NY Rangers Should Be Concerned About Stars Not Wanting to Join Them

Should the New York Rangers be concerned about stars not wanting to play for them?

Apr 20, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) comes off the ice after the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. / James Guillory-Imagn Images

With the offseason starting to heat up, the direction of the New York Rangers is something that will be closely analyzed this summer. 

After a last-place finish and a lot of struggles last season, Chris Drury stated that the team is in a retool and not a rebuild. With that statement, expectations for what the franchise might do have changed. 

Over the last couple of years, the Rangers have been seemingly trying to get younger, acquire assets, and create salary cap space. While they have been able to achieve that for the most part, the on-ice production was not good last season. 

Now, as a team that was in last place in the conference, being a playoff contender next year doesn’t seem very likely at this point. In order for New York to be a contender, they were going to have to make a significant splash this offseason. 

Despite having a lot of cap space, the free agency class is lacking, and landing a major star on the open market isn’t going to happen. Furthermore, with the trade market starting to heat up, that figured to be a potential way for them to be able to land the star that they likely desire. However, two of the top players who have either been traded or asked to be traded didn’t have the Rangers on their preferred list, and that is a cause for concern. 

Rangers Should Be Concerned

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

With the recent trade that sent Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, New York saw a player whom they certainly would have loved to add go to another team. While it was a significant package of draft picks, he is a great player and a star in the league. However, the Olympic Gold Medalist didn’t have New York on his preferred list, leaving them without a chance to land him. 

Furthermore, Dylan Larkin has requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings this summer, and with a short list of teams he would like to play for, the Rangers weren’t one of them. 

New York has a long history of being one of the most desirable places to play in the league, but that might not be the case anymore. While the team's struggles likely have something to do with it, the Rangers should be concerned about star players not wanting to come there. 

Due to players like Larkin and Tkachuk not having the Rangers on their preferred list, the team might not have a choice but to try to rebuild if they can make a splash.