Recapping the Rangers’ Busy First Day of 2026 Free Agency

The New York Rangers were one of the most active teams on July 1, the first day of NHL Free Agency. While they made a few free agent signings that could impact their NHL roster, many trades were made in order to help the team get better for next season and beyond. In total, the Rangers made six moves (trades & signings) that have impacted how the team is going to look heading into this season. In this piece, we will recap those moves and go over how they will affect the team going forward.

Trading for Joonas Korpisalo

The first move of the day was a shocking one to fans, as the Rangers acquired Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Kalle Väisänen and a 2028 fourth-round pick. This deal was shocking for a number of reasons, the first being that many thought the team already had a backup goalie in place with Dylan Garand. The second is that Korpisalo still has two years left on his deal at $3 million per season, and he has not been good over the past few seasons. Paying that much for a backup goalie is an interesting choice, and it will be interesting to see if Garand beats him out for the backup role out of training camp. If Korpisalo is the backup this season, they hope he can bounce back, and the Rangers have a good track record of helping goalies find their game, as they did with Jonathan Quick most recently.

Rangers Sign Joe Veleno

In their first free agent signing of the day, they addressed their need for a fourth-line center by signing Joe Veleno to a one-year deal. He was drafted 30th overall in 2018 by the Detroit Red Wings, but has not lived up to his potential so far in his career. He played 61 games last season with the Montreal Canadiens, scoring two goals and recording five points. While Veleno might not bring much offense to the Rangers’ fourth line, he will bring speed and good defensive play, something they have been lacking in their bottom six.

Signing Oliver Bjorkstrand

The next player they signed was Oliver Bjorkstrand on a one-year deal. He spent last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but never really seemed like a fit for them after they brought him in via trade the season before. In 80 regular-season games, he scored 12 goals and recorded 32 points, while registering no points in four playoff games. If the Rangers don’t bring in any more forwards, Bjorkstrand could find himself in the top six to start the season. He has scored 20 or more goals five times in his career, and with how short his contract is, the Rangers are betting on him bouncing back and helping them get back to the playoffs.

Trading Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth

In what was the biggest move of the day for the Rangers, they finally traded Vincent Trocheck after months of rumors. They sent him to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for Sean Durzi, center prospect Cole Beaudoin, and a 2027 third-round pick. Trocheck was the Rangers’ most valuable trade piece, and they were able to make a deal with a team that not many were expecting. It was reported that Trocheck’s preference was to stay in the East, but it was Utah that was able to get him from the Rangers, and he goes to a young, up-and-coming team that could use him down the middle going forward.

For the Rangers, while it might not be the haul they were asking for back around the trade deadline, this deal makes the team better now and going forward. They added a puck-moving defenseman in Durzi, who can play behind Adam Fox and will quarterback their second power-play unit. Beaudoin, a 20-year-old centerman, becomes their best center prospect, and with the way he plays, he could find himself getting NHL minutes this season. It was inevitable that the Rangers were going to move on from Trocheck, and they were able to make a deal that helps improve their defense and helps them get younger up front.

Acquiring Marcus Pettersson From the Vancouver Canucks

It became very clear after the moves today just how desperate general manager Chris Drury was to improve the team’s defense. They got back Durzi in the Trocheck trade, and in a separate trade, they acquired Marcus Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2030 first-round pick that is top-10 protected. This was a trade no one saw coming, and for the Rangers, they fill a need, as they bring in a left-handed defenseman who can play on the second pair and a player who was coached by Mike Sullivan with the Pittsburgh Penguins for parts of seven seasons.

Pettersson had to waive his No-Move Clause in order for this deal to go through, so he clearly likes what the Rangers are building if he was willing to come and play for them. The Rangers practically got themselves a new second defense pairing with the moves they made to get Durzi and Pettersson, and it is a major improvement over what the team had to end last season. While trading away another future first-round pick is risky, it’s clear Drury wants to win now and getting this player will help the Rangers get back into playoff contention this season.

Rangers Send Will Borgen to the Boston Bruins

With two new defensemen being brought in, the Rangers had too many defensemen on their roster and needed to move someone out. While many thought Will Borgen could end up going back to the Canucks in the Pettersson trade, it ended up being the Bruins who acquired his services. They traded Borgen to the Bruins in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick that could turn into a second if certain conditions are met. While he was not a bad player for the Rangers, Borgen was going to be the odd man out with this newly made defense, so the Rangers were able to recoup some draft picks for a player they saw as expendable.

The Rangers have made plenty of moves, and it’s only been one day into free agency. They could make more moves and still have some of their own players to sign, but what was shown today is that Drury is not looking for a repeat of last season. He is trying to get the Rangers back to being a playoff team this season, and with the moves made so far, this team looks like it could be competitive in a weak Metropolitan Division. We now wait and see what, if any, other major moves are made in the next few days or weeks by Drury as he looks to continue his retooling of the Rangers.