If the New York Rangers are looking for a reason to feel good about the future, the cleanest one is right there in the cap sheet. They currently have only four forwards signed beyond the 2026-27 season, which gives them real room to shape the roster down the line.
In The Athletic, Vincent Z. Mercogliano made the case that some of that flexibility ought to go toward locking up Gabriel Perreault for the long haul.
Perreault’s rookie season gave the Rangers plenty to build on. The 21-year-old, who went 23rd overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, finished 2025-26 with 12 goals and 27 points in 49 games while averaging 15:59 of ice time per night. He was one of the few bright spots in what the article described as the 2025-26 campaign, and if he stays in a top-six role in 2026-27, he should get every chance to top those numbers.
That’s what makes his contract situation worth watching. Perreault is set to become a restricted free agent next summer unless he signs an extension before then. There’s no urgency for him to force the issue right now, but another strong season could set him up for a major payday with the Rangers.
Elsewhere around the Metropolitan Division, the Flyers are heading into 2026-27 with a blue line that looks almost unchanged from last season. The one move they did make was swapping Emil Andrae out and bringing in Simon Benoit in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Even with that stability, Philadelphia is expecting camp competition and is banking on internal growth to change the shape of its defense.
General Manager Daniel Brière said in a new article from Jordan Hall of NBC Sports that youngsters David Jiříček and Oliver Bonk will get every opportunity to win spots on the opening-night roster.
And in a separate development, Russian goaltender Alexander Smolin said in an interview with Mikhail Skryl from Sports Express that he drew NHL interest this offseason, with the New Jersey Devils showing particular interest. Smolin said it was unlikely he would have landed anything bigger than an AHL deal, and he told the Devils that he wanted to stay in the KHL for the foreseeable future. Even so, he could be on NHL radars again next summer after putting together a 39-14-4 record in 65 games with a .920 SV% and 2.21 GAA across his KHL career.