The New York Rangers took some risks this offseason in an effort to "retool" the roster to ensure they can contend while getting younger overall. One of their main decisions was to trade center Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth, where they received defenseman Sean Durzi and center prospect Cole Beaudoin in return. The hope is that Beaudoin could factor in as a center for the Rangers soon. But moving on from Trocheck stings, as he not only can produce on the scoreboard, but he can win face-offs and is great on the penalty kill.
The reality is, the Rangers will need to address the center position, not only because they don't have Trocheck. Let's not forget, Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller, their top two centers, are only getting older. So, they'd be banking on some of their prospects developing to replace them. But, an easy way to do so is if they can find one in free agency in the near future. When it comes to next summer, the options are not going to be great for the Rangers.
No free agent centers will be worthwhile for Rangers in 2027
The Athletic's Vince Mercogliano detailed the Rangers' salary cap situations for the next couple of years. When bringing up the free agency class, Mercogliano mentions that it will be a winger-heavy class in terms of desirability. As for centers, the class is not great.
"Alex DeBrincat, Jason Robertson and reigning Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov will lead a talented group of scoring wingers who are set to hit the market, but the center pool is considerably thinner. We’re talking Kirby Dach, Barrett Hayton and Casey Mittelstadt. (That’s assuming a 40-year-old Sidney Crosby isn’t leaving Pittsburgh)," writes Mercogliano.
See? No real saviors for the Rangers when it comes to the center position. Dach and Hayton are both bottom six forwards on the Montreal Canadiens and Mammoth, respectively. Mittlestadt, meanwhile, is a second line forward on the Boston Bruins. So, neither are really going to be long-term top options for the team.
Mercogliano mentions the caveat of Sidney Crosby hitting free agency. But given Crosby's comments in recent years, he doesn't sound like a player interested in playing anywhere else besides Pittsburgh for the remainder of his career.
With free agency looking like a bust situation for the Rangers. Their only real hope is that Beaudoin can solidify himself as one of their centers soon. But, the Rangers could also look towards the trade market next summer, especially if some superstars decide to hit the block.
Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews would be ideal center additions for Rangers
Before the start of last season, the Rangers and the fanbase was hoping that they could sign one of the many superstars set to hit free agency this summer. The likes of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov were all set to hit the open market, and the Rangers ideally would have signed one of them. However, all three signed contract extensions with their respective teams. Even so, out of the three, McDavid is still attainable for the Rangers, as he only signed a two-year extension with the Edmonton Oilers.
McDavid took a short-term discount to remain with the Oilers to help general manager Stan Bowman build upon a team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back years. The Oilers massively underperformed last season, seeing them get bounced out of the first round by the Anaheim Ducks. McDavid was publicly critical of the team. This offseason, he and other top players on the team lobbied for the team to hire embattled head coach Mike Babcock in a move that has true boom-or-bust potential.
If things go poorly for the Oilers again next season, there may be a hypothetical chance that McDavid requests a trade. That, or McDavid's as good as gone once he his contract runs out after the 2027-28 season.
Then, there's Auston Matthews, the face of the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise. After missing out on the playoffs this past season and finishing slightly better than the Rangers in the Eastern Conference, Matthews would not commit to the Maple Leafs. Reports indicated that he'd like to see what the Leafs would do this offseason. Toronto, to their vredit, did have a strong offseason, as they added the likes of No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, and defenseman Darren Raddysh. On paper, the Maple Leafs do have a stronger roster than last season, but will have to try and make it into the playoffs out of a stacked Atlantic Division. Matthews' contract expires at the same time as McDavid, meaning he could hit free agency in 2028.
If either McDavid or Matthews were to leave their respective teams, whether in free agency in 2028 or through a trade request in 2027, the Rangers along with every other team will be in the running. But it's up to the Rangers to prove that they can be a winning team that will be desirable to the stars. The Rangers learned this offseason that they still have work to do, after having the door slammed shut on them by Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Larkin.
Adding McDavid or Matthews is the dream scenario for the Rangers, and they won't have to worry about finding a top center for a long, long time.
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