NY Rangers Wisely Seen as Potential Landing Spot for Free Agent Patrik Laine

Should the New York Rangers pursue free agent Patrik Laine?

Oct 16, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Patrik Laine (92) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Nashville Predators at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As the regular season and the start of training camp get closer, the New York Rangers are a team that is hoping to be much better. 

Coming off a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers had no shortage of needs coming into the offseason. New York was aggressive with a good amount of draft capital to go along with cap space and was able to make some nice moves. 

However, this was never going to be a one-year fix for the team, and the Rangers still have work to do. While it was a good step in the right direction, continuing to improve will be the goal. 

Even though free agency is mostly finished, there are still some notable names that are available. For New York, one of them might be able to help. 

Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report recently wrote about some potential suitors for free agent Patrik Laine. Unsurprisingly, with a need in their top nine still, the Rangers were one of the teams mentioned as a potential landing spot. 

Laine Makes Sense for Rangers

Oct 14, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine (92) prepares for a face off against the Seattle Kraken during the first period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though New York has made a ton of upgrades this summer, the team could still be seeking improvements before the start of the campaign. When looking at the roster, while the blueline and the goalie situations are set, there could be a need up front. 

The addition of Pavel Dorofeyev was a great one for the Rangers, giving them a 25-year-old who scored 37 goals last year. However, more offensive production could be needed for a team that really struggled to score in five-on-five situations last year. 

Obviously, with Laine still being a free agent, there are some concerns about what he can bring to the table. Staying on the ice has been a major problem for him. In the last three years, he has only been able to play in 75 games. However, during that span, he has scored 26 goals, with 16 of them coming on the man-advantage. 

Despite the struggles for the Rangers scoring overall, they were a really efficient team on the power play. Having Adam Fox in the lineup helps immensely on the man-advantage, but adding a scorer like Laine would as well. 

Overall, due to his injury concerns and him being a liability defensively, the asking price isn’t going to be too much for Laine. With New York having the desire to be an improved team, adding a veteran who can put the puck in the net makes a lot of sense.