Rangers Need to Add Another Forward This Offseason

The New York Rangers were one of the busier teams on July 1, as they made six signings and trades that will have an impact on their NHL roster going into this season. They have been quiet since that day, and while they did make moves to help improve their defense, it’s the forward group that could use some help. Here, we will go over why the Rangers could benefit from adding another forward this offseason and what players they could go after.

The Top-9 Is Still Missing a Piece

The Rangers have made some significant changes to their forward group already this offseason. They traded with the Vegas Golden Knights to acquire Pavel Dorofeyev and signed him to a seven-year deal worth $11 million per season, and signed Oliver Bjorkstrand as a free agent to a one-year deal worth $4.5 million. They also subtracted a major piece when they traded Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth.

Right now, if the Rangers were to head into this season with the forwards they have, their top four wingers would be Dorofeyev and Alexis Lafreniere on the left and with Gabe Perreault and Bjorkstrand on the right. While that might look good on paper, adding another forward who could push Bjorkstrand down to the third line would help make the lineup deeper and add more scoring to a bottom six that did not produce last season. Whether it’s a winger or a center, adding another forward to the top nine would be a major step in the right direction.

Some Big Name Free Agents Still Available

Even a week after the opening of free agency, some of the bigger names on the market still don’t have a home for next season. The Rangers have around $7.9 million in current cap space, and while they could still sign Braden Schneider, who is a restricted free agent, they could have some money left over to bring in a player on a one- or two-year deal. The biggest forward still out there is Patrick Kane, who already has a connection to the Rangers, having played briefly with the team during the 2022-23 season. Kane could easily slide into the top six and would be a locker room leader on a team that has traded many of its veterans over the past few seasons.

Other names still available as free agents at the time of this writing are Vladimir Tarasenko, Anthony Mantha, Eeli Tolvanen, Patrik Laine, and Michael Bunting. Tarasenko is another former Ranger, and he did play well during his time in New York, but could not stay due to the Rangers’ cap situation at the time. If they wanted to bring in a familiar name, he could be a good bet, but if they wanted to go for someone cheaper, Laine would be an intriguing option. He wouldn’t cost much due to his only playing five games last season, and while he might not be the player he was a few seasons ago, he still is capable of scoring 20 or more goals if healthy. It would not be the worst option to take a bet on Laine, and if he doesn’t work out, the Rangers could always trade him or put him on waivers as his contract won’t be that expensive for other teams to take on.

Rangers Counting On Their Own Players to Step Up

While it would be better if the Rangers added one more forward, they might just consider going with the roster they have and hoping some of the younger players can step up and play to a higher level. Noah Laba is one player who’s going to feel that pressure now. With Trocheck gone, Laba is now going to be the Rangers’ full-time third-line center, and they are hoping he can build off the good rookie season he just had. While Laba might not be as good defensively as Trocheck, he has all the tools to become the next Trocheck and was already playing on the penalty kill last season.

Perreault was mentioned earlier as a player who should start in the Rangers’ top six, and while he did have a good run to end the season on his line with Lafreniere and Mika Zibanejad, he’s going to have to prove that he can sustain that kind of play over a full 84-game regular season. Another player to watch is Will Cuylle, who is coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons and is looking to be more of an impact player this season. While he could want to play top-six minutes, his style of game is more suited for a third-line role, which means he and Laba could be playing together. If those two can form a good connection and play well in all three zones, it will help to make their lineup much more of a threat.

The Rangers are an improved team from what they were last season. They have added much-needed scoring to their lineup while also overhauling their defense in a positive way. However, they could still use some help up front and that should be an area they look to address before the season begins, whether that means making a trade or signing a free agent.