The Rangers have been looking for someone to pair with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider for quite some time.
They gave Kaapo Kakko an opportunity to begin last season, but when he failed to get much going they turned to veteran Blake Wheeler, who looked slow and was a bit overmatched by opponents top talent.
General manager Chris Drury had his sights on a big splash ahead of the trade deadline, but after failing to land playoff performer Jake Guentzel from the Penguins (more on him later), he ended up with Jack Roslovic in a last-minute deal with the Blue Jackets.
Roslovic had some positive flashes, but he fared just as well as the others, and now the Rangers find themselves looking for an answer again as they head into what’s is shaping up to be an interesting offseason.
During his end-of-season conference call, Drury told reporters that they’ll explore all options, internally and externally, as they look to find a top-tier playmaker to add alongside their All-Star talents.
With that in mind, here are five free agent targets for the Rangers to consider, in no particular order…
Patrick Kane
Prior to signing with the Red Wings last offseason, the Rangers and Kane reportedly had interest in a potential deal, as Frank Seravalli said during a recent appearance on the Daily Faceoff podcast with Jonny Lazarus.
“He felt like when he got to New York and was hurt that he tried to do his best, but he sort of disappointed them. He felt like he left something on the table because he wasn’t at full strength, so he wanted a chance to maybe do that over again to make it right,” Seravalli said.
But after working his way back from offseason hip resurfacing surgery, Kane established himself as a relatively consistent piece for the ascending Wings, recording 20 goals and 27 assists across 50 games.
The 35-year-old has spoken highly about his time in Detroit, but he’s been very quiet about the prospect of re-signing with the team, indicating that he’s likely ready to test the open market again as a UFA.
Kane may be looking for more money coming off a fully healthy and productive campaign, but if he’s willing to take a little less, perhaps Showtime will be able to run things back on Broadway once again.
Tyler Toffoli
According to Peter Baugh of the Athletic, the Rangers showed interest in acquiring Toffoli from the crosstown rival Devils ahead of last season’s deadline before they ultimately brought in Roslovic.
Toffoli was instead sent to the Jets in exchange for a pair of draft picks, as the two sides were unable to reach a deal, but now he’s available for them again on the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
The 32-year-old is said to be looking for a larger deal around four years in length with a $5 million AAV since this will likely be the last big payday of his career.
New York may not want to pay that high of an asking price for the veteran at those terms, but if they can get him to bring it down a bit, his skillset could be a nice fit alongside ZIbanejad and Kreider.
Toffoli is coming off a spectacular season in which he recorded 55 points, and he’s topped the 30-goal mark in back-to-back campaigns.
Jake Guentzel
I told you we’d get back to him later.
I still find it hard to believe that the Penguins ever would’ve sent him to the Big Apple, but the Rangers were said to be heavily in the mix for the talented winger before they ultimately shipped him off to Carolina.
That proved to be a costly miss for Drury and the Blueshirts, as Guentzel is exactly the type of player they were missing during their playoff push, as he recorded four goals and five assists across Carolina’s 11 games.
Before that, the 29-year-old reached the 30-goal mark for the third consecutive season.
And now heading into the offseason, Drury has a chance to right that wrong, as New York is expected to be among numerous suitors when Guentzel officially hits the open market.
There will be plenty of competition for his services and it certainly won’t be easy to make things work against the salary cap, but he was a perfect fit at the deadline, and he remains a perfect fit now.
Jonathan Marchessault
Marchessault has spent the last seven years of his career with the Golden Knights, but he could be potentially on the move this offseason, as he’ll be one of the top players available if they don’t agree to an extension.
There will certainly be plenty of teams after him, as the veteran has blossomed into a star in Las Vegas, following up his Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe award-winning season with another productive campaign.
Marchessault appeared in all 82 regular season games for the Golden Knights, he found the back of the net a career-high 42 times, added 27 assists, and produced six more points during the postseason.
The 33-year-old will likely be looking for one last big contract, but if the Rangers can make the money work, they certainly should bring him in as he’s a perfect fit with his style of play and playoff hockey prowess.
It would also be a cool reunion, as Marchessault began his career with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate never appeared in a game in the Big Apple, so why not wrap things up where it all began.
Jake DeBrusk
DeBrusk has been a relatively underrated piece since being selected by the Bruins in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft.
The young winger looked to be playing himself into a potential extension after putting together back-to-back 25+ goal campaigns, but he took a bit of a step back during his contract year and is set to hit free agency.
DeBrusk was inconsistent for the most part, as he finished with 19 goals and 21 assists while missing just two games during the regular season, and it will likely result in his time in Boston coming to a frustrating end.
There is some risk involved with bringing him in because of his up-and-down play over the course of his first seven pro seasons, but he could potentially be an intriguing option on the wing for New York.
DeBrusk skates well, he can play either side, and he is a tough forechecking forward.
There will certainly be plenty of teams in the mix for his services, as he presents immense upside at just 27 years old, and perhaps he’ll be able to tap into that potential with a change of scenery.
Source Agencies
