The New York Rangers were one of the most active teams in the NHL this offseason, as general manager Chris Drury set out to improve the roster. The defense was overhauled, with Drury trading for both Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, while drafting Alberts Smits with their first-round pick. The Rangers also added two forwards, trading for Pavel Dorofeyev and signing him to a seven-year, $77 million contract, and signing Oliver Bjorkstrand to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.
After these moves were made, things were pretty quiet on the Rangers front. On paper, it looks like the majority of their work this offseason is completed until training camp. Even so, the Rangers still could stand to add another forward to their middle six. The options available in free agency aren't the greatest, but there are some with name value. The Rangers happen to be linked to one of them.
The Montreal Gazette's Herb Zurkowsky recently wrote an article on current free agent winger Patrik Laine. Zurkowsky reveals there have been five teams linked to Laine this offseason, one of them being the Rangers.
"The Rangers certainly could use Laine’s offence," writes Zurkowsky. "New York was 23rd overall in the NHL, with 235 non-shootout goals. Mika Zibanejad led the team with 34 goals, while Alexis Lafrenière and Will Cuylle were the only other players to reach 20. The Rangers have added Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand this summer in an attempt to augment their offence."
While Laine carries the name value, he's just not a player the Rangers should add.
Patrik Laine is not worth the risk for Rangers
It's no secret that Laine has not lived up to his projections as the second-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. That's why he didn't stick around with the Winnipeg Jets, the team that drafted him to be their face of the franchise.
Sure, in recent years, Laine has shown he can score 20-plus goals in a season. That is something a team would love for a winger that would play on the second or third line. Laine put up 20 or more goals in three of the past five season when he was on the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens. The issue is, Laine dealt with a variety of injuries.
In the 2023-24 season with the Blue Jackets, Laine was limited to 18 games due to a fractured clavicle. Laine was limited to 52 games in the 2024-25 campaign, his first with the Montreal Canadiens, due to a knee injury, one that slowed down his speed upon his return. Then, this past season, Laine underwent core muscle surgery, ending his season after just five games.
Sure, adding a player who can put up 20 goals is ideal, but with Laine, he's shown he can't stay healthy for a full season. The Rangers would like more stability, especially for a player who could very well be receiving second-line minutes. Laine just wouldn't be reliable, even for a one-year flier. Plus, who knows what kind of deal Laine is looking for, financially. The Rangers are simply better off looking elsewhere.
Other forward options Rangers could explore
When looking at other forward options available in free agency, the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko, Eeli Tolvanen, and Michael Bunting all stand out. The thing is, the Rangers don't have the best cap situation heading into training camp, as PuckPedia has them at just $2.4 million in space. So, that should eliminate them from signing a top option regardless.
The trade block could be an option for the Rangers if they see a middle six forward become available. In this situation, they could float defenseman Braden Schneider as part of a deal. The Rangers recently signed Schneider to a one-year, $5.5 million contract, but is now slotted in as a third pairing defenseman. With Schneider having one more year of restricted free agency available, he could be an enticing option for teams looking to improve their defense. Schneider may have had a roller coaster year this past season, but he does possess upside. Maybe enough to entice a team to give the Rangers an enticing forward in return.
But, in all likelihood, the Rangers will stick with their roster as is and look to internal options. Their best bet is hoping that some of their top prospects show out in training camp and in the preseason. Names like Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin are worth keeping an eye, especially since they were the main pieces of the trade returns for Panarin and Trocheck, respectively. Drury acquired them not only because of their upside, but also due to them making an impact on the team soon. So, maybe one of them does enough to convince head coach Mike Sullivan to throw them in the middle six for the start of the season.
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