New York Rangers’ 2025-26 Report Cards: Will Cuylle – The Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have had a difficult last two seasons after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24. Though the team struggled and missed the playoffs in 2025-26, a few of their young players have shown promise, including winger Will Cuylle, who was strong defensively and chipped in offensively last season.

Performance in 2025-26

Cuylle broke out in 2024-25 and finished with 20 goals and 25 assists, and also led the Rangers with 301 hits while playing in all 82 games. He earned a spot as a top-six forward and became a key penalty killer.

Last season, the hope was that Cuylle would continue to build on his strong play and potentially increase his offensive production. He once again began in a top-six role and contributed on the penalty kill, but he and the Rangers both slumped offensively early on. He had one goal and no assists in his first nine games; however, he did have five goals and four assists in his next nine and scored a few goals on quick wrist shots.

The Rangers stayed in the playoff race early in the season, but fell out of it as stars Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox missed extended time with injuries. Their captain, J.T. Miller, struggled, and though Cuylle consistently played with physicality and got in on the forecheck, he did not break out offensively.

Cuylle was a noticeable player even when the team struggled, and he was still able to contribute in other areas of the game when he slumped offensively. He drove to the net and was able to score some goals on deflections and rebounds. At 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, he used his size and strength to his advantage.

At no point was Cuylle’s play ever a weakness for the Rangers, but he also did not make the most of his opportunity to play in the top six consistently, as he went through some frustrating slumps. He finished the season with 20 goals and 18 assists, including four goals and four assists on the man advantage while playing in all 82 games and averaging 16:51 in ice time per game. He once again led the team in hits with 302, and he also finished with 68 blocked shots.

Role Moving Forward

The Rangers added a very talented winger in Pavel Dorofeyev, who scored 35 goals in 2024-25 and 37 goals last season. Additionally, last season, rookie winger Gabriel Perreault and Alexis Lafreniere were both excellent on New York’s top line alongside center Mika Zibanejad in the second half of the season.

The emergence of Perreault and Lafreniere, along with the acquisition of Dorofeyev, means Cuylle may end up playing on the Rangers’ third line when everyone is healthy, but he should still get a good amount of ice time at even strength. His ability to forecheck effectively and willingness to drive to the net make him a valuable player regardless of which line he plays on. He should also continue to get opportunities on the second power-play unit and on the penalty kill.

The Rangers made some big moves this offseason, which have made them a younger team and added a few players who can help them offensively. New additions like Dorofeyev and Sean Durzi have the potential to make those around them better and help the team contend for a playoff spot. New York should continue to rely on Cuylle for steady all-around play, and he is someone who can be trusted in any situation late in close games.

Overall Grade

Cuylle gets a B- for his play last season. Though he finished with seven fewer points than he did in 2024-25, he still had 20 goals, was strong defensively, and was noticeable on the forecheck. Even when he slumped offensively, he found other ways to contribute, but the hope is that he will produce more offensively this season.