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NEW YORK — Chris Drury’s letter Friday didn’t only send a message to fans. It also opened the door for opposing general managers to ask about anyone on the roster.
So, where does that leave individual players? Artemi Panarin, for one, is almost certainly going to be on the move. What about Vincent Trocheck? Mika Zibanejad? Younger lineup regulars, such as Braden Schneider and Alexis Lafrenière?
Let’s dig into all of it. Here’s what the upcoming retool means for individual Rangers.
(Note: Players are sorted by cap hit within their position.)
Forwards
Artemi Panarin
Barring an unforeseen change, the Panarin era in New York is coming to an end. In individual meetings with the leadership group, Drury informed the 34-year-old pending unrestricted free agent that the Rangers will not be offering him a contract extension, a league source said. The team will look to trade him and recoup as much value as it can. Panarin has full control over his situation with a no-movement clause, so New York might not get as much back in return as it would like.
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Mika Zibanejad
Like Panarin, Zibanejad has a full no-movement clause. He also has four more years remaining on his deal after this season — the contract expires after the 2029-30 season. His play this season should draw interest from other clubs, so he’ll have to decide what he wants. He already went through one teardown in New York. Now 32, will he want to endure another? Or will he want a chance to play for a contender?
Zibanejad is one of five non-Panarin players with no-movement clauses. In individual meetings Friday, Drury asked each whether they would be open to sticking around, a league source told The Athletic. At least for now, those players — Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov and Igor Shesterkin — have expressed they would like to stay.
J.T. Miller
The Rangers acquired Miller last January and named him captain over the summer. Like Zibanejad, he has a full no-movement clause and four years left on his contract after this season. His camp does not expect him to be asked to waive his no-movement clause, a league source said.
Alexis Lafrenière
The Rangers have clearly been disappointed with Lafrenière’s development. The 2020 No. 1 draft pick failed to build off what looked like a 2023-24 breakout, and coach Mike Sullivan recently moved him down in the lineup. The Rangers need young talent, as Drury stated in the letter, and Lafrenière is still only 24. Trading him doesn’t make sense unless the return is around the same age. That could be possible. Buffalo and Ottawa completed a Josh Norris-Dylan Cozens swap last trade deadline that essentially offered both young players a fresh start. Perhaps Drury can find a similar deal for Lafrenière.
Lafrenière doesn’t have trade protection until summer 2027, so New York will have no restrictions if it tries to move him.
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Vincent Trocheck
Teams around the league are hungry for centers right now, so Drury could get a haul for Trocheck. That could remain true over the summer, so the general manager could set a high asking price and not make a deal until it’s met. Minnesota and Detroit could be among the compelling fits. Trocheck has a 12-team no-trade list, so he’d have some say in the matter.
When Drury stated the team must build around core players and prospects, he didn’t state who he viewed as part of the core. Trocheck is an interesting litmus test. He’s one of Drury’s main free-agent signings since taking over as general manager and had huge moments for the Rangers in the 2024 playoffs. But he’s 32, and New York must at least listen to offers.
Will Cuylle
Teams will surely ask about Cuylle, but it makes little sense for the Rangers to move on from a 23-year-old with team control, especially because he checks a lot of the boxes Drury wants in a player.
Taylor Raddysh
The Rangers might not get much value back for Raddysh, but teams could be interested in a bottom-six winger with some postseason experience. Drury’s letter certainly means players like Raddysh are available.
Sam Carrick
Similar to Raddysh, Carrick has a year left of team control. He’s a serviceable fourth-line center who could be the 13th forward on a good team. That’s the role he served for Edmonton during its run to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
Jonny Brodzinski
As discussed in our Rangers trade tiers, Brodzinski could potentially land a late-round pick. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent with some offensive touch. There’s no guarantee the team will receive an offer worth taking, but Drury’s letter made clear that he will listen to inquiries about pretty much everyone.
The younger wave
Drury mentioned in the letter that he wants to build around prospects. Gabe Perreault falls into that camp. He’s the team’s No. 1 prospect and one of its only young forwards with high skill. New York needs more players like him, so he’s not going anywhere. He’s been shielded in other trade talks. Noah Laba does not have as much skill as Perreault, but he falls into this camp, too, especially given the team’s lack of young centers.
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Other young forwards are not in the same position. The team has already been open to trading 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann, for example. It could listen if another team wants to discuss a trade for someone like Brett Berard, too.
Defensemen
Adam Fox
Fox is a No. 1 defenseman and presumably part of what Drury referred to as the core. Fox has a full no-movement clause through 2028-29. It’s hard to see Drury moving the 27-year-old unless Fox signals to the Rangers that he doesn’t want to stay through a retool.
Vladislav Gavrikov
Drury signed Gavrikov to a seven-year deal over the summer and gave him a full no-movement clause. Don’t count on him going anywhere.
Will Borgen
The Rangers extended Borgen shortly after acquiring him in December 2024. He has a full no-trade clause this year. At 29, the defenseman is young enough that he could potentially be a member of the next solid Rangers club.
Carson Soucy
New York will almost certainly move Soucy, a pending unrestricted free agent who has a 12-team no-trade list. The 31-year-old has been solid in a defense-first role this year and should be able to fetch at least a mid-round pick.
Braden Schneider
Schneider is one of the more interesting names for the Rangers to consider. He is young (24) and has established himself as a solid defender. He hasn’t developed as much as the team would probably have hoped offensively, and he’s due a new contract this summer. Teams will almost certainly ask about Schneider. Drury will have to decide if he views him as part of the club in the long-term.
Goalies
Igor Shesterkin
Shesterkin, one of the top goalies in the league, is under contract for seven years after this one and is part of the team’s core. He’s a keeper.
Jonathan Quick
Quick’s situation will likely come down to what he wants. A contender would likely be willing to flip a draft pick for a goalie with his pedigree and leadership abilities. Quick, though, has a 20-team no-trade list, and it’s hard to see the Rangers dealing him unless he’s open to it, given how highly everyone in the organization has spoken about him. He turns 40 later this month and grew up a Rangers fan.
— Vincent Z. Mercogliano contributed to this report