Will Cuylle's is halfway through his third full season as an NHL pro, and with the New York Rangers in another skid, it is hard to ignore his recent struggles. Bench boss Mike Sullivan recently called out Alexis Lafrenière for his struggles, and one can only wonder if Cuylle, will be the next one subject to this treatment. If Sullivan is disappointed with the Rangers' 2020 No. 1 overall pick who has points this month, one can only imagine the disdain for a top-line forward skating with elite talent that has zero points.
The 2025-26 season has been a mixed bag for the budding power forward, and his January is starting to bring back memories of October. The initial month of the season was brutal for Cuylle, and it left fans wondering if he was yet another example of a promising youngster being a flash in the pan. He was a lone bright spot on a 2024-25 squad that missed the playoffs, and he's unexpectedly become a focal point of a team in transition. With the month of January heading toward the mid point, now's a great time to check in with Cuylle again.
Cuylle bounced back in November, sidestepped in December
Fans were thrilled with Cuylle after he ended the month of November with a line of 6-5-11 in 15 games played while logging 17:20 per game. It was a major uptick from the 1-3-4 he finished with after appearing in 12 games during the month of October. In December he finished with a stat line of 3-5-8 in 15 games played which was small step back.
In addition to his box-score contributions, it is important to look at Cuylle's underlying numbers. During the month he's posted a 48.54 GF%, a 44.83 CF%, and a 51.14 xGF% which suggests he didn't get all of the results he earned if you wanted to take a charitable view of the situation. That is to be expected when you aren't possessing the puck and chasing the play In total, the numbers could have been better, and that leads us to January.
Danger, Will ̶R̶o̶b̶i̶n̶s̶o̶n̶ Cuylle
January has seen Cuylle go five games without recording a point, and his underlyings also include a 36.7 GF%, a 50.9 CF%, and a 50.21 xGF%. Defensively the Rangers are getting caved in with Cuylle on the ice, and the team surrenders 4.28 goals against per 60 while only generating 2.48 goals for. He's only taken eight shots this month, and although he's not a sniper, he should be looking to take charge at a time when few others are showing an interest in doing so.
Cuylle's played in all 47 games for the Rangers this season and sits fourth on the team with 10 goals, 13 assists, and 23 points. He's fifth in goals, and also seventh in points. His season-long advanced metrics include a a 45.17 GF%, a 48.4 CF%, and a 52.04 xGF% in 623 minutes at 5v5 per Evolving-Hockey. January represented an important month for Cuylle, as it included one more burst of games for the Rangers with the Olympic break looming in February.
If Cuylle's going to make this season for real, he needs to elevate his game even more. He should have the opportunity to do it with additional minutes being in a top-six role, but it is possible he's not cut out for that. There's no shame in being a great bottom six player, and there's still time for him to pick things up. Last season saw Cuylle finish with 20-25-43 in 82 games played. As of today, Cuylle is on pace to finish with 17-23-40 in 82 games played. It remains to be seen if that will happen, but Cuylle needs to pick up the pace if he wants to set new career highs this season.