Why the New York Rangers desperately need to extend Will Cuylle's contract

Despite Friday, May 2nd being an early day in the New York Rangers' offseason, the morning and afternoon has seen plenty of news for the Rangers.

Immediately after the Blueshirts announced the hiring of Mike Sullivan to replace Peter Laviolette as their next head coach, the Rangers next big move was to add Juuso Parssinen's two-year contract extension to the news cycle. Here's why extending left winger Will Cuylle should have come first.

Will Cuylle's Success

Many Rangers fans are saying that a contract extension of Cuylle should be priority No. 1 for the Rangers. Due to the Toronto native's significant growth and dominance at even strength, Cuylle is frequently considered to be the Blueshirts' most improved player for the 2024-25 season. In what came as little to no surprise, Cuylle was also the recipient of the 2025 Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award following the Rangers' 5-4 OT win over Minnesota in the beginning of April.

The accolade is presented annually to the Ranger who, as chosen by the fans, "goes above and beyond the call of duty."

"It was pretty cool. Obviously, it’s a huge honor. Such a long-standing tradition, and to see the other names that have won the award, it’s pretty cool to be listed with some of those names."

Will Cuylle, April 3, 2025

Cuylle has become a key player for the Rangers; he creates high-quality scoring chances and contributing to the team's overall success. The 23-year-old has already established himself as an effective bottom-six forward and has continued to grow his game, showing the ability to thrive in a second-line role and generate offense.

Standing at 6'3" and weighing 212 pounds, Cuylle was drafted as the No. 60 overall pick by the New York Rangers in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

He finished the 2024-25 season with 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) across 82 games (+12). His 20 goals this season were up 13 from last year, which is an increase of over 50%. Not only that but his physicality and compete level combined with his scoring touch have been very impressive as well.

Cuylle's Current Contract

Cuylle is currently signed to a 3 year, $2,484,999 contract with a cap hit of $828,333 per season. His contract was signed on April 19, 2021 and he is going to be a restricted free agent eligible to sign an offer sheet if he doesn't agree to terms with the Rangers.

That shouldn't be a problem with the Rangers' cap set to jump significantly, so signing Cuylle to something long term could prove to actually be beneficial. But, a bridge deal might make the most sense given that there were some stretches of the season in which he looked lost, and the Rangers want to be sure before they lock in for good. Given his recent success as a younger league player — there’s a very good chance that Cuylle is just entering his prime and could be a key impact player for years to come. The Rangers will need to find the right balance, because the budding power forward has some leverage on his side, and they don't want to risk losing him.