Sharks' Free Agent Defenseman Could Fill Need for NY Rangers

Should the New Rangers pursue a free agent from the San Jose Sharks?

Mar 14, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a San Jose Sharks logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the third period at Bell Centre. / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers will be getting set for free agency in a few weeks, and with a lot of cap space, could be major players. 

Following a very poor year, the Rangers are getting set for an important offseason. The team has not made the playoffs for the last two campaigns, and they have moved on from a lot of their veteran talent of late. 

With a desire to retool and get younger, production on the ice has suffered. New York really struggled to put the puck in the net, and they were historically bad to start the season at home. 

Since the team isn’t in a rebuild, the expectation will be that they improve this summer. They do have the tools to improve, but whether or not it will be enough to make them a contender is yet to be determined. 

As expected with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers have multiple areas to address. While improving their top six and getting some help in the scoring department will be one of them, so too is help for the blue line on the left side. One potential option that could make sense is San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro. 

Ferraro Could Fill Need on Blue Line

San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

While a lot will likely depend on what the Rangers do with the fifth overall pick, there is a desire for them to get some help on the left side of the blue line. Both Chris Drury and Mike Sullivan spoke about this after the season, and as a left-handed defenseman, the argument can be made that Ferraro would be the top choice. 

The 27-year-old defenseman would fit nicely in terms of the positional need for the team, to go along with being on the younger side. The mindset for New York has been to seemingly get younger, and at 27 years old, Ferraro fits nicely into that plan. 

This season, he totaled 23 points with seven goals and 16 assists. Ferraro is a good defender and can move the puck pretty well, which is something the Rangers would be looking for on that side. 

However, if New York drafted one of the top left-handed defensemen with the fifth overall pick, whether or not they would look to make a significant investment in a player of the caliber of Ferraro, who could be on the second line, is an interesting question. Overall, as arguably the top left-handed defenseman in this class, he could be a strong addition for the Rangers.