Eeli Tolvanen is the hidden gem the Rangers desperately needed

It's Tolvy time and Eeli Tolvanen is exactly the kind of low-risk addition the New York Rangers needed

With just under three weeks until the start of preseason, the Rangers have added one more piece to the Blueshirt puzzle. New York signed forward Eeli Tolvanen to a one year deal at a $1.5 million AAV.

Tolvanen and Bjorkstrand already know how to cook together

This signing makes a ton of sense for the Rangers and arguably feels a bit overdue. The Blueshirts could still use another dependable middle-six forward, and Tolvanen comes with a bonus: he already knows how to play with Oliver Bjorkstrand who the organization inked earlier this Summer.

The two spent parts of three seasons together in Seattle and produced some of their best hockey together. During the 2023-24 season, Bjorkstrand posted a career-high 59 points while Tolvanen established a career high of his own with 41. Now the Rangers have an opportunity to see if they can rekindle some of that magic on Broadway.

Tolvanen brings a little bit of everything

The familiarity with Bjorkstrand is nice, but Tolvanen wouldn’t be coming to New York to reunite with an old linemate. His playstyle makes him an intriguing fit for what the Rangers are trying to build. The 27 year old may never have developed into the pure sniper many envisioned when the Nashville Predators selected him 30th overall in 2017. Still, he carved out a useful role as a hard-nosed middle-six winger who can chip in offensively without needing the puck on his stick all night.

Since joining Seattle during the 2022-23 season, Tolvanen led the Kraken with 703 hits, while his 256 blocked shots over the past three seasons ranked fourth on the team. He also became increasingly involved on the penalty kill, logging 80:53 of shorthanded ice time last season. Oh, and there’s still some juice in that stick. Tolvanen scored 20 goals in 2023-24 and is coming off a 36-point season with 12 goals and 24 assists. The drop in goals came with ugly on-ice metrics, as he also shot just 8.5% compared to a 12% career rate, which suggest a down season at the wrong contractual time. He can play either wing, contribute on both special teams, and give the Rangers another player who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

He’ll hunt pucks, finish his checks and make life difficult along the walls. That might not fill the highlight reel, but it’s the type of stuff that can keep a line buzzing in the offensive zone. He’s shown he can beat goalies clean when he gets into his office, and the Rangers won’t need him to be their top option. They just need him to chip in while bringing the heavier two-way game every night.

Most importantly, Mike Sullivan has another card to play. Tolvanen can grind one out when the Blueshirts are protecting a lead, hop over the boards on special teams and still provide enough pop to make teams respect his shot. Suddenly, there’s actual competition down the lineup.

Nobody is being handed those final sweaters. Taylor Raddysh, Jaroslav Chmelař, Adam Sýkora, Tye Kartye, Matt Rempe and Liam Greentree are going to have to earn their ice. That’s not a bad problem to have after a season in which the offense was searching for answers beyond their top guys.

Yet the best part of the deal is that the Chris Drury didn't break open the piggy bank to find out whether Tolvanen can help. At $1.5 million for one season, this is about as low-risk as an established NHL addition gets. Tolvanen has more than 400 NHL games of experience, has shown he can score 20 goals in the right situation, and is coming off a decent season even at his worst. It's possible he won't rediscover his career-best form, but the Blueshirts aren’t asking him to carry the offense. They’re asking him to make their bottom six better.

And if things go completely sideways this season? The Finnish winger on an inexpensive, expiring contract who can score, hit, and play special teams could become a tasty target at the trade deadline with Stanley Cup contenders seeking to feast.

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