The New York Rangers have undergone significant roster turnover over the past few seasons. Whether it is by making trades or letting players go in free agency, this current team looks drastically different even from the opening night roster of last season. In this piece, we are not going to be focusing on the current roster, but on the players who have left or been traded over the past few seasons. We are going to look at where they are going to be playing this season, whether that’s on an NHL team or if they are out of the league completely.
Anaheim Ducks
The team in the NHL that has the most former Rangers on its roster is the Anaheim Ducks. As of this writing, they have four former players who are projected to be on their opening night roster. Those players are Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, Ryan Strome, and Frank Vatrano. Kreider, who was the longest tenured Ranger, was traded earlier this offseason to the Ducks after a season plagued with injuries, poor play, and trade rumors. Trouba was traded to the Ducks early last season after the team started to play poorly, and his name was also in trade rumors going back to last offseason. Strome spent parts of four seasons in New York before signing in Anaheim as a free agent in 2022. Vatrano, who, out of these four players, played the least amount of games as a Ranger, also signed with the Ducks as a free agent in 2022 after helping the Rangers get to Game 6 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Final.
San Jose Sharks
Another team in California is now home to three former Rangers. Those players are Barclay Goodrow, Alex Wennberg, and Ryan Reaves. Goodrow, who spent three seasons in New York, was reacquired by the Sharks last offseason after he was put on waivers. He is now a veteran leader on a young team that is looking to take a step forward this season. Wennberg was acquired by the Rangers at the 2024 Trade Deadline and scored two total goals (one in the regular season and one in the playoffs) and was part of the team that got to the 2024 Eastern Conference Final. He signed with the Sharks last offseason and, like Goodrow, is a veteran leader on a young team. Reaves, who played parts of two seasons in New York, was traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Sharks earlier this offseason. Not sure how much he is going to play this season, but when he does, he will surely bring the energy like he has wherever he has gone in his career.
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are a team looking to get back to the playoffs this season, and they have two former Rangers who they think can help them achieve that goal. Kaapo Kakko was acquired last season in a trade that sent Will Borgen to New York. Kakko never turned into the player many thought he could be, but he played well after going to Seattle. He scored 10 goals and 30 points in 49 games played with the Kraken and had a career-high 44 points last season. They are hoping a full season with the team can help him break out even more.
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The second former Ranger on the team is defenseman Ryan Lindgren. He spent parts of seven seasons in New York and was a mainstay on the blue line alongside his friend, Adam Fox. He was traded last season to the Colorado Avalanche, and they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. He signed as a free agent with the Kraken this offseason, and they hope that his style of play can help them get back to being a playoff-caliber team.
Minnesota Wild
Two former Rangers will be playing in the “State of Hockey” this season, and those two players are Mats Zuccarello and Vladimir Tarasenko. Zuccarello spent parts of nine seasons in New York and became a true fan favorite while he was there. Fans still chant his name at Madison Square Garden whenever the Wild come to town. He was traded at the 2019 Trade Deadline to the Dallas Stars and signed with the Wild that offseason as a free agent. Now entering his seventh season with the team, he is hoping to help get them back to the playoffs and hopefully past the first round, which they have not been able to do since the 2014-15 season.
Tarasenko was traded to the Rangers by the St. Louis Blues at the 2023 Trade Deadline, and he played in 31 regular-season games and seven playoff games before leaving as a free agent that offseason. He signed a one-year deal with the Ottawa Senators and was traded to the Florida Panthers at the 2024 Trade Deadline, and helped them win a Stanley Cup. He signed with the Detroit Red Wings last offseason but had a down year with them. He was traded to the Wild earlier this offseason, and they hope he can bounce back and be a key addition to their offense.
Unsigned/Out of the NHL
While there are plenty of former Rangers on teams not mentioned in the piece, there are also a few players who have yet to sign with a team for this season or have already signed to play outside of the NHL. One name who won’t be in the league is Jimmy Vesey. He signed a two-year deal with Genève-Servette HC of the National League in Switzerland on Aug. 4. He spent part of last season with the Rangers before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche. He never truly got a chance to play for either team, and now, he is taking his talents overseas.
A few players are still free agents and have yet to sign with a team for this season. The biggest name is Jack Roslovic, who played 19 games for the Rangers during the 2023-24 season after being acquired at the trade deadline. He signed with the Carolina Hurricanes last offseason and scored 22 goals and 39 points in 81 games played. He was a healthy scratch in the playoffs at some points, and as of now, he does not have a contract for this season. Another player is Alex Georgiev, who spent parts of five seasons in New York before being traded to the Avalanche in the 2022 offseason. He played parts of three seasons there before his poor play got him traded to the Sharks last season, where his poor play continued. It seems as if he won’t be in the NHL this season unless he takes a professional tryout (PTO) going into training camp. Other former Rangers without contracts include Tyler Motte, Kevin Rooney, Jack Johnson, Jarred Tinordi, and Brendan Smith.
It is always interesting to follow players who are not on your favorite team anymore because you want to see whether or not they have more success on their new team or struggle trying to fit in after being with one team for a while. There are plenty of former Rangers around the league, and it will be interesting to watch them and see how they play this season and how much they impact their team’s success or failures.
