The New York Rangers targeting elite defenseman for the 2025-26 season
The New York Rangers made a successful run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and secured the Presidents Trophy, with the best record in the NHL.
They would come up short, losing to the Florida Panthers, and in the off-season unsuccessfully offload Jacob Trouba's contract.
Because of this, they were unable to sign many big names and GM Chris Drury would play it safe.
With the Rangers goaltending tandem relatively secure as they have Igor Shesterkin in net, as the #1 netminder they have no issues there.
But they do need to pay attention to the defensive depth. The right side is where the Rangers need to focus on, and they're hard to come by in the NHL.
The Rangers could look to Edmonton, where they could find a solution to some of their woes. That name who they should focus on is Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers will need to pay the RFA big money in order to keep him around long-term which could lead to negotiations that end up drawing out, or into a stalemate.
If Bouchard ends up a free agent, the New York Rangers should pounce upon the opportunity to sign Bouchard.
Of course, they should consider moving on from Jacob Trouba, in order to free up the space to do so.
But if they want to improve their defensive core, they should consider sending Bouchard an offer sheet.
The Rangers Should Sign The Future Norris Trophy Winner
Bouchard may not have beaten out Cale Makar, Adam Fox, or Miro Heiskanen in production in the last few seasons it'd be absurd to say he isn't done growing as a defenseman.
Bouchard is an elite defenseman who put up a point-per-game this season and the Rangers should be prepared to pay for that production. While it may take a long-term contract to lure him away from Edmonton, GM Chris Drury should consider it.
Defenseman like Bouchard aren't available all the time in the NHL, and Chris Drury should make it a point to go after him, as a replacement for Trouba. He could be a big part of the next great defensive core in the NHL.
The Rangers may have to pay him above Darnell Nurse's $9.25 Million which will be a steep $10.25-$10.75 Million AAV, and a payout to the Oilers a two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and a third-round pick but he will be worth it.
Bouchard has continued to improve each year in the NHL, and if the Rangers want to make a Stanley Cup run, they need an elite defenseman like him to make the push over the next hill to win.
Source: The Hockey Writers
Rangers Should Consider Offer Sheet to Evan Bouchard Next Offseason
| POLL | ||
Should the Rangers offer sheet Evan Bouchard? | ||
| Yes | 24 | 54.5 % |
| No | 20 | 45.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
