Oliver Bjorkstrand was supposed to give the Rangers a dependable lift in the middle of the lineup. When New York brought him in on a one-year, $4.5 million AAV contract, the expectation was that he would settle in as a solid secondary scorer on the second line.
That plan didn’t hold for long.
Now Bjorkstrand finds himself on the fourth line, skating as a winger with Justin Dowling and the recently recalled Taylor Raddysh. For a player carrying a $4.5 million cap hit, that means a nightly average of just 10:31 of ice time - a steep fall for someone who put up 28 goals for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022-23.
The role change has turned Bjorkstrand into a sort of insurance policy for a line that needs a spark. Dowling brings very little offense, and Raddysh is not known for it either, so Bjorkstrand’s job is to supply the punch that group otherwise lacks. Even in limited minutes, he can still help swing things with his finishing touch.
What’s pushed him down the depth chart is a mix of developments the Rangers didn’t exactly plan on. Tye Kartye has grabbed the spot Bjorkstrand once seemed set to own, and Alexis Lafrenière has turned into “this monster of a player,” which has made it harder for Bjorkstrand to find room higher in the lineup.
That squeeze has also led to questions about how long he’ll stay in New York. The Athletic listed Bjorkstrand as the Rangers’ under-the-radar trade candidate, and it’s easy to see why. The Blueshirts will need to preserve every bit of cap space possible if they want to keep Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, and Kartye beyond this season.
A return isn’t impossible. Bjorkstrand could be brought back on a very team-friendly deal, but there doesn’t seem to be much long-term attachment here. It would be a different story if he had been around for a while, but he has only played 10 games for the Rangers so far.
For now, the likeliest outcome is that he finishes the season in New York and then walks in free agency again, or gets moved to a Stanley Cup contender. That possibility depends on where the Rangers stand, too.
None of this means Bjorkstrand has played poorly. It’s more that his season has been swallowed up by the chaos around him.
He was productive earlier as part of the team’s original second line with J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev, and there’s at least some reason to wonder whether that group will get another run together soon.
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For Glendening, it is also another swing at finding a landing spot after he was in Tampa Bays camp on a PTO and came away without a contract. With New York, the arrangement keeps the door open for both sides, and it gives the Rangers a low-risk look at a player who can help shape the bottom of the lineup while the team sorts through its options. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Are Suddenly In The Middle Of A Goalie Market Twist
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What makes the situation more interesting is that the Rangers may wind up affecting a much bigger move without being the team that makes it directly. The goalie market could still be shaped by a Connor Hellebuyck chain reaction, and New York might end up serving as the trigger for that domino effect rather than the final destination. For a team still sorting out its goaltending picture, it is the kind of twist that can change the board quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Suddenly Loom In A Goalie Domino Effect Around Shesterkin
The goalie market has started to take on a domino effect feel, and the Rangers are right in the middle of it. Elliotte Friedman raised the possibility of the Utah Mammoth pursuing Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, pointing to Utahs track record of going after specific targets, while Buffalo and the Rangers are also being mentioned as clubs with interest. Around the league, the ripple effect is being tied to other roster decisions and the broader uncertainty that comes with trying to line up a trade for a high-profile goalie.
For the Rangers, it is another reminder that the market around Igor Shesterkin is not operating in a vacuum. Hellebuycks situation has plenty of moving parts, from the Jets willingness to deal him to questions about how teams evaluate his recent form and what he intends to do next. If Winnipeg cannot find the right deal, the situation could linger into the end of the week, keeping a lot of clubs, including the Rangers, in wait-and-see mode. [Read more 🡒]