The Rangers’ offseason outlook just got a lot thinner.
Drake Batherson is off the market after agreeing to an eight-year extension with the Ottawa Senators worth $10.75 million per year, and that deal only adds to the sense that next summer’s free agency class is being stripped bare before it even arrives. For a New York team that already watched its big summer plan collapse before the 2025-26 season, that’s a frustrating development.
Instead of landing a superstar forward, the Rangers shifted to the trade market and brought in Pavel Dorofeyev, Sean Durzi, and Marcus Pettersson. Those moves were about raising the floor and giving the club a chance to claw out of the basement of the Eastern Conference and back into playoff position.
If that happens, Chris Drury can enter next offseason with more flexibility. If it doesn’t, the pressure only gets heavier.
Batherson’s extension follows another major name coming off the board. Last week, Mark Stone signed a two-year, $18 million extension with the Vegas Golden Knights, removing one of the few recognizable players who had been tied to future free agency chatter. Stone had the name value, but it always felt unlikely he’d walk away from a team expected to contend for the Stanley Cup.
Nikita Kucherov is still out there as the biggest possible prize, and his Hart Trophy season guarantees he’ll draw attention. But the Lightning letting him leave is hard to picture, especially with no signs that he’s slowing down in his mid-30s.
Jason Robertson could technically be in play next summer after settling on a one-year deal with the Dallas Stars, but his path to the open market is murky. He reportedly rejected trades to the St. Louis Blues and Seattle Kraken before signing, and whether he actually tests free agency remains to be seen.
Alex DeBrincat is another possible name, though he has already said he wants to re-sign with the Detroit Red Wings. That situation is complicated by the fact that Detroit still has not hired a new head of hockey operations.
Strip away those names, and the list gets thin in a hurry. That is why the trade block may end up being the Rangers’ best route again if they want to chase a difference-maker.
The dream targets are obvious: Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews. Both will have one more year left on their contracts after this upcoming season, and both have shown signs of being unhappy with their current situations. If either ever becomes available, that’s the kind of swing Drury would want to take.
But the Rangers can’t just wait around for stars to decide they want out. They have to show they’re moving in the right direction first, which means pushing toward the playoffs. Otherwise, they could miss out just like they did with Brady Tkachuk.
That’s the reality now. Banking on a big name hitting free agency and choosing New York is no longer a reliable plan. With Batherson gone, the Rangers are left hoping their current moves work - all of them.
In Other News...
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The emphasis this offseason was on making the lineup harder to play against and a little deeper in support roles, with the blue line drawing particular attention. New pieces on defense should change the look of the second pair, while the forward additions give Sullivan more options if the offense again needs a jolt. Still, the bigger question hanging over the Rangers is the same one that followed them through the last two years: whether these moves are enough to push them forward, or just enough to keep the wait-and-see mood around the team alive. [Read more 🡒]
Former Teammate Just Added To The J.T. Miller Rangers Debate
J.T. Millers first season back with the Rangers has already come with plenty of scrutiny, as fans have picked apart his uneven scoring and questioned whether the captains effort matched the expectations attached to him. But the conversation around Miller took a different turn when a former Canucks teammate offered a very different view of the player the Rangers brought in during the January 2025 trade.
Nikita Zadorov used a recent podcast appearance to defend Millers character and competitiveness, pushing back on the way he has been talked about since leaving Vancouver. For a Rangers team trying to figure out what Miller can still bring over a full season, the comments add another layer to a debate that has been shaped as much by perception as by production. [Read more 🡒]