NY Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan introduced in Tarrytown
Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan is introduced during a press conference at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York, May 8, 2025.
The Rangers have already dealt a franchise cornerstone in Chris Kreider and continue to be active in trade discussions, creating a buzz of anticipation as the critical stretch of the NHL’s offseason calendar approaches.
Everyone wants to know what team president Chris Drury will do next.
It will be difficult, though not impossible, to pull off one of the many blockbuster trades that have fueled the rumor mill in recent weeks. Drury would love to take a big swing that washes away the stench from a calamitous 2024-25 season − but if one doesn’t materialize in the coming days, a more practical plan is in place that the Rangers believe will leave their roster in a better place.
Based on conversations with multiple league sources, who spoke to lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, on the condition of anonymity, at least two feasible moves appear to be in the works.
The first is finalizing a trade that will send restricted free agent defenseman K’Andre Miller out of town. Drury has shopped him to several teams, most of which reside in the Western Conference, and will be requesting final-and-best offers this week. (If he hasn’t already.)
The second is signing Miller’s replacement, with unrestricted free agent Vladislav Gavrikov at the top of New York’s wish list. Two sources indicated there is mutual interest between the two parties and labeled the Blueshirts as the favorite to land the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Russian when free agency opens July 1.
Gavrikov has been a minutes-eating pillar for one of the NHL’s best defensive teams, the Los Angeles Kings, but will also turn 30 in November and command an average annual value in the $7 million-to-$8 million range. There are concerns about how the contract will age, on top of fears about Miller − who’s more than four years younger − realizing his vast potential elsewhere. But Drury is determined to revamp a D corps that struggled mightily last season and views Gavrikov as a much-needed stabilizer, presumably in a top-pair role next to Adam Fox.
In short, the Rangers are willing to risk losing out on Miller’s high ceiling in favor of Gavrikov’s high floor. They’re valuing consistency over volatility.
Will that swap be enough to turn around a defense that was repeatedly burned off the rush, plagued by sloppy mistakes in their own zone and ranked 28th in scoring chances allowed by Clear Sight Analytics? There’s healthy skepticism, but Drury doesn’t have the salary cap space to do much more.
The Rangers signed RFA forward Adam Edström to a two-year, $1.95 million extension on June 23, leaving roughly $13 million to work with. Let’s say $7.5 million goes to Gavrikov, plus an expected AAV around $3.5 million for top RFA forward Will Cuylle. Suddenly, Drury is down to $2 million to complete the rest of his offseason business.
That number can be stretched by burying depth center Juuso Pärssinen ($1.25 million AAV) or sending one of the Rangers’ forward prospects to AHL Hartford, which are plausible outcomes. But the larger point is it will be very difficult to sign Gavrikov and trade for another prominent player unless they shed additional salary. (Carson Soucy, anyone?)
The wild card here is the return they get for Miller. A package of prospects and draft picks wouldn’t help the immediate cause, which is why they’re believed to be targeting a young NHLer with room for growth and a manageable cap hit. The hope is that player, preferably a center or right wing, would jolt a forward group that already features Cuylle, Alexis Lafrenière, Artemi Panarin, J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad and reduce the pressure to rush top prospect Gabe Perreault.
For the moment, that’s the most realistic path. Multiple sources believe the Rangers have inquired about Colorado’s Martin Nečas, Buffalo’s JJ Peterka and Dallas’ Jason Robertson, among others, but there are serious hurdles standing in their way.
Perhaps Drury can figure out a creative way to clear them. That’s the exciting part about this time of year. But if not, the expectation is he’ll go hard after Gavrikov, add another role player or two − think third-line center, tenacious winger or depth defenseman − and bank on a new-head-coach bump from Mike Sullivan. That measured approach would leave New York’s relatively thin asset pool intact to take another swing at the trade deadline − or, more importantly, at what could be a star-studded 2026 free-agent class.
The intrigue will continue for at least a few more days.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.