3 Former Rangers Who Could Be Short-Term Top-Six Options

One key area the New York Rangers are going to have to address this offseason is their top-six forward group. While they do have some good players in place, they are still lacking one or two who can play in their top six. This upcoming free agent class is weaker than it was projected to be due to top stars re-signing with their current teams. However, there are three former Rangers who are currently going to become unrestricted free agents this summer. In this piece, we are going to look at these players and go over why they could be brought in as short-term options for the Rangers’ top six.

Mats Zuccarello

Of the three players that are going to be mentioned, the one that fans would likely want back most and the one who is still the most productive is Mats Zuccarello. He was a fan favorite during his time in New York, and he spent parts of nine seasons with the Rangers before he was traded to the Dallas Stars in 2019, before the trade deadline. After a short playoff run with the Stars, Zuccarello signed with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent that offseason, and that has been his home ever since. He has played seven seasons in Minnesota and has been one of their most productive players, having great chemistry with their star player, Kirill Kaprizov.

He is currently 38 years old and will be 39 by the time next season begins, so this next contract he signs could be the last of his career. While it seems more likely than not he signs with the Wild again, they have yet to come to an agreement on an extension, and if he does hit free agency, the Rangers should be all over him. Zuccarello knows what it takes to play in New York, and he had great chemistry with Mika Zibanejad in the few seasons they played together. If the Rangers are looking for a short-term option for the next year or two in their top six, Zuccarello could be the perfect player for them to target.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Another current member of the Wild and former Ranger is Vladimir Tarasenko. After playing most of his career in St. Louis with the Blues, he was traded to the Rangers in February 2023, and he was good for them in his short time with the team. He scored eight goals and recorded 21 points in 31 regular-season games. He also scored three goals and recorded four points in the Rangers’ seven-game first-round loss to the New Jersey Devils that season. He left as a free agent that summer and signed with the Ottawa Senators, and then was traded to the Florida Panthers in 2024, where he helped them win their first Stanley Cup.

He signed with the Detroit Red Wings that offseason, and after one season with them, he was traded as a cap dump to the Wild, where he went on to have a bounce-back season. He scored 23 goals and registered 47 points in 75 games played this season. He has expressed how much he enjoyed his time in New York and would have liked to come back, but the Rangers could not afford him at the time. Now, with the Rangers lacking a shoot-first player in their top-six, a reunion with Tarasenko might not be a bad idea for the short-term.

Patrick Kane

Even after the Rangers brought in Tarasenko in 2023, they went out and made another major move by trading for Patrick Kane. His short time on Broadway was felt with some mixed emotions, as it was known that he was playing on an injured hip, and the team still decided to bring him in. Kane played well for the most part, especially in the playoffs, where he recorded six points in seven games against the Devils. He left the team as a free agent that offseason and also had surgery to repair his hip. The Rangers were interested in signing him again early the next season when he was ready to come back, but he signed with the Red Wings and has been with them ever since.

Kane has been a consistent 50-plus point player with the Red Wings, but they have yet to make the playoffs, and they might look to make changes to their roster this offseason. That might mean moving on from the 37-year-old, and if they do and he hits the open market, the Rangers could be interested in a reunion. He is healthier now than he was when he first was on the team, and with them looking to make this a quick retool, having a player like Kane around and him teaching and mentoring some of the younger players could be a major benefit. It didn’t end well the first time, but maybe “Showtime” needs one more shot on Broadway to prove he can still be a winner in the NHL.

The Rangers were hoping that some of the big names that were going to be pending free agents would actually test free agency, but that did not happen. And with the trade market likely going to be expensive if you want to acquire top-six forward talent, they may have to look in a different direction. While the three players mentioned here are all over the age of 35, they are still productive in their older age and know what it’s like to play in New York. If the Rangers are looking for a short-term answer for their top-six, look for them to be interested in these three names.