The New York Rangers (34-39-9) were expected to bounce back after a disappointing 2024-25 season. They hired former Pittsburgh Penguins bench boss Mike Sullivan as their coach and signed Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. With a full season of JT Miller, and guys like Mike Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, and Adam Fox having disappointing seasons, the hope was for them to rebound to the form they showed in the 2023-24 season, when they made the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Instead, the team cratered. They sank to the worst record in the Eastern Conference, with rumors of locker room turmoil all around. Nearly everyone on the team became trade fodder by the 2026 NHL trade deadline, but outside of Artemi Panarin and Carson Soucy, they held on to all of their trade chips.
After the trade deadline, they had some stretches of a better team, but a six-game losing streak in the middle of March dashed their chances. They have the no. 3 best lottery odds, so they’re guaranteed a top-five pick. That will hopefully cap off what could be a crazy offseason for the Rangers.
General manager Chris Drury infamously sent a letter out to Rangers fans discussing the team’s plan after this season. Drury wants the team to re-tool and potentially push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
To me, the team desperately needs a rebuild, but with Igor Shesterkin in net and some of the talent they have on immovable contracts, it was unlikely they’d pivot towards that. Still, it’s definitely easier said than done.
The free agency market has thinned out due to several superstars (Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprisov, Martin Necas) signing extensions, but there are some decent players available. Alex Tuch would be a great player to slot on the first line. He fits the Rangers’ style of being gritty, and he’s scored over 30 goals in three of the past four seasons.
The trade market will be lively too. Auston Matthews, Jason Robertson, and Pavel Dorofeyev could be available. However, the New York Rangers don’t have a ton to give up in return, with their young forwards molding into more bottom-six types instead of top-six talents. There is one player that they could dangle in trade talks.
It was a surprise to many that the New York Rangers didn’t trade center Vincent Trocheck at the 2026 trade deadline. Trocheck seemed well-aware of a departure, and there were several teams on the market that could’ve used his services.
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Trocheck is still a great top-six center, notching 16 goals and 37 assists through 67 games. However, the Rangers were looking for young talent vs. draft picks. Considering the organization’s checkered development record in the past (i.e. Kaapo Kakko), the Rangers acquiring young quality talent seems reasonable.
Drury believes the market for Trocheck’s services should expand over the summer, especially with the 32-year-old center’s no-trade list shrinking from 12 to 10. We could see Trocheck traded around the draft or during July 1st, especially with the lack of center talent in free agency.
Vincent Trocheck isn’t the only name to watch in trade talks. 24-year-old defenseman Braden Schneider, who is a restricted free agency this upcoming season, could get trade interest.
Teams talked to the Rangers about Schneider before the trade deadline, but Drury declined to make a deal. Schneider is valued in the organization for his strong character and defensive abilities. Still, there’s definitely a market for him if the Rangers can’t agree on a new deal with him.
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The San Jose Sharks seem like a logical destination, considering they need young defensive talent and have plenty of forward talent. The Tampa Bay Lightning could as well. They’re looking for a young defenseman with Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh getting up there in age, and Darryn Raddysh is also a pending UFA.