79 points were 15 more than he’d ever had. The Rangers, who hadn’t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 1997, not only returned to the postseason but reached the 100-point mark for the first time since 1994.

Nylander was even better in 2006-07, setting career highs with 26 goals and 83 points. The Rangers again made the postseason and won a series for the first time in a decade.

The late-career surge drew plenty of attention in the summer of 2007, when Nylander reached free agency again. He rejoined the Capitals and played two more seasons before returning to Europe to finish his career – but never came close to those two magic seasons in New York. Though his time on Broadway was short, his impact was undeniable.

There are 16 former Rangers players set to take part in the chase for Lord Stanley’s chalice this spring, including one, defenseman Niko Mikkola, who won the Stanley Cup last year with the Florida Panthers.

Additionally, three head coaches in the postseason have Rangers ties. Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis finished his Hall of Fame playing career with the Rangers, and took part in several iconic playoff moments with them in 2014 and 2015. Joining him in Montreal is Jeff Gorton, the team’s executive vice president of hockey operations, who was the Rangers general manager from 2015 to 2021, and Glen Sather’s assistant for many years before that.

Kris Knoblauch, coach of the Edmonton Oilers, coached the Hartford Wolf Pack for four seasons and was 4-2-0 filling in for David Quinn when the Rangers coach was on the League’s COVID-19 protocol list in 2021.

Lastly, Scott Arniel spent time with the Rangers as an associate coach under Alain Vigneault. In his first season as coach of the Jets, Arniel led them to the Presidents’ Trophy this season.

Players are listed in alphabetical order.

Related: Why Rangers were not most disappointing team in NHL this season

Morgan Barron – Winnipeg Jets

The Rangers selected Morgan Barron in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft (No. 174 overall), but the forward did not debut with the Blueshirts until the 2020-21 season. He played in five games that season and scored his first NHL goal against the Washington Capitals. Barron appeared in 13 games for New York in 2021-22 before he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets as part of a package for forward Andrew Copp. Barron has appeared in 70 or more games in each of the past three seasons for Winnipeg and has eight goals and seven assists this season. The Jets open the postseason against the St. Louis Blues.

Colin Blackwell – Dallas Stars

Colin Blackwell played 47 games with the Rangers in the 2020-21 season, and made an impact in the bottom six with 12 goals and 10 assists. The Seattle Kraken scooped up Blackwell in the expansion draft in the summer of 2021, and the forward made his way to Dallas this past summer, signing a one-year deal. In his first season with the Stars, Blackwell has six goals and 11 assists in 63 games. The Stars open the playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche.

Pavel Buchnevich – St. Louis Blues

Buchnevich had 79 goals and 116 assists in five seasons with the Rangers, but was traded to the St. Louis Blues in the summer of 2021 for Sammy Blais in Chris Drury’s first major move as general manager. Buchnevich became a star once he got to the Blues, recording his only 30-goal season in 2021-22 and scoring at least 20 goals in each of the past four seasons. The 30-year-old forward had 20 goals and 57 points this season for the Blues, who face the Jets in the first round.

Brett Howden – Vegas Golden Knights

Brett Howden made his way to the Rangers from the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the return for Ryan McDonough and J.T. Miller ahead of the 2018 trade deadline. He made his NHL debut the next season, his first of three with New York. In 178 games with the Rangers, Howden tallied 16 goals and 33 assists. In the 2021 offseason, the Rangers traded Howden to the Vegas Golden Knights, where he still plays today. He was a part of their Stanley Cup-winning squad in 2023. Howden broke out offensively with NHL career highs in goals (23) and points (40) this season. Vegas skates against the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs.

Ryan Lindgren – Colorado Avalanche

Ryan Lindgren was notably dealt to the Colorado Avalanche before this season’s trade deadline, ending his seven-year stint on Broadway. In his 18 games with the Avalanche, he has not added much offensively (two goals, one assist) but has brought his typical gritty defense with 26 blocked shots and 21 hits. Lindgren totaled 387 games with the Rangers, playing an integral part in multiple deep playoff runs as Adam Fox’s defense partner, and is hoping to go on another long postseason journey with the Avalanche, who play the Stars in the opening round of the playoffs.

Ryan McDonagh – Tampa Bay Lightning

No. 27 on the ice was named the 27th captain in Rangers history at the start of the 2014-15 season following New York’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. McDonagh patrolled the blue line for the Rangers for eight seasons. In the Rangers’ iconic series against the Washington Capitals in the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Mac Truck blasted a game-winning goal in overtime of Game 5, kickstarting the Rangers’ comeback from a 3-1 series deficit. The Rangers traded McDonagh and Miller to the Lightning in a blockbuster deal before the 2018 trade deadline. McDonagh won two Stanley Cup championships with Tampa Bay before being traded to the Nashville Predators, and then was reacquired by the Lightning last summer. The Lightning will face the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the first round.

Dylan McIlrath – Washington Capitals

The Rangers selected Dylan McIlrath with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2010 draft, but things never worked out for him in New York, in part to a brutal knee injury early in his career. He’s played 92 NHL games (37 with the Rangers) and has not lived up to the expectations that came with being a top pick and prospect, though he’s won two Calder Cup championships in the AHL. The towering defenseman is an excellent fighter and as tough as they come; and this season remained on the Washington Capitals roster all year for the first time in his career, even though he played just 17 games. The Capitals open the postseason against the Montreal Canadiens.

Niko Mikkola – Florida Panthers

Niko Mikkola played every regular-season and postseason game for the Panthers last year, helping them win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. In their title defense, he has once again played an important role, appearing in 76 games as a regular on the blue line. Coming over along with Vladimir Tarasenko in a trade with the Blues ahead of the 2023 deadline, Mikkola spent a half-season with the Rangers. He played 31 regular-season games for the Rangers, plus seven more in their first-round playoff loss to the New Jersey Devils. The Panthers face the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs this year.

Vladislav Namestnikov – Winnipeg Jets

A Rangers forward for parts of three seasons, Vladislav Namestnikov is in his third season with the Winnipeg Jets. He had 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 78 games this season, the second-highest point total in his NHL career. The Jets open up the playoffs against the Blues.

Neal Pionk – Winnipeg Jets

Neal Pionk played his first two NHL seasons with the Rangers before they traded him to the Jets in the Jacob Trouba deal on June 17, 2019. Since then, the defenseman has recorded at least 30 points in six straight seasons with Winnipeg, including 45 in 2019-20. Despite being limited to 69 games because of injury this season, Pionk had 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) and established a career-best with a plus-21 rating. He and the Jets play their first-round series against the Blues.

Ryan Reaves – Toronto Maple Leafs

He played in only 35 games with the Maple Leafs this season, but Ryan Reaves is still an intimidating force when he’s in the lineup. Reaves has racked up an even 1,100 penalty minutes in the NHL, including 55 with the Rangers in parts of two seasons. This season he had two assists and 28 penalty minutes and will see a limited role in the postseason, when the Maple Leafs open up against the Ottawa Senators.

Jack Roslovic – Carolina Hurricanes

The Rangers acquired Jack Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of last year’s trade deadline, and he spent much of his time in New York on a line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. He scored three goals and five assists in 19 regular-season games; in the playoffs, Roslovic scored two goals in the opening round and added two assists on Kreider’s natural hat trick in Game 6 against the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Second Round. Roslovic went quiet in the Eastern Conference Final, recording only one point in the six-game loss to Florida. In the offseason, he inked a one-year deal with the Hurricanes and put together a solid season, scoring 21 goals and adding 17 assists. The Hurricanes face the New Jersey Devils in the first round.

Brendan Smith – Dallas Stars

Ahead the 2017 trade deadline, the Rangers added Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings for their playoff push. That offseason, he signed a four-year, 17.4 million contract to remain in New York and played 235 games during his five seasons with the Blueshirts. Smith spent time with the Hurricanes and Devils afterward before landing with the Stars for the 2024-25 season. He played 32 games for Dallas in the regular season and has been a veteran presence on the blue line. The Stars play the Avalanche in the first round.

Reilly Smith – Vegas Golden Knights

Reilly Smith, Brendan’s brother, was one of six original “misfits” from the Golden Knights’ inaugural roster who were members of their Stanley Cup championship in 2023. He’s representing the Golden Knights again in this year’s playoffs, two years and two teams later. After spending the 2023-24 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Smith signed with the Rangers. He had 10 goals and 19 assists in 58 games before New York sent him back to Vegas ahead of the trade deadline in exchange for a third-round pick and forward prospect Brendan Brisson. Vegas hooks up with Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs.

Jimmy Vesey – Colorado Avalanche

Jimmy Vesey has had two separate stints on Broadway in his nine-year NHL career, the first from 2016-19 and the second from 2022-25. The versatile forward totaled 434 games with the Rangers, scoring 78 goals and adding 69 assists. New York sent Vesey to Colorado on March 1 along with Lindgren. Vesey has not played much with the Avalanche, appearing in just 10 games, with one goal and one assist. The Avalanche play the Stars in the first round.

Mats Zuccarello – Minnesota Wild

Mats Zuccarello became as a fan favorite during his nine years in New York. He scored 113 goals and had 239 assists in 509 regular-season games, and suited up for 60 more in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Zuccarello was also beloved in the locker room; when the Rangers traded him in 2019 as a part of their rebuild, Henrik Lundqvist was famously brought to tears. The Rangers sent him to Dallas, where he appeared in just two regular-season games before an injury kept him out until the playoffs. He signed with Minnesota in that offseason and has spent the past six seasons with the Wild. Now 37 and with more than 900 games of NHL experience, Zuccarello had 19 goals and 54 points this season for the Wild, who get the Golden Knights as a first-round opponent.

It’s an important game for each side. The Rangers (31-28-6) have lost four straight (0-2-2), including 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets to begin this current three-game road trip Tuesday. New York is tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference with two teams, though just two points out of the second wild card.

The Wild (37-24-4) are the first wild card in the Western Conference and are in a good spot, seven points clear of the ninth-place Vancouver Canucks. They’ve lost five of eight (3-5-0) since Feb. 25, though, and remain without injured forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek.

Minnesota is not great on home ice (15-14-1) and not a powerhouse team offensively without their main weapon, Kaprizov. They are 24th in the NHL averaging 2.74 goals per game and 21st on the power play (20.0 percent).

Perhaps an area where the Rangers can attack the Wild is on their own power play. Though struggling badly of late, the Rangers did manage to score a power-play goal against the Jets on Tuesday and will face the 31st-ranked PK in the League on Thursday against the Wild.

Grabbing a lead is key again for the Rangers, this time because the Wild are 25-0-0 when leading after two periods this season.

Related: What’s next for Rangers after re-signing Jonathan Quick, further fortifying roster next season

3 things to watch for when Rangers visit Wild

1. Switching it up

Based on the line rushes at the morning skate, the Rangers will flip a pair of young forwards to give them fresh looks with new linemates.

Alexis Lafreniere was removed from his longtime spot next to Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin, and instead skated with J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad. Will Cuylle shifted off that line and skated with Panarin and Trocheck.

Lafreniere is without a goal in 13 games and sits on 14 this season, half the amount he scored (28) in his breakout year last season. Cuylle has one assist in four games, though he scored four goals in seven games before that.

2. Zuuuuc!

Hard to believe former Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello is 37 years old now and in his 15th NHL season, sixth with the Wild. The popular 5-foot-8 forward still brings plenty of energy and production, currently fourth on the Wild with 15 goals and 41 points in 52 games. He’s scored 63 points or more each of the past three seasons, including 79 in 2021-22.

Zuccarello has 322 points in 376 games with the Wild, and had 352 points in 509 games with the Rangers. Including a brief stont with the Dallas Stars, Zuccarello is the all-time scoring leader from Norway (677 points) and is 13 games shy of 900 in the NHL.

3. Zac attack

Results are mixed with Zac Jones in the lineup, filling in for the injured Adam Fox, who’s missing his eighth straight game Thursday with an upper-body issue. However, Fox is on the road trip and took part again in the morning skate Thursday, though wearing a no-contact jersey. But it’s clear that Fox is getting closer to returning.

That means Jones is closer to finding a seat in the press box again soon, a spot he loathes and been more often than not this season. This was his big opportunity to show the Rangers — and other teams — what he’s made of. He has two assists in seven games and the power play is 2-for-23 with him running point. Jones had handled the increased TOI, but his defensive zone play has been spotty. He may be running out of opportunities to leave his mark.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Panarin – Trocheck – Cuylle

Lafreniere – J.T. Miller- Zibanejad

Kreider – Carrick – Berard

Othmann – Brodzinski – Rempe

K. Miller – Borgen

Vaakanaien – Schneider

Soucy – Jones

Shesterkin

Quick

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

Who: New York Rangers vs. Minnesota Wild

When: Thursday, March 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET

Where: Xcel Energy Center

How to watch: MSG

During his time with the Rangers, Zuccarello won the prestigious Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award (as chosen by the fans) three times. The cries of “Zucc” from the Garden rafters were among the most common sounds at MSG during those years.

“He’s a great teammate, you know, guys like to play with him, he loves to have fun. To me he was kind of that annoying little brother,” Rangers goalie legend and former teammate Henrik Lundqvist said on a recent TNT broadcast. “He’s a great guy, great player.” 

However, the Rangers faded during the late 2010s and traded him to the Dallas Stars in February 2019 as part of their rebuild. Zuccarello played two games before an injury cost him the rest of the season, then signed with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent that summer. He’s had the three best offensive totals of his career during the past three seasons, but at age 37, he’s on pace for his most prolific season yet — and he’s a big reason the Wild are off to a 5-1-2 start that included a sweep of the two Florida teams this past week.

The line of Zuccarello on the right side with Marco Rossi at center and Kirill Kaprizov on left wing carries the offense for the Wild. Zuccarello had the primary assist on the tie-breaking goal Thursday in a 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a perfect cross-seam pass to Matt Boldy, who one-timed it past Andrei Vasilevskiy for a power-play goal that put the Wild ahead to stay. He also had an assist in a 7-5 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, giving him at least one point in seven of Minnesota’s eight games.

Zuccarello also had a goal and an assist in a 5-1 win against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday; the assist made him the fastest player in Wild history to reach 200 – he did it in 330 games; the previous team mark belonged to Mikko Koivu, who had 200 assists in 400 games.

The goal in Florida was Zuccarello’s fourth of the season, a number he didn’t reach until Nov. 12 last season.

“Usually, I have four goals until Christmas, so it’s better now,” Zuccarello joked after scoring against the Panthers.

Related: Alexis Lafreniere ‘fired’ up to stay with Rangers with 7-year extension

Mats Zuccarello helps lead Wild to fast start

Kaprizov, usually a shooter, has often assumed the role of passer for his linemate — as he did in Florida, where he drew goalie Sergei Bobrovsky out of position and slipped the puck to Zuccarello, who put it into a wide-open net.

“He likes to shoot this year more,” said Kaprizov, a three-time 40-goal scorer who has assists on each of Zuccarello’s four goals; three were primary assists.

Zuccarello’s stats took a big jump after he and Kaprizov became linemates when Kaprizov joined the Wild for the 2020-21 season. He’s had two of his three 20-goal seasons and the three highest point totals of his career playing on a line with the Russian star.

They’re buddies as well as linemates. Kaprizov even found a way to play in a charity game organized by Zuccarello in Norway during the summer; the trip took a lot of juggling because Russians have been banned from flying into Norway on airplanes because of the war in Ukraine. But he got there.

Not many players have their best seasons in their 30s, but Zuccarello is one of them. He’s been so good that Wild general manager Bill Guerin signed him to a two-year contract extension last September that will keep him with the Wild through the 2025-26 season.

“It’s the energy, it’s the jam he brings every night,” Guerin said after the extension was announced. “He does everything. He sticks up for his teammates, he brings energy, he’s gritty, he makes plays. He does everything for the team.”

The Rangers know that well, because Zuccarello was all that for them, as well. The Garden Faithful must wait until April 2 to see their former favorite son this season, since the Wild play their lone game at MSG on April, near the end of the season.

So, for now, the love affair continues long distance.

From the 1970s to the present day, the New York Rangers have cashed more than a few winners. Some have been of the big-ticket variety, the kind of player everyone knows about. Others have been solid players who stepped up their games when they arrived at Madison Square Garden, while still others came from out of nowhere and turned into valuable contributors. Here’s a look at the 10 best free-agent signings in Rangers history:

Related: New York Rangers’ worst free-agent signings in history: Wade Redden leads the pack

10. A Flower Blooms on Broadway

The Signing: Rangers signed forward Guy Lafleur to a one-year contract
Date: Sept. 28, 1988

Why it mattered: Lafleur, one of the greatest players in NHL history, had retired in 1984 after 14 brilliant seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and was preparing for his induction into the Hall of Fame in September 1988 when he shocked the hockey world by deciding to attempt a comeback. Rangers GM Phil Esposito, a longtime Lafleur rival, hedged things a bit by calling it a “tryout,” but “Flower’s” performance at training camp showed that he still had something in the tank.

Lafleur wasn’t the star he’d been in Montreal, but he had flashes of his glory days during his one season in the Big Apple, including a four-assist performance against the Edmonton Oilers and the final hat trick of his NHL career against the Los Angeles Kings. But the biggest one came on Feb. 4, 1989, when he lit up the Forum in his first game back in Montreal. The crowd roared for No. 10 in blue as he scored twice and assisted on a third goal. 

Related: New York Rangers worst trades in past 50 years, including Luc Robitaille twice

A goal in the season finale against the New York Islanders gave Lafleur 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 67 games – excellent numbers for a 37-year-old who hadn’t played in the NHL for nearly four years.

Lafleur did the Rangers one more favor after becoming a free agent in the summer of 1989; he signed with his hometown Quebec Nordiques. Under the rules of that era, the Rangers received a fifth-round compensation pick in the 1990 NHL Draft — one that Espo’s successor, Neil Smith, turned into defenseman Sergei Zubov, a future Hall of Famer himself and the leading scorer on the Rangers’ 1994 Cup-winning team.

Related: New York Rangers best trades in past 50 years, including Mark Messier

9. A Terrific Two Years

The Signing: Rangers signed Michael Nylander to a three-year contract
Date: Aug. 10, 2004

Why it mattered: The only problem with Nylander’s time in New York was that it was too short.

The Rangers signed the Swedish center just before training camp in 2004, only to see the first season of his contract negated by the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

When play resumed in 2005-06, the 33-year-old found himself centering a line with Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka. It was a match made in hockey heaven; Jagr set Rangers records that still stand with 54 goals and 123 points; he got plenty of help from Nylander, who had career highs in assists (56), points (79) and plus-minus (plus-31). The Rangers qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1996-97 and reached the 100-point mark for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 1994.

Nylander was even better in 2006-07, putting up career highs across the board with 26 goals, 57 assists and 83 points. The Rangers again qualified for the playoffs, this time winning a round for the first time in a decade.

However, the season lost to the lockout meant that Nylander became a free agent in the summer of 2007, when he was coming off back-to-back career seasons. Though he was set to turn 35 just before opening night, the Washington Capitals swooped in and signed him to a four-year contract; he played just two seasons before retiring.

It wasn’t a coincidence that Jagr’s production fell off as soon as Nylander left, and he left for the KHL a year later. 

These days, Nylander is best known for his hockey-playing sons — particularly Mitch, a high-scoring forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Related: Where do New York Rangers rank regarding team statistics in salary cap era?

8. Dandy Dan

The Signing: Rangers signed defenseman Dan Girardi to a two-year contract
Date: July 1, 2006

Why it mattered: Girardi made a career out of putting his body in harm’s way.

The Rangers signed the undrafted free agent defenseman in the summer of 2006 and started him in the ECHL, but his gritty style (and some injuries on the blue line) got him to the NHL by midseason. He turned into a key member of the Rangers team that had the franchise’s longest run of success since the 1994 championship — they missed the playoffs once in his 11 seasons and got to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.

Girardi did contribute offensively, but it was his willingness to hit and block shots that made him a Garden favorite. He was credited with at least 125 blocks in each of his final eight seasons with the Rangers and had more than 175 hits seven times in his 11 seasons with New York. Girardi averaged 22:15 of ice time in his 11 seasons with the Rangers, was an alternate captain and even earned a trip to the NHL All-Star Game in 2012.

But all those hits and blocks eventually took a toll. Girardi began to slow down in the later 2010s, and the Rangers bought out the final three seasons of his six-year contract in the summer of 2017. Tampa Bay signed him and he played two more seasons with the Lightning before retiring.

Girardi was the NHL’s all-time leader in blocked shots (1,954) when he hung up his skates; 1,691 of those came with the Rangers. Few players in team history have been more willing to sacrifice their body for the team.

Related: 10 most underrated New York Rangers since 2000

7. Trocheck Finds Next Level with New York Rangers

The Signing: Rangers signed center Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year contract
Date: July 13, 2022

Why it mattered: Trocheck is a good player who’s taken his game to another level since joining the Rangers.

The Pittsburgh native had been a solid middle-six center with the Florida Panthers and Carolina before Rangers GM Chris Drury brought him to New York two years ago. He said he made the decision to join the Rangers because he didn’t want to come to a team that didn’t have a chance to win every year.

Trocheck is a big reason the Rangers got to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons last spring. Not only did he finish with a career-high 77 points and earn a spot in the NHL All-Star Game, he also led the Rangers in the postseason with 20 points in 16 games, scored his first career playoff overtime goal (a double-OT winner against Carolina) and set up two other OT tallies.

At 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, Trocheck is small by NHL standards. But he more than makes up for any lack of size with his work ethic and intensity. Coach Peter Laviolette was so impressed with Trocheck’s effort last season that he played him an average of 21:27, fifth in the NHL among forwards. One reason he got so much ice time was his success in the faceoff circle; Trocheck was fifth among all players with a 58.7 winning percentage during the regular season, then won 57.8 percent of his draws in the playoffs.

But not only does Trocheck center the Rangers’ top offensive line, playing between Artemi Panarin and Alex Lafreniere, he’s also an excellent defensive center — arguably the defensive conscience of an offense-first trio. If his first two seasons are any indication, Trocheck’s average salary of $5.625 million is an incredible bargain. 

Related: The Case For Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck being named to NHL Network’s top-20 centers List

6. From Norway to New York

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Mats Zuccarello to a two-year contract
Date: May 26, 2010

Why it mattered: “The Norwegian Hobbit” lost a name when he signed with the Rangers. He had been Mats Zuccarello Aasen while playing in Sweden and for his home country in the 2010 Winter Olympics, but the “Aasen” didn’t make the trip when he came to New York.

Zuccarello bounced between the Rangers and the AHL for his first three seasons before becoming a regular in 2013-14, breaking out with 19 goals and 59 points and contributing five goals and 13 points in the playoffs as the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning it all in 1994. 

The 5-foot-8 forward soon became a crowd favorite, winning the Steven McDonald Extra Effort award twice. He was named an alternate captain in 2017, scored his 100th NHL goal on March 12, 2018, and became the ninth player in Rangers history to lead the team in scoring for three consecutive seasons.

But when the Rangers struggled in 2018-19, management decided to rebuild — and the 31-year-old Zuccarello was among those who were shipped out. He was dealt to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 23, 2019, though he played just two games before an upper-body injury ended his season. He’s played the past five seasons with the Minnesota Wild. But his 113 goals and 352 points in 509 games are a terrific contribution from a player no one knew much about before his arrival.

Related: Top 10 all-time best United States-born players in New York Rangers history

5. Sweet Swedes

The Signing: Rangers signed center Ulf Nilsson and forward Anders Hedberg to two-year contracts
Date: March 20, 1978

Why it mattered: Free agency within the NHL was still years away in 1978. But poaching talent from the rival World Hockey Association was perfectly OK, and that’s what GM John Ferguson did in March 1978 when he announced that two of the WHA’s biggest stars, Swedish linemates Nilsson and Hedberg, would be heading to the Big Apple for the 1978-79 season.

The two, along with left wing Bobby Hull, had terrorized WHA goalies for years with the Winnipeg Jets, so the news left Rangers fans salivating. Hedberg scored at least 50 goals and finished with 100 points in each of his four WHA seasons. Nilsson averaged 121 points in his four WHA seasons and never had fewer than 76 assists.

Neither came close to those totals in the NHL, but both were fine players who keyed the Rangers’ run to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final.

Hedberg had three straight 30-goal seasons and led the Rangers in scoring in 1978-79. A knee injury limited him to four games in 1981-82, but he had at least 20 goals in each of his six seasons before retiring in 1985.

Nilsson was averaging well over a point a game in his first season before he sustained a broken ankle caused when he caught a rut in the ice at the Garden as he was hit by Islanders defenseman Denis Potvin (he absolved the future Hall of Famer of any blame for the injury, but the “Potvin Sucks” chant lives on 45 years later). Nilsson also missed the entire 1981-82 season because of a knee injury sustained playing for Sweden in the 1981 Canada Cup. He played just 10 games in 1982-83 before retiring with 169 points in 170 NHL games — and one of the biggest “what if” clouds in Rangers history.

Related: 5 alternate jerseys the New York Rangers should bring back

4. Grabbing Gabby

The Signing: Rangers signed forward Marian Gaborik to a five-year contract
Date: July 1, 2009

Why it mattered: Gaborik figured in one of the most embarrassing games in Rangers’ history — he became the first player in 11 years to score five goals in a game when he did it for the Minnesota Wild against Henrik Lundqvist on Dec. 20, 2007. That big night was part of a 42-goal season, one that convinced the Rangers to sign him when free agency opened in July 2009, even though he’d missed all but 17 games in 2008-09 while recovering from hip surgery.

Gaborik did just what the Rangers brought him to New York to do — score. He was fifth in the NHL in 2009-10 with 42 goals, then scored 41 in 2011-12 to help them finish first in the Eastern Conference. He was voted a First-Team All-Star and scored what is still the latest overtime goal in Rangers history, connecting at 14:41 of the third overtime in Game 5 of the conference semifinals against the Washington Capitals; the 2-1 win keyed their trip to the conference final.

But the Rangers lost that series to the New Jersey Devils, and coach John Tortorella was unhappy with the play of many of his veterans, including Gaborik — although it was revealed after the playoffs that he’d been playing with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. 

Gaborik had successful surgery and was ready to go when the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season began in January. But Tortorella hadn’t forgotten his unhappiness from the previous spring. Gaborik’s ice time diminished, as did his scoring numbers, and he sometimes found himself on the fourth line.

The Rangers sent Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2013 trade deadline, but he exacted his revenge on the Rangers a year later after being traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Gaborik’s 14 goals led the Kings as they won the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons; the last two were game-tying third-period tallies in their five-game victory over the Rangers in the Final.

Despite his disappointing finish with the Rangers, Gaborik finished his time in New York with 115 goals and 229 points in 255 games. Tortorella was fired after the 2012-13 season — and it would have been interesting to see what Gaborik would have done under his replacement, Alain Vigneault.

Related: 6 Unanswered Rangers questions before 2024-25 season, including Matt Rempe’s long-term role

3. A “Great” Day

The Signing: Rangers sign center Wayne Gretzky to a two-year contract
Date: July 21, 1996

Why it mattered: Hockey’s greatest player playing his home games at The World’s Most Famous Arena. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Of course, it wasn’t the 1980s-model Gretzky that the Rangers were getting when they signed “The Great One” in the summer of 1996. But even a 35-year-old Gretzky was still a force to be reckoned with, especially because he was rejoining his longtime Edmonton Oilers teammate Mark Messier.

The Gretzky-Messier tandem carried the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in 1996-97, which turned out to be their only season together in New York. No. 99 was No. 1 in the NHL with 72 assists, led the Rangers with 97 points, was voted a Second-Team All-Star and piled up 20 playoff points (including a first-round hat trick against the Florida Panthers) before the Philadelphia Flyers bounced them in five games.

Gretzky led the NHL in assists again in 1997-98 with 67 and repeated as a Second-Team All-Star. But with Messier signing with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent, they finished 15 points out of a playoff berth. They were out of the playoff race for most of 1998-99, and as the end of the season approached, Gretzky decided he’d had enough. On April 16, two days before the end of the season, he announced he would retire after the Rangers’ final game two days later.

Appropriately, his last NHL point was an assist — one that came on the Rangers’ lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who then lined up and shook his hand like it was the end of a playoff series. After the teams left the ice, Gretzky came back out for a solo skate — “I made a lot of curtain calls, but the fans wouldn’t stop cheering,” he said. “I cried; I broke down a couple of times.”

The Great One is still the Greatest One when it comes to goals, assists and points. Those numbers include the 57 goals and 249 points in his 234 games as a Ranger. His big regret was that he didn’t win the championship he’d hoped for in New York.

Related: Rarest Rangers sweaters in franchise history, including Wayne Gretzky

2. “Gravy” Train Rolls In

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Adam Graves to a five-year contract
Date: Sept. 3, 1991

Why it mattered: Chalk up one for Neil Smith.

Before joining the Rangers as GM in 1989, Smith had worked for the Detroit Red Wings. One of the players he scouted was Graves, who was selected by Detroit in the second round of the 1986 NHL Draft. But the Wings traded Graves to Edmonton in November 1989, and he was part of the Oilers’ championship team the following spring.

However, Smith never forgot Graves, and when he became a Group I free agent after the 1990-91 season, the Rangers signed him to a five-year contract, giving up forward Troy Mallette as compensation. Graves was given No. 11, but quickly shifted to No. 9 after the Rangers acquired former Edmonton teammate Messier a month later.

Coach Roger Neilson put Graves on Messier’s left wing, and he began filling the net. After seasons of 26 and 36 goals, “Gravy” broke the Rangers’ single-season goal-scoring record with 52, then piled up 10 more in the playoffs; the last one came in Game 7 of the Final and helped the Rangers end their 54-year championship drought.

Graves’ style of play was simple but effective — get to the front of the net and make life miserable for opposing goalies. Most of the 280 goals he scored in 10 seasons with the Rangers didn’t travel very far. But off the ice, he might have been even more valuable for what he did for the team and the community. Though on the ice, he was tough as nails, scoring goals and protecting teammates so well that the Rangers retired his No. 9 on Feb. 3, 2021. Wway from the rink, he was humble, caring and kind — and still is.

1. The Breadman Cometh

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Artemi Panarin to a seven-year contract
Date: July 1, 2019

Why it mattered: Panarin was an instant hit in the NHL after arriving with the Chicago Blackhawks from Russia as an undrafted free agent, winning the Calder Trophy in 2015-16 and being named a Second-Team All-Star the following season. Despite that, the Hawks traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2017, only to see him continue to pile up points during the following two seasons.

Panarin had plenty of suitors when he became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, but reportedly turned down more money from at least one other team to sign a seven-year, $81.5 million contract with the rebuilding Rangers.

Talk about money well spent!

Panarin’s arrival jump-started the rebuild the Rangers had announced before the 2018 trade deadline, and he’s been a major factor in their two trips to the Eastern Conference Final during the past three seasons. “The Breadman” delivered career highs of 49 goals and 120 points last season, helping the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champs; the 120 points are the second-highest single-season total in Rangers history, trailing only Jagr’s 123 in 2005-06. 

He is the only player in team history to break the 90-point mark four times (the only time he missed was the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season), and he’s one of just five Rangers to score as many as 49 goals in a season. His 1.32 points per game is the most in the Rangers’ 98-year history, and he reached 400 points faster than anyone in team history. Few free-agent signings in NHL history have paid off like this one.

Related: Rangers’ Artemi Panarin named one of best wings in hockey by NHL Network analyst

What better time to have some fun?

Though this year’s free agency was a bit of a dud for the Rangers, history shows us that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, the Rangers have historically made some big splashes when it comes to signing free agents, so we’re going to make the best roster we can solely with that pool of players.

We tried to put a focus on what the player did during his time in New York, so some big-time names like Guy Lafleur and Markus Naslund, for example, didn’t quite make the list because their best days were with other teams.

When going through this list, it was surprising how few impact defensemen the Rangers have signed over their near 100-year existence, leaving some tough choices of who even deserved to make this list.

Lastly, this roster consists mostly of players from the 1990s on, though that was more due to player movement being limited before the era of free agency expanded about 30 years ago.

WATCH: Exclusive 1-on-1 interview with former Rangers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck

Best all-time Rangers lineup consisting of free-agent additions

Forwards

Line 1: Artemi Panarin (2019) – Wayne Gretkzy (1996) – Marian Gaborik (2009)

What a first line that would be. 

Panarin is arguably (if there’s an argument at all) the best free-agent signing in Blueshirts history. He has 461 points in 350 games with the Rangers, including 120 in 2023-24, second most in a single Rangers season.

Gaborik likely had the title as best free-agent signing before Panarin’s arrival. His departure ahead of the 2013 trade deadline — and subsequent Stanley Cup win with the Los Angeles Kings at the expense of the Rangers in 2014 — soured the feeling towards No. 10, but the talented forward still posted two 40-goal seasons during the three full seasons he played in New York.

Gretzky’s best days were clearly behind him when he arrived in 1996, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he wasn’t a top-tier player. He had back-to-back 90-point seasons his first two years on Broadway, and had a great playoff run with the Rangers in 1997. All told, he had 249 points in 234 games with the Blueshirts to close out his NHL career.

Line 2: Adam Graves (1991) – Mark Messier (2000) – Brendan Shanahan (2006)

Talk about a tough trio that combined equal parts skill and physicality.

Graves arrived in New York as a free agent in 1991, back when compensation was required when a player was signed, at the expense of Troy Mallette! The wildly popular forward posted four 30-goal seasons, including a then record-setting 52 during the Stanley Cup season of 1993-94. He’s an all-time great Ranger whose No. 9 hangs at Madison Square Garden.

We’re cheating a little bit here getting Messier on the list due to his return to New York after a three-year stint with the Vancouver Canucks. Clearly this version wasn’t as successful as the first, when he was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in a 1991 trade and led the Rangers to the Cup in 1994, but Messier was still a mostly-decent middle-six center despite being in his 40s. He had a 24-goal season in 2000-01 and back-to-back 18-goal campaigns before he called it a career in 2004.

Like Messier, Shanahan’s best days were behind him, but he still had a lot left in the tank and changed the complexion of the Rangers upon his arrival in 2006, adding grit and sandpaper to a team that had been swept by the New Jersey Devils in the 2005-06 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Shanahan scored 52 goals in his 140 games with the Rangers, impressive totals for a player in his late 30s. Arguably the lasting image of Shanahan’s time as a Ranger was him fighting feared enforcer Donald Brashear in December 2006.

Line 3: Mats Zuccarello (2010) – Mark Pavelich (1981) – Theo Fleury (1999)

Three small forwards, each under 5-foot-8, make up this line that had plenty of pop.

One of the most popular Rangers of the past 25 years, Zuccarello was a mainstay in New York during the franchise’s most successful period since the Cup year in the mid 90s. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Norway, Zuccarello totaled 352 points in 509 games, and he won the Steven McDonald Award for his “extra effort.”

Pavelich’s numbers are certainly a product of his era, but his numbers don’t lie. He began his NHL career after playing a big role on the United States’ “Miracle On Ice” team in 1980 with back-to-back 30-goal seasons and flirted with point-per-game-numbers during his five seasons in New York, which included a five-goal game in 1983. His 76 points during his rookie year of 1981-82 remains a franchise record to this day.

Fleury’s time in New York coincided with one of the worst stretches in franchise history, not to mention his own personal issues. That clouds the minds of Rangers fans who lump him into signings that didn’t pan out. Though he wasn’t the player he was in Calgary, the 5-foot-6 winger scored more than 63 points in each of his three seasons with the Rangers, including a 30-goal, 74-point campaign in 2000-01, the height of the dead puck era.

Line 4: Martin Straka (2005) – Brad Richards (2011) – Anders Hedberg (1978)  

Straka could be one of the most underrated players during the Rangers’ renaissance in the late 2000s. He had two straight 20-goal seasons, including 29 in 2006-07, and was a mainstay on the “Czech Line” and power play. All told, he had 187 points in 224 games with the Blueshirts. Not bad for a journeyman in his mid 30s.

Richards never lived up to the hype of his massive contract, but he was still a useful player for the Rangers, who immediately turned a corner following his addition in the summer of 2011. Richards scored 25 goals — just three shy of his NHL career-best — his first season in New York, when the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1997. After a down year in 2013, Richards turned in another 20-goal season to help the Rangers make it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. He finished with 151 points in 210 games with the Blueshirts, and added 28 points in 55 postseason contests.

Hedberg arrived in 1978 after a successful career in both Europe and the WHA. All he did was score 30 goals four times during his Broadway tenure and help the Rangers reach the 1979 Stanley Cup Final. The talented Swede, who came to New York as a package deal with center Ulf Nilsson, played his entire NHL career with the Blueshirts, amassing 397 points in 465 games from 1978-79 through 1984-85.

Related: 10 most underrated Rangers all-time

Defensemen

1st D pair: Darius Kasparaitis (2002) – Dan Girardi (2006)

Kasparaitis bridged the gap between The Dark Ages and the Renaissance. The hard-hitting defenseman arrived for the 2002-03 campaign and was an alternate captain during the 2005-06 season, when Kasparitis introduced the Stick Salute after Rangers wins, something the team still does to this day. His time with the Rangers ended during the 2006-07 season, when he was waived and eventually loaned to a team in the KHL, thus ending his NHL career.

While he’s looked at in mostly unfavorable terms from the Twitter crowd, Girardi was a gritty defenseman in the same mold as current Rangers blueliner Ryan Lindgren. He was a key part of Rangers teams that had their longest run of success this side of the 1994 Stanley Cup. Girardi, who was signed as an undrafted free agent, rose from the ECHL all the way to becoming an NHL All Star. In parts of 11 seasons, Girardi averaged more than 22 minutes of ice time per game and missed the playoffs just once during his tenure. Here’s hoping that with time, Girardi gets the credit he so deserves from Rangers fans.

2nd D pair: Bruce Driver (1995) – Anton Stralman (2011)

Former Devils never seem to work out for the Rangers, and it’s more of a testament to the slim pickings than Driver’s success in New York that he’s on this list. After 12 season in New Jersey, Driver signed with the Rangers as a 33-year-old before the 1995-96 season. He spent three seasons in New York and was a mostly-serviceable bottom-four blueliner. His high point was 37 points his first season as a Ranger.

Stralman was the analytics darling of those mid-2010s teams, though largely underrated, too. He played three steady seasons in New York, helping the Rangers advance to two conference finals and the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. 

3rd D pair: Marek Malik (2005) – Michal Roszival (2005)

Malik somewhat defines the Tom Renney post-lockout Rangers, thanks in large part to his legendary shootout goal in the 15th round against the Washington Capitals at the start of the 2005-06 season. But he was a fine bottom-four defenseman who was likely used more out of necessity than anything else. 

Another lynchpin of the Renney era, Roszival was a mainstay on those post-lockout teams that always snuck into the playoffs but were never really a threat. The offensive-defenseman turned in some strong seasons with the Rangers, including a 40-point campaign in 2006-07. His most memorable moment in New York was his overtime-winner in the second round against the Buffalo Sabres in the 2007 playoffs. He finished with 176 points in 436 games with the Rangers.

Goalies

Goalies: Chuck Rayner (1950) and Cam Talbot (2010)

We’re going way back for this one, but it’s hard to keep a goalie who won the Hart Trophy off this list. Rayner never finished with a winning record but did lead the Rangers to the 1950 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost in Game 7. Had they won that game, 1940 would have never been a thing. Rayner was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1973.

Talbot signed with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent in 2010 and worked his way up from the ECHL. He made his NHL debut in 2013-14 as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup and finished that season with 12-6-1 record, terrific 1.64 goals-against average and sterling .941 save percentage., But it was the following season that earns Talbot a spot on this list. He was 21-9-4 in 2014-15, including a spectacular run when Lundqvist missed a chunk of time due to injury. His performance helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy, and he won the Steven McDonald Award. Talbot finished his two seasons with the Rangers 33-15-5 with a .931 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average.

On Monday, head coach Gerard Gallant was asked about the man affectionately known as Reavo.

“I hope he doesn’t play well,” Gallant said with a chuckle. “He’s been with me a long time in Vegas and here. He’s a guy I respect and like a lot. Hopefully he plays well and we win by a goal or two.”

Barclay Goodrow, who became very close with Reaves knows his former teammate is not going to hold back when it comes to his usual brand of physical play.

“You have to keep your head up out there since he’s going to be looking for a hit,” Goodrow noted. “Whenever you go back to play a former team, especially for the first time, he’s going to be jacked up. His juices will be flowing, so we’ll try and match that to pick up two points.”

Here’s tonight’s game and broadcast info:

New York Rangers (22-12-7) vs. Minnesota Wild (22-14-3)
Date/Time: January 10, 2023 at 7:00 PM ET
Arena: Madison Square Garden
TV: MSG
Radio: ESPN 98.7

New York Rangers take on Wild

The Blueshirts are coming off a disappointing 4-3 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, where they blew a two-goal lead in the third period.

Despite the upsetting performance, they have now earned points in five straight contests (3-0-2) and are on an 11-2-2 run since the ‘Trouba Helmet Toss’ game (5-2 loss to Chicago at home on Dec 3).

“I feel like we’re a more confident group now than we were, whatever it was, 20 games ago,” Captain Jacob Trouba said. “We’re playing better hockey… I think as a team we’re more confident and playing with more togetherness.”

Per multiple reports from practice, it appears Jonny Brodzinski will get back into the lineup. He’ll play alongside Goodrow and Julien Gauthier with Sammy Blais being a healthy scratch.

Igor Shesterkin should also be back in net for this matchup. His career record against the Wild is 1-1-0, with a GAA of 3.04 and a .914 save percentage.

Jaroslav Halak did not practice with the team due to illness but is expected to be available as the backup.

Wild playing solid hockey

The Wild lost their last game as well, to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday in overtime.

They’ll be looking to bounce back and find a way to win more consistently. Since Reaves joined the lineup on November 25, Minnesota is 13-6-1, but their played has dipped going 3-3-1 in the last 7 games.

While there’s a lot of attention on Reaves playing his first game against the Rangers since the trade, Mats Zuccarello is hoping to get back into lineup after missing the last two with a lower-body injury.

If he does suit up, it makes the task of shutting down the Wild much harder. Zuccarello is second on the team in scoring with 40 points in 37 games. His linemate is none other than the Wild’s leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov with 48 points in 39 matches.

Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to be in goal and looking to avenge a 7-3 loss to the Rangers earlier in the season. He’s currently 13-8-2 with a GAA of 2.94 and a .901 save percentage.

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

Things are Kraken in Seattle. Read more.

NHL Rumors: Bo Horvat a Kraken trade target? Read more.

“We get some time to spend with each other,” captain Jacob Trouba said. “In New York we kind of live far from each other. We see each other at the rink but it’s nice to get to dinners and go out to spend time, so everyone enjoys that. We’re excited to get the trip started.”

This season, the Blueshirts have fared well away from Madison Square Garden with a 4-3-0 record. More importantly, they’ve won three out of their last four road games and outscored their opponents by an 18-9 margin.

“I would sooner go on a four-game road trip than one game here and back,” Gerard Gallant admitted via the team’s YouTube channel. “If we can maintain the way we’ve played we’ll win more than we’ll lose.”

Here’s tonight’s game and broadcast info:

New York Rangers (8-6-3) vs. Seattle Kraken (8-5-3)
Date/Time: November 17, 2022 at 10:00 PM ET
Arena: Climate Pledge Arena
TV: MSG
Radio: ESPN 98.7

New York Rangers injury report:

Vitali Kravtsov: Tooth infection (Day-toDay)

New York Rangers take on Kraken

The Rangers are coming off a big character win Sunday night at MSG versus the Arizona Coyotes. After returning home at 3 AM from a 2-1 loss in Nashville to the Predators, they could not keep up with the Yotes being outshot 17-4 in the first period.

“It was a long road trip and we started slow,” Fox said on the MSG postgame show. “[Shesterkin] keeps us in most games. What he does for us speaks for itself. He’s the backbone of the team and we’re lucky to have him.”

Igor Shesterkin was heroic to start that contest and finished with 31 saves as the Rangers eventually woke up and earned a 4-1 win.

“I like when I have a lot of shots, not like two or three shots in a period,” Shesterkin explained. “When I face a lot of shots, I feel more confident.”

Gallant has not named a starter for tonight’s contest but Shesterkin is expected to go.

One of the Rangers hottest players is defenseman Adam Fox, who earned NHL Third star of the Week honors on Monday. He had a goal and an assist against Arizona to extend his point streak to six games.

There’s been some concern that players like Fox and Mika Zibanejad may be playing too much.

“As soon as I sit them down a little bit they’re looking at me to get back on the ice,” Gallant said. “It’s about winning now but we do look at [the minutes] all the time. Our staff says their fine.”

One player that may get back into the lineup at some point in this trip is Vitali Kravtsov after being forced out with a tooth infection.

“He had that oral surgery, so we wanted to give him another day,” Gallant said of his availability. “We’ll decide tomorrow. He looked good out there.”

Kravtsov, 22, has missed the team’s last two games due. He has 1 assist in six games this season, which came in the team’s 8-2 blowout over the Detroit Red Wings last week.

Kraken on the rise

The Seattle Kraken last played on Sunday and lost in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets by a 3-2 score. It was tough one because the game was tied with just 5 seconds left on the clock. For Seattle it was their second consecutive loss after a franchise best winning streak of five games.

This won’t be an easy game for the Blueshirts as the Kraken have improved in all areas from their inaugural season. With 19 points, they’re third in the Pacific Division and have a +7 goal differential.

The addition of Andre Burakovsky this offseason from the Colorado Avalanche has proven to be a good move as he leads the team with 14 points in 16 games. Rookie Matty Beniers is also one to watch with 5 goals and 9 points in 16 contests.

In goal, veteran Martin Jones has been excellent with a 7-4-2 record (2.38 GAA, .908 SV%). He’s in there for injured starter Philipp Grubauer.

The New York Rangers won both games against the Kraken last season.

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

NHL Rumors: Jonathan Toews trade talk. Read more.

NHL Trade Bait Tracker: Top 20 trade candidates. Read more.

How to watch New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins season finale as the game will be a national broadcast on ESPN+.

NYR: 45-20-6 (96 POINTS)
PIT: 41-20-10 (92 POINTS)

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 – 7:00 PM ET, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
TV: ESPN+, HULU
RADIO: ESPN 98.7 FM

Rangers last game: 3-1 win over New Jersey Devils

How to watch Rangers vs Penguins (plus listening and streaming info)

Tonight’s game will be a national product featured on ESPN+ and HULU (premium streaming services).

Note: MSG Networks will have pregame and postgame coverage for the game against Pittsburgh tomorrow night on MSG. The network will also have pregame and postgame coverage for the other two remaining regular season national exclusive telecasts to keep fans close to the action down the stretch run – April 13^th at Philadelphia on MSG and April 23^rd at Boston on MSG2.

You can purchase ESPN+ on its own or as a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu. You can only watch them on a streaming device such as a SmartTV. The service is also available through AppleTV, ROKU, FireTV, and more.

Per ESPN+ FAQ:

You can get an ESPN+ subscription for $6.99 per month, or save over 15% with an ESPN+ Annual Plan at $69.99 per year. You can also bundle ESPN+ with Disney+ and Hulu for $13.99 per month.

SiriusXM subscribers can listen to the game on Channel 91.

New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins

All-Time: 134-118-23-16 (75-55-9-8 at home; 59-63-14-8 on the road)

The Rangers have picked up points in five of their last six against the Penguins at MSG (4-1-1).

Rangers career stats vs Penguins:

Artemi Panarin – 22 GP, 12G-17A—29P – Panarin has recorded points in eight of his last 10 games against the Penguins (3G-11A). He has recorded a point in 17 of his 22 games against Pittsburgh and a multi-point game in nine of his 22 games. This season, Panarin has three assists in three games against the Penguins.

Chris Kreider – 34 GP, 9G-13A—22P – Kreider has notched points in six of his last nine games against the Penguins (5G-4A). Kreider has recorded three goals and two assists for five points and a plus-4 in three games this season against Pittsburgh.

Mika Zibanejad – 29 GP, 7G-12A – 19P – Zibanejad has six points in his last five games against the Penguins, including a three-assist outing on March 25 against them.

Igor Shesterkin – 8 GP, 4-3-1 with a 2.38 GAA and a .914 SV%.

Per New York Rangers Game Notes

Rangers key notes:

inKREIDERable: Chris Kreider set a team record for single-season PPG (25) and GWG (10) vs NJ.

Resilient Rangers: New York is 16-6-3 following a loss this season.

Comeback Kids: The Blueshirts are tied for 1st in comeback wins at 24.

Rangers Milestones within reach

Mika Zibanejad is 1 overtime goal away from tying Cecil Dillon, Butch Keeling and Brian Leetch (7 each) for the most overtime goals by a player in Rangers history.

Artemi Panarin is 1 game from 500 in his career.

Barclay Goodrow is 1 games from 400 in his career.

Frank Vatrano is 2 goals away from 100 in his career.

Ryan Strome is 1 points from 350 in his career.

Justin Braun is 4 points from 200 in his career.

Rangers Special Teams

• NYR PP is running at 26.84% (NHL Rank 2)
• NYR PK is working at 81.28% (NHL Rank 9)

*Some Stats and Info courtesy New York Rangers. Other team stats available on Forever Blueshirts.

NHL Rumors

The Montreal Canadiens and Martin St. Louis will meet after the season to determine his future. Plus the Edmonton Oilers could make a play for Ville Husso and there’s been trade talk around Mark Scheifele. Read more.