After a disappointing campaign last season, the New York Rangers are aiming for a fresh start.
They’ve already made some bold offseason moves, including trading K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes and bringing in Vladislav Gavrikov as his replacement on defense. Still, the Rangers could use reinforcements up front, especially within their bottom six.
Josh Wegman of theScore has suggested that New York might be a fit for former first-round pick.
“If the Rangers intend to keep Mika Zibanejad on the wing—as they did late last season—they’ll need another center,” Wegman wrote. “That’s where top star comes in. He’s among the youngest players on the market and, while he hasn’t lived up to the hype that came with his exceptional status in the QMJHL and his first-round selection by Detroit, he brings a strong physical game and impressive defensive numbers at the NHL level. Even if his offensive game hasn’t blossomed yet, he could be a solid option at 3C. At the very least, he may be an upgrade over Juuso Parssinen and Sam Carrick.”
After being acquired and then quickly bought out by the Seattle Kraken, he will likely be available at a bargain. He earned $2.275 million last season, but could settle for around $1 million on a short-term deal to reestablish his value.
How Would Veleno Fit in With the Rangers?
Joe Veleno’s ability to play both center and wing adds to his appeal as he looks to maintain a spot in the NHL.
At just 25 years old, there’s still potential for growth, especially considering he was once viewed as one of hockey’s top prospects—even if his career hasn’t fully lived up to those early expectations.
With the Rangers, Veleno would likely slot in as the third-line center and provide some much-needed secondary scoring. Across 74 games last season with the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, he tallied 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points.
Defensively, Veleno also holds his own, making him a strong candidate for a shutdown line role—an area where the Rangers struggled last season.
All things considered, signing Veleno would be a low-risk, potentially high-reward move. The Rangers would essentially be betting on his ability to tap into the potential that once made him such a highly regarded prospect.
Rangers Focused on Defense in Offseason
The New York Rangers have made defense a top priority this offseason, focusing on reducing goals against.
They brought in Vladislav Gavrikov—widely regarded as one of the NHL’s top defensive defensemen—while parting ways with K’Andre Miller, who had been inconsistent in his own zone. From the outset of the offseason, Rangers GM Chris Drury made it clear that bolstering the team’s defense was the primary objective.
“It starts in our D-zone,” Drury said when discussing the addition of Gavrikov. “We have to be better in our zone, better in front of Igor (Shesterkin) and Quick. That’s the mindset Gavrikov brings every day.
“His size, reach, competitiveness, and ability to defend—and to complement whichever right-shot D he plays with, whether it’s Adam Fox or someone else—made him a target for us. We’re thrilled to make him a key part of our defensive core.”
Aside from the moves on the blue line, the Rangers’ only forward addition so far has been the signing of Taylor Raddysh to a two-year contract.