The New York Rangers have added another winger to their summer overhaul, signing Eeli Tolvanen to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, according to PuckPedia.
Tolvanen arrives in New York after four seasons with the Seattle Kraken, where he quickly settled into a useful top-nine role. The 27-year-old Finn made his mark soon after joining Seattle partway through the 2022-23 season on waivers from the Nashville Predators, putting up 16 goals and 27 points in his first 48 games with the club. From there, he became a regular in the Kraken’s middle six and spent time on the second power-play unit as well.
That role helped Tolvanen reach new highs in 2023-24, when he finished with 16 goals and 41 points. He pushed past his goal total again in 2024-25, scoring 23 times and totaling 35 points, then followed that with 36 points last season.
At the same time, Tolvanen has also been a streaky scorer. His production has tended to come in bursts, including a stretch early in 2023-24 when he collected 17 points in 22 games. That kind of pace would translate to 63 points over an 82-game season, but he has only reached half that total three times in his eight-year career.
Now he heads into a different situation with a Rangers team looking for more punch. New York also brought in scoring wingers Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand this summer in an effort to lift an offense that finished with the 10th-fewest goals in the NHL last season. Tolvanen’s 8.5 shooting percentage last season was 3.5 percent below his career average, and he’ll be looking to bounce back with help from playmaking linemates such as Noah Laba and William Cuylle.
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Rangers Near Another Forward Move As Drury Reshapes The Top Nine
The Rangers offseason push to remake their forward depth appears to be continuing, with another experienced winger reportedly on the verge of joining the mix. Eeli Tolvanen, who has spent time with both the Predators and Kraken and also skated for Finlands bronze medal-winning Olympic team, would fit the profile of the kind of low-cost, useful addition New York has been targeting as president and general manager Chris Drury reshapes the top nine.
For a club that has already brought in several forwards this summer, the appeal is obvious: more options, more competition and more flexibility as camp approaches. Tolvanen has enough NHL experience to help stabilize a middle-six role, and if the fit works, the Rangers could get more than just another body in the room. [Read more 🡒]