The New York Rangers entered free agency as an unknown. Would GM Chris Drury retool or rebuild? Was the plan to deal Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider, as had been rumored, or augment what is in place, building off the Pavel Dorofeyev deal? After a mildly slow start, Drury certainly put his stamp on this squad, making changes to the middle-nine and bottom trio forward lines while significantly modifying the defense. In addition, he imported competition for the backup goalie role. Drury focused on the short-and near-term with one of his better days as the team’s general manager.
Overall, my grade for the day is B/B+.
Drury may have overdone his original ask for Trocheck with the return settling into a more reasonable range, though viewed as mildly underwhelming compared to what had been rumored to be the targets. I am not a fan of the deal for Jonas Korpisalo, though I admit upside possibility exists. Surrendering a potential 2030 first-rounder on top of the 2028 dealt as part of the Dorofeyev trade in paper is suboptimal. But the overall package that came back for the day on paper makes the team faster, deeper on the blueline, much better at moving the puck to go from D to O, and more competitive.
Here are the moves:
Joonas Korpisalo
The day didn’t start out overly positive as the Rangers acquired Korpisalo from the Bruins in exchange for Kalle Vaisanen and a 2028 fourth-round pick. Korpisalo comes with a $3 mil AAV for each of the next two seasons. His game, other than his Olympics’ performance, certainly regressed, seen in his .899 save percentage and poor goals-against average, let alone his weak metrics last season.
The acquisition of Korpisalo is questionable even beyond his performance. Dylan Garand, solid in a cup of coffee last season, requires passing through waivers to go back down to Hartford. If Korpisalo raises his game, and/or Garand loses the job, are you willing to lose Garand on waivers? If Korpisalo’s struggles continue, then the fourth-rounder and the $2 mil that will remain on the cap to send Korpisalo down are wasted assets. Especially if Vitek Vanecek, signed for $1 mil by the Islanders, proves to be a solid backup to Ilya Sorokin. The same with Freddy Andersen, inked to a one-year, $4 mil deal by the Oilers.
Joe Veleno
Signed to a one-year, $1.2 million deal to be the fourth-line center. The Rangers need a left-handed center, and he brings speed to the bottom trio. Veleno, 26, is a good defensive forward who won 51.6% of his faceoffs in 61 games for Montreal last season. On the flip side, he scored just two goals and added five total points, so clearly offensive is not his game. I would have preferred Lars Eller for what he brings to the table but am okay with Veleno in this spot.
Oliver Bjorkstrand
Drury filled another middle six hole signing Bjorkstrand. On a one-year deal with a $4.5 mil cap hit, the risk is minimal, as he can be flipped at the deadline if needed. Originally, the contract was reported to come with no trade protection. In fact, he has a 15-team no-trade list, though that should not create too much of an impediment if a deal is needed.
Bjorkstrand is a right-handed shot, the Rangers’ only real right-handed shot wing, which was another area of need. He projects to line up as the second-line right winger, though he could slide to the left side, as coach Mike Sullivan has expressed how he likes wings playing on their off side of their shot
Playing with Tampa, Bjorkstrand slumped to 12 goals and 20 assists last season. The metrics show a player with upside who looks to be a possible fit in New York. I likely would have preferred Matias Maccelli, who signed a one-year, $2.25 mil deal with the Islanders, but Bjorkstrand has enough upside to be happy with the selection.
Metrics
Marc Del Gaizo
Two-year, two-way deal for a depth d-man. Del Gaizo grew up a Rangers fan in Basking Ridge, NJ. He is likely eighth or ninth on the depth chart.
Marcus Pettersson
As word of a Trocheck trade filtered out, word that the Rangers acquired Pettersson was leaked. For several hours, the cost to acquire was unknown. We finally learned Drury surrendered a 2030 top-10 protected pick. Coach Mike Sullivan had a comfort level with Pettersson, having coached him for parts of seven seasons, making the trade seem almost destined.
Pettersson is a solid top-four defenseman making $5.5 mil a year for the next five seasons. The addition of Pettersson and Sean Durzi, his likely partner to his right, upgrade the puck moving potential from the blue line, a major area of weakness in the past. Pettersson projects as a second-pair blueliner. At 30 and signed until 2030-31, risk certainly exists, especially given the depth on the left side in New York. In the short term, though, a good addition by the Rangers, even if giving up a first-rounder is not optimal.
Fox-Gavrikov
Pettersson-Durzi
Vincent Trocheck
Trocheck, on the block since before the trade deadline, was finally dealt to Utah for Sean Durzi, Cole Beaudoin and a third-round pick in 2027. A heart-and-soul player signed for what is now a steal at $5.6 million AAV, Trocheck was a leader on and off the ice. New York and the community will certainly miss his presence. But once the rumors of a deal were so prominent and discussed for so long, a trade almost was a necessity.
Trocheck gives Utah a solid first or second line center, especially if they don’t match the offer sheet to Barrett Hayton. In addition, his presence allows Nick Schmaltz to move back to wing. Trocheck’s move from New York means that JT Miller is locked in as the team’s second line center after expressing his desire to remain in the middle. Noah Laba likely moves up to the 3C with Veleno as the fourth line center, but depth down the middle is now a little more challenging.
Durzi signed a four-year, $6 million AAV extension with Utah in June of 2024. He brings speed as a solid second pair, right-handed defenseman, though he has been adversely impacted by injuries the past few campaigns. Durzi should skate next to Pettersson, playing 20 or so minutes while manning one of the points on the second unit PP.
Beaudoin is an interesting and fun acquisition. Selected in the first round, 24th overall, after Utah moved up via trade with Colorado in the 2024 draft, Beaudoin raised his game this season. He posted 88 points (33 G, 55 A) and a +40 with OHL Barrie this past season but took his game to another level in the postseason. In the playoffs, in 15 games, Beaudoin tallied 10 goals and 19 assists with a plus-10 rating.
He signed his ELC and is turning pro this year. Beaudoin likely will open the year in Hartford as a top-six forward. His physicality and speed make him an immediate fit as a third-line center with the possible upside of a 2C if the scoring prowess he displayed last season is even mildly sustainable.
Will Borgen
The Rangers traded Borgen to the Bruins in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a conditional 2028 third-rounder. The condition is that the Rangers receive Boston’s 2028 second-round pick if Boston makes the conference final in either 2026-27 or 2027-28 and Borgen plays in 50% of the team’s playoff games.
Borgen, acquired at the 2024 trade deadline, signed a five-year, $4.1 mil AAV deal shortly after arriving in New York. That contract immediately looked poor almost when the ink was dry. Borgen had a rough 2025-26 and his trade makes it more likely that the Rangers will retain Schneider, who has been on the block the past seven months. Borgen provides the Bruins a veteran blueline presence
The impact of all the trades is a revamped lineup, both upfront and on the blueline. New York does not have a ton of remaining cap space after signing Dorofeyev for $11 mil per, adding 5.5 mil in Pettersson, $6 mil in Durzi, 1.2 mil in Veleno and $3 mil in Korpisalo. Those additions are offset by the departure of Trocheck’s 5.6 mil and Borgen’s $4.1 million. In addition, Drury added a second and conditional third rounder, which somewhat offsets the 2030 first rounder surrendered
The lines may be mixed and matched, so the below is how I would line up as of now, presuming no other changes. Laf and Dorofeyev could swap spots, same with Perreault and Dorofeyev with Laf moving to the right side. Taylor Raddysh could end up as the 3RW while Adam Sykora certainly is in the bottom six mix. Matt Rempe should be healthy for camp but might be a long shot to crack the lineup.
Lafreniere-Zibanejad-Perreault
Dorofeyev-Miller-Bjorkstrand
Cuylle-Laba-Kartye
Chmelar-Veleno-Raddysh
Sykora/Rempe
The acquisition of a new second unit blue line allows New York to slow play Alberts Smits if need be. I do wonder that if Drury knew this would be the end result in July 1 if Smits still would have been the selection or if Carson Carels or Chase Reid might have been the pick due to more offensive upside. Barring any deals, Drew Fortescue and Scott Morrow figure to be the top pair in Hartford.
Gavrikov-Fox
Pettersson-Durzi
Robertson-Schneider
Vaakaneinen/Fortescue/Morrow/Smits
Shesterkin
Korpisalo
Garand
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