Although the frenzy portion of free agency is over, that does not mean free agency is closed. There are still a significant number of players seeking a place to play for the 2025-26 season. Although the New York Rangers have under a million dollars in cap space, they still have areas that need to be addressed, and some of the current free agents can be solid solutions. While it would take some creativity from Chris Drury and the rest of the front office, the Rangers should consider clearing cap space to grab some of these current free agents. Here are three free agents that would be worth clearing cap space to acquire.
1) Evgeny Kuznetsov
One of the biggest and most intriguing names on the market is Evgeny Kuznetsov. After spending 11 years in the NHL with the Capitals and Hurricanes, Kuznetsov returned to Russia for the 2024-25 season, playing for SKA St. Petersburg. After one season back home, Kuznetsov reportedly has the desire to return to the NHL, and his agent has been gauging the interest of many different teams.
Kuznetsov shined in his first KHL season in a decade. In 39 games, he registered 12 goals and 25 assists for 37 points. He also helped SKA St. Petersburg make the playoffs and appeared in six playoff games, racking up a goal and two assists. This strong season in Russia showed that Kuznetsov can still be an impact player. That his weak performance in 2023-24 was more of a fluke than a sign of him starting to regress as a player.
He would slot perfectly into the Rangers' third-line center role, allowing them to move Mika Zibanejad to the wing, a position he fared much better in last season. The only problem is the uncertainty of the Kuznetsov market. As many as 15 NHL teams expressed interest, along with several teams in the KHL. It's unknown how much money it'll take to bring him in or if he'll be in North America. However, if the Rangers have a chance to bring in the Russian center, they need to do it.