The New York Rangers had a disappointing season last year and will look to be aggressive in the offseason to shake up their roster.
The Rangers missed the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy as the best record in the NHL. Heading into the offseason, New York has been linked to trading Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider, but has now been linked to signing a star forward.
NHL insiders Shayna Goldman and Murat Ates of The Athletic link the Rangers to signing Winnipeg Jets star forward Nikolaj Ehlers in free agency. Ehlers completed his seven-year, $42 million deal.
“If they do clear enough space to sign Ehlers, he could be a perfect fit… Ehlers solves a lot of problems,” the article read. “He’s a left-shooting winger who has played portions of his NHL career on the right side. Including a dominant stretch with Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault way back in 2019.
“New York could use him as a Kreider replacement if they do trade their longtime veteran, or play him on the right side if they’d prefer to keep Zibanejad at center,” the article added. “No matter how they deploy him, Ehlers would be a boon to a power play that managed to drastically underperform the sum of its parts in 2024-25.”
Ehlers would be a top-six forward for the Rangers and would add another look to their roster. With the Jets last season, Ehlers recorded 24 goals and 39 assists for 63 points in 69 games.
Rangers GM Confident Team Can Reach Goals
Despite New York having a terrible season, the Rangers gave general manager Chris Drury an extension.
Drury will be tasked with rebuilding the Rangers and making them a Stanley Cup contender. After the extension was announced, Drury said he’s focused on helping the Rangers reach their goals this offseason.
“I am honored to sign this contract extension and continue in this position with the team I grew up supporting,” Drury said. “As I said when I began in this role nearly four years ago, there isn’t a more special organization in hockey. And I look forward to continuing our work this offseason. To help us reach our goals for next season and in the coming years.”
Drury’s first big offseason move was hiring well-respected coach Mike Sullivan. Drury will now turn his attention to the draft and free agency. The Rangers will be one of the teams to watch.
What is Ehlers Expected to Get in Free Agency?
Ehlers will be one of the top free agents available this offseason. The star winger will be in line for a raise on his current deal.
In free agency, AFP Analytics projects Ehlers’ next deal to be a six-year contract with an $8.1-million AAV. The deal would be worth $48.6 million over six years.
However, if Ehlers does hit the open market, he could get more. Ehlers could likely command a max seven-year deal. Also, the star winger will likely have several teams interested in him, which could cause a bidding war.
Ehlers has skated in 674 career NHL games, recording 225 goals and 295 assists for 520 points.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Insider Links Rangers to Star $42 Million in Free Agency appeared first on Heavy Sports.