Rangers sign free agent winger from division rival to 2-year, $3 million contract

The New York Rangers added a veteran forward to their ranks, and he joins the team from a Metropolitan Division rival.
New York Rangers v Washington Capitals
New York Rangers v Washington Capitals | Scott Taetsch/GettyImages

The New York Rangers entered the offseason looking to mix up the composition of their forward group, and they've had an eventful couple of months so far. They continued the process of adding players on Day 1 of NHL Free Agency, and the latest addition is a former 20-goal scorer who could compete for a bottom-six spot this coming season.

The player in question is Taylor Raddysh, and the 6'3" and 198-pound winger most recently played for the Washington Capitals.

Raddysh has been in the NHL for four years, and has appeared in 305 NHL games. This past season he was a member of the Washington Capitals and he finished with seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points in 80 games skating 12:22 per night. In terms of underlying numbers, he posted a 45.74 GF%, a 52.41 CF%, and a 55.54 xGF% per Evolving-Hockey.

During his career to date he's average 14:16 per game, and he's primarily played on the third or fourth line. His career highlight as a player was his 2022-23 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, and during that season he scored 20 goals and tallied 17 assists for 37 points in 78 games.

His deal with the Rangers is for two years at $1.5 million per season, and the expectation is he will occupy a spot on the team's third or fourth line this upcoming season. It is possible the Rangers wanted another winger in the event that prospect Gabe Perreault or Brennan Othmann started the season in Hartford.

Raddysh now joins a group of bottom-six hopeful forwards that include Juuso Parssinen, Sam Carrick, Matt Rempe, Adam Edstrom, and Jonny Brodzinski. If he doesn't prove to be what the team needs, there's always the chance he ends up on waivers, but the type of money he received suggests he will get a chance to make an impact.