Insider Reveals The New York Rangers’ Blueline Could Be Busted Until the 2026 Trade Deadline
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The New York Rangers’ blueline might have to suffer another season before it can move forward and help the team when it counts the most. With defensive woes plaguing the 2024-25 lineup, Chris Drury should plan ahead for when 2026 free agency rolls around to know what players he could acquire then to bolster the blueline with.The left side of the defense will be a major issue for the Rangers for the upcoming season. The right side has a plethora of talent waiting in the wings for the right partner, as GM Chris Drury has locked down Adam Fox, Will Borgen, and Braden Schneider for the future.One option for the left side could be former Stanley Cup champion and current Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram.
Byram will be a pending RFA and could be a highly sought-after blueliner should things continue to go south in Buffalo.
In 82 games with the Sabres, he scored 38 points (7-31), and his last contract paid him $3.8 million AAV. While he’s an elite skater in the NHL, he’s yet to reach his full potential in the league, and with that news, the Sabres have been shopping him, according to Frank Seravalli.
In the NHL, Byram has struggled with his defensive play, with analytics from RonoAnalyst grading him just 31/100 for defense and 86/100 for offense this season.
Despite this, the upside is still there for Byram to continue to develop in the NHL and grow under the right conditions.
The Rangers could swap RFAs for RFAs, as the team could move K’Andre Miller for Byram.Vladislav Gavrikov could be another intriguing option for the New York Rangers. He’s held his own by side of top Kings defenseman Drew Doughty this year, and could hold his own with Adam Fox, as he’s been a statistical darling according to RonoAnalyst, giving him a 93.
He could easily shelter Fox and allow him to unleash his potential on the ice. But for the Rangers, there remains the issue of whether the Kings want to keep him or not, or whether they’d really want to pay him $7.5 M over seven years.
A figure GM Ken Holland will have to wrestle with as he makes the Kings in his own image.
If that figure becomes a fact, Drury and the front office will have to pivot and find an option comparable to defenseman Marcus Pettersson, who currently makes $5.5 million against the cap with the Canucks.
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Insider Reveals The New York Rangers’ Blueline Could Be Busted Until the 2026 Trade Deadline
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