Regardless of whether it’s in the offseason or ahead of the 2026 Trade Deadline, one thing is clear – the New York Rangers need to add a game-changing talent to their lineup to take that next step.
While the Rangers have assets, including three first-round picks in the next two drafts and top prospects like Gabe Perreault, the lack of salary cap space will make things difficult. So this will make someone like David Pastrňák, who makes $11.25 million per season with several years left, tough to trade for without doing serious maneuvering.
Related: Rangers Youth Are the Only Ones Who Can Save 2025-26 Season
Plus, with top names now off the board, including Connor McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov, the rental market looks uninspiring. Plus, there haven’t been many intriguing names in the rumor mill in general lately.
However, this could change in the coming weeks, and the Rangers need to be prepared. Here are some names that president and general manager (GM) Chris Drury should at least be calling about, with scoring wingers prioritized as the biggest need for the organization.
Brady Tkachuk
Contract: 2.5 seasons left at $8.21 million average annual value (AAV).
Age: 26
It’s almost every NHL team’s dream to have even just one of the Tkachuk brothers playing for them. And no question, Drury would salivate at the opportunity to acquire the younger Brady.
On the ice, Brady Tkachuk does everything, from scoring at an elite level to using his big frame to make plays. While it might be hard to imagine the Ottawa Senators ever trading him, you have to wonder how much the losing has gotten to him behind the scenes. Since the 2018 fourth-overall pick was drafted, the Senators have made the playoffs just once.
You’d have to think Will Cuylle ($3.9 million AAV), who plays a similar style as Brady Tkachuk, would need to go in the deal, with, of course, much more going the other way to strike a trade. And Rangers fans would likely drive Cuylle to the airport to help make it happen.
Jordan Kyrou
Contract: 4.5 seasons left at $8.13 million AAV.
Age: 27
With the days of the St. Louis Blues competing for a Stanley Cup likely well behind them, one of their top players, Jordan Kyrou, may be available at the deadline deadline if they want to make changes.
Kyrou, who brings speed and skill, is the exact type of player the Rangers should be targeting. The 27-year-old ranks in the 84th percentile in max speed, according to NHL EDGE data. Also, keep in mind that Kyrou was a healthy scratch earlier this season, which is a rare sight for established stars in the league.
The only issue is that he has a full no-trade clause, making it tougher for the Blues to move him even if they want to. However, that shouldn’t stop Drury from blowing up GM Doug Armstrong’s phone and making an offer.
Marco Rossi
Contract: 2.5 seasons left at $5 million AAV.
Age: 24
The Vancouver Canucks are perhaps the biggest disaster story of the 2025-26 season. The bottom-of-the-league team already traded Quinn Hughes, and it’s possible more players, including recently acquired young talented Marco Rossi, will go out the door next.
Perhaps it’s unlikely, given that Rossi seems like a perfect young center to slot behind Elias Pettersson – but if the Canucks are willing to listen, the Rangers should make a serious offer. Rossi broke out last season with a 60-point season. The 24-year-old will likely get better, especially if put next to Artemi Panarin.
Dylan Guenther
Contract: 7.5 seasons left at $7.14 million AAV.
Age: 22
Dylan Guenther seems even more of a long shot, given his age and team-friendly contract, which provides the Utah Mammoth with little incentive to move him. However, the Mammoth have fallen out of a playoff position, and that could make the team at least look at moving the 2020 Western Hockey League Rookie of the Year in the right package.
Guenther, who has 30 points in 39 games this season, is one of the best skating wingers in the NHL, ranking in at least the 90th percentile in the four skating speed categories, according to NHL EDGE stats. Plus, Guenther does not have a no-move or no-trade clause, giving the Mammoth the flexibility to trade him whenever they decide to make changes.
Jason Robertson
Contract: This season left at $7.75 million AAV.
Age: 26
This summer, Jason Robertson’s name was in the rumor mill, given the Dallas Stars’ tight salary cap situation. However, the two sides were able to hammer out a one-year deal and postpone the issue to next summer, with Robertson remaining an impending restricted free agent.
As things stand, the Stars will unlikely be trading Robertson by the 2026 Trade Deadline, given their comfortable second-place position in the Central Division. And while the Stars likely could squeeze Robertson in the offseason into a long-term contract extension, it would put the team up against the cap, with only about $17.3 million in projected space currently, according to PuckPedia.
This is a situation worth keeping an eye on – but it’s not something that’s likely to happen ahead of the 2026 Trade Deadline.
Targeting these players is one thing – making a deal happen is another. Some have more nuanced situations than others, with no-trade clauses and teams having little appetite to move them. However, that shouldn’t stop Drury from calling.
With the Rangers remaining outside of a playoff spot, the rental market should be off limits. Younger stars under team control or who are signed for multiple years are the best way to go. They will be more expensive to acquire, so be prepared to part with roster players like Cuylle, Perreault, and Braden Schneider. As always, to get, you have to give.
