As promising as the Miller-Zibanejad partnership is looking, though, coach Peter Laviolette’s decision to move the former top-line center to a wing spot has created a problem that dogged the Blueshirts last season as well. That’s a lack of depth in the bottom six, a group that is now facing a familiar need: A third-line center who can score, drive possession and defend – a kind of player like Filip Chytil, who headed to the Pacific Northwest in the deal for Miller.

That bottom-six depth took a further hit Tuesday, when the team announced that towering left wing Adam Edstrom will miss 2.5-3.5 months with a lower-body injury. Edstrom’s versatile game had been on the upswing, establishing himself as a stalwart on the club’s Twin Towers fourth line with Matt Rempe.

The Rangers never really solved this dilemma in 2023-24. That team’s top-heavy forward corps appeared to have finally become better balanced when it picked up third-line center Alex Wennberg from the Seattle Kraken ahead of the trade deadline, but by the end of the Rangers playoff run, the bottom six was a mess again. By the Eastern Conference Final, Laviolette was back to experimenting in a futile attempt to find the level of contributions from that group that eluded him throughout 2023-24.

So the search for help in the bottom six, especially for another 3C acquisition, is set to begin anew. Jonny Brodzinski, who drew into the lineup when Zibanejad moved up, is a useful player, but not a long-term third-line center solution for a playoff-hopeful team.

The same goes for veteran penalty-killing specialist Jimmy Vesey, who appears set to take most of Edstrom’s minutes in his absence but doesn’t provide nearly the impact Edstrom does.

So here’s a look at some external candidates (and one internal) that general manager Chris Drury could target leading up to the March 7 trade deadline as the Rangers continue their increasingly frantic quest for the postseason.

Related: Rangers Daily — Your serve Blueshirts; Linus Ullmark returns for Senators

Center candidates for Rangers

Radek Faksa, St. Louis Blues

The Blues aren’t out of the Western Conference wild-card race, but they’re not exactly making a charge either. If St. Louis starts to fall out of it, Faksa seems likely to become available. Working on an expiring contract that carries a $3.25 million salary-cap hit, the 31-year-old has had something of a down season in the Gateway City, with just three goals, seven assists and a minus-6 rating.

Faksa, though, brings size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds), a bit of offensive ability and face-off prowess (54.5 percent win rate in 2024-25, 52.0 for his career). He’d in theory be a steady veteran presence and an upgrade over Brodzinski.

Nick Bjugstad and Alex Kerfoot, Utah Hockey Club

The Rangers were rumored to be interested in Bjugstad last season, when he totaled 22 goals and 23 assists in 76 games for the then-Arizona Coyotes. The franchise’s move to Salt Lake City this season seems to have caused his scoring to dry up, since he has only five goals and nine assists in 44 games, along with a minus-7 rating after posting a plus-11 mark in 2023-24.

Perhaps a change of scenery to a contending team would energize the giant (6-6, 209) Bjugstad, who would replace some of the size lost with Edstrom’s injury. Among the more offensively talented candidates the Rangers could acquire to handle 3C duties, Bjugstad, 32, carries a $2.1 million cap hit and becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1.

Kerfoot, 30, can also put the puck in the net, with 186 goals in his eight-season career. He’s a smaller player at 5-11 and 186 pounds, but is a shifty skater with good instincts who pounces on turnovers, throws the body a little, blocks shots and kills penalties. he has an expiring $3.5 million cap hit.

Nico Sturm, San Jose Sharks

Would Drury and his buddy, Sharks GM Mike Grier, engage in some more business this season after Grier mercifully took Barclay Goodrow’s contract off the Rangers hands last summer? At 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, Sturm plays a physical game and dominates at the face-off dot, having won an NHL career-high 63.7 percent of his draws this season and 56.7 for his career.

Sturm wouldn’t provide much offense, but he approximates the kind of big matchup center the Rangers have craved for years. He’s a strong defensive player and penalty killer, thanks to his ability to win defensive-zone face-offs and use his size and reach to disrupt passing lanes.

At age 29 and carrying an easily-absorbed $2 million cap hit on an expiring contract, Sturm seems as if he’d be a rental for the Rangers before entering free agency seeking multi-year offers July 1.

Related: Rangers will have more spending flexibility next season under new NHL salary-cap agreement

Forward candidates for Rangers

Brandon Tanev, Seattle Kraken

Tanev would be close to an ideal fit for the Blueshirts – and pretty much every other contender. His mix of moxie (109 hits) and offense (nine goals, seven assists in 52 games; 16 goals two seasons ago) makes Tanev the kind of reinforcement that teams covet for the postseason. The 33-year-old might prove too expensive in a trade for the Rangers, especially given that they’re looking for more of a cheap short-term replacement/insurance policy for Edstrom.

Tanev carries a $3.5 million cap hit that expires this summer, which will make him a popular target ahead of the deadline.

Garnet Hathaway, Philadelphia Flyers

Despite the rarity of trades between the Metropolitan Division rivals, sinking Philadelphia is motivated to clean up its mess of a payroll, as evidenced by the trade of Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost to the Calgary Flames on Jan. 30. Hathaway is yet another Flyers forward with contract term, carrying a $2.375 cap hit this season and $2.4 million for each of the following two seasons.

The odds are against such a swap, but Hathaway, even at age 33, remains one of the most irritating and disruptive pests in the NHL. Like Sturm, he’s the kind of player the Blueshirts have needed in recent postseasons, having found that out themselves firsthand amidst numerous division battles with Hathaway, who also played for the Washington Capitals from 2019-22.

At 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, Hathaway’s in-your-face approach is just what the Rangers were looking for when they acquired Miller. His ability to score goals, pile up hits (197 in 54 games) and drive opponents crazy would be a perfect fit on the Rangers’ bottom forward unit. His contract might not be.

Liam O’Brien, Utah Hockey Club

There’s more than a little bit of former Madison Square Garden fan favorite Sean Avery in O’Brien, whose fire-and-brimstone approach to playing hockey would inject the Rangers with serious emotion on a nightly basis. O’Brien led the League in penalty minutes last season and piled up 229 hits.

He’s signed for two more years after this one at a desirable $1 million per, but there’s question as to how he’d function playing regularly for a better team.

Brett Berard, Rangers

If Laviolette wants more fourth-line sandpaper in Edstrom’s absence, he could always stay close to home with Berard, who mostly impressed as a straight-line, speedy, sometimes-annoying winger in his 19-game stint on Broadway this season. The 22-year-old scored three goals with four assists while doling out 27 hits before being sent back down to Hartford of the AHL on Jan. 11. The price is right at $867,500, and he wouldn’t cost anything in trade. He needs to get healthy, though. He’s been banged up down in the minors the past few weeks.

The New York Rangers are not expected to be big players when the bell rings because of limited cap space ($11.7 million) and two key RFA’s to re-sign in K’Andre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere.

One signing that is expected to happen per multiple reports is veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick, who will back up Igor Shesterkin for the 2023-24 campaign.

On Friday, a wrinkle to the entire free agent field occurred when over 100 players were added to the list via buyouts or restricted free agents not receiving qualifying offers.

Let’s take a look at some potentially low-cost targets the Blueshirts may be able to pick up on a 1 to 2 year deal.

Related: Rangers to sign Jonathan Quick

New York Rangers free agent targets

Nick Bjugstad, C

Bjugstad, 28, recorded 17 goals and 12 assists for 29 points in 78 games this past season split between the Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers. He added 3 goals in 12 postseason games for the Oilers. The hulk-sized center comes in at 6-6′ and 210 pounds which the Rangers would love. He’s coming off a 1-year deal with a $900K AAV, but will likely command just a little more than the Rangers may be willing to spend.

Garnet Hathaway, RW

Hathaway, 31, recorded 13 goals and 9 assists for 22 points in 84 games this past season. He began last year with the Washington Capitals before being dealt to the Boston Bruins near the trade deadline along with defenseman Dmitry Orlov. His friendship with Chris Kreider and relationship with new head coach Peter Laviolette could factor in his decision.

Kailer Yamamoto, RW

Yamamoto, 24, is one of those surprise late adds to the UFA list after being traded to the Detroit Red Wings and immediately bought out. For his young career spanning parts of six seasons, he’s registered 50 goals and 68 assists for 118 points in 244 games. If he’s willing to take a low one-year “show me” deal, this former first-rounder could cash in big time next season when the cap jumps by $4 million.

Daniel Sprong, RW

Sprong, 26, is another late entry as the Seattle Kraken did not tender him a qualifying offer. Last season, he registered 21 goals and 46 points in 66 games on a one-year deal worth only $750K. He’s a winger with size (6-0′, 202 lbs) and I believe the Rangers are looking closely at him. Sprong briefly played for Laviolette on the Capitals in 2021-22.

Christian Fischer, RW

Fischer, 26, was also not qualified and would make a great add. The Arizona Coyotes opted to let him walk after his deal with a $1.125M AAV expired. A physical winger that has the size (6-2′, 212 lbs) to back up his play, he scored 13 goals and 27 points in 80 games last year.

Morgan Geekie, F

The Kraken shockingly did not qualify Geekie as well on Friday. At 24 years of age, who’s a healthy 6-3′ and 200 lbs, he’s a promising young forward that can play center. Geekie is coming off a one-year deal with a $1.4M AAV. Last season, he recorded 28 points in 69 matches.

Callan Foote, D

Foote, 24, registered 7 points in 50 games for the Nashville Predators, who opted not to qualify him. This former 14th overall selection in the draft is a right handed shot defender with size at 6-5′ and 224 lbs. His dad, Adam Foote was a former NHL defenseman that won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche. Callan came in at $850K against the cap in 2022-23.

Jimmy Schuldt, D

According to Mollie Walker of the NY Post, this left-handed defender is of interest to the Blueshirts. Schuldt, 28, has only played in one NHL game for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018-19 registering an assist. He’s an AHL player that GM Chris Drury could easily add on a two-way contract.

Note: some information used via Hockey-Reference and PuckPedia

Free agency returns to its normal date of July 1after dealing with the impact COVID had to the NHL’s schedule. Per PuckPedia, GM Chris Drury has $11,762,918 in cap space with 14 players from last season under contract. While a bulk of that will go to re-signing pending RFA’s Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller, there’s still some room to add a low-cost bottom six forward.

This offseason, Forever Blueshirts has been looking at some potentially low-cost options. We’ve already featured forwards Jesper Fast, Garnet Hathaway, and David Kampf, today we look at center Nick Bjugstad.

New York Rangers UFA Target: Nick Bjugstad

Bjugstad, 28, recorded 17 goals and 12 assists for 29 points in 78 games this past season split between the Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers. He added 3 goals in 12 postseason games for the Oilers.

The hulk-sized center comes in at 6-6′ and 210 pounds which he uses well to throw his body around on the forecheck. More importantly for the Blueshirts, he can be a very affordable signing as a fourth line center. The native of Minneapolis, Minnesota concluded a one-year deal with an AAV of just $900,000 and a small increase should be enough to land him on the free agent market.

Due to the flat cap and the ceiling going up from $82.5 million to only $83.5, players like Bjugstad will likely sit around while the bigger name free agents get their money.

Originally drafted by the Florida Panthers 19th overall in 2010, he’s amassed 127 goals and 139 assists for 266 points in 618 games.

Bjugstad would be a great replacement if the Rangers opt to trade Barclay Goodrow and his $3.6 million cap hit this summer.

At this point, barring any trade to ship salary out or sending someone down on waivers, GM Chris Drury should have about $908K in salary they can add per CapFriendly. That’s actually just enough to acquire top target, Arizona Coyotes center Nick Bjugstad on deadline day without the need to retain salary.

Of course, there’s always the possibility of a home run swing for Patrick Kane.

Let’s quickly look at the trades they’ve made so far:

• 11/23 – Ryan Reaves to Minnesota for a fifth-round pick in 2025
• 2/9 – 2024 first-round, fourth-round, Sammy Blais, and Hunter Skinner to St. Louis for Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola
• 2/19 – Julien Gauthier and a conditional seventh-round pick to Ottawa for Tyler Motte

New York Rangers expected to make one more trade

As the calendar gets closer to the trade deadline, a lot of eyes are on the New York Rangers. They are considered one of the top contenders to win the Stanley Cup this season and there’s no reason not to uncover every possible stone.

Forever Blueshirts worked with PuckPedia to examine if there’s a path cap-wise to still acquire Patrick Kane. We broke down one scenario as follows:

• Waive Jake Leschyshyn by February 25 to accrue $1.75M+ in cap space
• Trade Vitali Kravtsov to shed $875K more
• Get third party involved to drive Patrick Kane AAV to $2.625M (75%)

Since then, NY Post reporter Larry Brooks suggested waiving Vitali Kravtsov now to accrue more cap space and The Athletic’s Arthur Staple is noting there’s still a possibility as well. In addition, Staple indicated that Patrick Kane believes a trade to the Rangers is not out of the question.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan verified that by reporting Kane is exploring if the Rangers are still an option. “So now Kane is recalibrating again,” Kaplan writes. “I believe he has asked to explore whether going to the Rangers is still an option. It’s not impossible, but it would require serious maneuvering.”

Another top insider, Elliotte Friedman weighed in on the potential for a Rangers’ blockbuster.

“A lot of their heavy lifting is done. Word was they wanted one more forward, and Tyler Motte arrived on Sunday,” Friedman wrote about another big move. “I don’t know. I think GM Chris Drury likes the attention focused elsewhere. Would I say it’s likely? No. But, like with Toronto, it’s silly to assume they wouldn’t consider anything.”

Kane, 34, has scored 42 points in 53 games this season. He has a massive cap hit of $10.5 million that many contenders will require a third team to help drive down the cost. Friedman also said that the Edmonton Oilers have made a pitch to land him.

In an interview with Forever Blueshirts, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox weighed in on the Rangers and Kane.

“It seem highly unlikely at this point,” Fox told us. “My sense is Chris Drury engaged in conversations but it was cheaper to go with Vladimir Tarasenko instead. Then you saw the disappointment in Patrick Kane’s face. I can’t remember the last time a player who’s under contract openly express he wasn’t traded to a team… I’d be stunned if he ended up with the Rangers at this point but I won’t be if he accepts a trade and moves on.”

One thing that everyone seems to believe is that Drury will make another move to solidify his lineup. There’s the aforementioned Bjugstad but that’s not the only target.

The Rangers were scouting the Blackhawks last night, and Sam Lafferty is someone we mentioned back in January. Drury would need to send salary the other way in order to fit his $1.15 cap hit. Another is Nick Bonino of the San Jose Sharks, but the Rangers would require some salary retention to make his $2.05 cap hit fit.

“I feel like it would be a depth move like that (for the Rangers),” Fox explained. “No doubt, they’re making a push. If there’s a way to improve their team, they’ll do it.”

Editor’s Note: Our full interview with Luke Fox is now available on our YouTube channel

NHL News and Rumors

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Check out the latest NHL Trade Bait Tracker right here!

• Kane decides not to waive his full no-move clause this week
• Kane is traded elsewhere
• Rangers use limited cap space to bolster fourth-line via trade

Yes, the Rangers can technically improve their fourth-line by trading for Kane which will move Jimmy Vesey off the second line. However, as the fourth line is currently constructed with Barclay Goodrow paired with Jake Leschyshyn and Julien Gauthier, it needs serious work.

A trend has been developing as the team is making a push up the standings down the stretch. In the third period, Gerard Gallant shortens his bench to limit the ice time of Leschyshyn and Gauthier. It’s a clear signal from the head coach to GM Chris Drury that things aren’t good enough.

UPDATE: New York Rangers acquire Tyler Motte. Details here.

New York Rangers need to bolster fourth line

The Rangers salary cap situation just 12 days out from the NHL Trade Deadline on March 3 is as follows:

Based off CapFriendly, the Rangers can easily make a deal for a player making anywhere between $750K to $1.5M without trading someone from the roster. If the Rangers can trade Vitali Kravtsov before the deadline, they will add another $875K to the cap situation.

That means the Rangers can acquire two fourth line players for what’s expected to be a difficult playoff run to get out of the Eastern Conference.

Trade Deadline options

When it comes to Trade Deadline options for the fourth line, there are several players that have been linked to the Rangers. Let’s dive into those names.

Nick Bjugstad, Arizona Coyotes: The 30 year-old center is big at 6-6′ and 210 pounds. He’s recorded 23 points in 56 games this season and only has a $900K cap hit. The Rangers don’t need to have the Yotes retain salary to make this move and it shouldn’t cost more than a third-round pick for the pending UFA. It’s also worth noting that he played for Gallant in Florida.

Nick Ritchie, Arizona Coyotes: This 27 year-old winger plays that nasty style you need in the playoffs. This season, he’s notched 21 points in 53 games but has a decent cap hit of $2.5M. Drury would need to ask the Yotes to retain salary on the pending UFA to make this one work. He’s also ben linked to the Rangers since last season.

Tyler Motte, Ottawa Senators: The 27 year-old was acquired at the last deadline for the low price of a fourth-round pick. According to Larry Brooks, the ask this time around is much higher. Motte has 9 points in 38 games this season and will be a UFA in July. New York was interested in re-signing him but the two sides couldn’t agree on a deal. His cap hit is $1.35 million.

Tanner Jeannot, Nashville Predators: An intriguing option but one that is likely out of reach for the Rangers. The 25 year-old is a pending RFA, which automatically will drive up the price to acquire him. This season, he has 14 points in 53 games with a low cap hit of $800,000. It’s also believed that the Predators are going to re-sign him.

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On February 9th, GM Chris Drury shipped a conditional first-round pick (2023), a conditional fourth-round pick (2024), forward Sammy Blais, and prospect defenseman Hunter Skinner to the St. Louis Blues for forward Vladimir Tarasenko (50% salary retained) and defenseman Niko Mikkola.

By doing so, the Rangers filled a huge need for a top-six right wing and upgrade on the third-pair left defense spot.

“It’s something we’ve been looking at for a while,” Drury said. “It gives the two new players a little more time to acclimate to our group, so excited to do it now and get them in the lineup.”

Now that the move is done, the Rangers are still expected to upgrade their fourth line. The NHL Trade Deadline in March 3, so there’s no rush to make a deal. Let’s take a look at the team’s current options.

New York Rangers trade deadline outlook

Salary Cap:

Before diving in, here’s the lay of Rangers-land.

Based off CapFriendly, the Rangers can easily make a deal for a player making anywhere between $750K to $1.5M without trading someone from the roster.

They can also take on more salary depending on other moves such as trading Vitali Kravtsov, who makes $875K. If he’s dealt, whether in the same trade or a separate one, the Rangers can take up to $2.5M in salary.

Trade Bait:

• Vitali Kravtsov, forward (pending RFA)
• Zac Jones, defenseman (pending RFA)
• 2023 Draft Picks
  • first-round
  • second-round
  • third-round
  • sixth-round (2)
  • seventh-round

Realistic Trade Targets:

Nick Bjugstad, Arizona Coyotes: The 30 year-old center is big at 6-6′ and 210 pounds. He’s recorded 23 points in 54 games this season and only has a $900K cap hit. The Rangers don’t need to have the Yotes retain salary to make this move and it shouldn’t cost more than a third-round pick for the pending UFA. It’s also worth noting that he played for Gallant in Florida.

Nick Ritchie, Arizona Coyotes: This 27 year-old winger plays that nasty style you need in the playoffs. This season, he’s notched 21 points in 51 games but has a decent cap hit of $2.5M. Drury would need to ask the Yotes to retain salary on the pending UFA to make this one work.

Sam Lafferty, Chicago Blackhawks: The Rangers are going to be up against the cap next season, and they may want to look at low-cost players with term. Enter Lafferty, who has one year left at $1.15M AAV. The 27 year-old forward can play center and has 19 points in 45 games for the rebuilding Hawks.

Noel Acciari, St. Louis Blues: The 31 year-old center is having a decent year in the face-off circle at 54.3%. He could certainly add to the Rangers’ depth and the pending UFA only has a $1.25M cap hit. Acciari has 18 points in 52 games this season.

What a potential deal looks like:

The Rangers for the most part have the cap space and assets to add any one of these players. Aside from Lafferty, we are talking fourth-line rentals that shouldn’t cost the team more than a third-round pick.

With Kravtsov wanting to be moved he could be included in one of these deals. That being said, the acquiring team would likely be sending back a mid-round pick along with the rental in such a trade.

One more big swing?

When the Rangers made their big trade last week, Patrick Kane openly expressed his disappointment.

“It’s not like the happiest I’ve been to hear about a trade,” Kane said Friday via Mark Lazerus. “If things are going to happen, that was a team I was definitely looking at. It seems like they kind of filled their void and went ahead and made a deal.”

So what if Kane, who has a full no-move clause, only wants to go to the Rangers? Is there a path to acquire him? The answer is yet, but it’s complex.

In speaking with PuckPedia, if the Rangers were to send down Julien Gauthier or trade Vitali Kravtsov for a draft pick soon, they could have about $2.7 million in space for March 3.

They would then need the Hawks to eat 50% of Kane’s cap hit, plus get a third team to eat another 50% to drive down AAV from $10.5M to $2.625M.

It’s crazy and highly unlikely, but cap-wise actually possible. I mean, can you imagine this lineup for the playoffs:

• Kreider – Zibanejad – Tarasenko
• Panarin – Trocheck – Kane
• Lafreniere – Chytil – Kakko
• Vesey – Goodrow – Gauthier

Of course, that definitely means the Rangers will be trading their other first-round pick in 2023 and much more to get this deal done. That being said, if the Rangers trade Kravtsov to the Blackhawks for future considerations this week, well then the game is on.

Kane, 34, has 35 points in 48 games this season on a really bad Blackhawks teams.

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