The New York Rangers have an opportunity to bounce back next season, but it begins with addressing the issues that surfaced this offseason. There’s a solid group of players hitting the open market, and one of them could be the missing piece to help steady the ship in Manhattan.
Among this deep free agent class, three names particularly stand out as strong fits for New York. Of course, with limited cap space, the Rangers will likely only be able to bring in one.
Let’s take a look.
Sam Bennett
Beyond Mitch Marner, another name generating a lot of buzz this offseason is Florida’s Sam Bennett, who’s currently in the middle of an intense playoff battle with Toronto. Bennett is a true wild card and could be a game-changer for any team that picks him up.
For the Rangers, he could be an ideal replacement if Chris Kreider ends up leaving before next season. Bennett brings a similar physical style of play, though he lacks Kreider’s speed and explosiveness—even now. One key difference is that Bennett plays center, which would likely slot him behind Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, and J.T. Miller on the depth chart. Still, there’s flexibility, as either Bennett or Zibanejad could shift to the wing.
That’s quite the group of centers to have on one roster.
Aaron Ekblad
Sticking with the Panthers, another soon-to-be free agent who could greatly benefit the Rangers is Aaron Ekblad. With Ryan Lindgren gone and both K’Andre Miller and Zac Jones due for new contracts before the season begins, Ekblad could serve as a strong replacement.
That said, acquiring him won’t come cheap. His expiring contract carries a $7.5 million average annual value, and over the life of that deal, he’s developed into one of the NHL’s elite defensemen. He’ll be expecting a significant raise.
Right now, the Rangers’ defense is in disarray. Aside from Adam Fox—who should be considered for the captaincy—the rest of the defensive unit needs a thorough evaluation by GM Chris Drury. Bringing in Ekblad could address several of their pressing issues.
Brock Boeser
The Rangers could benefit from adding another skilled top-six winger to support J.T. Miller on the second line. Interestingly, there’s a free agent who used to play alongside Miller in Vancouver—Brock Boeser. He’s a strong option on the right wing and could significantly boost the Rangers’ scoring next season.
Currently, the Canucks are struggling with their identity, making it likely that Boeser will want out before things get worse. While the Rangers aren’t without their own issues, the opportunity to reunite with Miller could be a major draw for Boeser.
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