The New York Rangers are still trying to patch things together while they retool on the fly, and the center spot remains the obvious hole in the lineup. Will Cuylle at center has helped cover it for now, but it’s more of a stopgap than a solution. Noah Laba’s inconsistent offense only adds to the concern, and the Rangers are still staring at a need they never really addressed before the season.
That was always going to be an issue. New York entered the year without a true third-line center, and Joe Veleno’s injury only made the situation look worse. Even then, Veleno wouldn’t have been enough to solve the top-nine problem on his own.
There is at least a scenario where Cuylle grows into the job and becomes a long-term answer down the middle. Pavel Buchnevich was a winger in New York and spent time at center in St.
Louis, so a position change turning into something more permanent is not impossible. But it still feels unlikely.
That leaves the Rangers needing a backup plan, something that has not exactly been a strength under Chris Drury. The offseason came and went without the move getting made, which only makes the urgency sharper now in November.
The ideal target would be a young center with upside, someone who could benefit from a new setting the way Mason McTavish might have before he eventually went to St. Louis.
New York also could use a dependable veteran, ideally one who is still under 30 and simply not clicking with his current club.
The key, though, is restraint. If the Rangers go shopping for center help, they cannot afford to empty the future just to solve a short-term problem.
Braden Schneider is the first name that comes to mind in that conversation, especially with a bigger raise coming after his $5.5 million salary and with his play described as horrendous the last few seasons. Even so, Schneider still carries a positive reputation around the league, which leaves the situation open to interpretation.
Ryan Hartman is one name that fits the “if the price is right” category. He’s a solid top-nine center, but he’s 32 and set to hit free agency after the season, which makes any deal tricky.
If the Minnesota Wild are able to land Dylan Larkin, Hartman could become the kind of player they look to move. For the Rangers, that would make him an appealing option if the cost is minimal.
A cheap center with no long-term commitment would be a useful addition, especially if New York keeps exceeding expectations.
Josh Norris is a more interesting swing. He once looked like a scorer, and he was traded for a player the Rangers would have liked to land in Dylan Cozens.
This season in Buffalo, Norris has fallen to the third line and has only two goals and an assist. It’s unclear whether that’s a fit issue or a sign he simply isn’t producing at the level expected.
Either way, he stands out as one of the more intriguing young center trade targets, especially with Ryan McLeod on his wing. The problem is the contract: three more years at $7.95 million, plus a career marked by injuries and never a full season played.
Cole Sillinger is another name worth watching, though he feels more like a long shot. Columbus is unlikely to move him, particularly because his move to wing has helped settle his game.
Still, he would be a strong fit for New York if he became available. He’s young, has the kind of draft pedigree that matters, and could be the type of player who benefits from a change of scenery.
The wildcard there is Zach Werenski and what Columbus needs to do to avoid a trade request.
Sillinger may be more pipe dream than realistic target, since the Blue Jackets’ need is on offense rather than defense. Even so, he belongs on the list of possible Rangers young center trade targets, whether or not his name is actually circulating right now.
In Other News...
Rangers Just Took An Important Step Toward Goalie Relief
The Rangers have taken a meaningful step toward easing their goaltending squeeze by sending Joonas Korpisalo to the AHLs Hartford Wolf Pack on a conditioning loan as he works back from a lower-body injury and foot infection. The move is designed to get him back into game shape without taking him off the NHL roster, a small but important bit of roster management for a team that has been navigating life without Igor Shesterkin.
Under the NHL collective bargaining agreement, the loan can run for as long as 14 days while Korpisalo remains on the NHL payroll, giving the Rangers a short window to evaluate where he stands physically. His eventual return would offer some relief in net, but for now the bigger question is how quickly he can regain the form and availability New York needs from him. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers May Have Found An Unexpected Answer To Their Center Problem
The Rangers have spent much of the season searching for stability down the middle, and injuries forced them to try something a little off the board against the Blues. Will Cuylle was shifted to center for the first time in his professional career, a move born more out of necessity than design, with Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand flanking him on the wings.
The results were encouraging enough to keep the idea in the conversation. Cuylles line drove play well, posted strong expected goal numbers and helped the Rangers control key stretches in a 3-1 win over St. Louis, giving the club at least one plausible answer in a spot that has been a problem for much of the year. Whether the look sticks beyond one game is still the bigger question. [Read more 🡒]
Former Rangers Forward Is Creating An Awkward What-If In Nashville
Adam Edstrom keeps turning his change of scenery into a bigger story for the Rangers to monitor from afar. He scored again in Nashvilles 4-1 win over the Hurricanes, pushing his season total to six and giving the former New York forward a new career high while settling into a larger role with the Predators.
Edstrom has earned more ice time and more trust from coach Andrew Brunette, and he has become one of Nashvilles more productive finishers early in the year, sitting third on the team in goals. For the Rangers, it is the kind of development that can linger in the background after a trade, especially when a player starts looking more comfortable in a new uniform and the fit begins to make sense in real time. [Read more 🡒]