As the President’s Trophy winner this year with 114 points, and coming close to winning their first Prince of Wales Trophy in a decade, here are some crucial New York Rangers players to keep if they are to hoist Lord Stanley’s cup again.
Some notable Blueshirts are coming up on either unrestricted free agent (UFA) or restricted free agent (RFA) status in 2025 and 2026. The Blueshirts’ cap space is $5.123M at the time of writing, and Remy Mastey of The Hockey News reported the team may be facing some cap issues.
Five Rangers Players Who Shouldn’t Be Available For a Trade
Igor Shesterkin, G, UFA 2025
The 28-year-old Russian is set to become a UFA next year, and his stats prove the Blueshirts should re-sign him. In no scenario should this Rangers player be available in a trade. A Vezina Trophy winner for best NHL goaltender in 2021-22, Shesterkin ranked eighth-best in NHL shutouts this season with four. Mid-range saves were a strong suit this season, as he sat in the NHLs 93rd percentile with a .914 save percentage in that range. In his last five games, during the 2024 Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers, Shesterkin averaged a .933 save percentage, peaking during that run at .963 during the Blueshirts’ May 24, 2024 2-1 win against the Cats at Madison Square Garden. With a long career still ahead of the 28-year-old Rangers player, he may be crucial to the Blueshirts going from cup contender to hoisting it.
Alexis Lafreniere, LW, RFA 2025
The first overall pick of 2020, the 22-year-old St-Eustache, Que. native went on a breakout this season, and the only way to go is up. He struck his NHL career high in goals (28), assists (29), and points (57) in the first year of his two-year contract (his second in total) with the Rangers. Most recently, Lafreniere was a playoff asset for New York, with eight goals and six assists to make 14 points in 16 games in the 2023-24 playoffs. He is also a fast skater in the league’s 87th percentile for 20-22-mph bursts (141 this past season) and 95th percentile for 18-20-mph bursts (661 this past season). Set to become an RFA next year, and with a 2024-25 cap hit of $2.325M, inking a new contract with the young Lafreniere seems worth it even amongst cap concerns.
K’Andre Miller, D, RFA 2025
One of the Rangers players that should be off limits for a trade is Miller. Miller is a young, 24-year-old blueliner from the state of hockey – born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Averaging well over a shot-block per game with 117 blocks in 80 games this past season, ranking 78th of 924 NHL skaters, he is another chess piece not to lose. Miller is physical too, with 148 hits in 2023-24. Miller’s offensive NHL career peaked in his 2022-23 season with the Blueshirts (nine goals, 34 assists and 43 points in 79 games).
He has proven himself a two-way blueliner this year as well, with eight goals and 22 assists in 80 games. Miller was also on the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2021. He has spent a lot of time on the ice this past season, with the second-highest time-on-ice per game of his team at 21:34 this past season. This is just above star centreman Vincent Trocheck (21:27) and behind only fellow D-man Adam Fox (23:27). Set to become an RFA next year, and with a 2024-25 cap hit of $3.872M, Miller is a young player with potential for even more greatness who should stay.
Jacob Trouba, D, UFA 2026
This Rangers player has been linked to a trade. Trouba, the Rangers’ captain since 2022 and set to be in 2024-25, will be another 2026 UFA. He is an outstanding shot-blocker, ranking 12th in the NHL at 183 blocks in 69 games this past season. Trouba was also a two-way blueliner this year with three goals and 19 assists in 69 games. The 30-year-old American sits on the Blueshirts’ second power play unit and first penalty kill unit.
Sadly, like his teammate, star left-winger Artemi Panarin, Trouba will be expensive in the last two years of his 2019-2026 contract with an $8M-annual cap hit. Remy Mastey of The Hockey News reported that although Trouba “will likely be in New York for the 2024-25 campaign”, Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported that the Rangers would most likely part with the captain because of cap-related issues. But should the Rangers’ 2026 cap space and roster situations call for it, they should consider re-signing him if possible.
Artemi Panarin, LW, UFA 2026
The final New York Rangers player that shouldn’t be on the move is the best forward. He won 2015-16 Calder Memorial Trophy winner was an offensive powerhouse for New York this season. The 32-year-old Russian was fourth in the league in points with 120, behind only Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid (132); Colorado Avalanche elite centre Nathan MacKinnon (140), and Tampa Bay Lightning right-winger Nikita Kucherov (144). He also ranked fifth in NHL goals with 49, behind only MacKinnon (51); Oilers star Zach Hyman (54); Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart (57), and Toronto Maple Leafs legend Auston Matthews (69). Panarin demonstrated his playoff value this year with five goals and 10 assists in 16 2023-24 playoff games.
Panarin is also a goal sniper, ranking second on his team in shooting percentage at 16.2 per cent. He is also in the NHLs 92nd percentile for shooting percentage. Set to become a UFA in 2026, Panarin’s heavy 2024-25 and 2025-26 cap hits of $11.642M may be worth re-signing him at that time if their cap situation improves. This would depend on the Rangers’ financial and roster situations two years from now. Until then, he is secure on the team with a no-movement clause through his whole $81.5M-contract (2019-2026).
Main Photo: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
