NHL free agency officially opens at 12:00 p.m. Eastern, and we've already seen a glimpse of how much money could be thrown around based on how teams have paid players whose contracts were set to expire.
List of the major signings ahead of July 1st #NHLFreeAgency2025: pic.twitter.com/YYp0e7Zlo7
— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) June 30, 2025
The New York Rangers are expected to go big game hunting for a defenseman, but they still seek upgrades for their forward group. Competition will be fierce, but President and General Manager Chris Drury has some options for upgrading his squad without busting the team's salary cap.
1. Andrew Mangiapane
Mangiapane heads to market with the perception that he had a disappointing year if you just pay attention the traditional numbers you'd find in a box score, as he finished with 14 goals and assists for 28 points in 81 games for the Washington Capitals. His production may have been depressed due to the fact he averaged just 13:02 per game which was down almost three minutes from the 16:00 per game he skated in final year with the Calgary Flames. Mangiapane tallied 40 points in 75 games that season, and it was his third year in a row in which he tallied at least 40 points.
If you dive a little deeper, Mangiapane's underlying numbers have been solid over the last three seasons, and those are the ones the Rangers should care about.
2024-25: 51.27 GF% | 53.01 CF% | 54.08 xGF%
2023-24: 50.04 GF% | 53.21 CF% | 50.90 xGF%
2022-23: 56.61 GF% | 58.82 CF% | 57.70 xGF%
These numbers, via Evolving-Hockey, are exactly what the Rangers need for their lineup as they lack forwards who can routinely possess the puck, generate offense, and also prevent goals against.
He's become a bigger name on the market now that Mitch Marner is a Vegas Golden Knight, but he is someone the Blueshirts should be able to afford.
2. Adam Gaudette
Gaudette enjoyed a career with the Ottawa Senators scoring 19 goals and 26 points averaging 10:25 per game. It was a very lucky year, and the odds of Gaudette shooting 21.1% again are extremely low. The Rangers have had success with talented NCAA players before, and given that the team just stocked their bench with a bunch of coaches with ties to Boston, it wouldn't be a shocker if they attempt to land the Braintree, Massachusetts native.
The Rangers' center depth isn't as deep as you think, and I think Drury wants to change that in free agency. J.T. Miller is expected to be the No. 1 center, Vincent Trocheck is expected to be the No. 2 center, and after that it is anyone's guess who will pivot the third and fourth lines Many of the options under contract are best suited for fourth line duty, and asking them to do more would put them at a detriment. There is always the chance Mika Zibanejad slots back to center from the wing, but that wouldn't be a great idea considering how he ended the season. Gaudette would be a solution to one of their problems, and offers more offensive upside than any other bottom-six capable center currently under contract.
3. Anthony Mantha
Mantha represents a buy-low opportunity for the Rangers, as the soon-to-be 31-year-old missed the majority of the 2024-25 season after tearing his ACL. At the time of the injury the 6'3" right winger had seven points in 13 games for the Calgary Flames. During the 2023-24 season he scored 23 goals and added 21 assists for 44 points in 74 games between the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights.
Throughout his career Mantha has averaged a line of 24-25-49 while skating 17:19 a night. It is unlikely he'd get this much ice time in New York, although there's always the chance that he could take a wing spot higher up in the lineup if Zibanejad were moved back to center. In some respects Mantha could be a younger version of what they tried to accomplish when they traded for Reilly Smith and signed Blake Wheeler in previous years.
If my reading of the CBA is correct, because Mantha spent over 100 days on LTIR last season and has over 400 games of NHL experience, he should be eligible for a one-year contract that includes performance bonuses. That is a way the Rangers could add some talent while kicking the cost to next season when they have more space to play with.
4. Nick Bjugstad
Bjugstad is 6'6" and 209 pounds and is a veteran forward who plays with an edge and skates well for his size. In 760 games he's scored 157 goals and assisted on 173 others for 330 points. He's not the most talented forward, but his 2023-24 season with the Coyotes highlighted what Bjugstad could be at his peak.
He finished that season with a line of 22-23-45 in 76 games skating 17:27 a night, and it was the second time in his career he scored 20 or more goals in a season. He also has seasons in which he's scored 15, 16, and 19 goals. The Rangers want to get a little meaner and tougher to play against, but they want to have someone who can bring that while also playing with some skill.
The Rangers don't have a ton of financial flexibility, and they should consider talking to Bjugstad and his agent. At a bare minimum, it would be beneficial for the team to have someone like him in the fold to work with Matt Rempe, and mentor him on how to play big without getting into suspension trouble.