The Rangers may have their top nine mostly mapped out, but the fourth line is a different story entirely.
After the shakeup between the 2026 NHL Draft and the start of unrestricted free agency on July 1, Mike Sullivan is heading into training camp with a pile of options and a real decision to make. The arrivals of Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand have given New York’s forward group a more settled look up top, with some combination of Mika Zibanejad, Gabe Perreault, Alexis Lafreniére, J.T. Miller, Dorofeyev, Bjorkstrand, Will Cuylle, Noah Laba, and Tye Kartye expected to handle major minutes.
That leaves the bottom six - and especially the fourth line - as one of the more interesting battles to watch once camp opens.
Last season, the Rangers leaned on a changing mix of players in that role. Sam Carrick was one of the steady presences before being traded to Buffalo.
Adam Edstrom also saw regular time there, but he was moved to the Nashville Predators this summer. Brett Berard got chances too before being sent to Montreal in the deal for AHL defenseman William Trudeau.
Jonny Brodzinski, another familiar utility piece, left in free agency and signed with Washington.
All of that turnover creates room for movement now. It gives younger players a path to push for jobs, while also giving the new additions a chance to lock down their places. The fourth line could be one of the main camp stories for the Rangers, and it may stay that way well into the season.
In Other News...
These Former Rangers Defensemen Vanished Faster Than Fans Ever Expected
A few former Rangers defensemen once looked like the kind of prospect pipeline that could quietly pay off for years, only to disappear from the NHL picture far sooner than anyone around the team expected. Michael Sauer had the look of a steady blue-line piece before his career was derailed, while Yegor Rykov and Libor Hjek each arrived with enough intrigue to make their names worth tracking, even if the long-term fit never quite came together in New York.
Rykovs path back overseas after his lone North American season and Hjeks inability to lock down a permanent role both speak to how quickly defensemen can slide from promising depth to organizational afterthought. For the Rangers, it is a reminder that not every bet on size, pedigree or upside turns into a lasting NHL answer, and in each case the early promise ended with a lot more questions than the team ever got to answer. [Read more 🡒]
Vincent Trochecks Rangers Goodbye Just Hit Fans Right In The Heart
Vincent Trochecks exit from New York lands with extra weight because his Rangers chapter was about more than just production on the ice. Over four seasons, he became a central part of the lineup after signing a seven-year deal in 2022, and his impact stretched beyond the usual box score markers. The family settled in, the team leaned on him in big moments, and his time with the club came to feel like one of those stretches that leaves a real imprint on both sides.
Thats why the reflections from his family have resonated so strongly with fans, who saw not just a dependable center but a player whose life in New York became intertwined with the teams own recent run. Trochecks best season in a Rangers sweater came with an All-Star nod and a major role in a 55-win, 114-point campaign, the kind of year that deepens the connection between player and city. Now the organization and its supporters are left sorting through what his departure means, and how much of that era goes with him. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Could Get Pulled Into An Unsettling Rangers Rumor
The Rangers are still working through the same offseason question that has hovered over them for weeks: how to add forward depth without boxing themselves in. Around the league, Columbus is sorting out its own restricted free agent business with Adam Fantilli, while New York keeps scanning the market for help through trades or signings, with names like Patrik Laine, Michael Bunting, Jonathan Drouin and Frank Vatrano all part of the conversation.
What makes the picture more interesting is the price range New York seems able to operate in, which points to a player who can fit in the middle of the lineup rather than a major splash. If the Rangers want to make that kind of move, they may have to clear room with waiver-eligible depth pieces, and that is where the rumor mill starts to widen beyond the obvious targets and into the kind of possibilities that can pull another team into the discussion. [Read more 🡒]