New York Rangers: Ranking the Offseason Moves Thus Far

5. Signing David Desharnais

The Expansion Draft was another aspect of the offseason that weakened the Rangers at center. The Las Vegas Golden Knights selected Oscar Lindberg from the Rangers. This, alongside the Stepan trade, left the Rangers with only two centers on their roster (Mika Zibanejad and Kevin Hayes).

The addition of free agent David Desharnais could help the Rangers fill the hole left by Lindberg on the fourth line. Desharnais has been in the league for nearly a decade and brings depth to the roster. He has averaged 31 points a season and boasts a career 50.4% faceoff win percentage, an area the Rangers have needed to improve for quite some time.

Additionally, the Rangers picked up Desharnais with a low price tag. They signed the 31-year-old for one year at just $1 million AVV — a steal compared to the $3.5 million per year he earned in his last three seasons.

This was one of the best moves the Rangers could have made. An experienced player who can add depth in the bottom six at a small price for a short amount of time is exactly what the Rangers need.