The New York Rangers are going to be without Adam Fox for a bit, and with the team's power play still sputtering, Elliotte Friedman just shared on 32 Thoughts that the team is looking for a power play quarterback. One of the names Friedman has heard is a former Blueshirt, and while nothing is close to being done, it's still a situation to monitor.
Erik Gustafsson a name of interest for the Rangers?
During the latest edition of the podcast, here's what Friedman had to say:
"I've heard the Rangers are, you know, Adam Fox being out... they're looking to see if there's something they can find for a power play quarterback. They got a big win over Ottawa on Thursday night. They only had one power play. They were 0 for 1 on it, hardly much of a sample size. But I do think they are looking for somebody out there. And one of the names I've kind of heard thrown around was Erik Gustafsson, which would make some sense. He's in the American Hockey League and they know him. {...} So I don't think that there's anything done there by any stretch of the imagination. But I know they're looking around to see if there's someone they can find while Fox is out."
Gustafsson spent the 2023-24 season with the Rangers, and he was an exceptional fit. The journeyman blueliner appeared in 76 games during the regular season and scored six goals while added 25 assists for 31 points. He also had strong underlying metrics for the Rangers and posted a 51.5 GF%, a 54.48 CF%, and a 51.47 xGF%. The Rangers generated 2.43 goals for per 60 minutes when Gustafsson was on the ice, and allowed 2.29 goals against.
Last season was a bit of a rough year with the Red Wings, and Gustafsson appeared in 60 games logging 853 minutes at 5v5 in which he posted a 39.52 GF%, a 51.24 CF%, and a 49.01 xGF%. The story here is that he was a bit unlucky, because with a positive Corsi share and near positive expected goals share he shouldn't have had as low a goals for rate as he did. Right now Gustafsson is in the American Hockey League with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and he's got nine assists in 12 games.
Would Gustafsson be a good fit?
Interestingly enough, Gustafsson was someone who stepped up for the Rangers the last time Fox was hurt. In November of 2023 he averaged 19:43 a game and tallied 11 points (one goal and 10 assists) in 12 games for the Blueshirts. Fox was back at full force in the month of December, and Gustafsson's presence, specifically on the power play, was a welcome addition.
This time, however, can the Rangers expect similar results? Right now the Rangers are devoid of a true puck moving defender. Gustafsson has great vision and is an accomplished passer, and he's a veteran with years of experience. He is only 33, and a return to the organization where he was successful could be revitalizing for him.
He currently carries a cap charge of $2 million, and if the team were interested in him for the remainder of the season, they'd need to free up some space. It is possible they could do this by moving on from Urho Vaakanainen who makes $1.55 million for this year and next, as he's a player who seemingly isn't part of the team's circle of trust.
What interest in a defenseman says about Scott Morrow
The other main takeaway from this situation is that right now the organization doesn't trust Morrow enough to give him an increased opportunity. He's a prospect with upside and a proven track record in the AHL, but he's not quite been able to prove himself at the NHL level. The absence of Fox seemingly created a perfect opportunity for him to showcase his abilities, but the interest in a defenseman and PP quarterback certainly says a lot about how they feel about Morrow and his readiness.