5 things we learned about the Rangers this offseason

Things were hectic for the Rangers last week, beginning with the two-day NHL draft last weekend, continuing through the start of free agency, and the two days of on-ice sessions at prospect development camp in the middle of the week.

They selected eight players at the draft, landed their No. 1 target, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, in free agency, traded away former first-round pick K’Andre Miller and re-signed rising star Will Cuylle. The roster now is mostly set going into training camp, and GM Chris Drury can generally take it easy the rest of the summer until camp opens in September.

So, what have we learned after all that frantic activity?

1. These aren’t Jeff Gorton’s Rangers anymore.

After trading away Chris Kreider last month, then trading Miller, signing Gavrikov, re-signing Cuylle, and signing Taylor Raddysh last week, the Rangers have a new look to them. Drury, who replaced Gorton in 2021, kept the core of Gorton’s team together for a while, but over the last 13 months, he’s changed it up significantly.

Ten of the 18 skaters in the lineup the night the Rangers lost to Florida in Game 6 of the 2024 Eastern Conference finals are gone, along with forward Jimmy Vesey, who was injured and didn’t play in that game. And, of course, the coach that night, Peter Laviolette, isn’t around anymore, either.

2. This team is focused on the now, not the near future.

If the near future mattered, Drury would have kept his first-round pick this summer, taken the best player available at No. 12, and surrendered his 2026 pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins to complete the J.T. Miller trade.

Instead, he chose to give up this year’s pick and keep next year’s – which now becomes an asset he can trade at the deadline to get a player who will upgrade the roster for the stretch drive and playoffs. In fact, after the K’Andre Miller trade, Drury now has two first-round picks next year, so he can maybe add two impact players at the deadline – or perhaps, one really special one.

Trading the skilled K’Andre Miller, entering his prime at age 25, to the rival Carolina Hurricanes, and replacing him with Gavrikov, who’ll be 30 shortly after the season starts, is another indicator that Drury isn’t thinking too far beyond this season.

3. Mika Zibanejad looks like he’ll be playing center.

The big question all summer has been whether Zibanejad, the former No. 1 center who struggled last season until being moved to the right wing after J.T. Miller’s arrival in February, will be a center or a wing going into training camp. In his Zoom call with reporters, Drury dodged the question, saying that was a decision for coach Mike Sullivan, and adding it was good to have players with versatility who can play multiple positions.

But given that the only center he signed this summer was Justin Dowling – to an NHL minimum contract – it seems as if Drury views Zibanejad as a center. If Zibanejad is a wing, then either Juuso Parssinen or Jonny Brodzinski will center the third line, and there would only be room on the roster for one of Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann or Gabe Perreault. Zibanejad at center makes the Rangers deep down the middle, and potentially allows two of the three kids to make the team, with one perhaps playing in the top six.

4. Cuylle will be the new Kreider.

With Kreider gone, Cuylle, one of very few players to actually have a good season for the Rangers in 2024-25, will step into Kreider’s spot as a top-six left wing, and likely also take over as the net front man on the power play, whose production dropped off a cliff in the second half of last season. Cuylle went from 13 goals and 21 points as a rookie to 20 goals and 45 points in his second season, then signed a two-year deal paying an average of $3.9 million per. The team will be counting on him to better his numbers from last season, upping his goal total to 25 or more. His ice time is likely to go up.

5. The defense should be better in its own zone, at least.

Gavrikov isn’t flashy, but he’s solid. He’s positionally sound, mobile, and has a quick stick and a long reach. He makes good reads and should make a good top pair partner for Adam Fox. Or he could play with Will Borgen in a matchup pair against other teams’ top lines. Either way, he’ll help reduce scoring chances against, and that will be a big help to goaltenders Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. The only question is whether the defense will contribute enough to the offense.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.