The New York Rangers completed a plethora of moves this offseason in an effort to put forth a more competitive team. Their biggest splash arrived on the first night of the NHL Draft when they acquired winger Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for multiple draft picks, and signed him to a seven-year, $77 million contract. While they added Dorofeyev, they did trade away Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth.
So even with a legitimate scorer added to their lineup, they could still use some more forward depth, especially in the top six. There are some options available this offseason, but the Rangers won't necessarily be splurging since they don't have much cap space heading into the regular season after their moves. Maybe they could reunite with a former player, and no, it's not Chris Kreider.
The Athletic's Vince Mercogliano rcecently looked at potential forwards they could target before the start of the season. One option Mercogliano mentions is looking towards the Anaheim Ducks for former Ranger Frank Vatrano. Mercogliano cites Vatrano being a potential salary cap cut (or trade) as the Ducks need to free up money after signing center Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million contract.
Frank Vatrano reunion a potential option for Rangers to fill out forward depth
"The Ducks must clear salary after matching a massive $18 million-average-annual-value offer sheet for star center Leo Carlsson, with Vatrano a prime candidate to go. He’s under contract for two more seasons at a $4.5 million AAV, so it would require a little cap maneuvering on Drury’s part. But it’s not the craziest idea I’ve heard," writes Mercogliano.
"That’s not to say it’s likely, or that the Rangers should be making a strong push. But there’s a decent chance Anaheim will have to attach an asset to get another team to take Vatrano off its books, and if that’s the case, it may be worth trying to take advantage."
Even though the Ducks still have cap space at their disposal, they still need to sign Cutter Gauthier to a contract extension this offseason, and that could very well reach near an eight-figure annual salary. Vatrano, Kreider, and Alex Killorn have been floated as potential players the team could cut or trade to ensure they can free up cap space. While Rangers fans would look towards Kreider, he's still owed $6.5 million for this upcoming season. Vatrano, meanwhile, carries a $4.57 million cap hit annually through the 2027-28 season.
Vatrano was one of the Rangers' trade deadline acquisitions during the 2021-22 season, where he was brought in from the Florida Panthers. Vatrano proved to be a sneaky good player for the Rangers that season. In 22 regular season games, Vatrano scored eight goals and dished out five assists. In the Rangers' run to the Eastern Conference Finals that year, Vatrano tallied five goals and eight assists in 20 games.
His stint in New York was shortlived, as he signed a three-year contract with the Ducks in free agency, where he's had a solid run. In the 2023-24 season, Vatrano made his first All-Star Game appearance, as he recorded 22 goals and 14 assists through 50 games entering the break. He ended that season with 37 goals and 23 assists in 82 games.
This past season, Vatrano was limited to 50 games due to a shoulder injury, and didn't play a single playoff game during the Ducks' run to the second round. In 50 games, Vatrano had five goals and four assists to his credit.
Before the upcoming season begins, the Rangers need to bring in at least one more forward that they can add to the second or third line. It's unlikely a player the caliber of Kreider, Patrick Kane, or Vladimir Tarasenko will be realistic options. But if Vatrano were to hit the market, it would be interesting to see if the Rangers would consider bringing him back. He'd provide familiarity with some of the players who were on that 2021-22 roster, and wouldn't be a rental. We'll see how the rest of the offseason transpires for the Rangers.
Add us as a preferred source on Google