Will Cuylle spent much of the 2024-25 season doing exactly what the Rangers needed most: throwing his weight around, staying in the battle and finding enough offense to keep New York afloat when things were getting ugly. He became the kind of player who could drag a team back into a game with his pace and edge, and for stretches he looked like the emotional center of the roster.
The wrinkle is that his best work still seemed tied to the third line. Once he was pushed into the top six, the production stayed fairly close on paper, but the underlying numbers said the fit wasn’t nearly as sharp. That leaves the Rangers with a real question heading into this season: where does Cuylle actually belong?
Last season, Cuylle put up 20 goals, 18 assists and 38 points in 82 games. The goal total matched the 2024-25 season, while his assist total dropped by seven. Even with all the lineup shuffling around him, he spent plenty of time in the top six and got nearly twice as much power-play ice time as he had the year before.
That extra usage did not translate into stronger five-on-five offense. His even-strength xGF/60 fell from 0.021 the previous season to -0.08, according to Evolving Hockey. On the man advantage, though, he took a clear step forward, jumping from an xGF/60 of 0.168 to 0.594, which ranked fourth on the team among players with at least 30 minutes of power-play time.
The defensive side of his game held up better. Cuylle posted an even-strength xGA/60 of -0.158, second best on the team behind Adam Fox and 29th among forwards leaguewide with at least 50 minutes of even-strength ice time. His penalty-killing results were a different story, with an xGA/60 of .398.
For this coming season, the expectation is that Cuylle lands in the middle six again, though the exact spot is still unsettled. The Rangers’ top six appears to have five locks in J.T.
Miller, Mika Zibanejad, Gabe Perreault, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Alexis Lafrenière, which leaves one opening. Cuylle and offseason addition Oliver Bjorkstrand are the likely candidates, and Bjorkstrand is viewed as the more qualified option.
Even if Cuylle starts lower, an injury could easily bump him back up.
He should also stay on the shorthanded unit. Mike Sullivan has already said he wants more bottom-six players involved in special teams, and as Zibanejad and Miller age, their penalty-killing workload could shrink enough to open more chances for Cuylle.
The power play is a different matter. There are already too many players to fit in, and Cuylle is expected to spend the full season on the second unit.
That still leaves a projection of 82 games, 22 goals, 27 assists and 49 points. The thinking is straightforward: back on the third line, Cuylle would get the kind of matchup edge that helped fuel his breakout. After a season in which plenty went wrong for the Rangers, a rebound in a better role is hardly out of the question.
If he does stay on that third line, Cuylle could skate alongside Noah Laba and Tye Karte, two players who also turned in strong showings a year ago. That trio has the makings of a hard-nosed third line with real defensive reliability.
There’s also the bigger picture. Cuylle is in a contract year after landing only a two-year deal following the 2024-25 season, and with the cap rising, he has a chance to raise his price.
Joe and Chip discussed that in last week’s podcast and made the argument for why the team might not extend him. If his ceiling is only that of a third-line player, the Rangers may decide his value doesn’t line up with their need to contend.
If New York’s season goes sideways again, Cuylle would still be a restricted free agent, and his physical, two-way style should draw interest from contenders. Whether he stays in New York or not, he enters this year trying to cash in while the market keeps climbing.
In Other News...
Rangers Still Have One Big Problem After Their Offseason Reset
The Rangers spent the offseason taking a hard look at their roster and making major changes, dealing away Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck while bringing in Pavel Dorofeyev, Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson. It was the kind of reset that signaled a real attempt to reshape the group, and it also left one obvious hole that has not gone away. Even after all that movement, New York still appears to be searching for a top-six forward to round out the lineup.
One of the names that would have fit that need is now looking less available. Alex DeBrincat has been viewed as a potential free-agent target, but the latest reporting suggests he is inclined to remain with the Detroit Red Wings for personal and family reasons, which would narrow the Rangers options even further. If that holds, New York may be pushed toward an internal answer for now and a longer wait until next summers free-agent market opens up again. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Near Another Forward Move As Drury Reshapes The Top Nine
The Rangers offseason push to remake their forward depth appears to be continuing, with another experienced winger reportedly on the verge of joining the mix. Eeli Tolvanen, who has spent time with both the Predators and Kraken and also skated for Finlands bronze medal-winning Olympic team, would fit the profile of the kind of low-cost, useful addition New York has been targeting as president and general manager Chris Drury reshapes the top nine.
For a club that has already brought in several forwards this summer, the appeal is obvious: more options, more competition and more flexibility as camp approaches. Tolvanen has enough NHL experience to help stabilize a middle-six role, and if the fit works, the Rangers could get more than just another body in the room. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Are Suddenly Counting On One Prospect More Than Ever
The Rangers spent the offseason trying to add both immediate help and a longer runway for the future, and the prospect side of that equation has become especially important. Along with signing winger Pavel Dorofeyev to a long-term contract and bringing in defenseman Sean Durzi, the club also used the draft to add defender Alberts Smits, part of a broader push to reshape the roster while keeping an eye on what comes next.
At the center of that outlook is Cole Beaudoin, the young center prospect whose development now carries extra weight as the Rangers look to strengthen their depth down the middle. His arrival gives the organization another piece to monitor closely, and with the team still sorting out its long-term answers, how Beaudoin progresses could end up mattering more than ever. [Read more 🡒]