After a relatively quiet opening to free agency, the New York Rangers made a notable move by bringing in Oliver Bjorkstrand on a one-year contract worth $4.5 million against the cap.
The deal gives Chris Drury another option for the top six, and it comes with a player who has built a reputation as a steady offensive presence. Bjorkstrand, a former third-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013, went 89th overall and has spent his NHL career producing in a fairly reliable range. He’s listed at 6-0, 175, shoots right, and plays right wing.
Across 704 NHL games, Bjorkstrand has put up 184 goals, 232 assists, and 416 points. In 49 playoff appearances, he has added ten goals and 20 points. His resume also includes championships at multiple levels: a WHL title with the Portland Winterhawks and a Calder Cup with the Lake Erie Monsters.
The scoring track record is part of what makes the fit so appealing. Bjorkstrand is usually good for somewhere in the 30-to-50-point neighborhood, and his best regular season came with the Seattle Kraken in 2023-24, when he finished with 20 goals and 39 assists for 59 points. Two seasons earlier, he had 57 points in his final year with Columbus.
His most recent stretch came with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent two seasons after being dealt there at the trade deadline in 20225. He recorded nine points in 18 games that season, then followed it up with 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points in 80 games this past year. He went scoreless in four playoff games.
There is some age-related risk here, since Bjorkstrand is 31, but the Rangers appear to have landed him at a price and term that make sense. He brings a dependable two-way game, the ability to drive play, finish chances, and work the puck well. The fit looks even cleaner when you consider New York’s right-shot wing depth, which includes Taylor Raddysh and Jaroslav Chmelar.
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