Oliver Bjorkstrand has already made the Rangers’ one-year deal look a lot more interesting than it did in the summer.
The veteran forward was one of New York’s more notable free-agent additions, and the idea behind the signing was pretty clear: bring in a reliable, defensively sound winger who could chip in secondary scoring. That’s been Bjorkstrand’s calling card for years, with his production typically landing in the 30-50 point range. He was brought in as a short-term answer, but based on how he’s opened the season, there’s at least an argument that the Rangers would want him around for another year or two.
The question, of course, is whether that comes at a price New York won’t want to pay.
So far, Bjorkstrand has been one of the team’s most productive scorers. He is tied for second on the Rangers in goals and sits seventh in points, and that’s been accomplished despite spending a large chunk of the season on the fourth line. He was expected to settle into a middle-six role, but the early returns have come even with a heavier dose of bottom-six minutes.
That’s what makes him such a useful player. Bjorkstrand has been in the league for more than a decade and has played over 700 games, so he brings the kind of steady, predictable presence coaches trust. He reads the ice well, owns a deceptively strong shot, and plays a hard, honest two-way game.
Some of that has been easy to miss because of where he’s spent so much of his time this season. Still, the production is impossible to ignore. The Rangers may not love that he’s near the top of their goal chart, but right now he’s giving them real value.
In Other News...
Rangers Loss To Edmonton Raised A Bigger Contender Question
The Rangers ran into a sharp Edmonton team and came away with a 3-1 loss that felt bigger than one night in the standings. Leon Draisaitl did the damage with two goals, Connor McDavid added another and extended his points streak to 19 games, and the Oilers got the kind of composed goaltending that can tilt a matchup between contenders.
For New York, the result only added to the sense that the margin against elite teams can still be thin. Edmontons goalie was steady throughout, and the Rangers could not find enough offense to keep pace once the game settled into the Oilers rhythm. It was the sort of loss that does not just count as one more defeat, but also invites a harder look at where this team stands when the opponent is built to punish every mistake. [Read more 🡒]
Former Rangers Forward Hits Trouble During His Best Scoring Run
Jack Roslovic has been in the middle of the most productive stretch of his career with the Maple Leafs, which makes the timing of his latest setback all the more frustrating. The former Rangers forward had been driving offense at a career-best pace and was still a key piece for Toronto, sitting near the top of the clubs scoring list while providing the kind of depth production that can swing games for a contender.
Roslovics recent run hit a snag when he missed a game because of a lower-body injury, and the issue came on the heels of a seven-game point streak ending in a loss to the Canadiens. Toronto has leaned on him heavily even as he has dealt with nagging injuries, and his absence against the Devils only underscored how important he has become to the lineup. The bigger question now is how long the Maple Leafs can keep getting by without one of their most efficient finishers if this keeps lingering. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Defensive Depth Tested Again After Young Blue-Liner Goes Down
The Rangers blue line took another hit when Alberts mits was ruled week-to-week with an upper-body injury, a setback for a young defenseman who had settled into a third-pair role this season. For a team that has already had to manage its defensive depth carefully, losing a first-round pick in the middle of the year is the kind of development that forces a quick adjustment.
Marc Del Gaizo was brought up from the Hartford Wolf Pack to help fill the gap, giving the Rangers another option on the back end while mits recovers. It is another reminder of how fragile the margin can be on defense, especially when the organization is trying to balance immediate needs with the long view on one of its more important prospects. [Read more 🡒]