New York Rangers Need to Add a Middle-Six Forward Before the Season – The Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

The New York Rangers finished last in the Eastern Conference last season and have made some significant changes to their forward group. Gone are Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, and in are new faces, including Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand. While the forward core on paper might look better than what it did at the end of last season, teams could always use more depth at every position. Here, we will look at why it would benefit the Rangers to add a middle-six forward and how they could go about getting that player.

The Rangers Could Use More Forward Depth

It is easy to say that right now, the Rangers’ top six forward group looks better than it did at the end of last season. When players like Dorofeyev and Bjorkstrand are replacing Conor Sheary and Tye Kartye, that is a massive upgrade. Adding them to existing players such as Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, Alexis Lafreniere, and Gabe Perreault makes them a much more dangerous team offensively. However, with all the talent they have in their top six, the bottom six is where the team lacks depth the most.

The bottom six is going to be filled with young players looking to prove themselves, along with some older veterans trying to prove they can still provide at the NHL level, such as Will Cuylle, Noah Laba, Joe Veleno, Taylor Raddysh, Matt Rempe, and others. While these players might be able to provide some scoring, it might not be enough to get the Rangers to the next level. Top teams get contributions from all over their lineup, and with the way the Rangers are built right now, they do not have a bottom six that can provide all that much offense. Another forward would help bring more depth to a group that needs it.

Looking at Remaining Free Agents Available

As of this writing, the Rangers have a little over $1.5 million in available cap space, and this is before they can place players on waivers to help make more space. We all know that this past free agency class was not filled with much star power, but as we enter the final week of August, there are still some names on the free agent market many were not expecting to be there. These players will likely not get as much money as they thought, and they may have to settle for professional tryouts (PTOs) if no team signs them before the season. This is a huge benefit for the Rangers, as they could sign a player for cheap and have them come in and challenge for a middle-six role.

Two of the bigger names that remain out there are Vladimir Tarasenko and Eeli Tolvanen. Tarasenko scored 23 goals and recorded 47 points last season with the Minnesota Wild, and no one expected he would still be a free agent at this point in the offseason. He already has a connection with the Rangers, as he played part of the 2022-23 season with the team after they traded for him from the St. Louis Blues.

Tolvanen scored 12 goals and recorded 36 points with the Seattle Kraken last season, and he has yet to find a new team. He is 27 years old and could be a good middle-six scoring option, Vincent Mercogliano of The Athletic reported that the Rangers checked in on Tolvanen before signing Bjorkstrand. These are just two of many possible names they could look to bring in before training camp begins (from ‘The New York Rangers are hunting for another NHL forward. What are their options?,’ The Athletic, July 15, 2026).

Trading Braden Schneider For a Young Forward

The Rangers have more depth with their defensemen. One name that has been in the rumors for months now is Braden Schneider, him signing only a one-year extension this summer could be a sign that the team does not have enough confidence in him to keep him long-term. They did the same thing with Ryan Lindgren, who they signed him to a one-year deal before trading the following season to the Colorado Avalanche. With Scott Morrow and Vincent Iorio capable of playing on the right side of the third defensive pair, Schneider becomes more movable, and the Rangers could use him as a trade piece to bring in a younger forward.

Schneider is still 24 years old, and if they were to move on from him, they would be looking for a forward in return who is around the same age. Some thought he could have been the main part of a Mason McTavish trade when the Rangers were linked to him a few months ago, but that did not happen. Could a player like Shane Wright, another player whose name has been in rumors this offseason, make sense? The Kraken forward would be a good fit for the Rangers, who are weaker down the middle after trading Trocheck. While the Rangers may decide to hold on to Schneider for now, moving him for a younger middle-six forward could still be an option as training camp gets closer.

The Rangers are looking to get back to the playoffs this season, and while they look like a better team on paper, they could still make improvements up front. They have a talented top six, but lack the forward depth that true Stanley Cup contending teams have. It would be a good idea for them to explore adding a middle-six forward before the season starts, whether by trade or through free agency.