The NY Rangers made an interesting bet this offseason, signing forward Oliver Bjorkstrand to a one-year, $4.5 million deal to add some much-needed scoring punch in the team’s top six.
The deal looks good. The Blueshirts got a solid scoring forward coming off a 12-goal, 32-point campaign with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
But it seems interesting that the NY Rangers passed on two other UFA wingers. According to resident insider Vincent Mercogliano, the Blueshirts looked into Anthony Mantha and Eeli Tolvanen, but ultimately settled on Bjorkstrand.
“They (Rangers) poked around on available wingers Anthony Mantha and Eeli Tolvanen, according to the league sources, but the Bjorkstrand signing may have cooled their interest.”
Mercogliano pointed out that the main reason for the organization’s decision lies in the lack of desire to commit to a long-term deal. The NY Rangers wanted to sign a UFA forward to a one-year deal in the $3 million to $4 million ballpark.
But when looking at what Mantha signed for, that might have been a questionable assessment. The 31-year-old eventually signed a two-year deal with the New Jersey Devils worth $4.75 million AAV.
GM Chris Drury might have balked at signing Mantha since the asking price on a one-year deal might have been above $5 million.
However, it might seem head-scratching to see the Rangers sign a 12-goal scorer for about $250K less than a 30-goal scorer.
NY Rangers Might Have Had Concerns about Mantha’s Injury History
Let’s say that the NY Rangers would have been serious about signing Mantha. The asking price might have turned them off a bit for one key reason: Mantha’s injury history.
Mantha had a terrible 2024-25 season that saw him play just 13 games due to a major knee injury. He came back last season, playing 81 games and registering a resurgent campaign.
But one season is no guarantee that Mantha’s injury woes are behind him. And it could be the main factor in choosing Bjorkstrand over Mantha. If Mantha plays another full season and can score at least 20 goals, this move could look even worse than it already does.
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Could Blueshirts Circle Back to Tolvanen?
Then, there’s the matter of Tolvanen. The 27-year-old forward remains unsigned. Like Bjorkstrand, Tolvanen is coming off a 12-goal campaign with the Seattle Kraken. He’s coming off a two-year deal carrying a $3.475 million cap hit.
That sounds a little more affordable for the NY Rangers. And it could mean the organization might be willing to circle back to the Finnish forward. He remains unsigned at the moment and could be holding out for the best possible offer.
But it is mid-July. If there were a multi-year deal on the table somewhere, he would have already signed. Perhaps the NY Rangers are just biding their time. If Tolvanen remains unsigned later in the summer, he might be willing to take a one or two-year deal ahead of the beginning of training camp.
If that’s the case, the Blueshirts could get another decent middle-six scoring option at a reasonable price point. The team only has $2.4 million in cap space at the moment. So, Drury will have to be careful about how much he adds this summer.
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