The Rangers have reshaped their wing group this offseason, and that puts Will Cuylle in a very different spot than the one he occupied a year ago. New York dealt center Vincent Trocheck and brought in Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen, which means there’s more talent around Cuylle - and more competition for the ice time he has worked his way into.
Cuylle has climbed steadily since the Rangers took him late in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft. He debuted in the NHL in 2022-23 and managed a point in four games, but he spent most of that year with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League, where he put up 25 goals and 20 assists in 69 games.
By 2023-24, he had forced his way into the opening night lineup and never left it. He gave the Rangers the kind of game that coaches trust: pressure on the forecheck, plenty of contact, and useful scoring from a bottom-six role.
In 81 games, he posted 13 goals, eight assists, and 249 hits while averaging 11:08 per game. He also chipped in one goal, one assist, and 46 hits in 16 playoff games during New York’s trip to the Eastern Conference Final.
Last season was a rough one for the Rangers overall, as they missed the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy. Cuylle, though, was one of the bright spots.
He moved into the top six, took a real step offensively, and used his 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame to make life miserable around the net. He scored off deflections and rebounds and finished with 20 goals, 25 assists, and 301 hits in 82 games while averaging 15:05 of ice time.
He stayed in a major role in 2025-26, too. Cuylle remained useful on the penalty kill, held up well defensively, and kept driving play with his speed and physical edge. Even with some scoring slumps along the way, he still closed the year with 20 goals, 18 assists, 302 hits, and 68 blocked shots in 82 games, averaging 16:51 per night.
This season, the Rangers will need that same version of Cuylle, and maybe more. He should again be a key penalty killer, and he could also get a look on the second power play unit. At 24, he already plays like a veteran in some ways, leading by example with his physical style, his shot blocking, and his willingness to attack the front of the net.
But the path to a stable role won’t be simple. Artemi Panarin was traded away last season, Gabriel Perreault has emerged as a rookie winger, and the arrivals of Dorofeyev, Bjorkstrand, and Tolvanen add even more traffic to the wing depth chart. Cuylle could open in the top six, or he could begin the year on the third line.
What happens next matters. The Rangers need him to keep producing if he’s going to lock down top-six minutes and keep getting power-play chances. A season in the 25-30 goal range and 50-55 points would give New York a major lift as it tries to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2023-24.
There’s also a bigger picture here. The Rangers have added depth and talent, and that should help them, but it also means Cuylle has to earn everything again. A strong season would not only boost the team’s chances, it could also position him for a long-term extension, since he is set to be a restricted free agent after this season.
In Other News...
Rangers Still Have One Lineup Debate That Could Shape Everything
The Rangers forward puzzle is starting to come into focus as the season approaches, and the most interesting part is still the one that could influence everything else. There are already plenty of moving pieces to sort through, from Will Cuylles role to how the team balances speed, skill and size, but the conversation around the top six has a different feel because it is less about filling spots and more about finding a combination that actually clicks.
J.T. Miller sits at the center of that discussion, with the Rangers weighing different ways to build around him and make the rest of the lineup fit. There is also the matter of Matt Rempe, whose expected return adds another layer if he is healthy, since his size and presence could change the look of the team in a hurry. For a club trying to settle its identity before opening night, the unanswered question is not just who plays where, but which version of the Rangers they want to be. [Read more 🡒]
Jaroslav Chmela Is Giving The Rangers A Real Bottom-Six Decision
Jaroslav Chmela has turned a once-for-future conversation into a real roster question for the Rangers. The 21-year-old prospect has steadily improved, and his recent NHL call-up left enough of an impression that the coaching staff is now treating him as more than a depth name in camp. With the organization still trying to sort out the bottom six, he has become one of the more interesting players on the board.
The wrinkle is that the Rangers do not have to force the issue right away, especially with Hartford reshaping its coaching setup to help prospects keep moving forward. Chmelas development path is clearly trending up, but the next step could still come either in New York or back with the Wolf Pack, depending on how the final decisions shake out. For a player who has earned more attention with each look, that makes the coming days worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Adam Fox Puts Real Pressure On This Rangers Retool
As the Rangers head into a roster retool after finishing last in the Eastern Conference, Adam Fox sits at the center of the conversation whether the team likes it or not. He is still their top defenseman and is under contract for three more years at $9.5 million per season, which makes him both a cornerstone and a difficult piece to separate from any bigger rethink by general manager Chris Drury.
Fox did not exactly slam the door on his future when the questions started coming during the season, but he also did not offer the kind of firm commitment that quiets a market like New York. Since the year ended, his tone has been a little more encouraging, with a sense that the Rangers still have enough to build on, though the real issue is whether the organizations direction matches that optimism. [Read more 🡒]