5 Players the Rangers Can Target on Cap-Strapped Teams

The New York Rangers are going to have almost $27 million in cap space to work with this offseason. With no major players to re-sign and free agency looking thin, they will have to find a way to spend some of that money to help fill out the roster. With other teams having less cap space and other players to sign, they are going to look to trade out some money. The Rangers should be calling teams and seeing what assets they can get in return for taking on some of these players’ contracts. In this piece, we are going to look at five players the Rangers could acquire from cap-strapped teams.

William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights are two wins away from winning the Stanley Cup at the time of this writing. However, they will have to make some tough choices this offseason, as they need to re-sign Pavel Dorofeyev and are looking to re-sign Rasmus Andersson.

With less than $5 million in projected cap space, they will need to move players out, and one name who could be on the move is William Karlsson. He’s entering the final year of his deal that pays him $5.9 million, and with the injury-plagued season he just had before coming back for the playoffs, now might be the time to move him. If the Rangers do end up moving Vincent Trocheck, they are going to need a center to take his place, and Karlsson could be a good fit on a one-year deal as a third-line center.

Ross Colton, Colorado Avalanche

One team that has even less cap space to work with this offseason is the Colorado Avalanche. With less than $3 million in projected cap space, they will have to move some players if they want to shake up their roster after being swept in the Western Conference Final.

One player whose name has been in rumors for years is Ross Colton. He has one year left on his deal at $4 million, and he never really turned into the player the Avs expected him to be after getting him from the Tampa Bay Lightning. His production has dropped every year since he joined the team, and now seems like the perfect time to move him. Like Karlsson, Colton can be a good third-line center for the Rangers on a one-year deal, and they could always move him again next season if they once again fall out of the playoff race.

Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens

One player who has already said he will be moving on from his team this offseason is Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens. After playing his entire 14-season career with Montreal, he was only able to get into two playoff games this postseason, and now he will look to continue his career with another team next season. He has one year left on his deal at $6.5 million, and the only team that he has been connected to in rumors is his hometown Vancouver Canucks. For the Rangers, Gallagher could be an interesting bottom-six player who brings heart and passion every game. After the two poor seasons the team has had in a row, it would be nice to watch players who play with passion and heart.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Carolina Hurricanes

One player who has seemingly fallen out of favor with the Carolina Hurricanes is Jesperi Kotkaniemi. He played in only 42 regular-season games and has not played in a single game this postseason. He has not lived up to the player they thought he would be after they sent him an offer sheet to take him away from Montreal.

He is entering year five of an eight-year deal that pays him $4.82 million per season, and with the Hurricanes not playing him, it seems now is the best time to move on. For the Rangers, they would be getting a center who is 25 years old, and maybe in a new system, he could find his game again. While the term on his deal is not very appealing, it means the Rangers could get more assets by taking it on.

Ryan Hartman, Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild could be one of the more interesting teams to watch this offseason. They clearly need help down the middle and have been linked to Trocheck already, but with Dylan Larkin now available, they could be the favorite to land him.

With less than $9.5 million in projected cap space, they would have to move money out to fit Larkin in, and one player who could be on the move is Ryan Hartman. He has one year remaining on his deal at $4 million, and if Larkin comes, Hartman would likely be the player who has to go in either that deal or another one. For the Rangers, he could once again be a good middle-six center for a season, and if it works out, great, but if it doesn’t, they could always flip him for other assets at the trade deadline.

The Rangers are going to be in an interesting spot this offseason. They have tons of cap space, and other teams will need to move players out to make room for themselves. They need to weaponize their cap space and go after some of these players to help fill out their roster, while also getting back draft picks or prospects for taking on contracts these teams don’t want. If any of these players become available, the Rangers should be calling to see what they could get back for taking on these contracts.