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 NHL offseason hasn’t even started, yet the Rangers have already made waves by trading franchise pillar Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks.
That should tell you where team president Chris Drury’s head is at.
He’s determined to move ahead with the roster shakeup that began during the 2024-25 season and will continue in earnest this summer.
Kreider was the latest lineup staple to be ousted – a predictable-yet-jarring outcome for the Garden faithful who have followed his every move for 13-plus years.
The writing has been on the wall – or, should I say, in an email blast to every NHL general manager – since Thanksgiving, when Drury let it be known he was looking to move on from New York’s longest-tenured player. And there were valid reasons to reach that conclusion.
For starters, the Rangers desperately need the salary cap space. They were looking at less than $8.5 million prior to this trade and have now pushed that number up to nearly $15 million. Suddenly, the offseason possibilities have opened up.
Secondly, there is a logjam at Kreider’s left-wing position and serious holes in other spots. Drury can use that freed up money to pursue centers, right wingers and defensemen while allowing young LWs in Will Cuylle, Alexis Lafrenière, Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann and top prospect Gabe Perreault to compete for Kreider’s vacant ice time. (Depending on who makes it through the Summer of Change.)
On the other hand, you can fairly criticize Drury for creating the cap problems in the first place and waiting too long to dismantle an inherited core that was never quite good enough at five-on-five. Rather than methodically upgrading the roster, he scrambled on the fly and left a fractured locker room in his wake.
Kreider’s value would have been significantly higher had the front-office boss made this trade before the wheels fell off, but Drury has made a habit of moving unwanted contracts without needing to retain salary or attach assets. (A very notable exception came in 2022 when he sent the then-Coyotes two second-round picks just to take defenseman Patrik Nemeth off his hands, but he’s been much more successful with those trades lately.)
Now the question is, what will Drury do with his newfound flexibility?
Every source who’s spoken to lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, has relayed a similar message: The Rangers are casting a very wide net.
That’s been the talk around the NHL, not because the notoriously tight-lipped Drury is leaking it, but because many of the teams he’s checked in with have taken notice and spread the word. The more calls he makes, the higher the likelihood of people finding out.
It’s made it difficult to determine exactly which targets the Rangers are prioritizing, whether it be via trade or free agency. I haven’t got the sense they’re homing in on one player in particular – and if they are, it’s fairly well hidden.
But I do believe they’ve called about many of the top players with any hint of being available, including wingers with exciting upside such as Colorado’s Martin Nečas and Dallas’ Jason Robertson. The Avalanche and the Stars are prime trade candidates because they have no choice but to move salary to be cap compliant.
There are lingering questions about whether those teams will trade their emerging young stars – and if they do, there are serious doubts about whether the Rangers can put together the most competitive offers. Their asset pool is weaker than most, with a prospect pipeline that’s thin on surefire talents and only three picks in the first two rounds of the next three drafts combined.
That’s why it may not be the sexiest names who land in New York this summer, but there’s an undeniable effort to infuse this lineup with new blood. There’s also a willingness to extend an offer sheet to a restricted free agent if an enticing trade doesn’t materialize, according to two sources.
K’Andre Miller next to go?
Speaking of RFAs, one of the most appealing assets the Rangers have is defenseman K’Andre Miller, who many believe will be next to go.
I wrote earlier this month that he’s on the trade block, but I’m increasingly hearing that the Rangers want to move on. Miller’s inconsistent play is a primary reason why, along with Drury’s preference for defensemen who bring a physical edge. But I also think it goes back to the GM’s desire to change the makeup of the locker room. My sense is there’s been some off-ice frustration directed at the talented 25-year-old.
The Rangers also know that Miller is eyeing the summer of 2027, when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent for the first time and seems likely to test the market in hopes of a big payday. They want to get in value in return before it gets that far.
Other teams recognize that a split is likely, with a couple sources suggesting they may be waiting to offer sheet the 6-foot-5, 210-pounder, rather than trying to make a trade.
Assuming Miller’s next contract lands in the designated $4.68 million-to-$7.02 million range, the compensation if he signs with another team would be a first- and third-round pick in the 2026 draft. That’s pretty good value, depending on how high those picks sit in each round, but the Rangers want players who can help them now. That may add motivation to move him before free agency opens July 1.
I get all of that, but I still have serious concerns about what their D will look like without Miller. They’re already short at least one left-handed defenseman, so losing him would leave two holes to fill. For all his flaws, there’s no one on the current depth chart who can play a top-pair role better than the St. Paul, Minnesota native.
The Rangers are scouring the trade market, which we went over earlier this week, and there have been reports about their interest in UFA Vladislav Gavrikov. It makes sense based on the quality of the player and the obvious need, but the 29-year-old is going to be costly − think $7 million-to-$8 million per season, if not more − and require a deal that pays him into his mid-to-late 30s.
The Rangers just shed one of those burdensome contracts, but plenty remain on the books. Do they really want to add another?
How about Will Cuylle?
The other key RFA Drury has on his plate is Cuylle, who’s coming off a 20-goal, 300-hit season and was one of the team’s few bright spots in 2024-25.
On the surface, the 23-year-old winger is the Rangers’ most vulnerable offer-sheet candidate. Teams covet power forwards who can skate, score and throw the body, all of which Cuylle does well, and they wouldn’t have to break the bank on his next contract.
But my sense is he won’t be signing anywhere other than New York. It doesn’t sound like a deal is close at the moment – it’s possible both sides were waiting to see what kind of cap moves the Blueshirts would make, with the Kreider trade fueling discussions – but I believe that Cuylle wants to stay and there’s confidence something will get done.
Of course, that can always change if negotiations take a wrong turn. But I’d put strong odds on Cuylle returning to MSG in the fall.
Getting a read on Mika Zibanejad’s future
There seems to be very little that’s off the table this summer, but my odds-making instinct also tells me that Mika Zibanejad will be a Ranger on opening night.
I get why people are speculating that the Kreider trade will alter the 32-year-old’s thinking and convince him to waive his no-movement clause. Everyone knows how close those two are, and Zibanejad has already expressed frustration about the handling of exiled teammates. But everyone also knew a move involving Kreider was coming, so I can’t imagine Zibanejad was surprised by this.
My understanding is that keeping his family in a city where they’re comfortable is very important to him. I’ve heard there may be a very small list of teams the Swedish forward would consider, but he’s highly motivated to show he can still perform at a high level in New York. I’ve also heard the Rangers have been working with him to uncover solutions that help the 6-foot-2, 203-pounder rebound next season, both physically and mentally.
Two sources indicated that Zibanejad was one of the players who wanted former Blueshirts head coach David Quinn back on the bench as an assistant under Mike Sullivan. He was a breakout star during Quinn’s tenure − including his best scoring season, with 41 goals in 57 games before COVID-19 interrupted the 2019-20 campaign − and may have had a hand in convincing his old coach to return.
The situation remains one to monitor, but it all sounds like a player who’s planning to be back next season.
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.