While the Stanley Cup has yet to be awarded, the NHL offseason is in full swing, and free agency is but 10 ten days away. The New York Rangers will have some vacancies in their lineup to be addressed, and after the San Jose Sharks claimed Barclay Goodrow off waivers, they will have more cap room to deal with roster needs.
The Rangers have roughly $12.8 million available cap space, with two restricted free agents, Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider, to be re-signed. The biggest need is finding a right-winger who can play in the top six because that side has been a problem since the 2021 offseason.
In one of his first moves as general manager, Chris Drury traded Pavel Buchnevich to the St. Louis Blues for Sammy Blais and a second-round pick. This was a disaster, and the Rangers are still feeling the impact. They have yet to find a right-winger who can play as well alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad as Buchnevich did. Their top priority heading into this offseason is finding that player and putting an end to this conversation for good. Here are three potential free-agent options that could help fill this void.
Jake Guentzel
Probably the biggest name heading to free agency, Jake Guentzel is the one who got away from the Rangers at the 2024 Trade Deadline. It was down to them and the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to accept the Hurricanes’ trade package. He then went on to prove that he could still play at an elite level even without a player like Sidney Crosby on his line, scoring eight goals and 25 points in 17 regular-season games.
He followed it up in the playoffs with four goals and nine points in 11 games, and his season was ended by the Rangers when they beat Carolina in Game 6 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, it seems that he will be testing the free agent market, and if he is, the Rangers should try to bring him to New York.
He has all the skills you could want in a top-six player. He can score, he can pass and he is a great skater. He also plays with an edge and isn’t afraid of going to the dirty areas to score. The Rangers saw this firsthand when he scored a few goals against them in the playoffs by being in front of the net and getting deflections and rebounds. He plays like that all season long, and the Rangers need a player like him in their lineup.
He will be 30 by the beginning of next season and will likely want a seven-year deal. Can the Rangers afford to give him the money and term he wants? Perhaps, if they move out more salary. But even if they don’t, they should still put in an offer for him, and if he does sign, make the necessary moves to fit him in. Guentzel is a game-breaker and would be a great fit with Zibanejad and Kreider.
Tyler Toffoli
Tyler Toffoli is in the second tier of players who might hit free agency – behind players like Guentzel, Sam Reinhart and Steven Stamkos. He won’t cost as much, and he can still provide any team with elite scoring. He was traded from the Calgary Flames to the New Jersey Devils in the 2023 offseason and scored 26 and 44 points in 61 games with the Devils before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets at the deadline.
He went on to score seven goals and 11 points in 18 regular-season games and finished the playoffs with two goals in five games as the Jets lost in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche. At 32, Toffoli will likely be looking for one last long-term deal, and the Rangers could be the team that gives it to him.
Related: Rangers Should Look at Adding Golden Knights’ Free Agents
It would make sense for the Rangers to target a player like Toffoli because he won’t cost as much as some of the other free agents but will still bring speed and scoring. He is a consistent 20-30 goal-scorer, and while he might not bring as much to the table as a player like Guentzel, he is still a good option. He could fill the void on the right wing with no issue and help bring more offense to the Rangers. If they can’t go out and make a big splash, getting a player like Toffoli would be a great second option.
Jonathan Marchessault
One of the most interesting names that could hit the free agent market is Jonathan Marchessault from the Vegas Golden Knights. If Vegas can’t clear out salary, they won’t have enough money to sign him, and he will become an unrestricted free agent. He scored a career-high 42 goals in 82 games this season, and let’s not forget that he also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP when the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup.
He is a proven playoff performer, with 36 goals and 76 points in 102 playoff games, and like Guentzel, he plays with that edge that you need come playoff time and can score from almost anywhere in the offensive zone. He has been an elite player for Vegas and was an original “Golden Misfit,” but his time in Sin City could be coming to an end, and the Rangers should be interested if he hits the market.
He is the oldest of the three players mentioned at 33 and will turn 34 about halfway through next season. He also could be looking for his last long-term deal, which could be a risk the Rangers have to take if they want to get a player of his caliber. He plays with that playoff style all season long, and having him on the line with Kreider and Zibanejad could be what they need to help get their game going more consistently during the regular season and in the playoffs.
Marchessault started his professional career with Rangers as part of their minor league team in 2011-12, and it would be a full circle moment if he returns to help them get over the hump and bring a Stanley Cup to New York as he did in Vegas.
While there will be many options for the Rangers to consider, either via trade or free agency, these three players could be the best fits for what the team needs on the right wing. Drury must address this issue, and any of these three could become a key piece in what the Rangers have been lacking for a few seasons. They would help solidify their top six as one of the best in the league and, hopefully, get them over the hump to finally win a Stanley Cup for the first time since 1994.
