The New York Rangers will be looking to make some major moves this summer. General manager Chris Drury has been navigating the team through a retooling in recent months. The club previously offloaded star forward Artemi Panarin, and Vincent Trocheck will almost certainly depart in the offseason. Despite this, the Rangers want to avoid going through a full rebuild.
New York will have significant money to spend this summer. According to PuckPedia.com, the team has nearly $27 million in projected cap space for the 2026-27 season. Most teams in this position would typically look to free agency to help solve their problems. Nevertheless, the upcoming market will be thin as no superstars are set to become available.
Because of this, the Rangers could very well look to acquire a star via trade. One player who has been linked with New York for years now is Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk. Back in 2024, The New York Post claimed that the Rangers would target Tkachuk ahead of the trade deadline. It is safe to say that the news did not go down well in Ottawa.
Although the American star has remained with the Senators, he could finally be on the move this summer. Bleacher Report has now named the Rangers as the top landing spot for Tkachuk, should he become available. New York’s interest in the forward has not subsided over the years. In fact, they were linked with a potential move for Tkachuk earlier this season. Drury clearly has his eyes firmly on the highly-rated winger.
New York Rangers Hope to Capitalize on Brady Tkachuk’s Frustrations
GettyBrady Tkachuk has 24 points in 21 games against the Rangers in his career.
Speculation regarding Brady Tkachuk’s future in Ottawa has gained more attention due to comments made by the star’s family. During a recent Wingmen podcast recording, Brady’s father, Keith, and brother, Matt, openly criticized Senators coach Travis Green. The issue revolved around Brady’s recent decline in playing time under the coach. The Senators’ star opted not to discuss the issue.
While he has battled through injuries, the forward is averaging just 17:04 on the ice per game during the 2025-26 campaign. This figure is more than a minute less than what Tkachuk averaged a season ago, and nearly two minutes fewer than what he posted in 2023-24. Despite receiving less playing time, the forward is averaging a point per game on the campaign. He only reached this feat one other time during his NHL career.
New York May Not Have the Assets to Complete Trade
While the New York Rangers would love to take advantage of Tkachuk’s apparent frustrations, they will likely have a hard time striking a deal. The Athletic’s Vince Mercogliano recently acknowledged that Drury covets the star forward. However, the beat writer claimed that the Rangers “probably don’t” have the assets to pull off the trade.
New York does not have many young, NHL-ready, budding stars to entice Ottawa. Their prospect pool is also fairly average at best. Nevertheless, New York does have a surplus of quality draft picks. In fact, Drury has seven selections in the first three rounds of the 2026 NHL draft. However, picks alone surely would not get a deal done.
The Rangers’ chances of potentially landing Tkachuk hinge on how he handles the offseason. He will likely have to essentially force a move to New York by specifically picking the Rangers as his next destination. Drury is quite familiar with the situation, as Panarin made it clear that he solely wanted the Los Angeles Kings. It remains to be seen if Tkachuk is willing to go this route, though.
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